Secrets Baby Beach Aruba — Hotel in San Nicolaas

We rated our experience as Average due to the promotional deal we got when booking this resort. IF we booked it at full price, it would have been a 2/5. ||||The service was hit or miss at this resort. ||||Check-in attendant: May ||||We did not get the room we reserved (preferred club superior ocean view). We ended up getting a pool view, that was also very loud from 9am - 6pm. So if you wanted to rest at all during the day or afternoon, you would have to do so with loud party music blasting the entire time. We eventually got our original room half way through the trip thanks to our Butler, Jeff. ||||At check-in we were told that we only booked the room type "preferred club" but with none of the amenities of the preferred club, so no butler, no preferred club lounge etc. We also booked directly through the Hyatt website. After some back and forth, I eventually pulled up the world of Hyatt booking website to show them that the preferred club amenities are included with our booking. Upon doing this, the attendant, May, called her manager and spoke on the phone for quite some time before finally guiding us to the Preferred lounge where we waited around 30 mins to an hour for service and to be notified that we did indeed get the preferred club amenities. ||||Butler: Jeff||||Our Butler got us through our vacation. He was able to get us the room we booked only half way through our trip, as all the rooms were fully booked out. And he was able to get us any of the items we were missing from our hotel room (explained below) ||||Jeff was great, however we only saw him twice during our vacation. Once at check-in and second at check-out. He was easily available through WhatsApp, and his response time was rather quick anywhere from 10-45 minutes. And if he took longer than 15 minutes to respond he was very apologetic for the 'late' response. ||||The only issues we experienced was the hotel tour. It felt rushed, as he had to attend to other guests. We were offered another hotel tour by a different butler, Malik, who was very detailed during the drive around the hotel. ||||Room: 3330 & 1345||||Due to the booking room issue at check-in, we were able to experience two different types of service/quality with our rooms. Please note that both rooms were at Preferred Club Level. ||||Room 3330 - Pool view - Upon entering this room, our butler, Jeff, was the one who pointed out that we were missing: Rum, Slippers, and a tote bag. Jeff was able to get us these items a few hours later that day. Due to the humidity, this hotel room wallpaper was peeling at certain parts of the room. While it didn't bother us, it was surprising to see as the hotel is still brand new. We also did not get turndown service once during our stay in this room type - we were missed. And finally, issues with the bathroom, it appears like some rust was forming on the floor of the shower, while again this didn't bother us it was surprising to see.||||Room 1345 - Ocean view - Upon entering this room, we noticed a vast difference in service quality and room quality compared to our previous room. There were additional snacks, magazines, pen and paper provided in this room. Our old room was missing almost all the 'extras'! In this new room, we got pringles, M&Ms and a Milkyway bar. During turndown service we received little Hershey Kisses. Additionally, this room seemed to be in better shape - no peeling wallpaper, washroom was fully clean. ||||Food: ||||Market Cafe (Breakfast & Lunch Buffet) - Hostess, Lusdarine, was probably one our favorite individuals we interacted with at the hotel. She remembered our name and was always very friendly with a giant smile on her face! The food at the buffet was probably the best in terms of taste. There were plenty of options, and everything was clean. ||The service however was probably the worst. Once during our time there we had to ask the kitchen staff where we could get drinks as our servers went missing. Overall review - Food was great, service was bad. ||||Himitsu (Hibachi dinner) - Chef Julian, dinner was very entertaining, food was pretty bad. It reminds me of salty Chinese fast food, similar to that of a panda express. I would skip the hibachi dinner and just go for the regular menu here. Also, the Hibachi dinner requires a reservation! ||||Tierra (South American dinner) - Server Kemar, was probably our best server the entire trip! We went to this restaurant twice because we found it to be the best on property. Food was tasty but not overly salty (a theme at this hotel). Kemar will offer you delicious recommendations if you ask for it. ||||Coco cafe (snacks & coffee) - The drinks were delicious here, so was the ice cream bar and sandwiches/wraps. The baked goods however were just okay.||||Oceana (Seafood dinner) - Very very very salty food. The apps were yummy, the entrees were just okay. ||||Portofino (Italian dinner) - Again, very salty. The food here was like an elevated olive garden. ||||Activities: (we only attended two, cocktail making class & wine tasting. There is no cooking class at this time) ||||Cocktail making class:||The cocktail class was extremely disappointing. The class did not start until 30 - 45 mins past the original set time, additionally it was done at the counter of the preferred bar not inside. To be frank, it was not much of a class, it was more like we asked which drink we wanted to make and the "teacher" made us the drink...like we were ordering a drink? We did however learn some history about the drink that was made. ||||Wine tasting (Vernel) ||Wine tasting was great, Vernel was quite knowledgeable. In the middle of the wine tasting a cheese board was brought in late. We were notified that it usually was there before arrival, however it was forgotten this time.||||UVC presentation (Rendolf) ||During our stay, we were offered a $400 coupon for the spa. Please read the fine print of the coupon as you can only use it for very specific services. The UVC presentation pitch by Rendolf was pretty good, it was tailored to our travel needs. We learned quite a bit about the world of Hyatt. We did not go through with signing up. When we said no, Rendolf did cuss, not directly at us, it was more of like 'ahh this f*ing guy' kind of in a joking manner. Although not professional, it didn't bother us but it did surprise us. ||||Preferred Pool: It was nice, clean, and service was great. Only issue was the "hot tub" was not hot. ||||Beach: As a reminder, all beaches at Aruba are public beaches. ||The beach was just, okay. It was slightly dirty, due to all the birds and dogs roaming/pooping on the beach. The water itself was clear on non-windy days. Pro tip: Bring water shoes & snorkel gear, go to the beach as early as you can for several reasons, low tide = more opportunity to see fish and other cool creatures, you'll get a better spot on the beach, and it'll be a lower UV index. I recommend reading others reviews on the beach as we have very similar sentiments. ||||||Overall review: a solid 3/5. ||||There were a lot of hits and misses. Lots of things were not open yet as the hotel is still trying to figure things out. The food was okay, presentation was amazing taste was lacking. The service was okay, some folks were amazing going above and beyond, others felt like they did not want to be there at all. The hotel itself is beautiful.||||If you wanted to tip any of the workers, highly recommend tipping the guys at the beach as they're working in the sun for long hours, with no AC and mostly no shade. ||||Would we go again? Probably not. Our experience hovered between positive and...

