Hyatt Aruba

We made our first visit to Aruba beginning on May 7. We stayed at the Hyatt and had a delightful time. We are experienced travelers and have stayed at outstanding hotels everywhere. I am really not sure where the complaints about the Hyatt come from, but our experience was excellent in every way.

We had absolutely no problem of any kind at the beach. This may have been because it was off season, but everything was perfect. We stopped at the beach hut on our first day, rented a palapa for every day of our visit in advance and also booked rafts for each day at the same time. Each day our palapa was set up with chairs and rafts when we arrived. I am really not sure what the critics are talking about.

The Hyatt is immaculate. Up to date and perfectly maintained in every way. There is not even a chewing gum wrapper to be seen anywhere on the grounds. Very unlike other island properties we have visited. The rooms are perfectly maintained as well. Not an insect or even a stray grain of sand. I loved this place!

We rented a car and I recommend this. We drove the entire length and breadth of the island. Very easy to get around. Aruba is not a beautiful lush tropical island but it is interesting in its own way. Definitely make the trip to Natural Bridge. This is one spectacular place!

Be prepared for food to cost. We found the prices to be much the same as in restaurants in major US cities. We live in Washington DC, so we are used to $25-$35 entrees but you should definitely be prepared for these kinds of prices in Aruba. You can work at it and find bargains, but we don't do breakfast at Dunkin Donuts so our tab was more. Be prepared for this before you go and you won't be upset when you get there.

The best restaurants we ate at were Flying Fishbone--more the experience than the food and not to be missed--and Azzurro at the Playa Linda. Azzurro has outstanding food.

If you like casinos and visit Las Vegas at all, you will find that the casino at the Marriott is the best and most like an LV club. If you play poker, the best room is at the Radisson--low key and great fun.

We booked an all-inclusive trip to stay in Aruba at the Occidental Grand. When we arrived at the resort, we were informed the Occidental was overbooked, and asked if we would be willing to move next door to the Hyatt at no extra cost. We quickly agreed and are SO happy that we did. We moved from the crowded beach at the Occidental right next door to the Hyatt, which was much less congested and less like college spring-break.

We were greeted in a gorgeous lobby by a very friendly staff, and then brought up to our room, which was comfortable and clean. Since we had been bumped over from the Occidental, we didn't expect to get much as far as our room, but we were totally wrong. The room was beautiful, faced the pool, and had a fantastic bathroom with plenty of towels and eucalyptus-scented toiletries. We knew as soon as we plopped our bags down that we had really lucked out.

A quick tip for travelers going to Aruba.... if you are interested in snorkeling and do not want to pay a lot of money to go on one of the tours, rent or bring your own snorkel equipment and cross the street from the Hyatt. A very comfortable bus (called the Arubus) will pick you up and take you to a beach for about a dollar. Just ask the busdriver to take you to a good snorkel spot (either Arashi or Malmok). Seriously, the busdrivers in Aruba are so nice! Bring your own towels and you are set to snorkel as long as you want.

I also would suggest a special occasion dinner at Madam Janette's. We asked the concierge to make a reservation for us there on our last night. It is an Aruban landmark and a truly dream-like and romantic place.

Greetings from the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino. Thank you for your feedback regarding your recent stay and for taking your time to leave a review. I echo your sentiments with regard to our exceptional service team.

Look forward to welcoming you back home in the near future.

One again thank you for your feedback and on behalf of our associates, masha danki!

Susan Santiago

general Manager

We went on are honeymoon & have nothing but great things to say about our stay. When I got there they upgraded us to a GREAT room with a perfect view of the ocean. If you go try to get the beach front view which you can watch the sunset from your balcony. The rooms are small but nice. The customer service at the Hotel was wonderful. Everyone was VERY helpful to us & answered all our questions. The food at the resort was ok but I would recommend going off site to eat unless you get a free breakfast like we did. The beach was pretty & they weather was great. The bottom of the ocean was a little nasty so I would recommend getting a float so your feet do not touch the bottom. I also recommend getting water & snacks in town & bringing it back to the Hotel. You will save some money this way. I would also recommend the ATV tour which was nice but a little dangerous. If you are scared & not a good driver do not go on this trip. My wife fell off & almost good hurt. The casino at the Hyatt was the best one we played at on the Island. The odds seemed better than most. All the casino seemed to have worse odds than other casinos we have been to. You get free drinks & it gives you something fun to do at night which was nice. The downtown area is not that nice so I would not recommend doing that more than once. You have plenty of shops right by the Hotel. We went to Screaming Eagle for dinner which was great. There also this pizza place called Casa Tua that we loved.

Greetings from the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino. Thank you for your feedback regarding your recent stay and for taking your time to leave a review. I echo your sentiments with regard to our exceptional service team. We are sincerely grateful that you selected Hyatt Aruba, and look forward to welcoming you back home for your next honeymoon.

One again thank you for your feedback and on behalf of our associates, masha danki!

General Manager

Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino

This was our first trip to Aruba and we were so glad to be able to be at the Hyatt for it! What's really amazing is that the pictures you see on the website are EXACTLY EXACTLY what you will get. The rooms, the grounds, the lobby, EVERYTHING looks the same as on the website, if not better. Can't beat that!

Yes, the bathroom light is weird. It's a strange design and I really wonder who thought of it. We did notice there was a bulb so you could maybe ask them to take it out for you? Not sure if they'll do it, but worth a shot. It didn't really bother us too much so we didn't bother. And yes the balconies are small. Not just sort of small with some room but TINY. If this is an issue for you, don't stay here. Or pay the extra bucks for a suite. I usually like a full balcony (who doesn't?) but the rooms also have a couch that was sooo comfortable placed right by the sliding doors and it was great to lay on it and just gaze outside. More or less the same effect! Besides, it's Aruba! Are you really going to stay on your balcony all day?! :D

We never had any trouble finding a palapa on the beach, but from what I understand they were not busy AT ALL. The Hyatt gives out complimentary beach floaties so don't bring any from home unless you want to use them in the pool! Brought mine, ugh what a waste of space in my suitcase, lol.

Only tried one restaurant on site, The Palms for lunch. I ordered the quesadilla, he ordered the fried chicken. The portions were tiny. TINY! In the States, a quesadilla will usually come with 4 or 5 pieces. This one had 2. And a small 2. HAHA. It tasted fine but again, portion didn't seem to match the price ($11.50!). He enjoyed his chicken, but it was also small. Eat here if you're not starving.

Overall, our experience at the Hyatt was a very positive one. Almost everyone we talked to was so helpful and amazingly nice, from the front desk, to housekeeping, to the concierge and the beach hut guys. The grounds are beautiful as well as the beach. You can't go wrong with the Hyatt. It is right in the middle of the action in Palm Beach so it's so easy to walk out and do what you choose.

We will definitely be back in Aruba and the Hyatt!

We just returned from another perfect week at the Hyatt in Aruba (this is our 4th stay at this hotel). Two years ago, this hotel had a make-over and it is just magnificent. The open-air lobby is breath-taking. The rooms are large and the beds are very comfortable. We were upgraded to a "ocean/pool" room which was most appreciated! The towel hut crew work very hard to make our day special...thanks to Augie, Diana, Tessie, Juan, Elpie and the rest of the crew...our vacation at the Hyatt was more enjoyable because of your hard work and dedication. Thanks! We just can't say enough. The hotel/restaurant staff do all they can to make your stay perfect. What more could you ask for?

This is a gorgeous resort! The grounds and pool area are amazing. We had such a great vacation staying at this resort. We will definitely return.

Greetings from the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino. Thank you for your great feedback regarding your recent stay and for taking your time to leave a review.

We are sincerely grateful that you selected Hyatt Aruba and that you named us the best hotel in Aruba. We are looking forward to welcoming you back home in the near future.

One again thank you for your feedback and on behalf of our associates, masha danki!

Susan Santiago

General Manager

Purpose of trip was hassle-free vacation w/gf. we are both 26 and werent looking to party a whole lot.

Went for 5 days with girlfriend (5/28-6/2). The Hyatt GROUNDS are spectacular - iguanas, parrots (in cages), black swans, nice pools (3 connected ones, one with small waterfall), palm trees, gorgeous open lobby with breeze flowing through.

