Talk of the Town Hotel & Beach Club

We really enjoy our stay in TOTT ( Room #302). A bit far for most of the activities. That if you like to walk a little, won't bother you. The Marketplace is 15 minutes, Downtown is 20. Very quiet, room comfortable. Staff very friendly. The fact that the hotel is small makes it not overcrowded.

This is my second review of TOTT. |We needed a room for one night as we extended our stay due a flight issue. I instantly thought of TOTT. We stayed for a week back in May ‘24 and had a wonderful experience and met some incredible people there. I called my newly found friend Tamara at TOTT and she was able to accommodate us! She even put my husband and I in the same room we stayed back in May!! Talk about details! We were greeted with smiles and hugs from friendly staff we had met there before, who made us feel so welcomed. We spent the day at Reflexions on the beach and had an absolute blast! A perfect last nights stay before returning home! We have decided to always stay at least one night at TOTT when we are in Aruba!||Travel Tip:|I recommend asking for an inside/poolside room, especially on weekends. It never bothered us, but things can get a little loud across the street late at night.

I’ve traveled extensively and never raise concerns about accommodations as long as things are even slightly functional and safe. Unfortunately, this hotel felt like the Twilight Zone the entire time, and I cannot in good faith recommend staying here. I badly injured my toe and discovered there was no first aid kit on the premises. Bleeding and crying, I asked for help and was sent to the hotel’s gift shop, where overpriced basics (that literally $30-a-night hostels provide for free) barely included band-aids. At a hotel with a pool and children everywhere, this isn’t just strange—it’s dangerously irresponsible. For $300 a night: -No actual help arranging taxis (they call the first number on google—I found it easier to do it myself). -No recommendations or assistance. -No coffee unless the bar/restaurant is open (no coffee machine in rooms or common areas). -No basic amenities like combs or toothbrushes. -No first aid kit—unacceptable given the pool and kids running around. -Freezing rooms with AC that cannot be turned off due to a warning about damp floors, leaving you shivering all night. -Staff that either seemed eerily disengaged—almost afraid to interact, as if something was happening behind the scenes with management—or flat-out mean, responding to a simple hello or a request for something like an empty cup with total hostility. -To top it off, the payment process was a mess. At check-in, I was told it was “impossible” that I had already paid because they “don’t charge until arrival.” However, their website requires full payment upfront. When I showed an email invoice proving I was charged, the story changed—suddenly, my payment had “failed due to insufficient funds.” No proof was provided when I asked. The hotel operates fundamentally on a “pay extra for everything” model. When I was injured, I tried to buy a bottle of water from the bar to clean the wound. I stepped 3 feet away for a second and was immediately barked at to "pay now!!!!" because the bar was “technically closed.” Just take my $6 while I bleed out on your patio, okay? This place is disorganized, creepy, unkind, and unsafe, and absolutely not worth $300 a night. Aruba is STUNNING—stay anywhere else.

First. Excellent service !!!! Bar staff ( Marg) and breakfast staff. |Easy check in. Great service. |Nice property ( need some upgrade though)|Pool needs cleaning in deep end. |Don’t get an end room near the streets. You’ll hear cars and motorcycles and loud one at night. :( this has been said before in others reviews I’ve seen |Breakfast buffet was so so at best |Room is small. Don’t have a dresser for any of your clothes. Only a closet with 6 hangers and no shelves. |Bed was ok. But definitely need better pillows. |Beach across the street is nice and convenient. Local bar/ restaurant there|About a 12-14 min walk to shops , casino and restaurants. Not to bad.

Rooms smelled like mold. Cockroaches all over. Takes 15mins for the hot water in the shower. Hot tub didn’t work. The breakfast ends super early. It was our last leg of our trip so we stayed here just for one night. When I asked if I could do a late check out (2hrs) so we could go right from this hotel to the airport they said the charge (which is expected) was an additional $87!! For two hours! My advice book the Divi all inclusive! So much nicer, cleaner and late check out with zero charge.