Hello,||It was an overall great experience, minus some very frustrating hiccups in the first two days. I want to share recognition for standout staff, but also highlight areas that really need improvement to elevate the experience for visitors.||Disappointments||Casino Closure||The casino was closed during our trip — something we weren’t informed of until arrival. It was disappointing, especially since that was part of our excitement for the stay. Not the end of the world, but definitely something that should have been communicated ahead of time.||Check-In Delay||This was my first visit to a Secrets resort, and we were very excited. We arrived at the property a little before 1:30 pm (official check-in is 3:00 pm). Our luggage was collected at the entrance and we were escorted to the Preferred Lounge. The concierge told us our room wasn’t ready yet, and they kindly invited us to enjoy drinks and snacks. We were also introduced to our butler for the stay, Jeff.||By 3:45 pm our room was still not available, and we didn’t actually get checked in until close to 4:00 pm — a full hour after the posted check-in time.||Birthday Setup Failure||This was the biggest letdown. I had requested a birthday setup in our room upon arrival several days prior. When we finally got into the room, there was nothing. I reached out to our butler, Jeff, who looked into it and found out that the setup had been scheduled for our last night instead of our first day. I asked for it to be corrected as soon as possible. He said it could not be done until Day 2, which I accepted.||On Day 2, we left the room early to head to the beach and I messaged Jeff that we’d be gone for 3–4 hours, requesting both the birthday setup and housekeeping during that time. We came back — nothing had been done. I followed up, and he apologized. Later we left again for the pool, making the same request. Hours later we returned — still no housekeeping and no birthday setup.||At that point, I called the Preferred Club concierge and asked to speak with the General Manager. I was connected to Louis, the Hotel Supervisor, who apologized and asked when our last day was. I told him, and he promised they would “take care of us” to make up for the poor experience. That never happened. No one followed up and nothing was done.||While I was on that call, housekeeping finally arrived along with their supervisor to apologize. Then someone wheeled in the cake and champagne while we were standing at the door, which completely ruined the surprise I had wanted to create.||After this, it became clear that we were better off handling requests ourselves because there was a serious disconnect between the butler, housekeeping, and the service team.||Louis the Supervisor — you promised we’d be “taken care of” after our rocky start. Unfortunately, that never happened. That broken promise was one of the most disappointing parts of our stay.||Recognition & Bright Spots||To balance the above, I do want to recognize team members who went above and beyond:||Housekeeping Manager: Thank you for stopping by personally to apologize for the early missteps.||Secrets Beach Team: Always kept us accommodated with towels, chairs, and drinks — great service.||Erwin (Preferred Club Front Desk): The MVP. He got us two fantastic reservations, including Flying Fishbone — a must-visit. Sitting practically in the ocean with fish and crabs around us was unforgettable. Highly recommend.||Oceana Staff:||Danise: Warm, friendly, and welcoming.||Sophia: Felt like I’d known her for years.||Alondra: Made an excellent mimosa.||Adonis: treated us well.||Preferred Club Bar Staff:||Caroline: Top-notch hospitality and an amazing pistachio martini.||Julianne: Another fantastic bartender, also made a great pistachio martini.||Cornell: Strong Old Fashioneds and great conversation.||Jay-lin (Preferred Club Pool): A superstar. She never stopped moving and always anticipated guests’ needs, even without being asked. She was the definition of great customer service.||Juan (Bellhop): Helpful on arrival with our luggage and always greeting us with a smile.||Tips & Observations||Baby Beach: Absolutely worth it, even if you’re not a beach person. Go early (around 8:30–9:00 am) for peace and quiet before it fills up.||Spa: Enjoyed a relaxing body scrub on our last night. The hydrotherapy circuit (hot tub, cold plunge, sauna, steam, small pool) was a nice touch. Discounts available through UVC coupons.||Gym: Well-equipped enough for a good workout (chest machines, kettlebells, cardio equipment).||Dining:||Oceana was strong for breakfast and dinner. Lunch was decent.||Himitsu hibachi requires reservations for the hibachi show.||Buffet only available at breakfast and lunch; Preferred Club dining is sit-down for dinner.||Resort Tips:||24-hour café available for late-night snacks and coffee.||Get to the beach early — it gets crowded fast, especially weekends when locals arrive.||Don’t mind the stray dogs on the beach — they were friendly.||Bring cash for tips.||Transportation: Consider renting a car. Cabs are expensive (airport ↔ resort = $65 each way, resort ↔ Wacky Wahoo = $75 each way).||We skipped the UVC pitch. Others told us the “2-hour” presentation could end up eating a whole day, and we didn’t think $200 in credit was worth it.