ROOMS were big, balcony looked out over some of the beach/pool area. Only possible complaint was that it was loud (could hear music with window closed) on 2 nights because there were wedding parties and live bands, but we are in our mid20s and didnt care too much. Beds were supercomfortable. This was important to us because we read many reviews about the crappy beds in the all-inclusive places and didn't want to spend 5 days on planks. Some reviews complain about the bathroom light that permeates the room. Since we didnt have kids and didnt constantly wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, this wasnt an issue. I dont know why so many people are complaining about it. It's a brainfart of a design choice, but not something to go nuts about. You're in Aruba for crying out loud!

SERVICE everyone at the hotel was supernice and friendly. Any request we had was quickly fulfilled after a phone call to concierge (utensils, plastic bags for dirty clothes, etc.). Warning: bring pain medication to aruba. i had back pains and the closest open pharmacy at 10 pm was over 20 minutes away by cab. The concierge helped us pick (mostly) good restaurants/tours based on what we said we wanted. Ill review activities/food below.

CASINO was o.k. i dropped like $300 on blackjack and carribean stud, the latter i never played and never will play. it's not caesar's but it's good enough if u just wanna gamble fo ra couple hours.

ADVICE: We saved $ on food by taking a cab to LING AND SONS supermarket ($10 each way, about a 10 minute ride). We bought a watercooler, watermelon, coronas, breakfast/lunch foods. Lessened guilt when we went out. Make sure u ask hyatt to bring a fridge into your room (they do it at no charge) when u get there.

FOOD (I had done some research and had some ideas, Concierge helped me pick among them.)

Sawasdee Thai Restaurant: ate dinner here for about $40/person including a couple beers. Get the rice plates special if its available. Lotta delicious choices. I'm from ny and 9th avenue by me has loads of thai restaurants. This place was solid and great value. No dishes that blew you away or were exceptionally original, but I would still go again here if i was in Aruba for a couple days 7.5/10. 5 min walk from hyatt.

Linda's Pancakes. Just go. trust me. 10/10. the dutch pancakes are like semithick crepes with toppings. i had the apple/bacon, gf had the honey/brie/walnut. both terrific. we went for breakfast. 10 min walk from hyatt.

Smokey Joe's. 6/10. People rave about this place. Yes it's affordable, but the bbq is mediocre at best. 2 min walk from hyatt.

Passions. 3/10. Went here for sunset dinner. It's on the beach, it's Beautiful, but really AVERAGE food. the watermelon salad is a disaster. the dressing is way too sweet. grouper/mahimahi not really cooked well. Beach was also by the road so u can hear cars. and if u cant, its cuz their terrible musician is singing offkey songs. 3/10 because it was overall a dissapointment.

El Gaucho: A must. delicious argentinian steakhouse. steak is my favorite food. The Gaucho steak (16 oz filet) was perfect. they had good sangria too. our reservations were too early (530) bc the band gets there at 7. this is in the middle of the city; you take a cab ($10 each way), the steaks are $30 each. i spent something like $110 total for the 2 of us. Great place.

Other: people rave about madam janette's. i would check it out if i were going back. Also, $35 cab ride each way on the other side of island is Old Man and the Sea which also has a cult following. If you can swallow that cab fare, I would go for it. Our concierge disliked it but i have friends who went and liked it.

TOURS

Octopus boat - easy, cheap ($32 person), 2.5 hour baot ride w/45 min snorkeling.

ABC Tours - took a half day tour to see natural pool, collapsed natural bridge, highest point in aruba. really bump ride. gf was pissed that people taking the tour are asked to drive the jeeps (there were 4 jeeps and 3 were driven by people taking the tour). it was probably the bumpiest trip ive ever taken but it wasnt the drivers fault. ur just on rocky unpaved roads a lot. it was adventurous and the natural pool was gorgeous. its an easy way to see a lot of aruba. gf & i just wanted to relax most of our trip.

Greetings from the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino. Thank you for your feedback regarding your recent stay and for taking your time to leave a review.

We are sincerely grateful that you selected Hyatt Aruba, and look forward to welcoming you back home in the near future.

One again thank you for your feedback and on behalf of our associates, masha danki!

Susan Santiago

General Manager

Just returned from another amazing 5 night stay at the Hyatt. My wife and I spent part of our honeymoon there last year and decided to go back for our anniversary. We went in with high expectations from last year's trip and am happy to say they delivered - and then some.

As we waited in line to check in, one of the staff members was greeting everyone passing out champage. This was not done last year and felt it was a nice touch to welcome you to the hotel. The entire check-in process was painless and in no-time found ourselves in our room with a beautiful garden/ocean view. A few moments later our bags arrived. We felt it was a good idea to have a refrigerator in the room to keep our drinks cold and 10 minutes after calling the front desk, it was delivered to our room.

We asked the woman (her name is Coral) at the concierge desk to make our dinner reservations for us and she did. We told her where we wanted to go and she left an envelope at the desk for us telling us where we were eating each night and the time of our reservation.

We ate at the buffet every morning for breakfast since it was included with our room and found the food to be very good. The staff at the restaurant was very nice and accomodating to a few of the requests we had.

Had no problem getting a chair in the front row at the pool next to the bar between 9 and 10am. The pool area was never crowded even though quite a few chairs were taken by other gusts leaving their towls on them. We'd stay out there until 6pm every day and if there were 2 dozen people at the pool, it was a lot. Getting a palapa on the beach was not difficult either. We couldn't get in the front row but we were very close to the water and the beach / water was not crowded. We took a walk on the beach towards the Holiday Inn / Marriott and it was over-crowded. It was so crowded down there I could't wait to get back to our hotel. The grounds at The Hyatt are immaculate and didn't see anything out of order during our stay.

As we were getting ready to leave the room on our last day to checkout, someone from the concierge desk called and asked how our stay was and wanted to know if there was anything more they could do for us. Jokingly I told her we wanted to stay a few more days and she offered to make the necessary arrangements for us.

Unfortunately we had to leave but the Hyatt is defiantely THE place to stay in Aruba.

Greetings from the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino. Thank you for your feedback regarding your recent stay and for taking your time to leave a review. I echo your sentiments with regard to our exceptional service team. We are sincerely grateful that you selected Hyatt Aruba, and look forward to welcoming you back home in the near future for your next anniversary!

General Manager

Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino

Stayed at Hyatt Regency from May 7th-12th with my fiance. As people have said this place is gorgeous. Definitely highly recommend staying here. All the standard phrases apply. Beautiful, amazing, romantic, unforgettable etc. Pool is fantastic as well as the palapas. Did not wake up at crack of dawn to get highly sought after front row palapas because that seemed to be against the whole concept of being on vacation. Instead woke up around 9-9:30 every morning, went down and snagged one of the ones that were in the back. There was not a problem getting a palapa at any time when we were there. If you want beachfront wake up at 6am b/c I heard a line forms around then. Good luck with that. Also asked for a fridge as well b/c it was a whole lot cheaper to buy beers at the bodega near the hotel then shell out 5 bucks for every brew you drink. Try Balashi, Amstel Bright and Polar Beer. All very tasty island beers.

Activities: Did almost everything through concierge - who were both very helpful in getting these things set up.

Went on the ATV trip around the island. It was a great experience but for me who had never driven an ATV there were some hairy moments. My fiance got a little nervous on some of the trails because it was a pretty unnatural feeling driving into holes and over boulders and I got a little out of control a couple of times. Words of advice: be prepared for some pretty difficult navigating if you have never driven one of these things, especially getting down to and out of the natural pool. They didn't give any instructions on how to operate the vehicle. You need to drive into the holes and not around them. It's a thumb operated gas pedal and it takes some time getting used to how much gas to give when going over the rough patches. While I would defintely do it again I wish I was a little more prepared on how to drive the ATV, so I could have eliminated some of the more uncomfortable moments when I wasn't sure what I was doing. If you know how to operate these things you will have a blast. You really get to see the island and have much more freedom than you would have taking one of the bus tours around the island.

