We just returned from 7 days at the Divi All-inclusive resort. Let me start by saying that we had a very nice time and will return again. With that said there are some things travelers should know both good and bad about the Divi.

The Grounds:
The grounds and beach are beautiful and watchfully kept; the beaches are cleaned and raked nightly. The beach sand is white and soft.

The Rooms:
We stayed in an Ocean View room located in the Vista II building. The room was basic but nice; the view from the room was wonderful. Each room has a patio but as you can see from the picture they are far from private and as a result were largely unused. Cleanliness is NOT one of the strong suits however; one corner of the floor in the bathroom had a rather large mildew spot on it. The rooms are cleaned daily but that really consists of nothing more than making the bed and refolding towels. If you leave anything on the floor, couch, or tables you can count on it still being there when you return.

The Staff:
The people are one of the best parts of the resort; almost everyone we met was exceedingly nice and helpful. You should know that tips go a long way, especially with the bar tenders. Speaking of the bartenders be sure to find a gentleman named Jacinto, AKA Dr. Alcohol. Walk up to him and say, “Doc, make me something special”, he will disappear and will quickly return with a Caribbean masterpiece.

Dining:
If variety is something you look for, you will be pleasantly surprised. At the Divi the options are few, the Red Parrot, which has an international menu and the Pelican Terrace, which is a buffet. If you eat at the buffet, be prepared to share you meal with at least 20 opportunistic feeding birds, my wife found this endearing. However, as a guest of the Divi you can also use all of the facilities at the neighboring sister resort, the Tamarijn. At the Tamarijn there is a buffet but also an Italian restaurant “Paparazzi” (our least favorite), as Asian restaurant “Ginger” and a place where you cook your own, the “Palm Grill”. As a big bonus you can also go to the Divi Links resort across the street and eat at a nice French restaurant called “Windows on Aruba” where as a Divi vacationer you can have a three coarse meal for $25 pp, not including wine and tip. These in an incredible deal when you consider that about all of the entrees are about $35. Might I also suggest “El Gaucho”, which is located downtown, were you can get the best steak anywhere.

Activities:
The Divi does its best to keep you busy just about all the time. Each night there is a different scheduled activity, everything from karaoke and limbo contests to dancing demonstrations.

The Island in general:
Aruba describes itself as being, “One happy island” and it does everything possible to live up it. People are especially polite and friendly and no matter where you are, you always feel safe. If you decide to head off to the Natural Pool on your own, you need to know that you will need to drive over some exceedingly tough terrain and should not be attempted with anything without 4 wheel drive, preferably a Jeep Wrangler. The island offers endless things to do so regardless of what your favorite vacation activity may be you will find it here.

My husband and I looked for a few months before deciding on Aruba for our honeymoon adventure. We had only heard positive reviews from friends who had visited the island and we were not disappointed.

Overall, everything was easy for us from the start. The bus from the airport to the resort was approximately 20-30 minutes because there were a few stops but the scenery was beautiful so we didn't mind. It was an easy check-in and our room was in a great location. Although we were a little disappointed in the room - small bathroom where the toilet recycled every hour or so and every other day our room keys somehow got reset so we would have to get new ones - the staff was great in getting us everything we needed.

Room: Other than as mentioned above, I can't imagine having a bad room or bad location. All rooms were close to the restaurants and cafes, the beach and the bar.

Food: The food was good overall. We did prefer the food at the Tamarijn (more choices) but it was nice having the options. We didn't find out until the day after we arrived but it is best to sit down as soon as you arrive and plan your week. Nearly all restaurants required reservations and book fast.

Activities: We decided on 2 half-day excursions, snorkeling and the jeep tours. The bus was always late picking us up at the resort but the tours were amazing and worth the expense. Great pictures and great memories, plus we were able to do things we wouldn't normally do. The night life at the resort left a bit to be desired but what we did see what fun and after long days in the sun we didn't mind just relaxing.

Beach: Clean, safe and beautiful. The beaches are patrolled by security regularly so we felt comfortable leaving our towels, books and personal things at the chairs while we went for a swim. Plus, my husband is not usually one to just sit in the sun for more than a short period of time without getting restless, but each day we spent 2-3 hours just relaxing on the beach. A couple books, a couple beverages and plenty of time to relax.

Worth the trip, I highly recommend it.