**Review of Talk of the Town Aruba**||||I recently stayed at Talk of the Town Aruba for a week in September with friends, and our experience was a mixed bag. ||||Initially, we were assigned a room that opened directly onto the main road. Despite a high wall, the bars across the street made it nearly impossible to get any sleep. The room itself was quite run down and definitely in need of redecoration. When we checked in, the reception staff were unhelpful and refused to move us, leaving us to endure the discomfort.||||Fortunately, the next morning we spoke to reception again and, after paying for an upgrade, we moved to a pool view room on the opposite side of the property. While it was a bit annoying to have to pay extra after our initial booking, the new room was a vast improvement and allowed us to enjoy a peaceful stay—definitely a necessary change.||||The pool area was a highlight, providing a lovely oasis away from the beach heat. The renovated room was pleasant and quiet, which made a big difference. The staff were friendly, and we appreciated the small bar and restaurant on-site, as well as the convenience store for quick snacks.||||The hotel is conveniently located just a five-minute drive from the airport, making it a great option after a long flight. However, it is a bit out of the way; it took us about 20 minutes to walk into Oranjestad for shopping and dining. There are a few restaurants and bars across the road that are worth checking out, but if you're looking to be in the heart of the action, this might not be the best spot for you.||||In summary, Talk of the Town Aruba has its strengths, particularly the friendly staff and pleasant pool area, but we encountered some initial frustrations with our room. If you're looking for a budget-friendly stay and don’t mind a bit of a walk to the main attractions, it could be a decent option.

Well I usually don’t leave bad reviews, but I feel compelled to warn future guests. I decided to stay at a local non-branded Aruban hotel and this place ticked the box. I booked it through Hotels.com and I did select a higher rate with flexibility to cancel by 01/31/25. When our plans changed as they frequently do, I initiated a cancellation last week only to be told that I booked a non-refundable rate. I never book non-refundable because my husband’s schedule is insane. The resort and Hotels.com pretty much called me a liar and they stole my money. Needless to say I deleted Hotels.com and I am leaving this review so no else gets robbed. And in closing they had the opportunity to cancel or refund my money and they chose to keep it. So BEWARE & do not stay here.

Many good points and I would stay again however the hotel could be so much better . |Good points - room was very clean , comfy bed , towels and hot water . Had a fridge Microwave and they brought me a kettle . Cleaning staff were all lovely , very pleasant and did a good job . Great WiFi all over the hotel |Bad points - reception staff usually ok but sometimes quite snappy and could be rude .Bar staff the same , the guys who maintained the gardens were very pleasant and friendly . Worst staff were the dining room staff at breakfast . I was room only and on the first morning was made to feel a total inconvenience to them when I asked about buying the breakfast - in fact I did say am I allowed to buy breakfast or not as she was making such a carry on over it . It was not the best but was adequate nothing more . You could buy what you wanted separately and that was 10% service charge however have the buffet breakfast and you had to pay 20% service charge . I have no issue with a 10% service charge however for a buffet breakfast where you do all the work it was outrageous to be charged 20% service charge and no one could explain why - not in the restaurant or the front desk and never offered to find out either . Also every time I left my plate to get another coffee I would turn round to it being cleared half eaten or not and once she was even whipping my side plate away from me while I was still eating - not even asking if I had finished .|Its service charge gone mad - I went to the bar one afternoon for a coke to be handed an unopened tin and a straw and charged 10% service charge - never been charged service charge at a bar !!! If you are charging service charges you need to offer SERVICE!!|Also for 12 days the bar and kitchen were only open 11am to 6 pm so no drinks or food available on site after 6 pm . I ate at the bar a couple of lunch times but to be fair I was so annoyed with the service charge on drinks I walked to the beach instead most of the time had great service from very friendly wait staff - a lesson needs to be learned here . |The pool needed cleaning badly it was starting to get very patchy looking the last week I was there but never saw anyone clean it the whole fortnight I was there or scoop the insects and leaves off the water either . |On the last day I enquired about keeping my room a little longer - check out was 12 and wasn’t getting picked up until 3 pm - no they had a lot of guests coming in but it was very quiet the whole time I was there so would have had to have been a major influx . Ok so do you have a courtesy room - no . Anywhere I can get a shower - no - but they did store luggage for you . |I do feel that you at least need to offer a courtesy room as a bare minimum . Service was sadly lacking in areas where it shouldn’t be and certainly not where you are charging service charge . Front facing staff could take a lesson from their cleaners and gardeners !!