Booze cruise was a blast. You have to take a little boat out to the bigger boat, Tattoo. They moved the cruise a couple hours up when I was there so it was from 6-10. You get to take in a beautiful sunset. The crew is awesome and really got everyone into the party mood. The drinks were $2 bucks for the cheap stuff and $3 bucks for the name brands. You also get a caribbean dinner. The end of the trip was the best were you can strip down to your skivvies and ride the water slide into the ocean or use a rope swing. We couldn't resist. It was a lot of fun. If you don't want to walk around in your undies like my fiance and I did then wear or bring a bathing suit. Everyone had a blast conga-ing and dancing the night away. I think it's like $59/ per person.

Snorkel trip on Jolly Pirates was also a great time. It's docked down at the Marriott. We went on the afternoon cruise. This was like $30 something per person. Also had an open bar which was sweet. The first stop was a german sub and the water was definitely very choppy and I had a hard time enjoying this one. Only because the water was rough where we were stopped. The sub was very cool to see though. The next stop was more to my liking as there were a ton of coral reefs and tropical fish. I wished we could have had some more time here as this spot was a ton of fun. There were all kinds of exotic fish swimming around. Last stop you get to do the rope/acrobat swing which looks scary then it actually is and also very very fun. People were trying to do all kinds of back flips and were failing miserably. The crew on this ship was also young and very friendly and one of the crew members could so some sick flips/twists off the rope. Check this one out.

Restaurants/Bars:

Dinners Stayed at Hyatt Regency from May 7th-12th with my fiance. As people have said this place is gorgeous. Definitely highly recommend staying here. All the standard phrases apply. Beautiful, amazing, romantic, unforgettable etc. Pool is fantastic as well as the palapas. Did not wake up at crack of dawn to get highly sought after front row palapas because that seemed to be against the whole concept of being on vacation. Instead woke up around 9-9:30 every morning, went down and snagged one of the ones that were in the back. There was not a problem getting a palapa at any time when we were there. If you want beachfront wake up at 6am b/c I heard a line forms around then. Good luck with that. Also asked for a fridge as well b/c it was a whole lot cheaper to buy beers at the bodega near the hotel then shell out 5 bucks for every brew you drink. Try Balashi, Amstel Bright and Polar Beer. All very tasty island beers.

Activities: Did almost everything through concierge - who were both very helpful in getting these things set up.

Went on the ATV trip around the island. It was a great experience but for me who had never driven an ATV there were some hairy moments. My fiance got a little nervous on some of the trails because it was a pretty unnatural feeling driving into holes and over boulders and I got a little out of control a couple of times. Words of advice: be prepared for some pretty difficult navigating if you have never driven one of these things, especially getting down to and out of the natural pool. They didn't give any instructions on how to operate the vehicle. You need to drive into the holes and not around them. It's a thumb operated gas pedal and it takes some time getting used to how much gas to give when going over the rough patches. While I would defintely do it again I wish I was a little more prepared on how to drive the ATV, so I could have eliminated some of the more uncomfortable moments when I wasn't sure what I was doing. If you know how to operate these things you will have a blast. You really get to see the island and have much more freedom than you would have taking one of the bus tours around the island.

Boat Texas De Brazil, Aqua Grill and Passions. All were outstanding.

Passions is at Amsterdam Manor, like an $8-10 cab ride and is right on the beach. Try to have a sunset dinner. Very romantic. Food was great.

Aqua Grill has excellent fish. Try the Wahoo fish. Also recommend sitting outside and enjoying the nice breeze.

Bring your appetite to Texas De Brazil. Amazing salad bar has e/thing. Sushi, prociutto, soups, cheeses etc. Fun experience to eat meat off sticks.

Tomato Charlies across the street is galso ood place to have a nice cheap dinner as they have great pizza and tasty Sangria.

Bars: This was probably the weirdest aspect of trip as the bars were all pretty empty every night. Don’t know if it was the economy or slow season or both but nightlife was pretty low key.

-Sopranos was pretty fun and seemed to be the most busy of the bars around the hotel.

-Hard Rock had expensive drinks and was really empty on the Saturday night we stopped into to have a drink.

-Buster's Garage is a great sports bar and was the most fun place the fiance and I went to. They had all the Boston games on the night I went there which was great. They also have a jacuzzi and great outdoor area to catch the games. The bartender was real friendly and they seem to have some kind of special every night of the week. The night we went they had 2 for 1 drinks from 11pm-12.

-Moomba Bar also was pretty slow the night we had drink there but it has a pretty cool treehouse look and you can play pool outside.

-Bungaloo Bar is where u get the boat to Tattoo. My favorite pier bar. Such excellent views make this a must see. The breezes flow in and you have great shade. Try the strawberry shortcake mixed drink.

-Hyatt's Pier Bar has fun karaoke every night until I think 11. I belted out some horrible renditions of some equally corny songs and we had a blast there. Too funny. Check it out.

-Salt n Peppers. Fun little tapas bar. We went for drinks. Look for the black and white nuns salt n pepper shakers. We brought those ones. You get a couple free tasty drinks for bringing in salt n pepper shakers they don't have.

Little notes: smoke a cuban cigar (we tried Romeo and Juliet), check out the gym, which is very nice.

We just returned from a 5 day trip to Aruba. We stayed at the Hyatt, and it was amazing! It is by far the best hotel on the entire island! The grounds are beautiful and constantly kept-up. They gave us a free room upgrade when we checked-in, and the room was great. It looked just like the pictures on the hotel website and was very clean with a neat spa-like bathroom. Even though the entire hotel is open (no doors from outside), you need a room key to get up to where the rooms are, so I felt very safe. The pool and beach area can't be beat with the swim-up bar, three-tier pool, and beach cabanas. You can get up early to snag a cabana or pay $35/day to have one reserved, which is what we did and it was worth it to have it all set up and waiting for us every day. The restaurants and bars at the hotel were delicious, fun, and had pretty atmospheres. Definitely go to the pier bar for happy hour! There is also a Red Sail desk in the hotel, so it was easy to make parasailing and snorkeling reservations, and we had so much fun! And I cannot say enough about how polite the staff is. They will go out of their way to make sure that you are happy and having a great vacation. My boyfriend left some medical supplies on the airplane by mistake, and the staff went out of their way to help us get them back. Overall, I cannot say enough about how wonderful the Hyatt is! After checking out the other hotels on the island while walking around, it was very clear that the Hyatt is the best hotel on the island.

Greetings from the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino. Thank you for your great feedback regarding your recent stay and for taking your time to leave a review. I echo your sentiments with regard to our exceptional service team. We are sincerely grateful that you selected Hyatt Aruba and consider us as the best hotel on the island. We look forward to welcoming you back home in the near future.

One again thank you for your feedback and on behalf of our associates, masha danki!

General Manager

Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino

We were told the Hyat is the nicest on the island and it did not dissapoint. Everything from food to people are top notch. Food is great, grounds are beautiful, and staff wonderful. One tip...DO NOT DIAL 84 for International Calls. A third party company called International Satellite will charge you approximately $100 for a very short call. The Hyatt manager was very helpful in helping us recover these fees, but still a pain to deal with.

Bon Dia,

Greetings from the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino. Thank you for your feedback regarding your recent stay and for taking your time to leave a review.

I echo your sentiments with regard to our exceptional service team. We are sincerely grateful that you selected Hyatt Aruba, and look forward to welcoming you back home in the near future.

One again thank you for your feedback and also for your understanding.

On behalf of our associates, masha danki!

General Manager

Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino

We've been going to the Hyatt since it opened and it's a wonderful resort.

The staff and facility are top notch. We love the food, grounds, casino, bars, gym and even a fun game of bingo by the pool at 1:00PM. "The German Man B9" (Private Bingo Joke.)

The casino is the best on the island and the most wonderful, nice caring people in the world work there. What a great way to enjoy music, friends and a little luck would not hurt.

Some people have spoken about high prices but I'm from New York City so to us they are just normal. What's great is the quality and service. Take the time to try all the different places to eat and learn the menus and you'll be very happy.

The gounds are the best of any hotel. it used to be old world style cast iron and dark woods and they just re-did it. It's very nice, modern, clean and brite!!!

The hotel mangement cares for you and every person from the bellmen to the front desk and Regency Club staff are great. The hotel is run by a very nice woman who understands the Hyatt touch. She's busy and has a great staff. It must be a hard job to keep eveyone happy all the time.

