Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusive

We stayed in room 2108 (upstairs) from June 14-21. The room was the only one that has been updated and has a new bathroom with a walk-in tiled shower. It was great! Bed was new and a little hard for us, so they added a pad which made it better. The view from the room was awesome! The water was so warm and the sand was not hot to walk on.

The drinks were great and the food was excellent. No in-room coffee maker, but they do have areas where you can get coffee 24 hours a day.

We ate at the Red Parrot 3 times. All times the food was excellent. If you like fish, try the fish specials. The grouper was the best fish we have ever eaten! The coconut shrimp was also excellent. I liked the rum raisin ice cream. Pinot Nior was flowing with our meals! Carlos was very friendly and a very nice waiter.

Ate at the Paparazzi twice. Excellent dinners!

Ate at Gingers. Excellent as well. Try the coconut ice cream.

Buffet was excellent. Same every morning for breakfast, but a lot to choices. All tasted good for lunch. We like the buffet at the Tam better than the divi. Great oceanside views while enjoying your breakfast.

We like going to casinos, and the one next door was the best one we found on the island. Free drinks at all the casinos. They will shuttle you back and forth from the hotel and to your room. We also like the casinos in downtown Oranjestad. Did not like the ones at the high rise hotels. Some paid out in coins instead of tickets.

Went to the butterfly farm. The hotel provided the transportation for free. It is also on the bus line and not too far from the hotel. Worth seeing as we learned a lot.

We did not rent a car, the bus comes right outside the hotel and is cheap. Also can catch one of the private cars that stop at the bus stops. We took the bus to the high rise sections and downtown Oranjestad.

The outdoor market is open on Sat and Sun. Is walking distance from the hotel. We actually walked from downtown Oranjestad to the hotel one day. It was about a 1.5 miles walk, but stopped at the rum store (Closed Sunday) for a few tasters and to get out of the heat.

I wouldn't stay anywhere else in Aruba. We loved Aruba and Tamarijn!

Only complaint is some of the bartenders could have been more friendly.

The Tamarijn completely exceeded my expectations in every way! We chose to go to Aruba for our honeymoon because the Tamarijn was one of the few hotels that we could find anywhere that had rooms right on the beach. Our trip was so much better than I had expected in every aspect, and we will definitely be returning as soon as possible. Here are our thoughts on all of the hotel's amenities and Aruba as a whole:

The Resort: The resort was always clean and has enough stuff that you could never leave the resort your whole vacation if you didn't want to, and best of all, almost anywhere you go you has a beautiful ocean backdrop! Plenty of bars and restaurants to choose from, especially since you also have access to the Divi's restaurants and bars as well, and it's only a short walk down the beach. One day a week local vendors come set up tables which I bought some cute, cheap souvenirs from. If you do want to do things around the island, the staff makes it easy and can sign you up for tours and other fun things like snorkeling and horseback riding on the island and the bus will pick you up and take you exactly where you need to go! Ages varied a lot at the resort which was nice. We met honeymooners, younger groups, some families, and older couples, so their was a great mix of people of all different nationalities. The beaches were never crowded, and the crystal clear, gentle blue ocean water was perfect!

The Rooms: I cannot figure out why people have had any complaints about the rooms! Yes, they were kind of on the smaller side, but I have paid a lot more for rooms in historic hotels, and they didn't have the view that the rooms at the Tam have! Plus, if you're staying at the Tamarijn, chances are you are not going to be spending much time in the room anyway. Our room was exceptionally clean, the furniture was well taken care of (not beaten up or rough looking like others have said), and even had a newer flat screen TV. Some have commented on the bathrooms being old and dirty, which had us a little worried, but ours was always very clean. Sure it didn't have granite or marble, but it was fully tiled, and like I said was always clean, so it worked for us. The one and only negative thing I could say is that there wasn't air conditioning in the bathroom so it could get a little warm if you were blow drying your hair, but there was a window, so that cooled it down a little. Finally, you will forget everything about the room when you look out your sliding glass door. You can see paradise right outside your window from everywhere in your room (except the bathroom) and it makes choosing the Tamarijn completely worth every penny. One final note - you should be aware of where your room may be located. We were in the 1300 block, which we LOVED. We were right next to the bars, restaurants, and pool, however you will hear music from the bars, which we liked, but some people may not. Just be aware that you could end up with a room all the way down at the end (2400 block) and you are pretty far from everything. Some people like feeling more secluded, but we did meet a couple that were annoyed with having to walk pretty far just to get a drink.

The Food: The food at the restaurants was very good. Not too many choices, but being a picky eater, I always found something I liked. My two favorites were Paparazzi and the Grill. (Get the Lasagna and Tiramisu at Paparazzi, and the shrimp was amazing at the grill). Be prepared to wait a while to place orders etc. because service can be slow, but we were on vacation and didn't mind sitting and talking since we didn't have anywhere to be. Also, you do have to make reservations a day ahead, which can be annoying, but it is worth it. The buffet was good for breakfast, we never had lunch there, and we thought dinner never looked good, so we didn't even try it. Finally, the place where we spent a lot of our time was Pizza per Tuti. They have yummy drinks of any kind (NEVER light on alcohol), and delicious pizza, garlic bread, cheese fries, and chicken nuggets, plus some sandwiches and other things. They are open all day until 1am, and we ate lunch every day here and sometimes even dinner if we didn't have reservations at the restaurants.

The Service: Now some people have written reviews about how rude staff was at the Tamarijn, and I'm wondering if we were at the same resort. Almost every morning when we would pass staff members on the way to breakfast we would be greeted with a smile and a "Good morning". I am a firm believer that you will be treated how you treat others and I think since we were always smiling and happy, we were treated the same way. Like I mentioned earlier, service can be slow at the restaurants, but other than that, I can't think of one negative experience I had with a staff member. Sometimes if you go to Pizza per Tuti right in the middle of the day (when everyone wants lunch) the bar tenders can be pretty busy, but again the view is amazing right there, so we didn't mind waiting a couple of minutes to get served, and I don't think we ever waited longer than 10 minutes to get our food once we placed our order.

The Island: We thought Aruba was great! Everyone is friendly, they all speak English, and take American money. It's super easy to get around - $1.30 for public bus or you can take a taxi. We went and did some shopping in Oranjestad (the capital), went to the casino one night that is just a few blocks away from the Tamarijn (we walked), and my favorite, did a snorkel trip through DePalm tours which I would recommend to everyone. All of our other time was spent at the Tamarijn at the bars or watching the nightly entertainment. Overall a pretty clean island tat felt safe and had as little or as much as you would want to do on a vacation.

Overall, we had an AMAZING trip! The Tamarijn is so worth the money for being all inclusive and having the most amazing views in your room and the ultimate in our eyes - being right on the beach. The drinks were delicious, the staff was friendly enough, and we got exactly what we wanted from our trip - a relaxing vacation of sitting on the beach, drinking a cold drink, and enjoying each others company. We've only been back home for three days and are already dreaming of the next time we will be able to visit the Tamarijn again, which will hopefully be next May!!!

My wife and I have been staying at the Tamarijn for the past 9 years. I am 55 yrs old and my wife is 49. For several years prior to arriving in Aruba, we traveled to other Carribean Islands (Antigua, Jamaica, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, along with Mexico and Bermuda). We found several reasons to return to Aruba year after years. We have found it to be an overall safe island; because it's a desert island the chances of rain are slim; the water is safe to drink unlike several Carribean islands; and overall, the people on the island welcome you there. We can also get a direct flight from home. We have been to several all-inclusive resorts such as Breezes Runaway Bay, Couples Negril, Club Ambiance (Jamaica), Catalonia Riviera Maya, Along with Club St. Lucia, Club Antigua & The Bushiri (Aruba), which have since closed. We have chose the Tamarijn each year since 2000 for it's relaxing atmosphere. The rooms are right on the beach, allowing you direct access within a few steps of your room. The buildings are only 2 stories (no long elevator rides when you left something in your room). My wife and I always request a lower level room to have the direct access to the beach. We always request to stay in buildings 15 - 18. These rooms are close to the center of the resort and it's activities, yet far enough away from the noise that might occur there on occasion. Between the Divi and the Tamarijn, there are 4 restaurants that guests can choose from, other then the two buffets. My wife & I have visited all but the Palm Grill over the years. Although I have my favorite (the Red Parrot) and my wife has hers (Ginger), they are all equally good, including the Paparrazzi. You will need to make reservations 24 hours in advance for the restaurants during prime dinner hours. This hasn't been a problem for us over the years. Although we often socialize at the bars each evening, my wife and I are always up somewhat early (8 AM) and make getting reservations part of the early morning routine; stopping at the Guest Services desk on the way to the gym each morning. The Tamarijn has an excellent new gym with adequate equipment. The trainer, Blondie, is an accomplished body builder and is always helpful if you want advice. My wife and I participated in her water aerobics at Divi Village one morning and found it fun and entertaining, while giving us the opportunity to check out the timeshares without a hassle. As far as the staff is concerned, I have found each and every one of them to be hardworking, genuine people. These people make my vacation what it is - relaxing & enjoyable. Although their attitude would almost lead you to believe that they are enjoying themselves, we recognize that they are working. It is amazing that they can each leave there personal troubles at the door to make our vacation enjoyable. We find it hard to believe when we see any negative reviews about the staff. It is true that this is not a 5 star hotel with red flag service on the beach and at the pool. The Tamarijn is clearly different and less formal. You can wear a good pair of shorts and a decent shirt to dinner, unlike many hotels in other countries that require men ot wear long pants and shoes to dinner. That's why I come here. As far as the bars, they aren't crowded most of the day, but at times, they can be hectic. The staff has always appeared to do their best to accomodate everyone fairly. Over the years, we've watched Harold, Ed, Eddie, Eduardo, John, Roland, Carmen, and JP each deal with all types of people with poise and respect. They are required to speak several different languages, which we find amazing. Recently, we observed one guest become rude and unnecessarily impatient with Eduardo. If this guest would have acted like that in NJ, she would have been told to leave the establishment. Eduardo dealt with her with considerable respect and dignity. It also seems amazing when the staff always recognizes my wife and I each year to welcome us back. A few even remember our names, after seeing thousands of guests each year. Guests at the resort are a mix of Americans, British, and a scattering of other nationalities. There are families, couples, and singles. The Bunker Bar, would seem more adult oriented as there is no food served here. My wife and I make it a point to watch the sunset every evening from this location. There always appears to be a "Happy Hour" atmosphere at the Bunker Bar from 5 - 7 PM, when it closes. It's always been fun for us to meet new people there each evening. Don't feel that it's such a great distance from the Tamarijn to the Divi. Although there are golfcarts that transport people during the day and evening, my wife and I walk to and from the Divi almost every night and it takes no more then 10 minutes without rushing. If we get tired of walking while on our way to or from the Divi, it's easy to stop a cart as it goes by. Overall, the Divi/ Tamarijn has been our place to escape from our hectic lifestyles. Don't forget to get a sandwich or burger at the Sandpiper Bar at the Divi during the day. It's hardly ever crowded and only a short walk along the beach to get to the Bar. Like the Bunker Bar, and Pizza Per Tutti, beachwear is acceptable during the day at the Sandpiper also. Do rent a Jeep for a day and take it around the island. Aruba is small, so you can do it in a day. Sign out a mask and flippers before you go, and get an apple to feed the fish when you get to Baby Beach, east of San Nicholas. (the Apple works alot better then bread, as it'll last longer. Just scrape the apple with your fingers and watch the fish engulf you as you snorkel near the reef.) On Tuesdays, take the Bicycle/ Snorkel Trip from the hotel. It's free and they'll escort you to Arashi Beach to snorkel the reef there. This is the same place that the organized snorkel excursions would take you. Last time we were there, we saw sea turtles and rockfish. There's alot of fine restaurants off-campus. We've been to El Gaucho's for Steak and Flying Fishbone's (east of the airport) for seafood. We've also been awarded certificates to two Divi owned restaurants, the Sunset Bistro at the Pheonix which was very good (tables on the beach) and Windows of Aruba which was awesome. Just to let you know, I was still able to wear shorts, sandals, and a collared polo shirt to all of these fine restaurants. Getting back to the hotel, don't let the negative reviews get to you. This is not a high-rise stuffy resort. If you recognize that the Divi/Tamarijn is a unique all-inclusive hotel, you'll truly find a relaxing vaction spot.

We stayed at the Tamarijn from the 13th to 27th of May 2009 and found we have practically no complaints about any aspect of the holiday.

We were given room number 1113 which was just perfect - close to the bars and restaurants ( but not so close that we were ever disturbed by any noise), we were on a quiet part of the beach, had our own parasol right outside our room and our patio door opened immediately onto the beach.

We found the location of the hotel to be ideal, 15mins to the airport, 10mins to Oranjestad and bus stops were close by.

The staff were all very friendly and usually very helpful, we found the food and drinks to be excellent and we particularly enjoyed the a la carte restaurants and Mexican night in the buffet. We also visited the Windows restaurant one evening and would highly recommend it, as a guest at the Tamarijn you get a 3 course meal for a discounted rate of $30.00 which was great value.

Our favourite aspect of this holiday was having a ground floor room which opened straight onto the gorgeous beach something we had never experienced before but would love to again. The food was also a highlight especially in the red parrot ( divi hotel).

Our only very minor grumbles were the fact that the a la carte restaurants each close for one evening a week causing reservations to become a challenge.

Also we found the excursions and shops to be very expensive but we realise that this is an issue with Aruba and not the hotel.

Overall i would definitley recommed this hotel for a relaxing peaceful holiday.

We have the pleasure of staying at the beautiful Tamarijn resort on 4/15-4/20 during the spring break. The resort was very clean, quite; open with a very relaxing atmosphere. All units have a breathtaking ocean view in a 2 story building. The spectacular white sand beach and the crystal blue water made our day especially relaxing in a less crowded beach. The resort was perfect since we have walked and seen other over crowded resorts especially the high rise buildings and were so pleased we are the TAM!. The weather was sunny and 90s everyday with a great and cooling breeze but be warned use a lot of sunscreen or you will burn!!! All the people we met along the way were very friendly especially one family from Boston who have stayed for the fifth time. The Arubans welcomed you to their island and made you feel right at home especially at the resort. Sorry guys I have to mention your names: Angela in housekeeping who is always smiling and keeps our room spotless. Doris in the concierge desk was very pleasant and gave us the best dinner reservations. Steve who is with the activities treated us like family. The last but not the least, YeeTing was the hotel manager who went above and beyond to accommodate our needs. Overall we had a perfect vacation in One Happy Island and we highly recommend the TAMRIJN RESORT ALL INCLUSIVES to everyone especially to families with teenagers and with younger kids.