My wife and I just got back (21-27 March) from a nice, relaxing 6 days at the Divi. This was our 4th Caribbean all-inclusive (1st to Aruba), and we both agree it was number 2 of the 4. We were on the 2nd floor of the Vista II; and the room was very clean and the bathroom nice and big, with 2 sinks. We asked for Garden View, and what we got was "construction view" of the resort next door, but we spent so little time in the room it didn't matter. The most use our veranda got was as a place to hang our wet stuff. We were a little surprised at the wind even though others have discussed it; it blew every day, pretty strong at times. The beach is very nice, but because of the wind, we chose to do some of our sunning poolside. We used the public bus to get around; even out to Malmok Beach to go snorkeling, for the grand total of 2.30 U. S. per person instead of the 35 to 55 dollars that the tour companies charge. Always get a round trip ticket; will save a little bit. When shopping downtown, we also found that mentioning the fact that we were staying on the island got us a much better price than if we had been on a cruise ship. In one case, they dropped a set of earrings 38% because we were staying at the Divi. We went out one evening to the Windows at Divi Links Restaurant which did offer a special (not part of the all-inclusive); if you do this, be prepared to eat in the "continental" style. Our 3 course meal took over 2 hours. If you eat other than the special, be prepared to drop a hundred dollars easily for 2. One of the main reasons I chose the Divi was the availabilty of the workout facility shared with the Tam next door. The workout facility is easy to get to, clean and equipped with Cybex and Nautilus equipment along with some free weights. Unfortunately, the equipment isn't as maintained as well as it could be; 2 exercise bicycles and 1 stairclimber were out of commission, with one of the bikes having been OOC for 4 months. Even with this, it was one of the better equipped hotel facilities I have seen. We were more than satisfied with the quantity and quality of food and drinks; we dined at each of the specialty restaurants at the Divi and the Tam, enjoyed the Italian Papparazi the most. The buffet breakfast offerings were always pretty much the same (try the Dutch fried potatoes and the baked tomatoes...mmmm!) , but lunch and dinner were always an experience with lots of variety; at the buffet, we always ate outside. We didn't run into any of the rudeness some others have alluded to, maybe because we smile and joke around a lot and tend to be outgoing, and bother to learn a few words of the "language of the realm" wherever we visit. There are a lot of neat people that work at the Divi; two Bellmen, Perez and Astley know everything there is to know and were both very helpful in giving us tips for getting around. Our Divi stay recharged our batteries, which is what vacations are supposed to do.

My husband and I just returned (March17, 08) from The Divi - All Inclusive in Aruba - a perfect destination for our 25th wedding anniversary! We stayed on the 3rd floor of the only three story building and were delighted at the breathtaking ocean view from our balcony. Our room was simple but very clean - perfect for the amount of time spent there. The bathroom was a good size but needed updating. Tub was old and difficult to climb into and tile needed new grout.

The beach was absolutly gorgeous! It was never crowded and we enjoyed walking, sunbathing and swimming in the warm, calm, clear water! We were never able to get a "hut" on the beach because I didn't feel it was right to "claim" one early in the morning and then leave it unattended for hours.

We loved the Pelican Bar and enjoyed relaxing as we sampled new drinks everyday (long drink of the day & frozendrink of the day). The bar tenders were friendly and very attentive. My husband - a Coors Light Man - loved the native beer of the island!

It was very difficut to get reservations at the restaurants. We were unable to get a reservation on the first night so we ate at the Pelican Terrace Restaurant - very good buffet with plenty to choose from. We enjoyed eating outside and the wait staff was very attentive to our beverage needs (we ordered wine and beer with our dinner) I was able to get a reservation for the second night at the Red Parrot (unable to get a table outside) the food and service were both very good. We tried making reservations at the Paparazzi (@ the Tamarijn) but they were unable to give us the times we wanted even though I tried making reservations three days in advance. We observed that these restaurants always had empty tables regardless of the time - so why were we unable to get a reservation???

We found the staff at the Concierge Desk to be unhelpful and only willing to do the bare minimum. Each time I approached the desk, I felt as if I were bothering the staff as they were more interested in talking with other staff members and making personal phone calls while I stood there waiting to be helped. I got the same feeling from the staff at the main desk in the lobby. Each time I asked for information or help, I was sent away to ask someone else. No one wanted to go out of there way to be friendly or helpful.

We never felt that we had to tip although we did tip the housekeeping staff who did a wonderful job of keeping our room clean, the bar staff at the Pelican Bar who kept our drinks coming and the bellman who helped with our luggage.

We did not spend any time at the Tamarijn. The entire property seemed dirty and very run down. I can't believe people spend good money to stay there!

In general we had a wonderful relaxing vacation and we plan on returning next year. The Divi was everything we could have hoped for in a vacation as the positive made the negitive seem minor.