Explore the island and enjoy eveything that Aruba has to offer. Just make sure if you're a person who wants the best that Aruba has to offer.... Stay at the Hyatt.

Try the private service on the beach at night, go to the bar, take a boat ride and have dinner on the red sail boat. Try and relax..... It's Aruba :) Smoke a good cigar, ride into town, walk around the shops across from the hyatt. Casa Tua, Great Pizza and I know great pizza. Always a fresh piece of fish and wonderful steaks ALL over the island.

We're going back for two weeks in June and can't wait to see all or friends.

Paul & Helene

Dear Paul & Helene,

Greetings from the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino.

Thank you for your feedback regarding your recent stay and for taking your time to leave a review. I echo your sentiments with regard to our exceptional service team.

We are sincerely grateful that you are considering the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino as your second home for 20 years!

We look forward to welcoming you back home in the near future.

One again thank you for your feedback and on behalf of our associates, masha danki!

General Manager

Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino

The Hyatt in Aruba is a fantastic place to stay for your honeymoon--they have spectacular service, phenomenal restaurants, and a truly luxurious atmosphere. When we arrived, they upgraded us to the 9th floor, which is a VIP floor that serves an impressive continental breakfast buffet as well as a 3-hour cocktail hour every day with wine, beer and appetizers. And, to top it all off, they sent a bottle of champagne to our room. I also recommend doing the special "pampered in paradise" dinner on the beach. And the pool bar is fabulous!

Bon Dia,

Greetings from the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino.

Thank you for your recommendation to our Pampered in Paradise and for taking your time to leave a review.

I echo your sentiments with regard to our exceptional service team. We are sincerely grateful that you selected Hyatt Aruba, and look forward to welcoming you back home in the near future.

One again thank you for your feedback and on behalf of our associates, masha danki!

General Manager

Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino

The Hyatt is by far the best High rise hotel in Aruba. We walked the beach to see the other high rise hotels, and they seemed to be a lot more crowded on the beach, almost on top of each other. Our rooms were beautiful , the bathrroms are top of the line, and the beds are one of the most comfy beds I have ever slept in for a hotel. The open air lobby where you can relax and have a drink felt like paradise. Food was a little pricey but still worth it. TheRuins del mar was awesome , my husband said it was one of the best filets he has ever had, comparable to Ruths Chris.

A new and well kept secret restaurant is Old Man on the Sea, next to Flying Fish and soooo much better, the most romantic restaurant I have ever been to, you MUST go here, ask for Rocky the waiter. Also La Manja a hidden restaurant was great, the restaurant at the California Lighthouse was very good and the view was amazing! We did not like Champions at the Marriot, food was gross! Smokey Joes is known for their ribs and was very reasonably priced and good. We loved the Jolly Pirate ship, rented our own jeep and did our own back island exploring , which I think is so much better, also hit the grocery store to stock up on cheap soda, beer, and water, brought our own cooler to beach, which saved us a ton of $$ instead of buying from the resort, I cant tell you how many people asked us where we got the styrofoam cooler, everyone wanted one. Any other questions I can answer for you, feel free to email me at [--]

Bon Dia,

Greetings from the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino. Thank you for your feedback regarding your recent stay and for taking your time to leave a review. I echo your sentiments with regard to our exceptional service team. We are sincerely grateful that you selected Hyatt Aruba, and look forward to welcoming you back home in the near future.

One again thank you for your feedback and on behalf of our associates, masha danki!

General Manager

Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino

Everything about the Hyatt in Aruba is done very well. The service is great, the indoor and outdoor atmosphere is very relaxing and nice to look at, and the rooms are great. The hotel has recently renovated and done a great job of making the hotel feel modern and comfortable; a tough combination to achieve. Also, the pool area is great! There is a swim up bar which is cool. I would definitely recommend this to others.

We thought everything was perfect at this hotel. We are VERY picky about hotels but decided on this one based on research and other reviews. The island is geared for tourists and its not lush and beautiful, but you go to Aruba for GREAT, HOT weather. The Hyatt was lush and beautiful and alot of thought was put into this hotel which we did NOT see at other hotels as we walked the path and checked out all the hotels on the strips. We upgraded to the concerige level as we had our daughter and son in law and grandson with us, so it made life easier coming right into the lounge in the morning for a lovely breakfast all included into the price. We had a large selection of things to have for breakfast and it was just so easy.

The pool area was great, it had areas for adults and other areas that were more kid friendly with a large 3 inch depth area of water for the little babies to play in. The beach was lovely and set up nicely and we were there on a non school vacation so it was pretty easy to get a lounge or a hut.. Our room was spacious and lots of draws and closet space and the bathroom was over sized with lots of places to leave things on such as make up etc.

The ac was great and the staff was well trained which is a refelction of the GM. All the restaurants at the Hyatt were great and nice service. The water is delicious in Aruba and the WHO said its the best water on the planet.

We went to many of the better restaruants on the island and all were good but similar. The ocean water was warm and clam most of the time, even if there is wind it doesnt blow the sand around. The island is not a place to go to explore or for a foreign feel, its like an off shoot of Florida but its lovely and its perfect for when you want a trip for the purpose of hot and good weather.

We really didn;t think any other hotel on the strip was equal to the Hyatt.

I have stayed at this hotels 2 times and plan to stay their again for a 3rd time in the coming months. Words cannot describe the remarkable stays I have had at this hotel. The bottom line: the white sand beach is to die for, the calm Caribbean Sea's crystal clear water is spectacular and the ambiance of the hotel is wonderful.

I was very impressed by this property. The rooms were very nice, modern, and clean. You didn't have to go far to hit the pool (which had an amazing waterslide) or the beach. At the beach, the staff was very accomodating with finding you chairs or floating water lounges. Be sure to go out to the pier bar to watch the sunset (or sing karaoke later at night). The pool bar was a great place to watch the stars at night. The meals at the hotel are pretty pricey ($21 for breakfast buffet) so if you want to save a little money, just walk across the street and try one of the restaurants in town. You have everything from fast food to fancy within a 5 mile radius!

...and that is exactly what we got. I scored some huge points with my wife after our Hyatt Regency experience. HUGE! We could not have enjoyed ourselves more. The only way that the experience didn't rate a score of 5 was in terms of value... at $379 a night (+/-) it would be hard to say that there was anything more than average value. With that said, it was an experience that rated a % in all other respects and I would not hesitate to return.

The facility itself is beautiful. The beach was beautiful... the ONLY downside is the demand for the palm umbrellas that necessitate a 6AM or 7AM wakeup call in order to reserve one of the private spots. The pool, including the pool bar and water slide, were nice alternatives to the beach on the days we didn't awaken early. The courtyard and stream, inclusive of black swans, koy, iguanas, and caged exotic birds were perfect for an afternoon stroll and relaxation.

And then there is the ever-present cooling trade-winds. Heaven.

The morning breakfast buffets (American breakfast) at Ruinas Del Mar were perfect... omelets to order, the three traditional meats, pancakes, waffles, french toast, fresh fruits and on and on. We sat on the patio, watched the fish and iguanas and swans, and ate to our hearts content. We never needed lunch -- brunch and dinners sufficed (NOTE: we did NOT eat dinner on site).

Our room was large, beautifully designed and well-appointed. The maid service was excellent (the women were courteous and very accommodating).

The casino? Well, it's not Vegas. The odds of winning (slots, table games) seem considerably less favorable than LV... or even AC for that matter). The poker room was disappointing. But if you are going to Aruba for the casinos, you are missing the point of Aruba. NOTE: I brought $250 expecting to lose it -- I wasnt disappointed in that expectation (only disappointed in how QUICKLY i lost it)

Last note: the wifi wasn't free, but at $35 USD for a week the rate was VERY reasonable

I cannot believe how long it took me to get to Palm Beach... it won't be nearly as long until I return. Highly recommended.

This hotel and Island in general was amazing. Ill break it down into a few categories I think are important to note.

1. Service, is unbelievable to the point of it being a little much. There is someone always there to help or assist in any manner you need. If something isn't right it is fixed no questions asked. I tipped the hotel house keeper 20 dollars the first night as I feel they are often overlooked. I came back from the beach and she had the 6 pack and rum in my room in a cooler of ice, she did this everyday for me.