Omg, we loved the TAM... we were there from April 9-16th we had a great room.

the place was booked solid and it never felt crowed. The food was great....all of it!

The people were so friendly and the rooms were clean, we always got a smile and a hello.. I don't understand how people could complain about the Tam!!! this is not a 5 Star resort but the view from your room is more then a 5 star, and for the price are you kidding me? we made so many new friends it just a perfect vacation.. we are going back next year for sure.. we are already panning for a bunch of us to get together and all meet up next April 1010.... feel free to contact me for any questions that you may have...

Stayed at the Tamarijn for a week with wife and 2 children [12, 6]. Everyone loved it. Now my wife is a little picky and didn't like the bracelet thing but other than that is was great. Food was very good even the buffet, [ask for whatever you want they will make it for you]. The girls at the towel and bike booth were great. the room clean up was mixed a couple days but we just grabbed towels and were ok. The beech was absolutely beautiful. We all wish we could move there but we are back to reality now. We will go back though can't wait. Just remember one thing book your reservations for the restaurants as soon as you get there

Well, what can I say, Aruba was so great that I wish I could live there. 24/7/365 pure sunshine all year around. People friendly and the history is interesting.

I first arrived at this hotel in May 08, the hotel staff handed you a cold flannel and cold bottle of water whilst you waited for the receptionist to call you over, we waited about five mins and were on our way to the room within mins. The room was lovely, and the view well the view was amazing, stood out in the balcony and there was the sea, you walked down a flight of steps and you were on the beach. It was fantastic. We went all inclusive, highly recommended. The food was amazing, they had three restaurants on site which you could go to and then the sister hotel had two restaurants which you could also go to as part of all inclusive, no extra pay. Drinks were very nice, especially the cocktails, they have daily specials on cocktails, try the aruba vice and the strawberry daiquiri which was lovely jubbly haha. Entertainment was always very good, three pools, two hot tubs, a mini shop, and clothes shop. I went for my friends wedding and the hotel planned it to perfection, the photos were amazing, and if you are thinking about honeymooning and getting married, I would recommend it, I am not married myself but I would consider possibly doing it there.

They have a chinese/japanese/thai restaurant, they have a grill house which is good, you cook your own steak, basically the middle of the table is like a heated grill. Then you have the main restaurant which is lovely, theme nights every night. They cook your steak etc to the way you want it.

Lots of trips to do, we did one around the whole island, that was very good and interesting, then we did one to a water park which I am sorry I cannot remember the name, that was very very good, designed for adults and children, we all turned in to kids instantly and were on the slides ourselves, but aren't we all kids at heart!

I cannot think of any problems with this hotel at all, or the country in general, its such a lovely place.

My wife and I and another couple stayed at the Tamarijn (the J is silent) or Tami for one week in mid-March 2009 and we had a wonderful time. Aruba is safe, the resort is clean, the service was better than average and the beach beautiful. All in all - a great get-a-way. In this review I would like to address a few different subjects than other reviews and just say a little on what everyone else writes about.

WHEN TO GO: Find out when the rainy season is. Aruba's rainfall is only 12 inches a year so whatever rain falls isn't much or shouldn't last long.

WHERE TO STAY: This was very important to us. We did not want to stay where it was noisy or too crowded, but we also did not want to walk too far to the restaurants and lobby. If you have a choice and are looking for quiet and fewer people on the beach try buildings 2300, 2400 or 2500. We stayed in 2500 on the second floor, which is the last building on the left side of the resort facing the water. If you can, get a room at the end of any building as these have set-back patios that offer even more privacy. Building 2400 and 2500 also have solid dividers between patios whereas all the others have only a metal railing. The three buildings on either side of the main lobby are very busy, the beaches are crowded but you are very near the center of all activities. We liked the 2nd floor verses the first for privacy reasons. Although being able to walk out to the beach from your room is nice, you sacrifice privacy. Your patio is less than 10 feet from the boardwalk that runs across the beach and walkers glance at those on the 1st floor patios and can even see into the rooms. On the second floor you can kick back in your most casual attire and hardly anyone notices you. The second floor patios have a slatted roof. Building 2500 is only a 5 minutes walk from the Bunker Bar, which is open from 7am-7pm. It is also only 10 minutes to the restaurants and lobby unless you grab a golf cart.

RESORT TRANSPORTATION consists of golf carts holding 2 to 12 passengers, which circle the Tamarijn and Divi Divi very frequently. Rarely did we have to wait more than 5 minutes. When necessary we called the front desk for a ride and a cart arrived within minutes. These carts also take guests to the Divi Divi, Divi Links, Dutch Village, and the Alhambra Casino or the church near the casino on Sunday.

RESTAURANTS: Briefly. You can make reservations for the speciality restaurants up to 3 nights in advance. The Red Parrott (at the Divi Divi) is the best but not open every night. Papparizzi was so-so. The wait staff there was not very friendly or professional. Pizza de Tutti was okay for pizza and drinks but stay away from the sandwiches - they were inedible. The buffets at both the Divi and Tami were just fine although the Divi offers indoor dining for those who are skittish about the birds. For that special night out try the Flying Fishbone Restaurant. It is a 30 minute cab ride ($28 one-way) but worth the trip. The restaurant is located on the water and if want you can actually eat in the water. There are 6 tables set up at the waters edge but only for couples. Tables for 2 or more are in the sand so take off your shoes and wiggle your toes. The food is great but pricey (about $30 for an entree), service friendly and they never rush you.

THE BIRDS: Yes they are a nuisance at times but with a few precautions, like not leaving you food unattended, they won't bother you. Most are small finches, blackbirds or doves.

LIZARDS: We were very surprised to see very few of them and the ones we did see were only 12-18 long compared to the 4-6 footers we encountered in Cozumel. They are kinda cute, sometimes shy and only come out during the day. They are also vegetarians.

BUGS: We did not see one misquito, palmetto bug, roach, or beetle the entire stay and very few flies.

DRINKS: The many bars served just about anything you want; name brand alcohol, Heineken beer on tap plus local brands. I drink scotch and they had Dewers at every bar. The local beer was very good also. We found the service fast and friendly at all but the Pizza de Tutti only because of the many kids who hang out there to order pizza and soft drinks. For convenience we brought a 1 quart water bottle and had the bartender fill it up (4 drinks) thereby cutting down on the return trips and making it easier to carry back to the blanket than plastic cups.

POOLS: Guests of the Tami have access to the Tami pool, the Divi Divi pools PLUS the 3 pools at the Dutch Village which are small and mostly unused. Guests cannot use the Divi Links pool.

BEACH: The sand is almost white and very fine. The beach is beautiful, kept clean and the water calm although not too good for snorkeling close to the beach. There are great snorkeling or diving locations on other parts of the island. Saving beach chairs is necessary if you want one. Bring a few clothes pins to keep a towel attached to the chairs. It is windy on the beach. The staff does not monitor this and we found no problem with it. Perhaps at the resort center there may be fewer chairs.

ISLAND TOURS: We opted for taking a taxi instead of renting a jeep or booking a tour through the conceirge which was very expensive and too long. Renting a jeep seems the best bet until you realize there are no street signs or directions. We would have still been lost had we tried touring the island ourselves. Taking a taxi costs $46 per hour and in 2 hours you can see plenty: the fallen Natural Bridge, Baby Bridge, California Lighthouse, Alto Vista Chapel and the Casigri Rock Formation. Try to find a taxi driver who speaks English decently (ours was named Milton, as in Berle, and he was terriffic). He took us to places we would have never found and offered up volumns of local lore and facts, including the local theory on the Natalie Holloway disapperance.

In conclusion, we found this trip just great. It was the safest island or resort we've been to in the Caribbean or Mexico. The Tami is not a 4 or 5 star resort but still a great place to kick back and get a plam tree fix and to enjoy the sun, sand and whatever.

Absolutely amazing.. Dont even know where to begin. We were there for two weeks and I could have stayed at least a week longer. Very active resort, we stayed on the resort for the first week, didnt feel the need to leave, tons to do. Only thing we did was bike to town everyday, it was very refreshing and very interesting. It was a short bike ride, and their bikes were in well enough shape, I quite enjoyed riding the old style of bikes.

We did the rock climbing, ( I suggest the side closest to the building, its the easiest!!) We went swimming everyday in the ocean, the beach was beautiful, the water was amazing. The sun was always hot, the wind was very relieving. The only thing I'd watch for is, with the wind you dont realize how much sun your getting, my boyfriend burnt a few times. Reserve your beach huts early, but dont leave stuff unattended, this is the place where you'd have to worry about tourists, not locals. There was wind surfing, kayaking, rock climbing, biking, shuffle board, snorkeling, a giant chess board and many other activities on the resort to keep the most restless people busy. I believe they had a few special activities for the kids, but the people we went with didnt sign their kids up for it. Their little girl was quite shy.

The people... where do I begin?? They were amazing, Elwin, Eddie, John, Carmen, and many many more that took great care of us at the bars and snack bars. Pizza per tutti was our favourite place to hang out the nights we didnt feel like watching the shows, or after the shows. The bunker bar was probably my favourite, I liked its setting, very very tropical and gorgeous during the day. I recommend leaving a dollar bill for the maid everyday, they do an excellent job when really, they dont have to. Our bathroom was in top condition always, our beds were always kept nice and neat. Overall, the service and people there were extraordinary. After spending two weeks with them, I miss them greatly, I would go back just to give Eddie the photo we took with him.

Off the resort there are MANY MANY things to do, right in Oranjestad too. We went on a jeep safari tour, it was spectacular, our guide was great with us, very friendly. We went to see the caves, a few of the smaller natural bridges, passed through the donkey sanctuary, and lastly, got to spend an hour at Baby Beach. A very beautiful little lagoon and the south eastern point of Aruba. Clearest blue water, walk about 100metres and its only up to your waist. Very relaxing place, but dont expect to get free lawn chairs there. I believe it was $6.00 for one. Souveniers are expensive there as well, so dont expect to buy anything there, just make sure you bring a bathing suit, sunscreen and a towel on the trip with you and you'll make out just fine.

We also went horse back riding off the resort. If you go horse back riding be sure to go with Rancho la Ponderosa. There horses were healthy, happy, and very well trained. I believe I got their "worst" horse because I said I had been riding for 14 years. A mare named Princessesa, she was an absolute doll, and in fact more well behaved than my horse. She was slightly afriad of water, but I walked her right up to it no problem, just needed some trust is all. We took the trip to the Natural bridge, along the way we rode through the national park, up rock cliffs, along the cliffs of the ocean, (very neat, and not as iffy as it sounds) we galloped as much as we could, it was very very fun, and beginners were on the trip with us and they did just fine. In fact my boyfriend was a beginner and he loved every minute of it, raced with me even. The sights were gorgeous, be sure to have your camera in an easy place to get at, but make sure it isnt going to fall, or get lost because losing you camera isnt the main thing on your mind when you galloping on a horse. It sounds scary, but these horses are VERY well trained, and they are complete people lovers, they even stand there untied when you get off to see the natural bridges. Their are buses and fourwheelers going by, stray donkeys, goats of all sizes, and these horses couldnt care less.. You have to understand that they do the same trips day in and day out, nothing is going to surprise them so you have NOTHING to worry about. trust me, its a good experience go for it. As you can tell the horse back riding was by far my favourite part of the trip. By the way, no bugs, nice warm morning sun, just wear a pair of pants and you'll be fine. Ladies--- wear something very supportive under your shirts and dont wear soemthing that will pull on your neck!! Its Bumpy!!!

I cant get over how beautiful the beach was, the boardwalk made it very easy to get around, made for a nice long stroll from one side of the resort to another. The snack bars had tons of selection, if it can keep me busy for two weeks, you know its gotta be good. the buffets were pretty darn good, but I recommend making reservations for the Red Parrot, by far best restaurant there. Ginger was very good too. ( try the mango chicken noodles, SOOOOO delicious!!!) Dont forget you get access to the Divi resort as well, its very fun to go between resorts, plus if you like to walk, take the beach and then get a cool drink when you make it there! They charge you for a securtiy deposit box, but its worth getting one, we didnt worry about our passports or extra cash once. Friends of ours misplaced their key while horse back riding, it only cost $50.00 to get a lock smith in to make a new key and get the old lock out.

Aruba was more than I expected, it was absolutely amazing. We went to local malls, I bought a camera down there, a very very nice Panosonic Lumix that would have cost me big time if I went to the touristy places, they were very greatful I came to where the locals came, they gave me over $100.00 off of it. I still use this camera, and it takes amazing photos, some I might add onto here.

I'm going to Cuba in a week and I think that Aruba has heightened my expectations so much, I might pick everything about it apart. I dont think any resort could treat you much better, I have yet to find one and I travel a fair amount. I recommend Tamarijn to anyone, I spent less than what you'd think, and I got more than what I paid for for sure. It was an excellent trip, I want to make it a yearly one. Mostly, I miss the people, the town, the sun, and the beautiful beach. Also, my horse friend Princessesa, that made my trip an amazing experience.

this was our first trip to Aruba and to an all inclusive. The experience couldn't have been much better. Our room was spotless and comfortable, everything at this resort was spotless. The weather was probably the best part of Aruba, everyday was beautiful. It seemed liked the days lasted forever!

Definitely make your restaurant reservations in the first couple of days. Would recommend renting a car to see the island. You can see the whole thing in 1 day. It was nice to have a grocery store across the street for little things. Gift shops have nice variety of items, prices not bad on most things. The shuttle back and forth to Divi was nice after a long day of walking on the beach. Every staff person we met was so friendly and funny and genuine. Not a ton of things to do for older kids (12-16) but lots of beach, great pools. We were very pleasntly surprised how much we liked this resort.

