Aruba Ocean Villas

We stayed in Sophia for our 10th anniversary and it was an amazing place! It feels so private with direct access to water. The deck on the water is so perfect - you can plan to read books there, hang around, have some drinks and stargaze at night. We left the villa only once to have dinner. The snorkelling kit was also provided and you could directly snorkel from your deck. Amazing place.

Very warm and welcoming service in an overly priced horrible location, with a joke for a beach it sits on. Sorry for being blunt. Here’s more about our stay: The entry door will hurt someone if over 5’11”. You need to step OVER the walkway while ducking UNDER the wood entry decor simultaneously (where my 6’ tall husband banged his head so hard it started to bleed). Needless to say, handicap accessible isn’t even close. The number of trip and stepping hazards is insane. Always watch where you’re going. Even on the drive in, the amount of major holes that need to be leveled is unreal. Resulting in enormous mud piles you need to drive and walk around. The shower doesn’t get hot. Ever. The so called private beach is a joke. No one would ever want to dip their toe in this murky mess. But now explains why there are so many mosquitoes!! The amount of mosquitoes!!!! From Tuesday night to Saturday morning, I have over 40 bites on me (including my face!) and I have lathered the bug spray on me constantly. I went through 2 tubes of anti itch gel - which doesn’t seem to work for these blood sucking creatures. The largest cock roaches I’ve ever seen in my entire life, came strolling through our “open air living” space - more than once. So gross!! They are definitely well fed here. Wifi sucks. Got better connection at random restaurants during our trip. This location is so far from anything and everything. We had to travel 14km to get anywhere. The sounds within the bedroom are non stop from leaves hitting the roof to what sounds like animals trying to get in while we are trying to sleep. Plus the bar location. The bar is located so close that we could hear all the music and conversations which made falling asleep difficult. When we tried to see if another room available (it wasn’t), we were told the live music stops at 10. It wasn’t the live music that was a problem. Have to request for housekeeping services and towels refreshed - they are pleasant when responding but was surprised so much had to be requested. Including pick up of our room service dishes from the night prior. For what they charge especially given their location, I’d expect much better amenities and food quality. Breakfasts tasted like premade microwaveable dishes. We won’t return but do hope they read these reviews and implement positive changes over time. I almost forgot, the room has no real curtains!! Only sheer panels that are see through if you have any lights on at night. Set right next to the bar. When we mentioned concern about this, the response was “everyone is discreet here”. What? So disappointed in our overall stay. The people who work here however, are incredibly nice.

Our stay was simply magic! If you’re looking for privacy and to get away from the tourist traps, look no further. The outdoor shower and bathtub in our room was lovely. The setting for meals was unreal. Paddling in kayaks at sunset was majestic. The food is not gourmet but breakfast gave us a lovely start to each day, and we were quite satisfied with our meals. I would most certainly stay again, thanks to the wonderful staff!

Beautiful, quiet, romantic villa. Is it worth the money you’re paying? No. I’ll simplify the reasons: 1. Location isn’t local. If you’re planning to see the rest of Aruba and their main towns it’s roughly 25-40 minutes. 2. You’re greeted to a driveway with a muddy, dirty entrance. God forbid it rains, your shoes will get dirty. You’d expect some level of luxury if you’re paying this much for the villa. 3. The safe isn’t SAFE. You can pick it up with 1 hand. That was a worry. 4. We had birds laying nests inside our villa. Which was making a complete mess with their twigs, feathers and poo. We just had to deal with it and walk around the mess. The did NOTHING about it. I don’t regret staying there but I wouldn’t go back, unfortunately it wasn’t worth it. We stayed at Qualia in Hamilton Island which was so incredibly perfect and for half the price. It just needs some renovations and it’ll make such a difference.

While the villa and views at Aruba Ocean Villas were stunning, unfortunately, our stay was overshadowed by a theft that left us feeling unsafe and disappointed. My husband’s luggage was stolen from our room, despite all the doors being locked, leading us to believe it may have been an inside job. I never expected such poor handling of a serious situation from a place charging $1200 a night. The resort's cameras captured footage of someone on the property who wasn’t a guest, which has left me uneasy about security failures allowing trespassers. Although management initially seemed helpful—Shirley, the manager, promised to take down a list of stolen items and price them out—they fell short in following through. She offered a free 90-minute massage and a free second night stay, but we declined the massage as we were too distressed to enjoy it. The resort searched the wooded area outside and found the suitcase, but all the valuable items were missing. Despite this, the resort seemed to think that finding the empty suitcase was enough to resolve the situation. To make matters worse, once we left the property, they sent an email days later informing us they were no longer honoring what was initially offered and assuming no liability. Management has since stopped responding to our emails, leaving us feeling disregarded. Although we had baggage insurance, it only covered lost luggage at the airport, leaving us with no recourse for this situation. This resort allowed a trespasser to steal from our room, filed a police report, and offered nothing but an apology. There’s still no explanation as to how the thief got onto the property or into our room, and no reassurance that steps will be taken to prevent this from happening again. I expected better security, accountability, and customer care from a place of this caliber.

We were waiting for our reservation at Flying Fishbone when we stumbled across this resort. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. We ordered drinks and sat on a beach bed while watching the waves and people kayaking. A very romantic and secluded place tucked away in a small residential area. You can also dine here, even if not a guest at the resort.

The facility and grounds are beautiful. Coming in, you’re a little shocked from the puddles of mud in the parking lot. Some grading would help. The room is beautiful, no complaints at all. It comes with a kitchenette complete with toaster and Ninja which is a little strange since there is no food to prepare or no grocery stores anywhere nearby. Where this place really falls short is the service. It lands in an exclusive category of resorts where you expect a level of service that you just don’t get here. In short, you are not really catered to. You feel like you are bothering staff when you ask for something. A place this exclusive should be running like clockworks. If you have 12 bungalows and breakfast orders must be placed the evening before by 6, it should arrive by the time you asked the next morning, not “in and around”. Staff, although lovely, are not polished like other resorts. They are on their cellphones in spaces designated for guests. If you’re on a break, then there should be a designated area to conduct personal business. If you really want to be dazzled by impeccable service, try Jade Mountain - St. Lucia or even Fowl Cay -Exumas. They set the bar for incredible service. This place has everything it needs to be a high end boutique resort if they convert their service model from request service that falls short on expected results and focus on catering to your guests needs.

Came to AOV for our 25th Wedding Anniversary, we were looking for a getaway that was tranquil, away from the norms; we found it! AOV, is a slice of heaven, the staff caters to your needs and is extremely helpful at all times…the properly is stunning and the rooms leave your breathless! Falling asleep to the waves and sitting in the afternoon with the ocean breeze and waves crashing, it just doesn’t get any better!! Your day starts with a delicious breakfast prepared for you either brought to your Villa or at the Restuarant…you are walking distance to two fantastic local gems, Flying Fisherman and Zeeover… My wife and I are already considering our return, highly recommend, can’t wait for the new additions (pool and lazy river) 😊👍🏻