- I only had one complaint and that was if you're going to serve 18 year old kids booze make sure they are 18, when you start serving kids who are what appear to be 15 the bar turns into a mating ground for underage kids its kinda nasty, Im in my mid twenties and had a good laugh but its not what you want to see when you're paying 15 for Mai tais and up to 50 for cigars, send them to senor frogs or carlos and charlies please.

2. rooms are newly redone and just great, a standard 4 star hotel in the USA would be comparable. The bathrooms are larger than most and the rooms come furnished with nice everything. I paid for a "bottom of the barrel" room for about 250 a night, kid was great and gave me what I would consider a full ocean view, sure it wasnt the top notch front rooms but that was not what I paid for anyway, the view even in the garden view was amazing! Just ask for a room farther from the elevators.

3. Beach, is very calm and relaxing it is calm enough for everyone from age 1 to 100 just to float around and have a great time. If you get down early enough you can get a cabana but to me it wasnt worth getting up at 7, I jsut had them drag two charis down to the waterline where I wanted to be anyway.

4. Lobby is probably one of the top 5 lobby's I have seen, as nice if not nicer than anything I have seen on Maui or other Hawaiian Islands. IT is largely open air with a view straight to the ocean. The other hotels particularly the occidental were not even in the same league.

5. Area, Palm Beach was great, there is enough shopping and dining within a 5 minute stroll from the hotel, you wouldn't need to go into Oranjestad if you did not want to. There are dozens of restaurants, bars and little shops near bye. There is a place called salt and paper that is great and right next to it there is a Cuban cigar shop. I also would recommend the purse store next to Salt and peeper.

6. Prices, the hotel prices are not expensive they are so high its funny and sad all at once. I paid 9 dollars US for a 2 liter of diet coke. I would say just have the taxi stop you by the supermarket on the way, you will save hundreds of dollars.

overall just a great place with great people and no problems!

The hotel stay were very friendly and the business center was great. We were able to rent an international cell phone on site for a reasonable fee and were able to check emails in the business center throughout our stay. This allowed us to stay in touch with those back in NC. The location of the hotel was very convenient to food, shopping and of course, the beach. Would definitely recommend the hotel.

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency March 23-27. Here are some highlights of the trip:

Phone:

- We used Fastphones during our stay. We did not make a reservation before hand, but after getting our luggage and clearing customs we went right up to the desk and got a phone loaded with 84 min. for $50. It was easy and convenient. We did have trouble receiving calls from the US, but had no problems calling out. Easy to return at the airport, although you have to go the the "Arrivals" building...not a big deal.

Check-In:

- We arrived early to the hotel and the bell man Oscar was wonderful. He took our bags to the health club where we could change into beach wear, hang a change of clothes in a locker. Then held our bags until our room was ready. He remembered us through out our stay and is a great front man for the Hyatt.

Room:

- We requested an Ocean/Pool room on a higher floor. They were able to accommodate us with 2 out of 3. We had room 636. In the tower even numbers face the Playa Linda and odd numbers face the pool. The higher the number the closer you are to the ocean. I think there were probably only 3 rooms between us and the suites on the end of the tower. We had wonderful views from our room.

- The Playa Linda is doing some construction, but the noise was never a bother. - - We must have had quiet neighbors because we never had a problem with noise in the hotel as other reviews have mentioned.

- The bathroom’s frosted glass door and “window” facing the bed was a little different as other reviews stated. It was nice during the day to have natural light while showering up for dinner, but the one time my husband forgot and turned the light on at night it was quite a shock. Really not that big of a deal.

-The beds were great…very comfortable.

-Don’t mess with the mini bar; you are charged $50 a day for using it. I don’t know if that gives you cart blanche to use it, but I doubt it.

-I liked that the main part of the room was carpeted…I know it is a small detail but I’m not a fan of cold tile and sand in a bedroom.

Around the hotel:

- Grounds are as lovely as everyone says. It’s not a huge resort compared to some that I have been. It is beautifully landscaped. The swans, coy, and lizards were fun to see. The caged parrots were entertaining but I heard other guests complaining that they were loud in the morning.

- Beach is narrow and people get up at 7 a.m. to claim the front two rows of palapas, but there are always beach chairs to had and the guys that run the beach hut are great at hauling them where you want. Don’t forget to tip them…I saw one woman have one of the guys carry two chairs all over the place, lay out and arrange her towels and give her the lay of the land and she didn’t even say thank you!

- Pool is nice and the slide is fun. I didn’t notice, until the last day- the iguana’s sunning themselves over the rock tunnel where the slide enters the pool. They were huge. There are two hot tubs tucked away near the stairs for the slide and they are small and quiet.

- We were so looking forward to Piet’s Pier bar, but the one time we went out there it was closed up until 1 p.m. and we had moved on by then.

- I loved that there is a wide paved walkway in front of all the hotels. Since the beach is so narrow it was nice not have all the traffic walking in front of you in the surf. You can get from the Riu passed the Holiday Inn on the walk way. Dunkin Doughnuts is every where in Aruba and there is one at the Playa Linda right off the walkway and one the other direction on the beach, maybe in front of the Occidental

- Bugaloe’s Pier Bar was our favorite beach hang out. It’s in front of the Radisson and has great drinks and food. We shared a bowl of loaded curly fries that were out of this world. We caught several sunsets and there is live music a couple nights a week. I believe it’s called the DePalm Pier since they run their outings from there.

- Drinks are as expensive as you’ve heard. Here’s one tip I recommend. Before you leave the US get a handful of Bacardi Coco Rum minis and add them to the fresh smoothies ($6.00) from the juice bar. Pineapple, coconut juice and yogurt smoothie goes WELL with the rum! :0) Cheaper and better than the mix from the bar.

Restaurants Away from the Hotel:

Salt and Pepper’s- I wish someone would have told me to bring salt and pepper shakers from home! If you bring and set that they don’t already have you get some free drinks. The Mahi Tempura was great and we enjoyed the sangria.

Aqua Grill- By far the BEST meal we had, the featured appetizers were outstanding and the martini’s delicious.

Hard Rock- stopped for a drink one afternoon. My Absolute Bloody Mary ($6.50) was great; my husband’s $12 draft Balashi almost knocked us off our barstools!

Iguana Joe’s in town was good, my husband loved his burger and my Mahi BLT was very good.

Sopranos- fun piano bar that got packed at night. Aqua Grill, Hard Rock and Soprano’s are all next to each other and make a fun night.

Excursions:

- We rented a jeep from Royal for one day for $85. They delivered it to the hotel lobby, helped us take off the top and picked it up the next morning. This is a GREAT way to see the other side of the island which you have to do if you go to Aruba. You must have a 4x4! The only other way that I would try to get to the natural bridge and natural pool is by 4-wheeler. It was quite an adventure getting to the pool and probably took us 45 min to an hour of following arrows painted on rocks. It was so fun! The swim in the natural pool was almost my favorite part of the whole trip. We lucked out on our timing there was a group of 6 jeeps just leaving when we got there and my friend and I were the only tow in the pool for a good half an hour. The rocks are slippery and water shoes are a great idea. It’s fun to climb up on some of the rocks and dive in and the spray coming over the rocks is awesome. I could not believe the number of people who made it all the way to the pool and never went in…what a waste! One of the great things about getting to the pool is that even though hundreds of people come there every day, hardly anything has been done to make it easier to get to. It’s an adventure.

- We went snorkeling with DePalm tours. It made three stops, two being ship wrecks. That was very fun to see especially the Antilla. Then we were on a “reef”. I don’t know about other spots in Aruba but there weren’t really any colorful coral, but lots of fish. The water is so buoyant you don’t even need the life vest if you are decent swimmer. They served a good lunch and the boat was huge.

This review has gotten ridiculously long. I hope you find parts of it helpful. I can see why people go back to Aruba again and again. Will we? There are some many other spots on our bucket list that I don’t know if we would. I would NEVER do All Inclusive in Aruba; there are just too many great restaurants to try.

The family stayed for a seven day stay at the Hyatt in Aruba for the spring school holiday. I’ll offer a few comments to go along with all the many other reviews of this hotel.