We just returned from our first ever trip to Aruba. We loved everything about this resort. They only tip I would give is to make your dinner reservations as soon as you get your room! We loved our room, the staff was wonderful, and the food was very good. Would absolutely stay there again in the future (which I hope is not too long away).

This was by far one of the best family vacations! We traveled with another family and their teenagers too. So we had 3 teenagers, 16, 15 and 12. We did purchase the family package so we could use both resorts at the lesser price. Matter of fact kids under 18 stay and eat free. The kids LOVED it! Both the Tamarijn and the Divi were perfect! The Divi is literally walking distance or you can take a trolly that runs every 15 minutes between the two. But there was pleanty for the kids to do. It was safe that we could leave the kids and walk to the other resort without a worry. The kids could swim, play pool outside, watch tv outside, and use the internet cafe. And the fact they could order food or pop anytime - great when you have a 16 year old with a hollow leg! The ocean was warm and the waives were fun. The pool at both resorts were cleaned every morning and they even had volly ball everyday. The rooms were cleaned and housekeeping did a great job everyday. There is no coffee makers in the rooms though - my only complaint. All rooms are ocean view and the low rise of only two story's really was a blessing. The grounds were beautiful and cleaned every day. The birds and lizards were really fun to watch. The beach was one of the most beautiful I have been on. And at the Tamarijn the rocks have hundreds of beautiful blue crabs. While we didn't use these facilities the work out room was first class and the water sports and rock climing wall was plentiful. The night life was okay - everynight at the main pool they had different themes - kinda silly - but something to do. Again - the kids loved that.

The restaurants were good - the Red Parrot and Papparazzi were the two best. Food was great no matter where we ate! But some restaurants require reservations - make them the minute you get there or the prime dinner spots close out. Out of the two bars at the Tamarijn the Coconut Bar had the better liquor than the others and it's still not premium liquior. But who cares?? Don't drink the Killer Kool AIds - it's named that for a reason! And after 5 I know why! You can eat at any restaurant on either side of the resort - The Divi is a little nicer but it's all good. Adults can even walk to the Casino literally next door or go down town. We went deep sea fishing and they cooked our fish on the grill and served it at the Bunker Bar. There are a few gift shops, a spa and other things too. Shopping is fun downtown but the flea markets and shops close early on Sundays. The service for the most part was good - you always have one idiot but you have those here at home too. Just a great time!! Can't wait to go back!

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Tamarijn from March 1 - 8. We flew in direct from Toronto without any issues. Although getting through Customs in Aruba took forever... the agents were very slow.

We showed up at the Tamarijn around 4pm to a friendly front desk clerk and some cold bottled water. I did some research beforehand and did not want to stay in one of the buildings with the rocks, or a building close to the main lobby/restaurants. She told us our room was in the 1200 building, so right away I asked for a different building. She switched us without argument to building 2400 which is on the opposite end and much more quiet/private.

My advice: If you want a more secluded/quiet part of the resort further away from the chaos of the lobby area, choose something in buildings 2200 - 2500 (as long as you don't mind the walk to the main area... we didn't mind walking everyday). As well, the beach was very nice right outside our building (no rocks, lots of sand). The beach in front of buildings 1400 - 1900 was pretty bad... big rocks/boulders on the sand.

Our room was 2414 on the second floor (which I also wanted). The best part of this hotel: your proximity to the beach. Just steps outside of your room. Room was extremely clean, with a large balcony. The bathroom was rough.... it was actually very small (the two of us could not get ready in there at the same time)... rather outdated and had a panel missing from the front of the countertop. But seriously... who cares? This hotel does not market itself as a 5-star so people need to keep that in mind. The bathroom was a non-issue and did not spoil our trip in any way.

We found the people working at the resort to be very friendly and we had no issues regarding the staff. Maid service was excellent and everyone would always say hello in passing. We never encountered any "rude" service from anyone at all. Hotel grounds were also immaculate... gardens well maintained, plants trimmed, beach was raked of the seaplants, etc.

We found the food to be quite good for an "all-inclusive". Of course it's not gourmet North American food, but it was good and not "gross". Breakfasts had tons of variety to choose from, and lunches/dinners had an assortment of different hot and cold foods to choose from. Desserts were disappointing... always the same small sweets placed in a glass refrigerator in the corner.. .not too fresh. Although their cheesecake was pretty good. We ate at all of the a-la-cartes and they were OK. One warning though: we found Ginger to be just awful! Their attempt at Asian food is horrible... nothing was done right (can you blame them... there isn't much Asian influence in Aruba to begin with). Neither of us enjoyed any part of that meal, so I would not recommend eating there.

We found the average age group of guests at the Tamarijn to be between 50 - 70. Not that we cared (I'm in my late twenties)... just putting this out there for any young party animals that are thinking of staying here. Not a place for teens or "spring breakers". As well, approx 90% of the guests are American. We were actually surprised at the lack of Canadians staying here, I don't know why ?

One small complaint that we did have was regarding the ignorant people that would "save" palapas and beach chairs early in the morning and then never arrive to actually use them. During our stay on at least 3 or 4 occasions, we woke up around 7am to find almost all of the chairs on the beach reserved with people's towels. We would keep our eyes on some of these chairs... and I swear.... by 2:00pm NOBODY had come out to sit on them yet. They have some small signs warning people about reserving chairs for more than 20 minutes, but this rule is not enforced by anyone at all.

Regarding the beach: we unfortunately arrived in Aruba with a week of pretty bad weather: It was cloudy everyday with random small spots of sun every now and then. Although the beaches in Aruba look stunning (turquoise blue waters), I was quite disappointing with the clarity of the water. It is very cloudy and you cannot see to the bottom/your feet when you enter the ocean. It's not dirty, it's just very cloudy I think from the fine sand that kicks up in the sea. Not anything like the crystal-clear waters of Cuba or Cancun. I was disappointed in that... but this has nothing to do with the Tamarijn obviously.

Overall, we highly recommend this resort if you are looking for a great vacation with direct access to the beach right outside of your room. For the price we paid... you'd be very challenged to find another All-Inclusive in Aruba in this price range with the quality of the facilities. And the benefit of having every room facing the ocean... you just can't beat it!

This hotel had great views of the beach. The rooms are very clean and the staff is so friendly. The food was good and there was a lot of it. We made a lot of trips to the ice cream machine and enjoyed the fresh pizza. We also took advantage of the bikes that are included and rode all over the island.....all the way to the California Lighthouse. It was also nice to take the walk to the Divi and eat and drink there. The fitness center was very large and had great equipment. We will stay here again.

We just got back from our week long trip to Aruba. We stayed at the Tamarijn based on reviews from Tripadvisor so I want to give back. Tamarijn was a very nice and clean resort. I do agree with other posts that the hotel is a little dated and the bathrooms can use updating as well, but overall the resort is kept very clean. The buffet was very good and casual it something for everyone. We did try Red Parrot and Ginger's, the food at Red Parrot was very good! Ask for the waiter by the name of Calvin, he was so much fun and made our dinner so much fun. We basically went on vacation for rest and relaxation and didn't want to lift a finger and Tamarijn was the place to do it.

This was my wife and my first visit to Aruba , we arrived June 14th and stayed 14 nights, the TAM has an excellent beach front location we were given room 1905 almost opposite the Bunker Bar , We both thought our room to be VERY adequate for our stay and had no complaints about it, The food was ( we think) verey good in both quality and quantity, O.K some of the staff are not `over` friendly towards the guests but we just got on with having a good time We met some absolutely wonderful people at the Tam, mainly guests from the U.K. and got on with 1 or 2 of the staff , the other staff did their jobs thats all ,The Red Parrot was the best for food we found , Aruba is a flat isalnd and we walked for many a mile ,the beverage / bar side was also very good especially the Bunker Bar which has amazing views ,would we return? well , YES , but not for a while , the island for us just fails to have that true carribean feel as its too americanised as a previous poster wrote. All in all though we really did have the most relaxing holiday.

My husband and I stayed at the Tam from June 7-12. This was our first trip to Aruba. We were quite surprised at how “Americanized” everything is, which is great for a first-timer to the island. We booked through Cheap Caribbean, therefore when we arrived at the airport, we were greeted by a De Palm Tours representative, right outside baggage claims. The rep quickly whisked us onto a De Palms bus, which took us directly to the Tam. The Tam is the first stop going North from the airport & town area, which makes it only about a 15 minute ride. Luckily, we arrived on a late flight, so when we arrived, our room was ready.

Resort: The resort is very clean, feels very safe and the staff friendly. Our only main complaint, was that the main road leading north from the city passes directly behind the resort, so be prepared for road noise. They love their horns in Aruba….

Upon our arrival & check-in, a bellman transported us and our luggage via golf cart to our room. We were in 2408. Beware, any rooms above 2100 or 2200 are a good walk to the “main” part of the resort. At almost every building, there is a shuttle stop and if you want to wait, someone will come by on a golf cart and pick you up. My husband and I enjoyed the walk, so we only used the shuttle when we arrived and when we were leaving because neither of us wanted to drag our luggage the entire way. If your room ends in an even number, your room will be on the second floor, which has a great view of the beach and you have a little more privacy because people aren’t right outside your door at the beach. If you get a room on the first floor, you have direct access out your sliding door to the beach. Note that the safety deposit box lock and key is not included in the all-inclusive package, therefore there is a $2 charge per night if you would like to lock your valuables up.

The main pool is just outside the lobby and restaurants. There are two walkways that lead parallel with the resort. The boardwalk goes between the resort and the beach. The cobblestone walkway goes between the rooms and the timeshares/parking lots & other resort buildings. If you take the cobblestone walkway, there are three other pools which are shared by the Tam and the timeshares.

Rooms: The rooms are in good condition, not too roomy, but housekeeping keeps them very clean. We were in 2408 and had a king size bed, which was great. The bathroom needs updating badly. Don’t think of this comment as an insult to the resort, but as a constructive criticism. Oh, and the shower head looks like it came from the 70s, so don’t expect anything spectacular.

Food: The buffet was not large, but the food was very good. If you get to the buffet soon after it opens, when the food is still fresh, you will be much happier with what is served. The Papparazi (Italian restaurant) was good, but not fabulous. The Palm Grill (prepare your own food) was good, but basically it is what you make out of it. You choose between beef, chicken and fish and you prepare it in the center of the table with a few vegetables. Once you get the main dish prepared, they bring out white rice and french fries as side dishes. The Ginger (Asian inspired) is EXCELLENT. The service prompt, courteous and everything we ordered was out of this world. Ginger is a must try if you stay at the resort. We never tried the restaurants at the Divi, so I can’t comment about those.

Entertainment: Unlike other Caribbean resorts, there is no building designated for the entertainment and the entertainment is not as dramatic and professional. All entertainment is held around the main pool, right in front of all the restaurants.

The public bus has a stop in front of the resort’s tennis courts. The charge to take the public bus to town is $2.30 roundtrip per person, which is an excellent deal. We took the half day island tour with De Palms Tours. A tour guide gives you information concerning the island, the culture, etc. He took us to the California Lighthouse, the Alta Vista Chapel and the Natural Bridge(which has now fallen). I found a $20 discount in the welcome package that the resort gave to us when we checked in, so the total cost was $40 for me and my husband to take the tour. Note, no meals or scuba diving is included in the half-day tour.

Check-out is at 12:00, so if you don’t get picked up until later, the resort can give you a temporary bracelet, so that you can eat and/or drink while you wait to be picked up.

Check out my pictures to see what the rooms look like, as well as other portions of the resort. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

I am writing from Tamarijn, Aruba All-inclusive resort. Found the resort based on Tripadvisor recommendations, so I wanted to be sure to post my review in a timely manner for potential future guests.

First, I came here with my twin 16 year old girls. And I came here with my Laptop figuring I would get a few hours of work in each day while the girls were busy doing teen things. This will be important later in my review.

The resort accommodations are somewhat dated but still clean and functional. Our room is oceanfront and is basically like a Holiday Inn room with two queen beds. Comfortable, but basic. Bathroom is cramped, particularly with 16 year old girls, but overall, no complaints about the rooms, just don’t plan for 5-star accommodations.

The food overall is good. Unlike Breezes, Curacao, which we went to based on TripAdvisor a couple years back, the buffet is actually very good while the specialized restaurants are hit and miss. Curacao the buffet was marginal and the restaurants were great. We had good meals at Paparazzi and Red Parrot, but marginal meal at Ginger. Palm Grill was decent and better than expected, but the buffet is actually a great backup when you have a so-so meal at a restaurant. We hit the buffet a couple of times after dinner to get something more acceptable. Overall, food is decent, but again, not 5-star. My family is very casual and easy to please so we were not expecting 5-star, but some folks expect more.

Staff has been hit and miss, but those who are good, are great! Cynthia in Concierge Services has been super. Igmar (sp?) and Ralph in Activities have been the highlight of the trip for my twins. Sophia in the buffet staff has been super. Very attentive, friendly and gorgeous as well! Many folks have stood out and made the trip great, but surprisingly, a large number of the staff are sort of cold and standoffish. Had not impacted our trip, but just an observation.

The biggest disappointments were that I was told I would have wireless internet in my room, but that is not true. Have to lug my laptop down to the main lobby area to get wireless signal, but it does work and has been helpful.

The other problem is very little to do for older teens. Lots of activities for younger kids through maybe 12-13 years old, but my girls have little in the way of activities. But the beaches are great and there are plenty of free water sports activities to keep us busy.

Overall, a good trip. I would recommend to others but we will likely no return due to the lack of activities for the girls and the overall island is hot, sweaty and barren. We prefer a nice tropical lsland and will likely head to St. Lucia, Barbados or similar for our next trip. Recommended for families with younger kids. Great pricing makes this a great value!