||Final Thoughts||After the first two days, we did enjoy ourselves, but those early experiences were frustrating and avoidable:||Late check-in (room not ready until almost 4 pm).||Birthday setup mishandled twice, ruining what should have been a simple surprise.||Housekeeping requests ignored repeatedly.||Casino closed without advance notice.||Louis, the Hotel Supervisor, promised we’d be “taken care of” but never followed up.||For a Preferred Club guest experience, this is unacceptable. Guests pay for an elevated standard of service, and what we received instead was miscommunication, dropped requests, and broken promises.||We may return in the future, but only if management addresses these issues and ensures Preferred Club delivers the A-class service it advertises. Maybe by then we’ll finally hear back...

We had a reservation for six people at Hibachi, only dinner that takes a reservation. We arrived and after several minutes and confusion were told they gave our seats to a group of six that provided our room number. I strongly feel that was a lie and just escalated the mistake they made rather than being honest. They initially weren’t going to do anything and only after someone in our group confronted the manager did they pull six chairs together and made it work. Strongly disappointed in the entire handling of this. Only one dinner experience takes a reservation, get it right! I would caution those planning a trip, they are clearly struggling to provide the level of service that is expected at a Secrets resort.||Resort is beautiful. The staff have all been very friendly. The food has been excellent in all the restaurants and the breakfast and lunch buffet are both excellent. However, the wait to get food in the restaurants is long, 35-45 minutes. They are not fully staffed.|The rooms are nice and good size with a ceiling fan and stocked mini fridge. There are oceanview and oceanfront options, oceanview in building three has good view of the water. The room categories changed since we booked. We paid for what they are calling oceanfront but were given a oceanview room, told the oceanfront was sold out. We learned this after friends who had our same category were put in an oceanfront room. The cost of our room should have absolutely been oceanfront. We have stayed at other Secrets resorts and always book oceanfront.||They have had entertainment nightly and they have a sports bar open until 1am. Cocos Cafe with gelato, small sandwiches, coffees, cappuccino, espresso and desserts is open 24-7. All very good!|The preferred lounge makes a great espresso martini, you can order from other bars also, I got it from that bar. It appears at the moment with the resort not being fully booked, you can order drinks at preferred bar if not preferred. We have friends that are not preferred and have been able to order. We didn’t feel the added cost for preferred was treated as it should be for the amount it cost to upgrade. It needs to be more exclusive. Our Butler which comes with preferred upgrade didn’t add much to the experience for our stay. More of a concierge service but not much they can do as the restaurants do not take reservations. We did use for arranging our departure transportation and for booking the Hibachi reservation which ended up being pointless as it was barely honored.||They do not allow you to be in the pool past 7pm. So, if you are a night swimmer or just want to have that option, may want to book room with swim out pool. Second, the beach situation…. Only beer and water and no umbrellas. There are a few shaded areas with trees. The guys working at the beach are very friendly. Just doing their best with what they can do. We took trips to pool bar to refill our drinks and had to leave to eat lunch. Not sure if this is changing, seems like there are some restrictions with it being a public beach. The beach is beautiful and crystal clear and worth the view but with inconvenience.|Room service has been late a few days by 45 minutes and we have even got it when we didn't order. I recommend the buffet!|There is not any music at preferred pool or the pool closest to the ocean, only at main pool in middle of the resort. We used our speaker a few days. I would like to have some music at preferred pool.|lf you prefer to be near shopping and other restaurants this is not the resort for that. It is about a 45 min drive to downtown Oranjestad. We got a taxi and went for a boat charter yesterday. Highly recommend Ocean Waves Sailing if you are interested in a boat day. San Nicholas has some shopping and is about a 10 min drive much smaller town. Charlie’s Bar is a cool bar to check out in San Nicholas.|We are renting UTV from Ruff Riders tomorrow. They deliver them to the resort and we can use them for up to 8 hours. The excursion through the resort was a seven hour excursion and you had to get on a bus and drive for a bit.. we like the option of being on our own with No guide and returning them back to the resort when we are done. I will update here on that tomorrow.|Overall beautiful resort, with great service with exception of Hibachi experience but slow!||Oh and special shoutout to Cheslon at preferred pool. He goes above and beyond and just makes you smile!” He deserves recognition at minimum and a...