My boyfriend and I went to Aruba for our 1 year anniversary. Everything was perfect, upon check-in we pushed for an upgrade to an Ocean View room ( orginally booked a garden view ) It took some time and our room wasn't ready but it was worth it - great ocean view and HUGE Bed, extremely comfortable.
The Restaurants were great too, went out to dinner every night to many of the highly recommended restaurant s- TRY CUBA'S COOKING. A must while in Aruba.

The trip was totally relaxing without much nightlife except the casinos which was fine for a few nights and then we retired early, perfect if you want to relax. The beach was beautiful and the water was so calm everydaya. Another recommendation for you is to book your hut for the beach when you arrive and reserve it for the 3 day max. This way you do not have to get up at 6:30am for a hut on the beach. Believe me, I did this 2 mornings in a row and there were about 10 people in line.

We are definatley going to back to Aruba and the Marriott, the locals are by far the friendliness I have ever come across in my travels!!

My Husband & I stayed at the Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino in Aruba this past October. We had a very much needed relaxing stay. The hotel was great! Our room was very nice and clean. The only thing was when we went to take showers the water went from hot to cold on it's own. Not too fun.

The pool was gorgeous and there is so much seating, but if you want a tan go lay on the beach. The pool was more shady and my husband & I would retire there at the end of the day. We always layed on the beach. One token of advice, reserve a hut in advance if possible. We finally got one the last day. But that by no means ruined anything. We loved laying on the beautiful white sand beach. The water was crystal clear and we rented floats for $10/day. It couldn't be more perfect.

Food: The restaurant by the pool (Waves) was very good. We had lunch there everyday. For dinner we went out. We liked the following places: El Gaucho - delicious food and $$$, Tangos - Also good Steak and they put on a live Tango show, Smoky Joes - very good and not pricey at all, this would be one of your more casual nights. A place NOT to go to - Carlos & CHarlies, UGH! The food is horrible. You may want to go for drinks, but it is so far out of the way it's not worth it.

Aruba us pretty expensive when it comes to going out to dinner. Also, when I go back in the future I would stay at the Hyatt or one of the other hotels along that strip. The Marriott was the last hotel on beach and we needed to take a cab wherever we went. Where if we were at the Hyatt we just cross the street and there are a bunch of restaurants and shops. Cabs were not too bad. We spent between $5 and $10 depending on the location of the place were going.

So all in all, we loved it and will definitely be going back soon.

The day before I arrived in Aruba, I decided to go. This was very last minute. I traveled alone. I found the hotel clean and relaxing. The “Simply Fish” restaurant located on the beach was exceptional. If you are looking to come to Aruba this hotel will not let you down. As a single travler I was comfortable.

One observation: At night do not turn off your room AC. If you do the smoke from the casino seeps up into the rooms.

I stayed at the Mariott with my boyfriend from Oct 18th- 23rd. Here is my take on the hotel- it is a little long but accurate. Hopefully it will help your decision.

Pros:
Check-in: Upon arrival at the Mariott everything was smooth and quick. It took about five minutes to check-in and our room was ready even though it was only about 1:00PM.

The Room: The Ocean view room is beautiful and the king-size bed faces the ocean. Every room has a balcony and the view is fantastic. There are his and her sinks (a big plus), a pretty big tub and a walk-in closet with loads of hangars. There is also a big safe that I felt very comfortable leaving my valuables in.

Clean Clean Clean. The hotel is immaculate. They are constantly cleaning there. The floors never have a speck of sand or dirt. The bathrooms are cleaned all day long. I even saw them wiping down the leaves of a plant in the lobby.

Restaurants: (We ate at all of them since we had the all-inclusive deal)
Tuscany was elegant, there is a live pianist and the food was great.
Simply Fish- you can't get more romantic. You are literally sitting on the beach. If you don't catch the sunset it is just as amazing in the dark lit by candlelight and listening to the waves. (A little bug spray wouldn't hurt though)
La Vista- Really nice buffet breakfast and the lunch here is better than Waves (the beach restaurant).
Waves- Convenient when you are hanging out on the beach. Here you can get a burger, cesar salad, etc.

The Staff: All of the employees at the hotel were friendly and always had a smile on their face when they greet you. The whole island is pretty much this way.

Pool & Beach: The beach is amazing and so relaxing. The sand is white and the water is warm, calm and a beautiful blue. You do need to reserve a palapa at 7:00AM and they get taken quickly. The pool was pretty big and was always clean. The swim up bar makes it fun and the waterfall lends tranquility.

Cons:
My only main issue was that we were doing the all-inclusive deal (already paid for), and the woman at the front desk checked us in and was sending us off to our room. She had no idea until we told her. I felt they should have been more on top of that, however it was quickly taken care of.

One of the elevators on our side of the hotel was out the whole time we were there (there are only two). We had to take the stairs a few times.

The hotel does need a little painting here and there on the outside but it didn't really bother me.

Anyone interested in all-inclusive...
If you are wondering if the all-inclusive is for you here's my take- If you like eat and drink it is a good deal. You don't have to worry about the cost of things, which makes a vacation much more relaxing. All the restaurants were included and the food ranged from pretty good to very good. You can have anything on the menu and all alcohol is included even the premium brands such as grey goose, etc. 15% gratuity is also included so you don't have to tip either. If you don't drink I would not do the all-inclusive. We were held back from enjoying some of Aruba's great restaurants, but I was very happy with what the hotel offered. I would do the all-inclusive again.

We had an amazing and romantic time at the Mariott and we would definitely stay there again.