Our first visit to Aruba and the Tam- we were located in the Divi Dutch Village and had a huge appartment with our own Bedroom - Kids beds was a sofa pull out ok for small kids but matress thin so no good for over 10"s. We had a kitchen, dining table to sit 8, good sized bath and roof terrace, two flat screen T V and a dvd player. Room was cleaned daily to good standard. we had a small pool to the front and another small pool at the back both had a jacuzzi, beach was about 25 metres away no sea view. nearest Bar Bunkers about three mins walk but no snacks at this end! Supermarket Five mins across the road quite good priced if you wanted to stock up on snacks or needed extra toiletries, Hotel shop proved expensive!!! Shuttles run between resorts of the tam and the Divi and Divi links, Divi has a better pool and bar and appeared the better of the two, Divi links across the road has a fantastic infinity pool with a kids water slide but the bar and restaurants are not all inc, we had snack of hot dog fries for $6 each - You could always take your own drinks! if you want a change of scenery or the kids want a bit of extra fun it,s a good choice. The beach here is long and makes a lovely early morning walk or late evening stroll, Turtle nests are on the beach and you may be lucky enough to see one at night . Evening entartainment ok with a show almost each night of dancers and limbo and a Dj after but honestly from uk with time change you cant make it much past 10.30pm in your first week. We would recomend De palm island for anyone who loves to snorkel or wants the fun of a small water park, mainly for kids but all the adults join in too. Blue parrott fish are great and our kids just five and eight snorkled safely and loved it so much we went again, We did two boat snorkel trips both to Antilla and malmock reef the catermaran which is a lovely modern boat but the food was tight! the Second the Pirate adventure was a big hit the food was good and plenty as was the drinks and the pirate theme was great especially for the kids. Snorkeling on the trips was excellent with a good selection of fish and a turtle. Baby beech was quite a way but good for snorkeling and very good for young toddlers as water calmer and shallow, Oranjasted is a must for anyone who loves to shop especially for jewelry, Overall we enjoyed our stay and have no real complaints, clean, good food, friendly hotel and islanders. We did think the restaurant service was slow in the A la carte restaurants especially at peak times 7.00-8.00 pm. we had small kids so we struggled to get bookings early enough. you can eat at the a la carte restaurants as often as you like but need to book very early 8 am at reception and be prepared to queue! The pool at the Tam and the sun louge area looked a bit dirty although the beds were cleaned the day before we left. The bar at the Tam smelled too, otherwise all restaurants and Bars good and clean and most staff really friendly.

We've just returned from our 2 weeks all-inclusive holiday at the Tam and must say that we loved it. This is not your average stuffy resort with huge pools and perfectly kept grounds; it is less formal and more relaxed. I don't think that the hotel deserves all 4 stars advertised in the brochures but it's definitely something that we would consider going back to. Our room was very clean and functional, except for the drawers which required special skills to be opened, but other than that it was comfortable and ticked all boxes i.e. air con, hair dryer, fridge, safe ($2 / day), flat screen TV, big beds, clean linen and generally welcoming. The bathroom was a tiny bit dated but we didn't mind as it was very clean and well equipped. However open the doors to the balcony and here you are staring at the most beautiful scenery ever, with the whitest sands at your feet and bluest sea rolling on it, and no pictures in the brochure can do any justice to the beauty of it.

The food was excellent and we only went to the a la carte restaurants twice as the food at the buffet was gorgeous and we didn't want to miss the entertainment which takes place right in the middle of it. Also the buffet restaurant is right on the beach and we loved our meals and glass of wine looking at the spectacular sunsets every night.

Do not expect the largest selection of food, but ALL food was great and I can't believe that there are people who complain about not finding anything decent to eat.

Cocktails were great and varied and if you fancy a good selection of beverages they are all there, not like in other resorts where the only drinks in your all-inc package are the local ones, however tasty they are.

We rented a car for few days and visited the island and the main attractions, and for those fond of museums and ruins there are a few things going on, but the best assets of the island are the beaches and sceneries - by far! The island is absolutely safe to explore on your own, either by foot, by bus or by car, no worries about leaving your things unattended on the beach while you go for a swim.

The waters were stunningly calm and blue at the northern beaches (Eagle, Palm, Arashi) but really there is not much to complain about the water at the Tam either. If you have kids you can take them to Baby Beach in the southern part of the island where the waters are shallow, warm and - well - perfect for babies!

The service at the Tam is not bad but not jaw-dropping either, just don't put your expectations too high and you'll be fine. People are friendly enough and our maid was the best.

Overall it was great value for money (btw, USD are widely accepted), the island is fantastic, our Tam was on the best location ever, with all rooms having sea view, and we would definitely return there. No doubt there are more fashionable resorts on the island but there is something cosy about Tam that made our holiday so relaxing and pleasant.

The location of the rooms in this hotel are second to none. You open your patio doors and you have a sparkling white sandy beach in front of you. The rooms themselves are very average. Creaky old beds and tired fittings. But who really cares as long as it's clean (it is). I particularly liked the fact that alot of the main courses in the buffet were cooked fresh as you were choosing, not sitting for two hours multiplying bacteria. We only ate in the evening buffet on our first night. We ate at all the a la cartes in both hotels. All very good (portions a bit large). Ginger was exceptional. I can't understand some of the comments about the food, there was something for most tastes provided you put yourself out and booked the restaurants as soon as possible. Of course sometimes you waited at the bar for a drink, you do in my local pub when they're busy! For the price we paid £750 each for a week I think it was good value. The only thing I found annoying was that some of the older American guests seemed to find it neccesary to tip anyone who moved. Not much point going all-inc if you have to fork out $300 a week on top for people who are just doing normal jobs like pouring a beer or driving a shuttle. Fortunately its only a minority but makes the rest of us look like cheapskates.

Just returned from a 2 week stay at the Tam....... After studying all the reviews on here for a while we decided to take the plunge and book our first all inclusive Holiday.

We were pleasantly suprised to find that this place is a really good choice....The location is stunning on a fantastic stretch of Beach ...Palm Trees swaying in the trade winds bathtub temp sea water.

The rooms.....the subject of many a gripe....were in fact fine.The Bathrooms are a little overdue a facelift, but everything worked and the place was kept very clean by our Maid.

That view from your patio door is worth a lot ....and just a few steps away from that fantastic Beach.....Heaven.

We have never had such a relaxing break in our lives....and believe me when I say that I have travelled this World a lot , and would be hard pressed to find a better value holiday set up as the Tam and Divi.

The food was good (not five star but I did not pay five star money ! ).

We always found something to our liking everytime we did the Buffet .The Restaurants were pretty good also (they were very clean and the staff vere very polite ..but we did have a few meals that were not up to the mark, but when we politely asked for something else from the menu, it was delivered without fuss and we always left feeling that we had enjoyed our meal). The ginger was a bit of a hit and miss affair,some nights it was great, others food was cold upon arrival at the table! .

The Bars were all good with little wait time, and the Bar staff in general were polite and helpful.There are a few unhappy people working at the bars on the odd night, but you soon learn which ones have had a charisma bypass ! , and avoid them .

For the price the Tamarijn is great value. Staff, with exception of the check-in desk, were all very pleasant and helpful. Dining options which included the Divi resort were wonderful - try the Red Parrot by the beach amzing food, service, and views. Cruiser bike rental is included so its a quick ride to Oranjestad or a half-day trip to the California lighthouse. If you want exciting nightlife and entertainment this is not the hotel for you, but if you want to get away, relax, and enjoy some good a-la-carte meals this is the place to go.

OK For 137 dollars a day(per person) you get to stay directly on an uncrowded beach with all the booze you can drink and some decent food...I don't really understand how someone can complain about something like that..Yes the service was not the best I've had in the Carribbean. But some of the people were very friendly and helpful. What I seemed to notice in all of the Arubans was a sense of indifference. They were just like "whatever" And I think part of going on vacation is catching the vibe of the people there, even if you don't like it.

As far as the rooms go they were OK. Typical hotel room circa 1985. But people who expected all that much more really are deluding themselves. I guarantee if you go to the TAM with a positive attitude you will get it right back....

Great location, near downtown and steps away from the beach. Chose Tamarijn over sister resort Divi because of lower price and ability to use both facilities. Rooms were small but very clean. Food was good, but not great. Never had a problem finding something enjoyable to eat - especially the pizza place by the pool. Enjoyed our stay, but we did have 2 minor negatives - first lack of pools at the Tamarijn (timeshare pools have signs stating private even though the hotel staff say "sure you can use them", but the timeshare owners make you feel unwanted): second, the balcony on the room offers ZERO privacy - nothing between any of the rooms except a short metal rail/divider. Ask for a ground floor room where you can just walk onto the beach! We've traveled to Cancun and Jamaica about 10 times. Aruba is certainly as nice as either of these, but Aruba is more expensive and harder to get to and farther than Cancun for us. We enjoyed ourselves and would love to go back to Aruba, but all things considered for my money I'll take Cancun/Playa del Carmen. Hired a 75 year old cab driver (Jake) to drive us around the island one morning and we enjoyed the personal service and flexibility. Rode horses one day at La Ponderosa. This is NOT your typical sissy horseback ride. They run the horses at least half the time – WEAR JEANS no matter how hot it is or you’ll end up with chaffed thighs!

Admittedly, the price was unbeatable - at about the same as a middle-of-the-road hotel's lowest rate, we had a beachfront room with terrace AND all-inclusive to boot! Oh, and it looks pretty good!

It may have not been the best time to be in Aruba, as the weather was ok but the water was not too clear - there had been some bad weather in the area earlier- but the beach was still smashing. The hotel looks great (all 3 of them actually, you have the run of the place), the beach is excellent, white sand, good-quality recliners, beach equipment, personnel is fine, the only mild complaint is that it's quite a walk to grab beach towels and sea floats if you're at the other end of the resort, but hey, that's the trade-off for all beachfront rooms.

The restaurants we tried were good, well-decorated, quick and friendly. Not quite in the same league as the top-end restaurants in a world-class city? Hey. This is a resort. And all-inclusive. So they're bloody good for that. And most of them would rate pretty high in any case. It's really all-inclusive, good-quality drinks. So there are a lot of boozers. Well, let's just call them smart boozers! They may be annoying, but if you're getting your money's worth, so are they.

All in all, a great place. And just deal with the boozers, they're drunk but still behave fairly well, and it's the price we "reasonable people" (wink wink) have to pay for an excellent all-inclusive. Only peeve: internet was not working while I was there but operator charged us anyway. But at the reception, they explained how to get the charges dropped, so point for them.

Yes, it's been a few months, but I'll go back in a second!

My husband and I stayed at the Tam April 27th - May 2nd 2009. Arrived in Aruba airport and within an hour we were checked in at the hotel and on the beach. The Tamarijn is the first stop that the bus makes which was a pleasant suprise. I do not agree with the negative reviews, while it is true that the bathrooms are older, the rooms are clean and your door opens to a spectacular beach. The water is warm and beautiful to swim in, you can also use the floating lounge mats and noodles in the water. There is something to eat for everyone and you will not go hungry. At breakfast there is an assortment of fresh cut fruit, bagels, croissants, muffins, cereal -in addition to the eggs, waffles, pancakes and made to order omelettes. Lunch menu is a variety of hot and cold sandwich choices, burgers, hot dogs, salads etc. There is also pizza, chicken fingers, and sandwiches at pizza Per Tutti available from 11am to 10pm. Dinner has a different theme each nite and again something for everyone. We made reservations one night at the Red Parrot which was very good and another night at Paparrazi which is a very good Italian restaurant. From the appetizer to the dessert, it was fabulous. We took the bikes out in the mornings and rode to the cruise terminal, played bingo in the afternoon and lounged on the beach for hours. The pool was very clean, smaller than in most resorts, but served the purpose. There is a casino that you can walk to or take the carts which come and go all day, they have everything from penny slot machines to blackjack and we had a good time there. My husband also purchased an Aruban cigar which he said was very good. So, if you are looking for a relaxing vacation with a beautiful beach and plenty to eat and drink, this is the place to go. We also did not have any problem with the drinks, the bar staff we met were friendlly and the drinks were great. We would definitely return to this resort.

The Fabulous:

Location, location, location: After touring the resorts on the free bikes provided, this was the only hotel with rooms right on the sand. Perfect for anybody who likes to spend the entire day on the beach. No elevators, stuffy lobbies, or shoe requirements. Just open the sliding glass door and walk out onto the baby soft sand.

The Weather: Perfect. Hot with a nice cool breeze.

The Beach; Turquoise blue just like the pictures. Very calm and warm water with soft sand as far as you can touch.

The Food: Really good for an all inclusive. Enjoyed all the restaurants and buffets. The Red Parrot over at the Divi was our favorite.

The Not-so-fab:

The Rooms: Very small and old. After a day or two you forget all about it because your on the beach outside the door the entire time.

Service: Could have been the week (Spring Break). Restaurant service was good, but the snack bars and bars were very slow and unfriendly. I did not find the people to go out of their way to smile even with plenty of tips. By the end of the week, we were calling it the "unhappy" island. Staff seemed miserable.

Aruba itself: We loved it since we are huge beach people,but not really a whole lot of other things to do. Caves and Baby Beach was fun for the kids, but the island is definately not the Caribbean Tropical island we had expected. Aruba is an amazing beach and ocean on a very barron island.

My husband and I just returned from our first trip to Aurba. We stayed at the Tamarjin. We were a little hestitant to stay there, based on the reviews we read prior to going. But, we were pleasantly surprised!. We cannot understand what all the negative feedback was about.

We stayed in room 1919. The room was small, but clean. We had ample space for clothing and our maid service was great! Our room was right on the beach. We always had chairs available for lying on the beach.

We rode bikes, free, to town and up to the lighthouse. We took the bus into downtown and went shopping one afternoon. We played golf at the Divi Links (do the 2pm couples best ball, it's cheaper!!!).

Our check-in was smooth. I wanted an upstairs room with a balcony. They were full when we checked in, but told us they could change us the next day. After seeing the original room, 1919, we decided to stay put (didn't want to pack and repack!!!). The beach was right outside our sliding door. It was great. We felt perfectly safe. Security cleaned up the beach each night and reminded us to lock our screen door. (Aurba is one of the cleanest places we have been to. The hotel always had peolpe cleaning and maintaining the common areas. We called maintenance once, for lack of hot water (my husband turned the handle the wrong way), they were there is 2 mins and solved the problem!)

The first night in, we ate at the buffet. The food was hot, plentiful with lots of variety. We had no problem with the service. (Treat people the way you want to be treated and there is usually no problem!) We usually ate breakfast at the buffet. The waiters remembered that my husband wanted hot tea and I wanted coffee and water. They were always kind pleasant.