1. The rooms are newly renovated and beautiful. A little wider than standard hotel rooms and this made it very roomy. The beds are very comfortable and what you would expect from a Hyatt. Others have mentioned the frosted glass door leading into the bathroom. The best way to handle any late night journeys into the bathroom is to bring along a little night light so you don’t bother those who are sleeping. No problem.

2. The Hyatt has the most on site parking (just across the street) as compared to any of the nearby hotels. I heard this was an issue at the Riu and the Occidental.

3. The costs of drinks were a little on the high side as you would expect. Just ask for a fridge and stock your own beverages. If available, they are no charge. We got some beer and sangria from the nearby Ling and Sons super market - $10 taxi ride. There are also smaller convenience stores nearby as well.

4. The gym facility located near the business centre has top notch equipment. It had equipment not available in my home town gym which was great to try.

5. There is a good selection of restaurants on site but a great variety is located within 500 yards on either side of the hotel on the street. I recommend Bingo, just off the beaten path – probably a 20 minute walk to Noord or a five minute taxi ride. We tried several restaurants noted in these reviews and didn’t have a problem at all.

6. We also took a sunset sailing trip with Red Sail catamaran. Beautiful boat and a fun event – don’t forget a sweater as it can get cool on the water once the sun sets. We also tried the snorkelling trip with De Palm tours and this was great as well. Not the best snorkelling in the Caribbean by a long shot but it sure beats being at work! All tours take off from the several piers on the beach. All have a bar or restaurant for your enjoyment. The towel hut also has rubber floaties that you can lie on in the calm ocean waters. We could do this all day!

7. The beach vendors offer everything from parasailing, banana boat rides, etc. But we were not bothered by vendors very much at all. I still can’t believe people get up so early to get a beach hut before the 6 am and then return back to bed not to return until late morning. They should really enforce the two hour abandon rule more effectively.

8.I would watch the surcharges and taxes on the bill. One in particular is the additional tax and service charges. This will amount to at least a 20% charge on your bill – it was on the reservation but still a little surprising on the final bill. This we found out is a high charge even compared to all other Hyatts we checked out.

Staff were really friendly and were full of smiles. A very warm feeling in the hotel.

This was our 6th or 7th trip to this pretty resort. and it never fails to impress me. We arrived a few weeks later than usual and had to deal with more kids on the property and I am accustomed to. One must get up early to secure a "prime" hut at the beach or an umbrella at the pool. There are those that whine about this but the truth is that group that comes early has a great social gathering when they arrive early. There's little funnier than seeing new guests who have never stayed at the Hotel come down at 6:30 am thinking they're going to be the first in line. Once one adjusts to this it's quite understandable. The hotel continues to profit due to return guests who love the resort. The hotel staff is filled with familiar faces who go out of their way to make your stay pleasant. The hotel management is quite responsive to problems and makes certain that you too become a return guest. The casino is to be avoided as few depart as winners in this place. I never heard more complain about the gambling in the hotel. I would recommend this hotel to anyone seeking days in paradise. I envy each poster as the weeks go on! The Hyatt Aruba is a top notch resort!

Just got back today, boo, from my second trip to the Hyatt in Aruba. Again, the Hyatt did not disappoint.

This is truly one of, if not, the nicest hotel in Aruba. Although our luggage did not make our connecting flight with us, when we stepped into the open-air lobby we were greeted with a glass of champagne and a warm, friendly, and kind staff.

Our room was gorgeous and we had a great ocean/pool view. Our room was on the second floor but was surprisingly quiet. In fact, it was actually rather nice not having to wait for the elevators.

The grounds and beaches at the hyatt are world class. Although a lot of people like to complain about having to get up to reserve the beach huts it's really no big deal. Who wants to sleep in when you can just as easily snooze on the beautiful beach! I would also suggest getting a few floats when you get your beach hut, it is so relaxing just floating in the ocean.

This time we just relaxed on the beach, but our last visit we did several activites such as the jeep trip and snorkeling which were a lot of fun.

The food at the hotel is good and service was great! I caught a bug on our last day there and although it wasn't on any menu, they made me plain chicken noodle soup which was a blessing! The drinks are a bit pricey, $22 with tip for two drinks, but it's vacation! Also, use the bottled water in the room, it's cheaper than the water in the Shoco shop. Although that's a great place to pick up a coffee and muffin for a light breakfast.

There are also numerous lunch options at the hotel (several restaurant, Piet's Pier, lunch on the beach, and a little place by the pool too) as well as several bars. The Alfresco bar is a great place to enjoy a pre and post-dinner drink. It's just paradise sitting outside, sipping a cocktail.

I do agree with other reviewers that the window thing in the bathroom is a bit odd. They weren't like this our last visit. It wasn't a big deal or anything but just an odd design.

Overall, I love this hotel and will only stay here when I visit Aruba. Other hotels seems cheesy or just not as nice. The Hyatt is classy, gorgeous, and the staff are extremely friendly and accomodating. It is a little pricey but is well worth it, you truly get what you pay for. I am so sad to be home and not drinking an Amstel Bright right now!

The hyatt is by far the most beautiful resort on Palm Beach. I can't say enough about how lush and gorgeous the grounds are, and how wonderful the atmosphere is. The hotel pays attention to every little detail and works hard to create a great experience for those staying there. From the moment you step foot in the open air lobby and are welcomed with a chilled glass of champagne, you know you chose the right place. They sent up wine and a cheese platter to our room and surprised my boyfriend with two pieces of chocolate cake for his birthday.

The rooms were clean, spacious, perfectly decorated, and comfortable. My only complaint is the size of the balcony, which I know many people have mentioned before me. It would be so nice to be able to sit out on the balcony, eat/read/relax and have a view of the beautiful blue water and resort grounds, but it was still nice to be able to stand out there and enjoy the breeze. The restaurants at the hotel were delicious. Ruinas del mar has a stunning setting and excellent service. Palms has great burgers, calamari, and nachos. Definitely take advantage of the swim up bar to enjoy great drinks and some of the best onion rings I have ever tasted!! We also did the Pampered in Paradise our last night at the hotel which was expensive but worth every last penny. Went to the spa for a couples massage/scrub and we were pleased with the service. Didn't spend too much time at the casino but it seemed nice enough for those who enjoy gambling and cards.

I have to say that the resort was not as crowded as I expected it to be and heard that it would be for mid March. Since it was high season, I was expecting never to find a seat at the pool or on the beach. I don't know if it is the economy or the fact that the hotel does a good job at accommodating everybody (most likely it was a little bit of both) but we didn't have any trouble with crowds. Of course, I did notice that all of the palapas were reserved very early in the morning by people who would put their stuff down and then leave for hours, but we were so busy with activities that we didn't care in the least. By the time we got back in the early afternoon, we would just have two chairs underneath the large palapa, which was never too crowded, and enjoy the sun or the shade as we pleased.

I recommend to everyone that you seriously consider taking the drive down to Savaneta to eat at the Flying Fishbone for dinner one night. I can't even say enough good things about the place so I won't even try. Just go for yourself and experience what a truly special place this is. Other than that, the Hyatt is an excellent choice for your stay in Aruba. Concierge is always helpful, there are endless activities for those who want some adventure, and it is the perfect setting if you prefer to just relax and unwind.

What an amazing vacation :)

My husband and I went to Aruba for our honeymoon. We travel fairly often and before we do, we explore absolutely all possibilities when it comes to the hotel. We couldn't be happier with our choice! We stayed in the Sunset Suite for the week. The Suite was extremely spacious and looked directly out over the ocean. It is a bit pricey, but since we paid for the suite, we had access to the 9th floor amenities. This included a full service breakfast from 8-10 a.m. and appetizers and drinks from 4-6 p.m. We took full advantage of this and got our money's worth just in free bottled water alone! The hotel pool is fantastic and the casino was small, but a lot of fun! The hotel staff was extremely friendly and accommodating!

I would recommend visiting Arashi beach for a day. It's definitely more low key and absolutely gorgeous. We rented some snorkel gear over by the Marriott for $15 and went snorkeling all day. This is much better than overspending for a planned excursion.

Another definite MUST is renting a jeep for a day. This was by far the most fun day we had! We drove all around the entire island. We found incredible beaches, ruins, and local people and places. It was so much fun!

