Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusive Resort

Just got back from 4days at Divi! We had an amazing vacation. All we wanted was a relaxing, beach vacation with no thinking required. Biggest issue was figuring out what fun frozen drink to get next!! The beach was beautiful, it was great to be able to go for a long beach walk up the coastline. I always felt safe, and everyone was very nice. I found it easy to walk from resort to resort. The resort has amazing sunset views! Golf carts also come frequently if you don’t want to walk 5 mins. The rooms were basic, but honestly we didn’t spend much time there. Beds were comfortable. You need to make dinner reservations 2 days in advance, if you don’t you will eat at the buffet which always has delicious options!! We’re already dreaming of returning for our next vacation!

The restaurants are good once you get a reservation, which for the first two days is challenging. You need your room number to book, and you can only book two days out, but the food is very good. Service is friendly, and the rooms, while basic for the price are adequate. We stayed in building 21, which has an excellent rock free beach. If kids bother you, avoid this area. Likewise, if noise bothers you avoid the south end. There is a local nightclub near by and you feel the bass from early afternoon until 2pm. We made a room request for the main floor closer to the restaurants due to disability. Neither was granted and sleep has been difficult for me as I am quite noise sensitive, and nothing blocks the vibration. WE will not stay here again or recommend it. We might try the Divi, but if room locations can't be facilitated we will have to go elsewhere. It's a good resort, but they need to accomodate reasonable room requests. Not much they can do about offsite noise though.

Never got to go. Our flight was canceled due to happenings in Venezuela. We purchased insurance. Since we booked through Expedia the resort said to take it up with Expedia. Expedia has reached out and the resort will not respond. They charged us for one night for our rooms we never stayed in and all the other fees that go along. WE LOST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! Any resort we’ve ever stayed at values positive reviews because that’s how they survive. Note that this resort does NOT respond to anyone. This shows they do not care about anyone or their stay. Until I get my money back for something I never used I will continue to tell all that they are thieves and steal money! What a bunch of crooks. With a reputation like this they will not be around for long!

Beautiful island-- perfect weather, everyday.|I really do not enjoy complaining, but let me just lead with them to get them out of the way: |First off, the photo used here for the Tamarijn indicates that the beach is right there at your door. It is not-- they have placed rocks to avoid erosion. Not a big deal to me, but figured it was worth noting for those who might plan their vacations around that.|-check-in was a little stale. It felt like we were casually checking into a regular hotel and not an all-inclusive resort. No literature containing a resort map and all of the info in one place. Sure, the internet exists, but I shouldn't have to be putting in effort whilst in vacation mode at an all inclusive resort.|-Dinner reservations were all over the place. The desk confirmed us for one place and then we received a confirmation for another place at a different time. This happened every night the entire time we were there. I am not exaggerating. Definitely annoying, but we were on vacation and the buffet was decent so it wasn't the end of the world.|-BATHROOM DOORS KEPT LOCKING PEOPLE IN! This is HUGE! It happened to 3 different people, including 2 of my small children, in our party of 6. I casually mentioned it happening whilst in the public bathroom and not one, but TWO separate women confirmed it was happening in their room as well. I recommend you pack a flat-head screwdriver (I'm not joking.)||BUT, the weather is perfect, the food is fantastic (my kids LOVED the buffet,) and the vibes are just shy of immaculate. The resort is also clean (I figured that's worth noting.)||Locally: I implore you to rent a car and tour around the island. We checked out the mining ruins and the National Park (don't miss the caves!)

Let me tell you, do not get scammed by this resort, you will spent hundreds of dollars per day for the all inclusive and this resort is no value for money. You are much better off staying at any other resort which is not all inclusive as there are good restaurants and night life and the down town areas are very accessible and in expensive to get to. Let’s start with the check in experience, the staff at the front desk are not welcoming, the doorman doesn’t care about your bags, they give you the bands and you are by yourself for the rest of your stay. The bar at the lobby has rude staff, the restaurants have no availability other than a dinner at 5 PM. The service across the board from bars to restaurants to front desk is sub par. I lost an item and the front desk did not even care. The room condition is mediocre, good luck getting any golf carts to go anywhere, in general all the staff has an attitude as though they are doing a favor by serving you. They only give you 3 towels per stay and it’s difficult to exchange it. Many restaurants and bars are paid and not included in the all inclusive. The room has no amenities and very basic furniture, the pillows are not comfy. The quality of toiletries in the bathroom is below par, the towels are smelly and the fridge is empty. They give you bottles of water that you will have to go all around and fill up. The service is horrible, having stayed in all inclusive resorts in other parts of the Caribbean and Mexico, this is probably the world experience in terms of service. The only thing going for the resort is the location, the beach has white sand and the water is crystal clear.

Close to airport, friendly staff, better food than Cancun all inclusives. We were in building 22 which is a 5 minute walk to the lobby and dining, but worth it for the beach access. More secluded and easier to save spots. Really appreciated the round wood tables with rain and shade cover. Not too far from the Bunker Bar. Bathroom shower had good water pressure and easily got hot enough in water temperature. Comfortable beds and a balcony to enjoy the view and the sound of the waves. The 3 hour morning or 3 hour afternoon kids camp was a nice plus too. We used it twice on our 6 night stay. 5-6 nights is the sweet spot in my opinion. Walkable to Ling & Sons market. Since closer to Chicago than Hawaii, I’d definitely recommend and would consider a return trip, even having not visited other Caribbean resorts.

All in all, a wonderful stay. Already talking about returning. Meticulously landscaped and beaches well maintained, this all inclusive with step out onto the beach rooms and really wonderful and kind staffing is worth it. |Highlight was e-bike tour to snorkel with the sea turtles with Zef and Donny. This was absolutely amazing and worth the sore butt and those guys kept us safe and constantly entertained.

My sister and I and our husbands had a wonderful time at the resort. The people were wonderful from the time we checked in with the lobby folks, to Neli our concierge who booked dinner reservations and tours for our stay, to all the wait staff and cleaning staff both on the beaches and in the restaurants. Truly one happy little Island! Definitely an experience worth taking!!