We made reservations for Ginger on our second night. We really enjoyed the spring rolls, mahi mahi salad and hot green chili clams. We ate there on our 4th night also. We had the coconut ice cream and spice cake for desert. Excellent!

We also ate at the Red Parrot and Paparrazzi. The Red Parrot was good. The wait staff was not as nice as at Ginger or the Italian resturant. The hostess was not having a good day! But, we decided she was human, so are we, we're still going to have a great time. And we did! Get a bottle of the Colon Syrah! It will make any evening great!. We had the coconut shrimp, onion soup and red snapper. Everything was very good!

We ate at the Italian resturant our last night there. My husband had an amazing seafood linguini dish! He couldn't stop raving about it. After dinner, we danced a bit with the DJ near the pool. What a perfect last night!

We loved our vacation. We had no complaints. We felt we got more than our money's worth for the entertainment, food, drinks and bikes. We have been to Hawaii, Jamacia, Bahamas, Japan, Vancouver, Alaska, Kiawah Island, SC, Disney, Cabos San Lucas....this was one of our favoirite vacations. We came back relaxed and content. He's ready to return to work. I'm ready to return to being Mommy to our 9 year old triplets!

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Tamarijn All Inclusive March 24-29. My only complaint was that it just wasnt long enough. The bartenders were great, especially Carmen! She took care of us while we were there and we followed her from the bunker bar, to the pizza per tutti, to the coconuts bar. Our favorite drink of the week was the Aruba Vice although ALL of them were good, this is the one we liked the best! Thanks, Carmen!

The buffet food was just OK as the other reviews had stated. We never went away hungry and were always able to find something to eat. We had breakfast and lunch at both buffets at the Tam and at the Divi and they were pretty much the same. The Divi might have had SLIGHTLY better wait staff service but other than that, it was all the same. The 2 specialty restraunts we went to were very good. We were lucky on our first day to get in at the Red Parrot and our food was the best ever for the week. We had a very tender filet and shrimp at the Red Parrot. This restraunt was so good we made reservations there for our last night. The food was still good but didnt top the first night's dinner. Also during that week we ate at the Papparazzi and this was very good too. Brian said this was probably the best lasagna he has had.

We spent the majority of our time at the pool during the day listening to the music and enjoying the sun. We did walk to town one day which took about 30 minutes each way. We bought a few souveniers but didnt spend much time in town. Another day we walked down the beach about 2 miles checking out the beaches from the other resorts and the beach at the Tam and Divi is by far the best beach in the low rise section.

Let me tell you, the sun is very intense and you can easily get burned. We used sunblock all week and we were happy to see an occassional cloud from time to time. The mornings were always cloudy but by 8:30 it started to clear up and was sunny until about 3:30-4:00 and it would get a little cloudier.

Our room was in the 1900 block which was absolutely perfect. I had requested to be in block 2100 or 2200 but they were not able to accomodate our request when we checked in saying that the resort was booked. I had a concern that we would be too close to the bunker bar but we were in room 1915 which was on the opposite end and it turned out just fine. We would definetly stay in that room and block again. We were close enough to get a drink while lying on the beack and it was a nice walk up to the main part of the resort.

We worked out in the fitness center 3 times during our vacation and the fitness center trainer was great. She helped me with a few new exercises and was great to visit with. Our check in and out was a breeze and when we checked in, we went to the restaurant reservation desk to immediately make our dinner reservations even before we went to our room.

We met some great people while we were there (Debbie & Daniel, Rick & Kristen, and the couple from Chicago- didnt get their names). Thank you for sharing our vacation with us!

We would definetly go back to this resort -it had everything that we were looking for and a great price! It was just what the doctor ordered!

Hubby and I departed Atlanta on Friday, March 27th to Aruba. Our Delta flight was a few minutes delayed but we had upgraded to business class so we didn't really care!

Flight arrived at around 2:30pm and we were whisked off the plane and to baggage claim. After about 10 minutes, our luggage arrived and we went through customs which was right across from baggage claim. The De Palms shuttle bus was there waiting for us and within another 10 minutes, we were on our way to the Tamarijn!

We arrived at the Tam a few minutes after 3pm. There was no line for check in and we were given a room immediately in the 16 building on the first floor. This was a great spot as it was close enough to the activities (bars, restaurants and pool) but far enough away from all the loudness that could come from those areas. The only problem that we experienced from our room was the air conditioner. It was plenty cold but made an awful noise as it stared up and kept me up most of the night as it would turn on and off. We called the front desk the next morning and maintenance was there within 20 minutes swapping it out. That one was quieter but not as cold. Eh, whatever. It was cold enough. However, when we woke up the next morning, the air conditioner had leaked water all over our hotel room floor and soaked everything that was on the floor. (Thankfully, that wasn't much except the part of the comforter that dragged the floor.) We called and maintenance came again and swapped out the unit for another one that worked just fine. They even laundered the few items of clothes that were on the floor for us free of charge.

About the room - it is small, but certainly adequate for 2 people. The room has a mini fridge (not stocked with anything) and a flat screen TV. The bathroom is tiny but the water pressure in the shower was AMAZING! Huge plus for me when I am washing my hair! :) We brought water bottles from home and would fill them with water the night before and stick them in the fridge so we'd have cold water while at the beach.

The restaurants were better than I expected. Here's my rundown:

1st night - we ate at the buffet because we couldn't get a reservation anywhere. Food was ok and there was a good selection. I am a food snob and the only thing I can complain about is I could tell that the mashed potatoes were instant. (If that's my only complaint about the food, then it can't be too bad!) The service at the buffet was lacking and to get a drink (even a cup of water) was a challenge this night and at breakfast daily.

2nd night we ate at the Palm Grill at the Tamarijn which is an area just a few steps above the buffet. This is a restaurant where you order your entree and they serve it to you in raw pieces and you cook it yourself on the flat top grill on your table. If you are a party of 2 then they will seat another couple with you and you all share the same cooking area. The thing I found weird about this is that they don't give you any instructions on how long to cook your food (chicken, for example) and a novice may not have cooked their food long enough to not get sick. They also don't give you anything to flip your food with other than the tongs that you picked up the raw food with which didn't seem too sanitary to me either, but, we used our forks.

3rd night, we ate at the Red Parrot at the Divi. We had a little too much to drink that afternoon while watching the Michigan State game at the Sandpiper bar at the Divi so I will write my review based on the 2nd time we ate there to be fair!

4th night, we ate at Paparazzi which was the best out of all the restaurants. The food was great (not authentic Italian, of course, but good!). Hubby had the lasagna and I had the beef special. Service here was outstanding and quick. Our glasses were never dry and they were fully staffed.

5th night, we ate at Ginger which was just ok. We were seated and were promptly given water and wine but then it took another 8-10 minutes for anyone to come by to take our order. We were in no hurry so while we noticed it, we weren't bothered by it. We both started out with the wonton soup that was ok, but the wonton was doughy and dry. We shared the egg rolls which were dripping in oil, but still kinda tasty! For our entrees, I had the mango chicken and DH had the spicy chicken. We both had dessert but it wasn't memorable.

6th night we went back to the Red Parrot and were pleased. They were pretty busy but very attentive. Their Dutch Onion soup is SUBERB!! I wouldn't typically eat soup on a hot beach but so glad that I did. DH had the beef special and I had the baby back ribs. His was nice and tender and tasty but my ribs could have used more sauce. I still ate them though and was pleased. Their desserts were the best we had all week. I had the cheesecake and DH had the mousse.

For breakfast and lunch we ate at the buffet at the Tamarijn or grabbed a snack at Pizza per Tutti.

The bars there don't open until 11am and the bar service was ssssssssslllllllowwwwwww. We sat down at the bar and would wait, and wait, and wait. Other folks would sit down after us and they would get served first sometimes. Oh well. You can't be perfect! The drinks were pretty good though and the only beer they have is on tap and 3 types - Heineken, Miller Lite and Belashi (Aruban beer.) The "Aruba Aribe" drink was tasty and would sneak up on you (hence my story about night 2!) I really liked the Hurricane frozen drink and the pina coladas were good too. I think the best bartender was Carmen by far!

We were not expecting much from this hotel from some of the reviews that we had read but we were pleasantly surprised. The beach in front of our room while a bit rocky, was still pristine and enjoyable. We never had to look very far for a palapa outside of our room and there were plenty available. The beach was so convenient to our room that we never even made it to the pool. There were a ton of beach chairs around scattered on the beach and you didn't have to look far for one.

Casino experience - we went to the Alhambra 2 nights during our stay and had luck the first night but not the second night. It was VERY smoky and small but still a lot of fun. The shuttle ran every 5 minutes from the Tamarijn front desk to the Alhambra.

Tips if you are going:

- It is VERY windy. We brought binder clips to keep our towels held down and this was a great idea. Otherwise, your towel would blow off and be halfway down the beach and full of sand when you got it back!

- It is very hot but the wind makes it tolerable. Bring a high SPF sunscreen (we started out with 50 but finished with 15).

- Bring a water bottle or big mug with you and you'll have water for the beach (or to have the bar fill up with your favorite drink much to the jealousy of the other patrons with their 8 oz cups!)

- There is a grocery store about 1 mile or so from the hotel that you can grab a 6 pack of beer to keep in your mini fridge for those times that you are in your room and waiting for the bar to open.

- We packed way too much. The restaurants are all very casual and we wore about half of what we brought. I do suggest bringing a few swimsuits though so they have time to dry.

- The best rooms for the beach looked to be in the 11, 12 and 13 buildings as they were very sandy with NO rocks in front. Feel free to request a specific building and floor when you check in (or call ahead as we did when you are confirming your reservation.) We were in the 16 building and were quite pleased with our corner, lower room.

- Something I didn't realize is that you go through USA customs while in Aruba on your way back to the states. So, when you exit your plan in the US, you go right out and not through customs there. I have heard that the lines in Aruba are awful on Fri, Sat and Sun so plan accordinly. (We departed Aruba on a Thursday and encountered no lines at the Delta counter, customs or the TSA check. Yes, there are 3 lines you have to go through.)

Can't wait to go back!

Let me start with all the negative things....................Not too much....Rooms are small but I didn't go to Aruba for the room, I went for the beach and the sun. My husband and I traveled from 3/19 - 3/26. We have to boys age 15 and 11. We were given a room in the 2300 block and I originally wanted to be closer like the 1200 - 1300 block but after getting to the room the location was nice. It was a nice walk to dinner every night and close to town. From our porch it was about 40 steps to the beach. Every morning, I would get up and open the door slightly to hear the waves - so peaceful......

Check in was about 20 min. We were taken by shuttle with our luggage to our room. Dinner at the Tam buffet was very good. Pasta made to order, fresh salads and rolls, plus several hot items as well. Second night went to the Red Parrot at the Divi which I read was good. In my opinon the menu was limited. You have a much better selection at the buffet. We had a 9:15 reservation and since they close early after we ate, our waiter never came back to ask us if we needed anything else, dessert, more water etc. My advice is get an earlier reservation. We grabbed salads and lite food for lunches from the buffet most days. We ate at the Palm Grill twice and that was very good. Great service and food.

We walked into town one night about 30 min. All the people on the island were so nice and helpful. Our boys played pool in the lobby at the Tam serveral times and we enjoyed the vendors in the lobby a couple nights.

We would definatley go back to the Tam or Divi. They are both great for the money......It sure beats the high cost of the high rises where it is more crowded and you have to go up 15 stories...... Plus the sunsets at the Tam can't be beat.....

This was our first island vacation and we had the time of our lives and are already talking about going again next year. This resort was recommended to us by a few different couples and we were very pleased. The rooms aren't very updated but do include a mini-fridge, a flat screen TV, ironing board, hairdryer, etc. And besides that, we weren't there to spend time in the room, we had a sliding glass door that led right out onto the beach. And the beach was beautiful and not at all crowded. The sunsets were unbelievable, and the Bunker Bar, located about half way down the strip, was the perfect location to enjoy a few late afternoon cocktails and watch the sun come down.

We were in building 24 which had pluses and minuses, the pluses being the quality of the beach and being away from the central area, and really the only minus was the trolleys weren't always running when we wanted to go to the bars/restaurants so we'd have a long walk to get there.

This was designed to be a romantic 10th anniversary trip and we absolutely fit our share of romance in but the bonus we didn't expect was meeting some really great, fun couples who we were able to party with at night and talk to when we'd bump into them during the day. Biggest recommendation in that regard, make sure to exchange e-mail addresses with those you enjoyed meeting and hanging with early on... we met a couple our second night there and had an incredible time with them but never managed to bump into them again to let them know how great a time it was. Mindy & Ande, hoping the front desk came through for us and delivered it to you as we asked... hard to do when you only know first names and the approximate building they were staying in! But, just in case anyone we met and didn't give our information to during the week of 3/20 - 3/27 are reading this, (Brian & Kendra, Tom & Bev, Errol & Mary, Emory & Bev) Dan & Deb's e-mail address is [-] and we'd love to hear how the rest of your trip went.

So basically what we got out of this trip was that yes, the food isn't always top notch (but Paparazzi is the BEST, Ginger's gets mixed reviews but we liked it, and The Red Parrot was very good as well), but they make excellent drinks (and a lot of them) - thanks Harold, Eduardo & Carmen and it's a really great place to socialize.

We stayed at the Tamarjin from 10 - 17 June. We were slightly taken aback that the rooms were a little outdated and required some improvements. However, the rooms were cleaned to a very high standard. The Red Parrot's main courses were quite good, however, dessert lovers will be disappointed.

The Ginger restaurant was a complete disappointment and more tastey food can be obtained from the regular buffet. Most staff are quite polite especially the dining staff. Some of the front desk staff were less than friendly and staff overall did not greet you with good morning, etc unless you did so first.

One member of staff at the information desk was sending a text message when I approached and said: Good morning. She responded but only looked up after completing her text message. By then I decided not to bother asking her the question I needed answering. I returned and an older woman in glasses (she could teach her younger colleague a thing or two about good customer service) was very helpful and I inevitably went to her for advice throughout my stay.

