nice and clean, great breakfast included. not anywhere near all the high rises and the crowds of tourists which I liked. you should rent a car if you stay here to get to the nicer beaches though. no pool if that matters but this place is the beast deal on the island. we will definitely go back.

I really enjoyed staying at this tiny hotel but there are some trade-offs. I guess it depends on your priorities.

As others have mentioned, it is close to the airport. That's good because you can get to it pretty quickly upon arrival. For some, it’s bad because of the (surprisingly only occasional) jet landing/take off noise. The noise was not so intrusive (though loud) and seeing various size aircraft zooming in for a landing was actually a plus for me.

As mentioned, the place is small and consists of only a few rooms like maybe 5 - all have a shared balcony sort of unofficially separated by some shrubs - but private enough for my taste.

We were in one of the smaller units but it was reasonably spacious. We never felt like we were constantly walking into one another when there.

The bathroom was modern. Like many Caribbean resorts I could never seem to get ice cold water in the shower (to run on a sun-burnt back). No problem with water pressure or hot water. The white bathroom towels provided are fluffy, fresh and with no discernible odor. “Beach towels” are provided but they are really just colored bath towels and not quite the size of a beach towel.

Everything is whistle clean. The bed was comfortable; the AC worked simply and impeccably with a control so simple even I could use it (more often than not this is not true) plus there is an overhead paddle fan to distribute the air.

A fridge, microwave with a wet bar and a couch for eating in the room at a table rounded out the amenities. There is also a table and chairs on the balcony overlooking the hotel courtyard and turquoise waters where breakfast is served.

Their is a working (!) hairdryer in the bathroom, a safe in the closet and a full size iron and ironing board. Luckily there was ample closet space since there were no dressers or other drawers to put clothes.

Breakfast is included and was provided promptly every morning at the time requested (with a discreet knock on our balcony slider so we knew it had arrived) on the above mentioned balcony.
Although it is not a hot breakfast (other than the coffee) it was adequate and a healthy way to start the day. Bread, cheese, cold cuts, yogurt and freshly sliced fruit. Would I have liked to have had some hot scrambled eggs or waffles? Sure. But what was provided was fresh, on time and healthy and provided gratis - so no complaints.

One minor complaint about the whole operation is that there does not always seem not be someone in the office. Unlike most hotels or resorts where you can call and ask questions almost 24/7- no such service is generally available here - unless you happen to be in luck when you call.
I must note that when I did speak with someone in the office, they went out of their way to be friendly, helpful and resourceful. E.g., when I asked about renting a car, it was suggested to ask for an additional 10% off since I was calling the rental car dealer directly - I did and I got it - this never would have occurred to me.

Speaking of motor vehicles. Taxis are VERY (may I say inordinately) expensive in Aruba. Even though this hotel is one of the closest to the airport, the charge was still $15-20 one way. I was able to rent a car for about $24/day - you do the math.

This is an important consideration since this hotel is not in the heart of the action so to speak. That being said it is a < 5 minute ride to downtown Oranjestad and only another 10-12 minutes to Palm and Eagle beaches and the shopping areas.
Nowhere was parking as mush a hassle as I expected and we were free to roam the island and visit other beaches at a fraction of the cost not to mention the wasted time, aggravation and inconvenience of ordering and waiting around for taxis.

Timid ones take note: People do not drive crazy here; they drive on the right side of the road like in the US; and finding one's way around the island is pretty simple.

Although the view is great from the room and the balcony, the beach directly in front of the hotel is rather meager - almost unusable. A short walk along the shoreline to Nikky's Beach Club next store provided a deeper, sandy shore and rock free waters to swim and sunbathe.

I wish I had some better pictures to share of the grand view of the azure sea from our room, but a few days after we arrived tents were erected in the courtyard for some wedding receptions (fun to watch from our balcony with drinks in hand!) which pretty much obstructed our view for most of the remainder of our visit.

We most often headed (in our rented car!) to Manchebo Beach (my personal favorite), Eagle (my next favorite), or Palm (my least favorite - due to the shallow depth of the beach and the overcrowding).

I have done the high-rise thing - I have grown out of it. Been there - done that - don't need it.

Should I return to Aruba I would hope to be lucky enough to find a room at this little pearl in the Caribbean. My bottom line is a solid recommendation. Kudos to the staff and ownership.

Me and my new bride stayed at surfside marina from JUly 22nd till july 26th. We had room 115 on the second floor which was a suite. The bed in the bedroom was a four poster bed with mosquito net hanging around it. It was so so comfortable that i didnt want to get out of it lol. The livingroom was big and you get breakfast on the patio every morning. Just have to tell them what time. The beach in front of the hotel is very calm, no waves at all. The only thing is that pinchos restaurant is right in front of the hotel but there is a Big Palm tree blocking your view if ur in room 115. Simon is a cool dude. He works at reception. Marta the cleaning lady is a sweetheart and Norobel is a cool dude also. Everyone is nice actually just dont remember all of their names. I rate this place as very good however not excellent only because excellent would be ritz carlton. I would recommend this place to anyone who goes to aruba. Only breakfast is included. Also want to leave a good tip for future travelers. Dont rent a car right in front of the airport. Just Ask for Jays car rental which is 2 minutes away from airport. We rented a car (Kia Pronto) almost brand new for 25$ dollars a day with Liability included and all taxes. Flat 25$. That is the cheapest you will find a car on the whole island guaranteed. Ask for Kenny his cool guy. We rented for ten days 250 dollars. Taxis will be expensive. The surfside marina is literally 3 minute drive from airport. I heard taxi would have cost us 10 to 15 dollars. Even if you dont use ur car everyday its still worth it for 25 dollars in my opinion. A Tank of gas lasted us nine days and we even went to other side of the island to Arikok national park to see the caves and sandunes. Jeep is really not necessary to get to these areas. People will tell u u need a jeep but if you go ten miles on the dirt road you will be more than fine. Need like twenty min on dirt road to get to the caves. Aruba is a beautiful island and safe. Just have to use common sense and u will be ok. Hope my review is helpful to all and enjoy ur stay at aruba.

I chose this hotel because it seemed close to a client's offices. However, the hotel is actually quite far from the center, as has been reported elsewhere. In fact, it is close toTalk of the Town, just down and across the street. And yes, the street is the main drag from the airport, with emphasis on "drag" as in drag racing. The garbage truck woke me up at 2:45am and then I had to endure the steady zoom, zoom of cars with tuned exhausts drag racing down the strip. While the room was large and very comfortable, the door facing the street was not properly insulated and not only allowed street noise to enter but lizzards as well, while letting the cold A/C escape through the door jamb. Both the A/C and ceiling fan were efficient but noisy and I had to turn them off to sleep. But perhaps it would have been better to leave them on to mask the noise from the drag racers....

The breakfast (fresh fruit, yoghurt, toast, ham and cheese, OJ and coffee) served outside your room was great, although it was so warm outside I had to bring it inside to enjoy.