This was a great trip! There is a plethora of restaurants to choose from and plenty of fun activities. The beach was gorgeous and the water is crystal blue.

I would definitely visit Aruba again!

I have been travelling to Aruba every January for the past several years. We always stay at the Hyatt Regency in Palm Beach. Very clean hotel. They just did a major renovation. The rooms were done nicely, but they messed up on the lounge/bar on the second level of the hotel. They used cheap materials replacing the beautful teak they had and made it too Miami beach modern for the Caribbean location. Also, I will caution you that if you go during president's week, the hotel will be OVERRUN by a Yeshiva group that has made repeat trips in the past 3 years. I have nothing against the group. I have jewish heritage. It is just the behavior of this particular group for this otherwise relaxing and relatively small hotel that is simply not designed to cater to large crowds. They let their kids go into the nice restaurants completely unsupervised. Poor kid was looking for some plain pizza at 9 p.m. and through a fit when this very fancy "pizza" came out. He needed a parent to give him some plain pasta and get him to be before 9! The adults aren't much better behaved however! Very loud and rude. They rarely go anywhere in a pack less than 15. They put several tables together and yell to each other in the otherwise relaxing outdoor Palms restaurant at lunchtime. Lucky if you can get a seat or service. They take over the bar at night even though most are too young to be there. Again, lucky if you can get a seat or service. Cram into Pete's Pier, an otherwise lovely pier for sunset viewing, yelling, showboating and sitting all over the rails and wherever. Again, lucky to get a seat or service. They have no courtesy on the sand at the beach. They'll stand right over your lounge chair and yell to the other. They're even at the casinos well underage. It's sort of fun to watch the first timers at the hotel who haven't yet experienced them gape in horror and outrage, especially if you're on your last day. Makes it easier to go home! That's the only upside.

Any other time of year, I highly recommend this hotel. I've been staying here every year for at least 6 years. The staff are friendly and courteous, and even know us by name. The grounds are beautiful. I will be there next year, but not the same week! I managed to overhear when they were planning to return next year! My only hotel complaint itself was that they were skimpy on the towels and washcloths. At $550+ a night, they shouldn't be. This was the first time I observed that. Maybe cutting back because of the economy.

We arrived after midnight due to storms. The lady at the front desk was very friendly and helpful. The rooms are beautuful and ours had a lovely view of the pool and ocean.

The beds were Sealey Posturepedic Grand. We have traveled many places and I have to say these were the most comfortable beds we have ever slept in. We liked them so well when we returned to the states we bought two of them.

The breakfast that was included with our room was excellent. Many choices, not just the buffet.

As others have stated there are many excellent restaurants within walking distance of the hotel.

We liked the Aqua Grill and Salt and Peppers. After traveling to many places in Mexico it was great to be able to drink the water right from the tap. All the water is highly filtered desalinated sea water and tastes better than bottled water. We never had to buy bottled water like we did in many other countries.

The concierge remembered our names and gave us suggestions on places to eat and things to do.

The pools were very clean and not overly crowded for the number of guests that were there.

The weather was beautiful.

This is a great place to go and relax. No theme parks and not a lot of rowdy people.

We were impressed by how clean the island was and we never had a bad meal at any of the restaurants.

We met several guests from all over the world and they felt the same way about the hotel and Aruba as we did.

I went with my wife and we both loved it.

This would be a great place for a wedding or a nice get away for a couple who love to relax and unwind.

We definitely will return.

We loved every mlinute of our tirp to Aruba. We stayed at the Hyatt and just loved it. The fact that you can walk out your door and walk to a ton of restaurants was really nice. We had no trouble finding a shady spot at the beach/pool if we wanted one. We rented a jeep and spent a couple days exploring the island. We also did a snorkeling trip which was fun. We had so much fun that we plan to return next year - and that is something we normally don't do. Great vacation!!

this place was terrific, wonderful lobby, fantastic beach and great room, bathroom was spotless

cons were overpriced drinks (what do you expect at a resort).......buy a cooler and your own beer and then sit at the pool or beach.....you will save 75% off beers ($9) for a can of amstel (with tax and mandatory gratuity is a bit much) from the hotel....so just walk to the beer store and stock yourself...you will save hundreds of dollars and the hotel staff wont say a word

didnt eat at hotel restaurants...casino is ok, raddison has no limit hold em, hyatt doesnt although they will be starting it soon....raddison pool is larger but the hyatt has a slide and in water volleyball net....all staff were excellent and the lobby makes you feel like your in south beach...very nice with open area looking out to sea

nice neighborhood, I would stay here again as the rooms were wonderful

sights:

see the natural pool but dont go swimming, too dangerous as there are sharp rocks and crashing waves which are unpredictable, a friend of mine was badly injured after being swept by a wave into a rock....it will look calm, but dont trust it

kuku bus is too long of a party, skip it

restaurants....mare del sol or sol del mare was terrific italian

cubano was wonderful, madame jeanettes was very good

we didnt have a bad meal

Just completed our first trip with first child... two months old. Used to globetrotting and have stayed at many 1 to 5 stars all over the world... but needed no hassles with this trip. In a word, the Hyatt was perfect.

Our research suggested that the Hyatt was brand new, had great service, and was very family friendly. We booked using otel.com, and got a rate considerably lower than the Hyatt's published rates. Off we go. Misconnect in Newark... arrive at midnight.

Check-in with no problems, crib and fridge in room within 5 minutes, as requested. Cherry bellman brings bags to room.

Room: comfortable size with King bed... asked to be moved to a higher floor with better view and they took care of it the next day. Nice to wake up to the cool blue view. Need a cork screw... there in 2 minutes with a smile.

Beach: white sand with lots of huts and chairs. The usual crazy folks who are up at 5 am to secure huts... but Hector the Hut guy always found us something covered to keep the baby in the shade. Water was turqoise... lots of sediment b/c of surf but great for a cool dip. Great beach service and a sort walk to Piet's Pier Bar for Happy Hour 4:30-6:30. Sit and enjoy the breeze.

Pool. Nice size, clean, with swimup... didn't spend much time here.

Service: Fantastic. Anything we asked for was accomodated immediately. The overall level of friendliness and desire to help was amazing from frontline staff to management. You can train to a certain point but this reflects the overall mood of Aruba which seems to be to treat visitors with the highest respect as valued clients and friend.

Restaurants: didn't go... so many to check out on the island... went somewhere different every night. Look for specials as they are everywhere... especially before 7 which we had to do with baby.

Nightlife: MoomBah beach... very fun. Lots in town...

Overall... amazing and will be back.

After much research, my husband and I decided to get married at the Hyatt in Aruba. Our experience there was so wonderful that we decided to go back the next year to celebrate our one year anniversary. Without question, the Hyatt is the best hotel on the island. All our guests who stayed at other hotels commented about how beautiful the hotel lobby and grounds were. The open air lobby is fantastic and we ended up taking a lot of our bridal party portraits there.

Upon arrival from the airport, we were pleasantly greeted by one of the bell hops (Romeo). He was the nicest guy and even remembered us when we went back the next year. While we were waiting to check in, we were offered cold drinks and cold hand towels to cool off.

When we were there for our wedding, we were given the Sunset Suite on the 7th floor which has an unobstructed ocean view. We spent hours taking photos from our balcony! The suite was very spacious with a king size bed, small love seat, foyer with full length mirror, dining area, large bathroom and full balcony with a table and chairs. For our second stay, we stayed on the Regency Club level on the 9th floor. The room was a bit smaller, since it wasn’t a suite, but it was still plenty of space for my husband and me. Both rooms were newly renovated and therefore were clean, modern and well-decorated. They actually looked like the pictures on the Hyatt website.

Both times, we went in August, which is not really high season for the hotel. As a result, both the beaches and pool area were not that crowded. We were able to get a hut/pool-side chair each day we were there, even though we went down at 10-11am. The sand on the beach is combed every day, so the beaches are silky smooth. The water is so serene that we were able to get body floats to float in the water and we weren’t drifting very far.