Would recommend the hotel for its lovely beach and okay food and cleanliness. Service needs to improve expecially on the info and front desk!

The Tamarin in Aruba is an ok resort..the best part of this place is the scenery, its beautiful. you see the sunset and moonrise everyday and the nights in aruba are perfect,. the temperature and the sights. The hotel itself is not the best ever, it sufficent . the rooms are outdated and you see wear and tear that has not been fixed or refurbished. The beach is right outside you back sliding door so its wonderful. A couple of staff memeber at the tamarijn need to learn better customer service, a lot of them are mean and always in a bad mood. the service is very slow..

Bottom Line..

If you are looking for a nice relaxing vacation with beautiful days and nights and dont care much of the food or customer service.. than this place is great!

If you are looking for a good time at night . with drinks and fun people surronding you than this is not the resort for you. most of the people that go there are on their honeymoon or with their family..

This was our first trip to Aruba. We loved Aruba, the ocean is beautiful, we went snorkling at our resort (not much to see in front of the resort), but we went to several awesome locations just North of the high rise hotel zone (squid, colorful fish, octupus, coral, etc)

The hotel was very modest, it was clean but very dated, we didn't mind this due to the fact that you could lay in bed and look at the ocean. All of the rooms at the Tam are ocean front and beautiful.

We would stay at the resort again for the price and the location, not the service. The food at the restaurants was very good for an all inclusive. If you are used to all inclusives in Mexico this resort is completely different, the buffet is very small compared to Mexican resorts. The Red Parrott restaurant was our favorite, you have to try the onion soup and the coconut shrimp (both were the best we have ever had).

Our main complaint at this hotel and the entire Island was lack of customer service, when at the bar waiting for a drink expect it to take a very long time. Also with dinner the service is very slow, to the point of where it is even too slow for a vacation.

There is a flea market very close to the hotel it is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8-8. If you walk back toward the airport a short distance it is on the opposite side of the road of the hotel. You can get some excellent deals, almost 50 - 75% off what the stores sell souvigners for.

Tamarijn Aruba May 17 - May 24

This was our first stay in Aruba, but we have traveled to many parts of Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Montego Bay, Jamaica. I had high expectations from reading Trip Adviser and good reports from friends and family on the Tam. I was not disappointed because of the oceanfront room, but other areas were lacking. This will be my usual, lengthy review, but it’s more for others like me, who are going to the Tam for the first time.

Our non stop, direct flight from Boston went smoothly this time, our luggage arrived with us. Shuttle was waiting outside for us, and we arrived at the Tam within one hour of landing. Our room was ready, and it was what I had requested a week earlier via email. Very pleased with the ground floor, Building 14. We were close to the buffet, lobby and bars, but no noise or disruptions from being so close. The map of the resort is a little misleading. I was surprised at the short time it took us to walk from our building to the end of the property. It looked much longer on the map. My husband walked the beach to the Divi side one day and said it was a lot longer and with the wide open stretch of beach in between resorts, he said the wind was really strong, making the sand sting. We didn’t get as much wind as I expected from reports on TA, never needing our clothes pins to hold down our towels, but then again we were sheltered by the buildings around and behind us. I was thankful for the wind we did feel because I can’t remember any place else except Los Cabos one year, being so hot and humid.

The beach directly in front of us was very nice, the water was calm most days, a beautiful shade of blue, but a little cloudy once you got in the water. I really was expecting crystal clear water in Aruba though. As you walked towards the higher numbered buildings, there seemed to be more rocks on the beach and when you got down to the buildings numbered in the 20’s, there were large pools of ocean water between the buildings and the ocean itself, making the beach smaller in those sections. There were enough loungers and palapas, but you did have to put your towels down early (I know, but everyone else does it). We witnessed two women arguing over a palapa and chair one day. I guess one of them thought the palapa in front of her room was hers, but there was no excuse for the other woman to have 3 chairs reserved when there was only her and her husband there. They had two chairs in the shade and one in the sun. And shame on the family of five who saved 5 chairs in the sun and 3 or 4 under a palapa when others had to go looking for a chair. Same for those who put towels down at 8 am and don’t come back until after lunch.

I don’t know what the occupancy rate was, but the whole resort felt open, not crowded anywhere.

I did find our room small compared to other resorts we’ve stayed in. Even though you don’t spend a lot of time in your room, it was a squeeze trying to pass each other at times. We had two beds, so probably with one king it would have been more comfortable. If all the rooms are this size, I honestly don’t know how a family with two children could do it. The room looked recently updated compared to the outside of the buildings. Everything was serviceable and clean, so I am not complaining. The bathroom had a tub with shower, hair dryer and iron. I brought my own coffee maker and there was an outlet in the bathroom for that. Having extra towels on the counter was nice, but between that and the coffee maker, it took up a lot of space.

There was one open closet beside the bathroom which held an ironing board, and then a large wardrobe beside the dresser with hanging space as well as shelves, with the mini refrigerator under one, so you had plenty of room for your clothes. Good idea to bring extra hangers though, no hotel ever seems to give you enough. I really wish they had stocked the mini fridge, but since we were so close to the buffet and bars, it wasn’t a problem for us. I wondered how the others coped who were way down the other end with no bars or snack areas in between. Yes, there is the Bunker bar, but it doesn’t open early and closes at 6pm. And since all their beverages are served in plastic glasses, I couldn’t understand the reasoning for an empty refrigerator. You could go to the grocery store across the street from the last building, but you are at an all inclusive, why pay? We kept our little mini water bottles we received at check in to refill and put in the fridge. I also brought two insulated mugs from home so that helped keep the beer/cocktails chilled.

The flat screen TV was on top of the dresser. In the corner near the sliding door was a small table with 2 chairs. I think they could have done without this to free up some floor space, as you couldn’t pull the chairs out to sit down if you wanted to. There was a table in between the beds with a drawer and open shelf for more storage, a lamp on top. You needed that to supplement the overhead lighting.

The sliding door had a lock as well as a bar to put up when you left your room for added safety. The entrance door had a deadbolt and another swing lock once you were in your room. The doors opened with key cards, and you did get two.

The patio had a table and two comfortable chairs. Our patio led right into the sand and it would have been nice to have some sort of mat there to keep the sand out of the room. I felt bad about doing it, but we ended up using a small towel or we would have had a ton of sand in the room going in and out.

Our maid was great. Plenty of clean towels every day and the room was usually done early. She wouldn’t take the tip money we left out, but we caught up to her and told her it was for her. She said she would never take money unless there was a note with it for her. So we told her the money left out on the dresser was for her. On her day off, the maid we had did not take the money left. We also left our watches out and my inexpensive jewelry, says a lot for their honesty. At the end of our stay we asked our regular maid if she was allowed to accept gifts. She said yes, but again, we had to write a note. I gave her my coffee maker and almost a full container of coffee and coffeemate. She was so grateful, said it was her best gift ever. It was a fairly new one, but I really didn’t feel like packing it and taking it home again. I think I only paid $15.00 for it, so I wasn’t being extravagant.

Everyone’s idea of good/bad food is different, but honestly, they’re food choices and presentation left a lot to be desired, especially the buffets. All their “prepared” foods reminded me of frozen dinners. The food prepared at the grill (in the buffets) was good, but they only made one or two servings at a time. Thankfully, the lines weren’t long or it would have taken forever. My husband did not care for their deserts, having only 2 or 3 choices, the same every day for lunch and supper. He said they tasted very bland. You definitely won’t go hungry though.

I think my only complaint was the lack of service at the buffets and bars. This was not “high season”, so it wasn’t that they were busy or overwhelmed with orders. Most times when you approached the bar, they just ignored you at first and continued whatever, if anything, they were doing. The buffet tables were not cleaned and set up for the next guests, you usually had to sit at a dirty table and wait until you caught someone’s eyes for them to come clean up. If the table was ready, it took a long time to have someone come take your drink order. We usually only asked for water with our meals and even that took some time. And it is true; there are a lot of birds flying around during breakfast and lunch which can be pretty unappetizing. You can’t blame the staff for this though when you see ignorant people allowing their kids to feed the birds right from the outside tables. But, they really should make an effort to clean up the bird droppings in between meals. Don’t look up at the umbrellas!

Making reservations for the other restaurants was hit or miss. One night I reserved a seating at the Red Parrot for the next day and then asked if I could make a reservation for the day after. The woman said no, I could only do one day in advance. The next time I asked to reserve a seating at the Italian restaurant for the next evening and was told they only had tables for 6 and they wouldn’t let us take one of those tables. So I went back the next morning and somehow they now had tables for two for that same night. She also asked me if I wanted to reserve something for the following day. I guess it depends on who is sitting at the desk.

We only left the resort for one day to go into town for some shopping. Took the bus with no problems. If we were staying more than a week, I think we could have gone in again as there are so many stores, you can’t possibly see it all in one day.

Hopefully I’ve helped. If you have any specific questions, I will try to answer them. All in all we had a wonderful week. The oceanfront rooms are what made the resort for me. I would return if the prices did not jump so high in our winter months as that is when we take our long vacation. I truly feel there are better resorts for their asking price in those months. I’d just have to settle for less than oceanfront rooms though.

My wife and I stayed at the Tamarijn for about 4 nights to celebrate our one year anniversary. Our stay did not start out well, we arrived at 2 PM and our room wasn't ready until 4:30 PM. After a long day of traveling that started 12 hours earlier.

The beach was amazing. You just walk out on your balcony and there it is and you can't beat it! The gym at the resort was really nice.

Our room was not really spacious. The bed was not the most comfortable and felt perpetually sandy (even though supposedly they changed our sheets daily). The bathroom served it's purpose but nothing to write home about.

My wife and I are not high-maintenance people, but we felt the service left a lot to be desired. The staff seemed indifferent.

Up until our last night at the all-inclusive we had not yet had a good meal. The Red Parrot definitely has great food, unfortunately we only went there one night. The meals just seemed very average.

Anyway, it didn't leave us with a stellar impression. We chose this place because it was an all-inclusive and it was right on the beach for a great price. So our overall experience wasn't great, wasn't horrible—just average.

Just came back from Aruba. We are so easy to please, really. Always reading reviews before going anywhere. We were impressed on the reviews about Tamarijn and choose this hotel for our family of 4 to stay. Almost everything on the reviews is thuth: beach, hotel, very clean, nice rooms, view, sunset...BUT... worst service we EVER had. Front desk stuff: OK..but very slow..1 or 2 people working. Bartenders: ssooo not friendly.. Buffet stuff: lazy ( your empty plates will stay on the table until you will leave buffet, we asked for the stake knifes and were told: go get your own next to the stakes, i am not joking) not friendly at all ( we tipped them a few first days but it didnt work). We are huge fans of Mexico resorts and had to switch to Aruba with the influenza panic.. After this one stay we desided not to go there ever again. We were told by the american stuff at the airport on the way back: They dont like white people...too bad for them...

The Beach is spectacular. Very private, clean, sand is white, water is so blue you can see your feet.

Rooms are very outdated. Motel style, no a/c in bathrooms. Great views however as all rooms are on the beach and oceanfront. Access to beach via room is great, but no way to lock doors behind you.

The all inclusive option is best way to go, the drinks are plenty, pizza bar is open almost 24 hrs and is great. Buffet is good for breakfast, but not so hot for lunch or dinner. Parrot Bay is a great restaraunt,( located at sister hotel) make reservations with hotel as you will end up eating there every night.

Hotel is not very accomodating, slow and not so friendly. Been to Aruba 5 times, and have never complained about staff until this location.....also be aware that there is no medic on staff , and there was an injury while we were there....good thing that guests were able to help out until ambulance arrived.

If you want to spend alot of time on the beach, then this is great, but don't expect any upscale ammenities or service.

This was my first trip to Aruba and fourth time at an all-inclusive. Aruba itself is wonderful - the weather is fantastic, the city people are nice and it just is "one happy island" as it claims. Plus you will feel very safe there. I'll start off with the negatives and then go to the positives: The Tamarijn was the worst out of all the All-Inclusives I have been to. The front desk people were always rude to us and it took over an hour for us to check in, when really we should not have had any issues. The buffet at the Tam is gross...seriously GROSS! Doesn't matter if you go for breakfast, lunch or dinner it is always bad. One day my husband and I were the first people to go in the line after it had opened up and everything was COLD...french fries, meat, etc...how is it possible that it is cold right after they just opened??? If you stay at the Tam I would try for somethingbetween 17 - 25 build numbers...it's far enough away that you won't hear all the noise of the lobby and they have the best beaches over there.

Positives: The good thing is that you can go to the Divi for all your meals - which after our first day there is exactly what we did. The buffet over there is SO much better - we only ever ate breakfast and lunch there but both were better. Granted it still isn't a great considering it's an all-inclusive but it's not that bad. You make your dinner reservations two days in advanced - and do it early in the morning (like 8am). Even on your first day try to get reservations somewhere even if it's later - much better then either buffet option. We did dinner at the Italian place which was very good, the Palms Grill which was so-so, and then Red Parrot which was our favorite. Get the coconut shrimp and ask for Calvin - he' the best waiter! We never did Ginger because we heard just OK things about it and when we looked in it looked like the food was filled with lots of cabbage (yuck). Drinks - they actually make great drinks there and be sure to get a Pink Panther - fantastic! Both the Tam and Divi have places that make pizzas as well and we did get a number of yummy pizzas from there. At all the buffets though it takes FOREVER to get a drink (even water) which became very annoying. The rooms are very clean though and yes the bathroom is outdated but still functional and fine to use.

There are things for you to do during the day (rock climbing, snokeling, bingo etc) but for the most part my husband and I just laid by the beach. The Tam/Divi really do have the nicest area of the beach so that is a huge plus to staying there. Be sure to wear strong sunscreen - even if you don't think you need it, the sun is crazy intense down there.

There is also a casino hooked up with the hotel group and my husband and I had a ton of fun going there each night. We just played Blackjack and actually won money overall - plus it was just fun. (note - there are $3 tables each night from 6-8pm if you want lower bids). There are shuttles to take you all over and the drivers are hysterical. The golf course was very nice although it was too hot for us to actually golf, and one night we did dessert at the Windows which was nice as well. The group has condo reps that do everything to get you to go on their tour...we didn't waste our time but they do bug you.

