My husband and I went to Aruba during Spring Break for my 30th birthday. The Reaissance was the only hotel during that time that seemed nice that wasn't booked. Initially I was not thrilled that we were on the Marina and had to take a boat to the beach, but once I got there my initial reservations flew out the window.

The cab ride from the airport is $19 and about 10 min. The drivers are very friendly. Actually, everyone on the island is super friendly.
Once we got to the hotel we got to our room on the 6th floor. The hotel only has 6 floors and two elevators. The elevators weren't a problem at all during our stay. Our room had a balcony and over looked the pool area. It was nice having the view of the water and we were able to see the cruise ships coming and going. The room was nice and clean which was great b/c I am a hotel germ freak. The only draw back of the room was that the bathroom is old and the hot water doesn't last that long. Also, my husband thought that the bed was comfortable. I thought that it was a little too hard for my liking. Anyways, with the hotel being open and attached to a high end mall , it kind of made it feel like you were staying on a cruise ship.
I went to the gym every morning and the gym was clean and had a new feeling. After the gym I would go to the grocery store behind the hotel and buy water and cereal. It was 75% cheaper than the water and cereal in the hotel. Milk was a different story. They don't refrigerate it in the grocery store, so to get cold milk you actually have to go to the liquor store in the mall. Not a big deal though.
The food in the resort was excellent. We never had a bad meal anywhere on the resort. A couple of the nights, we branched out and tried some restaurants on the island. Flying Fishbone's is a must-eat. The tables are right on the beach and everyone eats barefoot. It's a $20 and 30 min cab ride, but totally worth it. Another night we went to El Gaucho's which is a 10 min walk from the hotel. Their food and sangria is amazing and not too badly priced. My husband and I split the land and sea meal which is A LOT of food and it was $80.
The private island is really pretty and peaceful. We never had a problem finding a chair. The flamingos are fun to feed and the iguanas are fun to look at. Across the water is the airport, and occasionally planes would fly overhead. It was neat b/c they were really low, and fun to watch land. It was never annoying bc only 15 or so planes come in during the day. Also, the airport side of the water is the super windy side of the island that not many people go to.
The boat ride to the airport was fun. The guys try to hop the waves and you will get wet. After going to the island, my husband and I would get off at ocean suites and hang out at the swim up bar. Kids were around, but it never got annoying. I enjoyed reading a book on the beach there and then walking back to the Marina hotel. It is only a 5 min walk if that between the two hotels.
The night life is fun and low key. Bars and clubs are in walking distance. There is even a dunkin doughnuts and baskin robbins in walking distance. Again, everyone is nice.
The casinos were okay. Very smokey, but doable.
At night it got a little chilly so I would bring a jacket or light sweater places.
So, to sum it all up, it was a great place to stay. There is a lot to do in walking distance and even though the rooms are so-so, and I am an extremely picking person regarding hotels, I would come back. It was a great birthday present!

we stayed at the renaissance hotel and casino for 6 days and 6 nights and could have stayed forever. hotel is beautiful-private island is beautiful-restaurants in all of aruba especially el gaucho and pagopago at the westin were outstanding----town of oranjestad is very pretty with great shopping----all the casinos on the island were very good----liked most about this hotel was the convenience----the staff at the hotel did their utmost to see to your needs----we would certainly recommend this hotel to our friends and we are going back again,and again. the boat ride to the private island was very nice---the island had two beaches and both were extraordinary--plenty of cabana chairs and it was very clean.

I did this trip last minute in February. Aruba is absolutely beautiful. The weather is fantastic. It was february and about 95 degrees each day. The sun is very strong, stronger then other islands I have been to. We picked this hotel because the price seemed fair. The only problem I had was the hotel is not directly on the beach. Its on rocks. You must take a ferry to their private island. I was upset when I learned this but once I got to the private island it didnt matter, it was so worth it. The ferry actually goes into the hotel which is pretty cool. This private island is so remarkable it made my trip. I have been to a few places and this island was unbelievable. The man made beach located outside the hotel is not attractive, its more like a bay with rocks. If that was the only beach I wouldve been mad cause the water seemed gross, but then you go to the private island and say okay this is why I came. The service was okay. My room was blah. Aruba is a very clean island from what I saw. The locals are very friendly and unlike other caribbean islands, its dutch. Nightlife seems good, lots of bars by the hotel and casinos. With the exception of a few guys trying to sell us weed, the location was flawless. There is a good italian restaurant right across the street on a marina, we ate there 3 nights in a row, it was delicious. I would try a different hotel if I went back, maybe one directly on q beach, but it was a nice experience.

We stayed at the Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino for our honeymoon (March 29th thru April 3). When we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted by workmen and an extremely loud jack hammer in the lobby. We could barely even here the staff at the front desk. When we went up to our room, we discovered that our room not only faced the lobby but we also had a clear view of the workmen and the noisy jack hammer!!

After waiting almost an hour to speak with the hotel manager, we were able to get our room changed to a partial view of the ocean and city. The manager was very understanding since I am sure we were not the first to complain. Unfortunately when we got to the room, it was much smaller. But at the sametime, we were pleased that at least we didn't have to see or hear the jack hammer.

The hotel itself was pretty clean. The beds were made early and the turn down service was well done. We thuroughly enjoyed the buffet breakfast but then again, we are really breakfast people. There was happy hour at the "Blue" bar where they had buy one drink get another free, however that pertained to the same drink pnly- you could not mix and match. We were a little disappointed with the drinks since everything seemed very watered down.

In regards to this hotel being a honeymoon spot- I wouldn't recommend it. The other Marriot hotels on the opposite side of the island have nice beaches and you really get a tropical feel of vacation. The private island that is offered through the Renaissance was nice, however if you are looking for a beach where you can hear the waves and see boats on the horizon, it is anything but that. The place itself was nice- it had two large lagoons with plent of seating and hammocks. There were even flamingos walking around. However, the airport was right on the horizon and you could hear the plane rev it's engines and take off as well as land all day long.

All and all, if we had to stay at a Marriot in Aruba we would stay at the other hotels where there are beaches to walk on and more restaurants to enjoy.