In general, Aruban food is overpriced and overcooked. But, we found the hotel food to be better than island food, especially at Ruinas del Mar. We highly recommend getting room-service breakfast or catching breakfast at Ruinas. On Sundays, Ruinas has a brunch buffet with an overwhelming array of food, ranging from breakfast items to a raw bar to a pasta station and even bananas foster made to your order. Our second time around, we tried out dinner at Footprints. While the ambiance is quiet and romantic (it’s 5-7 tables, each under its own hut), the food left much to be desired. The poolside bar is good for a casual lunch/snack/drink. The Al Fresco bar was our hiding spot after our wedding as it was cozy on the canopied beds. We tried dinner at other island restaurants throughout the week. At Madame Janette, stick to the pasta and seafood as they will inevitably undercook/overcook your steak. It’s about a 7 minute cab ride from the Hyatt. Aqua Grill, which is a 5 minute walk, has great tuna, sweet plantains and a decent wine selection. Avoid white fish because it tends to be bland and/or overcooked. Flying Fishbone is about a 30 minute cab ride from the hotel. The ambiance is wonderful as you get to sit right on the sand and watch the sunset over the water as you eat. However, the food could be the worst we had on the island. El Gaucho is a good setting for big groups and good for when you have a meat craving but don’t expect a New York City steakhouse quality meal. Gianni’s is a 5 minute walk and has a pretty good pasta selection. We inquired about Trattoria because it looked to be a picturesque place but even the concierge told us not to bother if you want decent food.

The concierge was fabulous. They can pretty much help you plan meals and activities. Make sure you make reservations for all the restaurants you want dinner in, especially if you want to see the sun set. We went snorkeling our first time there with Red Sail Sports on their half day snorkeling activity. The second time around, we went with Roberto’s for a private chartered experience. Definitely go on the ATV tour of the island (we did ours through Rancho Daimari).

They have a wonderful romance planner, Tita, if you are considering getting married there. She took care of everything!

Aruba is the best Caribbean vacation spot – the waters are calm, it’s below the hurricane belt, and it never rains, even if it’s a little farther than some of the other Caribbean destinations.

I stayed at the Aruba Hyatt Regency in June 08 for my sisters destination wedding. This was an 7 night, 8 Day trip. The Hyatt is an absolutely perfect Hotel. Staff was courteous and extremely accomodating. Our room was decorated modernly and looked like something out of a New York magainze. We had a lovely Samsung Plasma TV, an amazingly sized bathroom with great shower pressure. The bathroom gave the room a more open feel because it's walls were opaque and gave a unique light to the room. Our room overlooked the main resort lounge bar and the pools. At night we had an amazing view of the sunsets, which we usually took in on the beach sipping some drinks. It rained the first three days of the trip even thought the average annual rainfall for Aruba is , I hear, less than one inch... but that still failed to deter our fun! The pool was amazing with a swim up bar and a water slide. The beach was clean and friendly wait staff was always available. I do reccomend not sleeping in to get a good spot with shade..the Aruba sun is BRUTAL! We enjoyed the local places like The Sopranos piano bar, and Salt and Pepper and never had to stray far from the hotel to find entertainment. We did use taxis which were readily available to get from hotel to hotel to visit the other casinos. I preferred the Marriots Casinos. Watch out for the cabbies, they can be a little ecentric however.

All in all Aruba is a gorgeous place and it would be impossible to not enjoy it. There are endless activities and if you want to relax, what better than on a Carribean Beach with a frozen drink!

This hotel is the best hotel I have ever stayed at when I have traveled. The staff is like family and are always attentive. The beach that it is located on is the cleanest area on the Palm Beach stretch. The rooms are so nice and clean and there isn't a speck of dust on the furniture. I have stayed at this hotel 5 times and I am going again in March 2009 for my sixth!!!! I love Aruba and I will always stay at the Hyatt!!!

We went to the Hyatt in Aruba for our Honeymoon the first week in September of 2008. We were greated by extremely friendly people who grabbed our bags right away and gave us a glass of champagne and a cold wash cloth. When we checked in, we were upgraded (free of charge) to an ocean front room with a balcony.

The hotel is amazing! It is all done over and everything from the lobby to the pool to the bathroom is amazing. The grounds are gorgeous and the food very good.

Each morning, we had no problem getting a beach hut, which I had read on other posts that it was difficult. I'm not sure if it was because we went on an off time or not but we had no problem at all and we did not get up that early.

The spa was nice, nothing world class but we did a couples massage and it was very relaxing, clean and professional. Every person working at the Hyatt is lovely and they do everything they can to cater to you.

Like other posts, the food and drinks are very expensive. I would skip breakfast and lunch at the Hyatt, it is just ok and very expensive. Salt 'N Peppa across the street is worth the walk off the beach for lunch. Also, all of the other hotels offer some sort of happy hour special with live music that are very fun. Rio Del Mare, the Hyatt's most expensive restaurant is worth it. The food is wonderful, service impeccable and the atmosphere so romantic. The bars, especially the Alfresco Bar by the lobby is great at night.

Overall it was a perfect trip!

Hyatt was gorgeous and set on the beautiful beaches of Aruba - perfect sugar white sand and a blazing sun. Customer service at the Hyatt was excellent except they forgot to give us our breakfast cards and towel card at check-in on the first day. The property was never over crowded and there were plenty of towels/lounge chairs/palapas/floaties for everyone. The black swans, parrots and iquanas obviously were enjoying the grounds with us and added even more tropical lushness to the palm trees and beautiful koi fish ponds. The restaurants were a bit pricey but the beach side restaurant served good quality food. The pool area bar served good sandwiches and chicharrones. The bartenders are all very friendly . Keep in mind that the "service charge" on most of the Aruba bills ARE tip. Japengo had a good atmosphere but the food was mediocre yet expensive. Piets bar has great atmosphere and strong drinks, friendly service. Bring sunscreen and snacks from home and I would suggest purchasing water at the local grocery store since the convenience store is outrageously priced: $7 US dollars for 1 Liter Aquafina, $4.75 for a single granola bar. We took one excursion (ABC company) that took land rovers to the ocean - just bear in mind that one person in the tourist group was designated to drive the landrover which we took on mountains and through off roading areas of rocks/dirt/mud. Rough terrain for faint of heart but sooooo fun if you like the adventure!!!

We just finished a wonderful stay at the Hyatt. Of all the places we've stayed in the Caribbean it was the first that had all four BIG ingredients we've been looking for:

1. Pleasant, clean rooms (awesome shower)

2. Great food (Piccolo is a must try)

3. Safety & security (no hinky feelings)

4. Ultra-friendly people (staff and locals alike)

Although not problem free, all issues encountered were swiftly resolved to our satisfaction...which is probably more telling in the end than a seemingly "perfect" stay. Casino wasn't my favorite (we liked the one at the Occidental better), wireless Internet was reasonable and reliable, wine/liquor was high-quality and plentiful, pool area was relaxing and enjoyable. Loved the parrots, lizards/iguanas, swans, and carp!

This hotel was the best on Palm Beach, Aruba. It has a beautiful open air lobby,Nice rooms, and attentive service. It's not cheap but the old adage "You get what you pay for." holds true here. The grounds are lush with coconut palm trees and tropical shrubbery. It has several good restaurants and a very good breakfast buffet. A really nice pool and a water slide for added fun. Of course the talking parrots are worth a mention. When we checked in we got a free glass of champagne to welcome us. The room was clean and nicely decorated. There was a step out balcony in our room. We had a beautiful view. Make sure your room is on the higher floors and as close to the beach as you can afford. The sink was clogged and they fixed it and gave us passes for two free cocktails. The place has been completely redecorated and looks marvelous. There are several nice bars including one right off the beach. A juice bar which was nice. There's some high end shopping within the hotel. The beach attendants were on the ball. Waiter service on the beach made it all the more enjoyable. The beach itself was absolutely incredible. A light beige powdery sand and aquamarine colored clear water. Just out of this world sunsets. Go there you'll like it.

It is pricey, but worth it!

Avoid the brunch, but hit the sushi restaurant

We went for a wedding - the room was nice, the location was good. The wedding (which was at the Hyatt) was excellent...I'm not sure if that was because of the service or the bride, probably both. The sand at the beach was very well groomed...we could tell from walking up and down the beach, that the Hyatt kept itself up well. That being said, we didn't investigate any other options but the rooms were a bit pricey (particularly since besides the beach, we didn't use any of their amenities).