One day we rented a car, drove into the city to do some shopping (for diamonds go to Noble they are the best!), and then that night went to the Old Man and the Sea for dinner - it was a FANTASTIC dinner and a sunset that I will never forget. Highly recommend getting reservations and doing it (make your reservation at 6pm so you don't miss the sunset!).

Overall my husband and I had a fantastic trip - again Aruba is amazing. If you have already booked at the Tam don't worry you will have fun, but if not would look into other options. Next time we go to Aruba we will stay at a regular hotel and just eat out in the local places. Oh and they do have an Internet cafe but just go to the 'shopping' area behind the casino and you can get Internet for much cheaper!

Wonderful location in Aruba right on the beach. At times, however, we found the staff quite curt...front desk, bartenders, etc.

This all-inclusive resort combined w/ the Divi Divi had a few restaurants. Most were okay but the Italian one was the best. Also, there was no food in the mini-fridge in the rooms, and no room service. What's up with that!?

The rooms were small but had a nice ocean view. The pool was a decent size and they had a few group activities there during the day. Rafts and snorkel gear are included and they have a small gym there too.

The hotel is closer to downtown then the high rise hotels, but you still need either a taxi or your own car if you want to venture out.

All in all it is a great island and most of the people are generally very nice.

This was our 3rd trip to the resort, one of our favorite spots, the last time was 3 years ago.Now, I know there are budget cuts every where but it really showed at the Tamarijn. The staff was very unhappy & were complaining they were short staffed. This only effected the guest service. We didn't let that bother us , we were there to enjoy our vacation. The grounds were a little dirty, rodant traps were very visable. The maids would even sweep everyones patios right onto the beach. The rooms are outdated but who's there for that. We were there for the location....the beach. The food was okay but not great, could have used a little varitey, but we didn't starve. The nightly entertainment was alright but much shorter than in the past. I kept reminding myself that it's only a 3*** resort & I was there to relax & have some fun in the sun. BUT... we fell victim to crime toward the end of our stay. One night we went to the Divi for dinner & things were stolen from our room. Security & police were called but nothing came of it. We know that it had to be someone that worked there. So, remeber to put everything into the tiny safe & keep the key with at all times. Even though nobody should be going into your room at night. Security also told us they were very short handed, which we did notice they were not as visable as in the past stays. We never even recieved an apology from the resort. Our vacation ended very badly & we're quite dissappointed with the resort.

We stayed at Tamarijn Feb 14-21. Had 1 whole day of rain which is unusual, I understand. Direct flight from Washington Dulles without incident. Short bus ride to property. DePalm Tours were very professional & helpful. Before I begin the review, I'd like to make 1 statement regarding some of the negative comments regarding this property-You're lucky enough to be on vacation IN ARUBA, for crying out loud! If you wanted 5 Stars-stay somewhere else. We are in our mid 40's w/no children. I would consider us middle income & live in a small town/rural area. Check in was smooth with no wait. The bell man took us & our luggage to our room immediately. The room was in the 2400 block which was quite a way from the lobby & main area of the property which suited us just fine. All rooms are ocean front with table & chairs. The second floor units do not have a full roof over the balcony. (Just an FYI if you do have rain). We were litterally steps from the beach. We did find you needed to get up very early to reserve the palapa. The beach is shared with the time-share owners so spots fill up quickly. Majority of our time was spent on the beach which is very nice at this end of the property. Lower numbered buildings didn't have much of a beach & was covered with broken coral. We had no issue with the room. The other reviewers are correct, the bathrooms are outdated but certainly not to the point of not functioning. The rooms are kept very clean by the maid staff & our lady was very friendly. The furnishings are also outdated but who cares-you're in the room to sleep & change clothes. Remember-you're lucky enough to be in Aruba! We found the food to be good at the buffet. Not exceptional but not horrible, either. I had an omlett every morning. We are at the Paparrazi once & the food was good but found the service to be very slow. Not that we were in a hurry but as Americans-found the work ethic on the whole property to be very laid back. We had dinner 2 nights at the Red Parrott & would recommend it to anyone. This seemed to be the exception in the service area. The wait staff there really moved! As a whole, I believe the staff at the Divi is a little more conscientious with regard to the guests and their jobs. We had breakfast at the Tamarijn every day. The morning staff seemed to be the worst to get their attention for coffee/tea. It appeared they would walk right by you and not even acknowledge your presence. We also found it annoying if 2 employees were talking-they completed their conversation regardless of weather you were waiting or not. Maybe this is acceptable behavior and my expectations for customer service are extreme. This was annoying but we didn't let it ruin our trip.

Tuesday was the day it rained & I'd already planned the Atlantis submarine trip for that day so the rain was only a slight inconvenience. The remainder of the day was spent shopping in Orangestad. We rented a Jeef from the Hertz desk in the lobby on Thursday & drove all around the island on our own. Some hints on this-make the reservation the day before. Fill up with gas yourself before returning. The roads aren't marked very well but we had no problem getting around the island. We picked up the vehicle at 9:30 on Thursday so we got up early on Friday morning & drove to the other side of the island to watch the sun come up. Quite a show & worth every penny of the $126.00 cost for the day! This was our favorite day!

A few other hints-take a very high SPF sunscreen & use it often. At the concierge desk is a binder with the menus for the buffetts for the week so you have a heads up. It helps when deciding what nights to eat either at the Divi (they are either a day behind or ahead with the buffett menu) or one of the other restaurants. We made our reservations after breakfast & had no problem getting anything we wanted.

As a summary, it's not 5 star-the property is in need of some general maintenance (paint is peeling & rooms need updated) but it is by no means awful. I'm sure we could have paid alot more & swam in the same ocean, laid in the same sun & did the sight seeing things we did. I did all the research on this property before hand. I found it about what I expected. In my opinon-that is the key to enjoying any trip---do the research before so you aren't surprised!

Finally, you're on vacation in Aruba, relax & enjoy!

I am going to precursor this review with the fact that I am a travel agent with my own business, specializing in Caribbean all-inclusive vacations. My fiance and I love visiting these types of resorts especially so I can personally recommend them to my clients. We are both very easy to please and I understand that vacations aren't always what you want them to be and I try to keep an open mind, considering the business I am in. However, this resort has a lot to work on before I will ever recommend my clients to come here.

I choose this resort because we were originally going to go to Playa del Carmen, but because of the swine flu we choose to relocate the trip to Aruba. We weren't interested in a high rise resort on a busy beach, as we are from New York City and are looking to get away from all of that craziness.

So here it goes...

We flew JetBlue from JFK. I personally love JetBlue. The flight was about 4 1/2 hours and was smooth. When we landed we went through customs and got our bags. It probably took no more than 20 minutes since customs was empty.

We had called and arranged a pick up with Bully Taxi (the owner's nick name is Bully). I had come across a blog about his services and thought it was worth a shot. I arranged the service by email and he was on time, efficient, friendly, and at a good price ($17 to the hotel from the airport... and back again). He also set up a pick up for us on our last day with his brother-in-law since he would be out of town, which I thought was very nice of him.

When we arrived to the hotel we were excited to see all the beautiful colors and the ocean was visible from the lobby (which we always love to see when we get out of the van). But then we noticed there was no bell man in sight to take our bags, no welcome from anyone, no champagne and cold towels. When going to an all inclusive I expect the service to be different from regular hotels. This hotel prides itself on being an all inclusive and states this fact seven whole times on their main website page alone! The words "all inclusive" are all over the page. So we assumed that since we were paying the same price as we paid for all the other all inclusive resorts, that the service would be much of the same. So far, we noticed that was not the case. So we lugged our suit cases to the front desk and were told our room wasn't ready yet (because we arrived before 3pm) which we never dealt with before because all of the resorts we traveled to knew when our flights were arriving and made sure to have a room ready for us when we got there. The knew this because they had round trip airport service as part of their all inclusive package, which this resort does not.

So off the bat, the bell man was missing. We had to arrange our own transportation from the airport and there was no official welcome from anyone, except a weak "good afternoon" from the girl at the desk.

So once we "checked in" we were given our bracelets and told to put our luggage in the middle of the lobby (yes, we were told to put it there... no one moved it there for us). Still no bell man in sight. Then we had an hour to kill while we waited for our room. We decided to walk around and eat (mind you, this whole time our bags are unattended in the middle of the busy lobby floor).

One thing that REALLY angered me is that the hotel has a bathroom in the main lobby (behind the front desk) that has changing rooms and showers so people who are checking in or out and don't have a room can still use the facilities and clean up when done. However, they don't advertise this! It is tucked away in a little corner and had I not decided to use the bathroom before we left after check out I would have never known this! You think someone would have mentioned it as an option for those of us with an hour or so to kill. After spending a week with the employees at this resort, I really believe they just didn't want people to use them because they didn't want to have to clean up after us. The employees here always acted like we were irritating them by asking them for drinks, or food. They never tried to have conversations with us, but much rather preferred to have private conversations with each other instead, always in another language which made us feel uncomfortable because when they are talking in another language and looking at you it always makes you wonder.

So after eating at the buffet and sitting around the lobby for a while, I noticed it was 3:00pm. We were sitting directly in front of the front desk and I knew check in was at 3:00pm so I figured our room had to be ready by now, but because I had noticed the laziness and carelessness of the staff already, I thought I'd try waiting and see if they actually called us up to the desk to tell us our room was ready now. The girl wasn't helping anyone, she was just staring at her computer screen and chatting with the workers walking past. She saw us there and made eye contact with us quite a few times while we sat there staring at her, but never said a word. About 15 minutes after playing this game, I decided enough was enough and walked up to the desk. I asked her if our room was ready and she said "yes" and got us our room key and safe lock. Another thing, they charge you $2 per day for the lock to the safe. How stupid is this? I can understand charging me if I loose it, but charging me to use the safe in my room is ridiculous! I've never been to an AI resort that charged me to use the safe. It should be part of the room charge. I'd prefer them to tack on the $2 automatically (like the useless fridge in the room). Also, beware of the $6 a day YMCA donation charge that they AUTOMATICALLY tack onto your bill in an attempt to get you to donate to their local YMCA. They will not ask you ahead of time if you want to donate, they just add it in so if you do not want to pay it, tell them at check out and they will remove it.

To get to our room (#1907) we had to wait for a golf cart "shuttle" to take us there. The driver loaded our bags into the cart and brought us to our room (which was far from the lobby but not too bad of a walk). Now I booked this for myself, and spoke directly to a resort staff member when booking this. She even put on our bill that I was a travel agent receiving the travel agent discount. So anyone who saw our bill knew I was a travel agent. I didn't expect them to kiss my butt or anything, but I did expect them to at least get my reservation right! I booked a king bed in the 1800-1900 block. When we walked into the room we noticed the two double beds as opposed to the king sized bed. I was furious already. This is the kind of issue that would have had one of my clients on the phone with me complaining about MY services, when clearly the hotel is at fault. So I called the front desk and complained. I printed out the confirmation email with the lady's name who I booked with and the notes she left saying she had booked us for a KING bed in the 1800-1900 block on the ground floor. When I explained this to the front desk she said "Well we are at full capacity and this is the only room available". But my question was, if you knew I had requested this room in advanced, why didn't you save it for me? Especially when you knew I was a travel agent and I would be someone who can potentially bring in more business for your resort? Then my next question was "if you knew you weren't giving me the king sized bed, why did you wait until I got into my room for me to find this out on my own? Why didn't you tell me at the front desk so I would know it then, instead of throwing it on me? And then, if that was the case why wasn't I compensated in any way for the troubles? Other resorts would have sent up a bottle of champagne or something for the troubles, just to make the guest feel better about the situation. The answer I received from the front desk was "Well... sorry". This is when I scoffed and hung up on her. I was done with the resort staff at this point, and I had only been there for less than 2 hours. Now yes, I understand it's just a bed, and we were find with the double beds, but we didn't like the way they hid it from us and hoped we just wouldn't mention the issue.

The room was basic and the beds were terribly hard. By the end of the week I was sleeping on top of pillows so I could sleep. There was a TV, fridge, two chairs and a table inside and outside as well. The view wasbeautiful. We loved how we could walk right out of our room and be on the beach, and the shower was right outside our door and the bunker bar was right next to us. We could go get drinks whenever we wanted.

After getting settled in the room, we went to grab a drink at the bunker bar and expected to be greeted with a smile and hello from the bartender but basically got "yes?" and that was the last word we heard from her. Then we went back to the main area and walked around and noticed how miserable the buffet staff was. Everyone looked so miserable and annoyed. When we ate there at lunch we hadn't been paying attention much because we couldn't take our eyes off of the water, but this time we noticed it. We also noticed how we had to juggle our own plates and drinks to the table without any help from anyone, which we have never encountered at an AI before. Usually the staff runs over to help us with our plates. On several occasions my fiance went to the bar and got our drinks for us because we had been waiting too long before anyone came over and asked us what we wanted.

Now comes the restaurants. We were not happy about needing reservations because you had to make them a day in advance and when we tried to make them for our entire stay (to avoid running down to the lobby every morning to make them) we were cut off and told in a very rude tone, "Nope. Only a day in advance". At this point I was livid at the way these people were speaking to us and let my fiance handle it. I choose an AI vacation in order to relax, not run around and book restaurant reservations and certainly not for the same price I'd pay to go to another resort and be treated like royalty.

Also, beware of the whole "over booked" reservation stuff. It is untrue. They claim they are over booked but EVERY time we went to a restaurant they were empty. And when we couldn't get a table at a restaurant that was over booked, we made sure to walk by and look in the window at that time and there were always tables empty. So, by day 3 we found a way around it. They would tell us 9:30 was all that was available for the place we wanted, and we would take it and then show up at the time we really wanted and they would always let us in even though we were so early because the tables were available. We figured there was always a way to beat the system.

-Ginger was good. We went there twice, but would have been upset if we had paid to eat there at NYC prices.

-Paparazzi was okay. My fiance liked his steak and shrimp meal, but I had something with mushroom sauce and felt sick as soon as I tasted it. I'm not sure what was in it but I couldn't even eat another bite without feeling like throwing up. It was weird so we decided not to go back there just in case.

-The Palm Grill was good. We loved how you could cook on the table top. We generally love the hibachi restaurants but through this was a fun twist. We didn't like how you could be seated with other couples because what if we wanted a romantic dinner? Or what if those couples had a different idea of how to cook their food? It was too small of a cook space to share, but luckily we didn't have to eat with anyone else and would have been very upset if we did.

-The buffet food was good and we always found something we wanted, however, we also always found hair in our meals. It was disgusting pulling long strands of hair out of my eggs or seafood salad. Breakfast was always the same there. It got kinda boring after day 3. We had lunch there twice and the food was good, and dinner there once.

-The pizza grill by the pool was great for snacks, lunch and more. We would go there and order whatever we wanted and bring it back to our room and eat on the patio. We loved the pizza, chicken tenders, fries, and everything else. We always grabbed a bag of pop corn and brought it back to the room at night and watched TV before bed. I also loved the ice cream machine. Always great for a cool snack during the day.

The Red Parrot at the Divi was by far the best! The service there was outstanding compared to the TAM. For a while I didn't understand why people paid more money to stay at the Divi when the rooms weren't oceanfront and there were less restaurants, but it was because not only did they have the best restaurant there, but they had 10xs better service than at the TAM. The staff there actually smiled, and talked to us! We wished we could have gone there every night for dinner, but they were "booked". The food was excellent and the view of the beach was great too. We ate there twice. Plus, they also give you a bottle of wine with dinner if you want it, and when we asked for the same thing at the TAM they told us they didn't do that. Yeah Yeah Yeah... of course not. Carlos and Calvin were the best and they made our vacation finally feel like it was (somewhat) worth the money we paid.

After dinner there we'd walk back on the beach to our room and watch the sunset. They had some amazing sunsets. The weather was fine the entire time. Some days it was very cloudy and some days it was clear blue skies. It didn't rain once the whole week we were there.

Now the water. The water outside the 1800-1900 block was WAY too rocky in the ocean. The coral cut into your feet and was all over. It was horrible and impossible to avoid. There was practically coral everywhere in the water along the resort, except on the last day we realized that at the very end of the 1900 block and on from there, there was no coral anywhere. We could walk right into the water and not feel anything but soft sand. Unfortunately, we figured this out on the last day there so we couldn't enjoy it the whole time. So swim here if you hate coral! It's beautiful here.

Activities. We didn't bother rock climbing, or using the gym because we rarely went down that way for anything (it's all the way on the other end of the resort from the 1900 block). We used the pool a couple times to cool down, and loved going in it at night. There are no rules against swimming after a certain time and we went in there whenever we wanted. We played tennis once and were upset to find out we had to reserve the rackets and balls a day in advance, like the dinner reservations. Except, what upset me the most is the reservation sheets were all empty! So why did I have to give a day's notice in advance when they weren't being used? I hated this reservations stuff. We should have just been allowed to sign them out.

We also didn't like borrowing floats and were glad we had also brought our own. One time we returned the rafts and they had some sand stuck to them because they were wet. The lady at the hut told us, "oh you didn't listen to me and follow the rules", but when we had taken the floats out she hadn't given us any rules! So I searched around the hut to see if rules were posted, and of course there were none. Apparently, you have to clean the rafts off before returning them. So she then said "I'll do if for you this time. Don't worry." If we want rafts WE have to walk into the hut and pick them up and put them back ourselves! Now we had to clean them off for the staff too? So what was she being paid for!? How lazy can they be? I work my butt off all year for a good vacation and then I take it and have to lug a heavy raft to the shower and clean it off without letting ANY sand get on it just so some lady sitting in the hut getting paid to do that doesn't have to? That's not good service to me.

Then came the internet/TV issue. The website claims they have wireless internet. What they forget to mention is that it isn't free. So we brought our laptop and didn't get any connection. We called the front and they said there was a system problem and it would be working by Sunday night (this was Saturday afternoon). By WEDNESDAY, we were tired of calling. So I tried something. I took my laptop out on the beach and was able to get a strong enough signal and stole the free wireless from the hotel. Once we got to the main areas where the wireless worked, they they asked us to pay for it. But for some reason, on the beach it was free. Go figure. Once again, we found a way to beat their ridiculous system. We also noticed on our last day someone came up and was complaining about how she gave in and finally bought the wireless internet for the day and it wasn't even working! She was furious and wanted her money back but the front desk lady couldn't help her because it was a holiday there and the tech people weren't there. Go figure. I would have been mad too.

Then the TV didn't work. We had about 30 channels available when we got there, and by day 2 weird messages kept popping up about smart cards expiring. We called the front desk to tell them and they said they'd send someone. After waiting for 2 hours in the room I called them and said that we had to go to dinner soon and didn't know how much longer it would be (we didn't want some random tech person in our room when we weren't there, especially since the safe didn't fit the lap top). She told us to go ahead and go to dinner. Of course no one ever showed and no one ever helped with it. By the time we left the resort about 15 of the 30 channels had cut out and were no longer working because this smart card had expired. We weren't happy about that considering no one ever came to look at it.

Shuttles around the resort. We were terrified of these things. The first time we rode one we almost got into an accident because some other guy in a golf cart pulled out without looking and almost hit us so our driver swerved. Mind you there are no seat belts or doors so had we not have been holding on we could have fallen out. Then, they drive on the walk ways so while we would be walking around the resort we'd hear them coming up behind us and have to move onto the grass to get out of their way. It was extremely unsafe and annoying. Then when we needed to go to the Divi for dinner we waited for the shuttle for 30 minutes and no one showed up. Finally, someone in a smaller golf cart asked us where we were going and proceeded to fit us and another couple into the 3 seats of the golf cart, leaving me to sit on my fiance's lap while he SPEAD around bends and slammed on his breaks for other carts. My fiance held onto me for dear life. It was pretty scary.

By the time the trip was over we honestly thought someone there was out to get us. It was always one thing after another. The worst part was, everyone at the TAM was so unfriendly. If Aruba is "One Happy Island" then why was everyone there miserable? We were planning on tipping, and always had money in our pockets for tips but never found anyone worth tipping, until we went to the Divi.

A few tips though:

-Bring your own mugs as the cups are small.

-Do bring clothes pins as other have stated. It really does help with keeping your towels from flying away.

-If you bring your own floats, they have an bike tire pump there and you can borrow it (but don't expect help blowing it up).

-Over by the 1800-2400 blocks there is a "nature made pool" in the sand. The water at night comes up over the bump in the sand and makes a river of clear, calm, ankle deep ocean water that you can float around in. It's also great for little kids to play in since there are no waves and it is not deep.

-BE CAREFUL for the currents. You can drift out very far and there are no life guards and no nets surrounding the resort's water so you can literally drift out to sea if you aren't paying attention.

-Also be careful for boats as they can be very close to the shore. We saw a couple people venture out to snorkel very far away from the shore and the boats come by while out there so if you do decide to go far out keep your eye out for the boats as they probably won't see you if you are face down snorkeling in the water.

-There is a fridge in your room, but it is empty. My suggestion is to load up on cups or water, or fill the ice bucket with ice water and leave them in the fridge so that when you wake up in the middle of the night dehydrated from all the alcohol, you have something to drink.

-There are people who either live or stay nearby and have dogs so you will probably see dogs at the resort or on the beach. If you don't like dogs, this is just a head's up. We saw a handful of them in the week we were there. Luckily we love dogs and enjoyed seeing them running around. One afternoon while we were deflating our raft on the patio I looked up to see a friendly white dog standing next to me staring at me. Then he ran off back to his owner. He was very cute and just seemed to be interested in seeing what we were up to. They all seemed very friendly and well behaved (although we did see two GIANT Marmaduke type dogs. They scared me a little but were very well trained). Also, we never saw dog poop the entire time, so that was never a problem. We don't think they dogs were part of the resort, we think people just walked them along the beach.

-Also, there is a feral cat on the resort grounds. Leave it alone. It is not friendly and does not want you to pet it. Every time we saw it walking around it would put it's tail up like it wanted to attack us so we stayed far from it whenever we saw it.

The airport in Aruba is weird. We never encountered this before but maybe it's something new. US Customs was done there, not at the airport back home. So make sure you get to the airport early. They will take you bags when you check in, and then you have to pick them up again at customs (it was very weird) and take them through customs (so make sure that sheet you usually fill out on the plane is filled out before you get your bags again). Also, if you are hungry, eat BEFORE you go through customs because you can't bring food though, and the selection of restaurants after you get through customs is terrible. Once through the line at customs they will make you go through the security check AGAIN and then you have to put you own bags on the conveyor belt to the planes. It is so weird and we hated it. Plus, the conveyor belts are shared between the airlines and we think this is why our bag coming home was lost. They luckily found it, and returned it to us 2 days later, but we think it went on the wrong plane since they shared a belt.

Now generally, I hate reading negative reviews and I honestly believe that your vacation is what you make of it, and we really tried. We did have some great moments and had a lot of fun when it came to the things the resort did not have control of. The island is beautiful, the water was gorgeous, the weather was great and what could be better than being with the one you love away from work? However, you can get all that anywhere in the Caribbean so why not get it somewhere where you have better service for the price?

It would be a great first all inclusive resort for some because you won't have high expectations of what an AI resort should be. Unfortunately, to us, when it all came down to it, the TAM just wasn't worth the $3000.00 we feel we wasted. I think I would probably give the TAM another chance in a couple of years in the hopes that they change some of these things for the better. I always like to give resorts another chance because things do change, but at this moment I personally cannot and will not recommend anyone to go here. I hope other people have a much better experience and I really hate to post this but I always feel that my reviews should be 100% honest and true.

This was our fourth visit in 10 years. Sorry to say, but we won't be back. It is an older hotel, but it's way shabbier than it should be. Worse were the employees, they seemed inconvenienced whenever you wanted anything. There definately were no smiling, happy employees there. We even made a game out of trying to get the employees to smile or laugh, we didn't have much luck. If you didn't book dinner reservations really early all you could get were the 9 or 9:30 ones, but we'd go and they'd run out of something every time, an appettizer, entree or dessert, it happened each time we had a late reservation. This was my favorite resort, needless to say, not anymore. The next week we stayed at the Marriott Surf Club and it was the total opposite. The staff was welcoming and friendly. I kept thinking hat maybe the atmosphere at the Tamarijn was due to the economy, but I think it's got to be management., or the lack thereof.

The reason we went to this hotel was due to a Cable advert a few years back. The food is excellent, especially the themed restaurants. However, our bath had large chips out of it and what looked like rust coming through. An attempt had been made to replace tiles, the new ones stood out like a sore thumb, the grouting was awful as was the flooring. Our bedroom looked tired, sad and neglected. The chest of drawers showed signs of water damage. We advised our Rep of this at the welcome meeting and she offered to change our room but added 'unfortunately they are all the same' we couldn't see the point in wasting time changing room. All around the hotel at the various bars/food stations there were clear signs of neglect and wear and tear. This hotel is most certainly not a 4* as First Choice claim and considering how much we paid we feel totally let down. Why oh why do these travel companies promise the earth in their advertisements, take your hard earned money, take you thousands of miles away from home and then abandon you? Two very disgruntled holidaymakers.

We stayed for 5 nights in Mid-May. I can safely say that while we will probably return to Aruba, we will never return the Tamarijn.

The rooms are basically clean but horribly outdated. We were there for a romantic vacation and got stuck with 2 double beds. The hotel staff could not get us a King bed even though it was requested ahead of time. The beds themselves were old and hard as a rock. We woke up each day sore from springs poking us.

They do clean the rooms each day.

On the plus side all room are near the beach and that is beautiful. It was wonderful waking up at sunrise right on the ocean. The beach and ocean were amazing. The only reason I am not giving the location 5 stars is that this is the first resort outside downtown so you can hear a lot of traffic and noise.

The food was really bad. Breakfast buffet with birds pooping all around you, lunch options were pretty slim (Chicken tenders or a turkey sandwich with old looking lunchmeat). Dinner, you have to schedule a day or two ahead if you want to avoid the buffet option. The restuarants have a nice remodeled appearance but the food was below average even compared to a USA chain restaurant. I constantly felt like I was eating the dishes of a chef in training. By the 4th day I could not even eat the resort food any more. We had to start going out for nice meals elsewhere on the island. There are so many great restaurants on Aruba that eating the resort food was a bad joke.

Bar was all inclusive and ok. They did seem to run out of the better spirits quickly.

Overall, I recommend avoiding this place. There are far better deals to be had at any of the other resorts when you consider the quality of the food and rooms here.

I took this trip for the first time without my husband as a mother-daughter vacation with my teenage daughter and my best friend and her teenage daughter. I knew that it was only a 3* resort so was actually pleasantly surprised with the set up and location. It is a very nice resort. The rooms were small, but as mentioned, I was not expecting much. They were clean and inviting and all looked out over the ocean. (Not all rooms are on the "sandy" beach, we were overlooking rocks and water, but it made it more private, so I loved that as well.)

I was shocked by the way that we were treated by the staff. We've been to other resorts, where you almost forget that the people working there are on the job, they are talented enough to make you feel that they love what they are doing and they are enjoying themselves. The staff here treated us as if we were bothering them. The moment we arrived the front desk staff was cold and the only accurate word would be, snotty. My friend and I thought it was just this one young woman and brushed it off.

Though the first day we were given silverware and drinks from the waite staff at the buffet, of the next several meals, we were not waited on. After a few days, I finally figured out where to get silverware and napkins from the waiter station and tried not to be angry at how rude the staff was. This behavior was unprovoked. We never asked anything of the staff or expected special treatment. We just always felt that we were in the way and inconveniencing everyone. It came to a point that our daughters were too intimidated to go to the snack bar for a drink or snacks because, as they put it, "everyone was so mean to them". It wasn't just us, everyone was being treated as if the staff hated their jobs. It caused backlash as the guests then became more cranky.

It was the most uncomfortable trip I have ever taken. (Oddly, the room cleaners...those staff members NOT hired to interact with the staff were cordial and the nicest people we met)

This was my daughter's first vacation out of the US and I had to keep repeating throughout the vacation, that this behavior was not normal. If this resort is bought out and the staff replaced I think this would be a fantastic vacation. Unfortunately, I still have a very bitter taste in my mouth.