We recently (June 4 -8, 2009) traveled to Aruba to celebrate my birthday. Stayed at The Westin upon the reccomendation of a friend and could not have been more pleased with The Westin. The Staff at the hotel make this a truly special place. The rooms are modern and clean. The breakfast bar is second to none. We loved the bar in the lobby

After we made the reservation, but before departure I read the "TravelerCarib" review dated May 2009 and was extremely concerned about the hotel. Please ignore the TravelerCarib review. The negative review is not accurate and completely without merit. My sense is that someting else is going on with this reviewer (spoiled little brat who didn't get his way on an unreasonable request??). The hotel is great and we would most certainly stay there again.

Any questions email me at jrusnak@tewlawfirm.com

I consider myself a world traveler but when it comes to Caribbean trips I’m not that experienced, but I have been to a few places. When I travel to a new destination, I keep an open mind and try not to compare to other location. Each place has its own distinct appeal and I try to appreciate and enjoy those differences. I will try to give the best review.

My first impression: When flying in the first thing I notice was the Island is very flat compared to other Islands. This is not a problem just didn’t expect since most Islands have mountains. When traveling to the hotel, I notice the area is very tourist oriented. The downtown area has high-end stores, jewelry, clothes, etc... (Don’t know why I would come to Aruba to buy say jewelry unless it’s priced better- NOT!!!).

When arriving at the Hotel, I notice the outside building which is OK. I do like the clock at the top facing the beach. It helps when you want to know the time when sitting on the beach or swimming. The lobby was nice and our room was nice as well.
I like the new upgrades to the rooms, but small little things stand out i.e. (the bath room has granite which is nice but the floor under the sink had never been touched because I saw mildew. TILEX will take care of that). I was not looking for mildew but happen to reach for my sandals when I noticed. Overall, I really liked the room which comes with a balcony. Everyone at the hotel was nice and helpful.

We arrived at the hotel, dropped the bags and went directly to the beach area. My first impression was the nice clean beach, white sand and turquoise water. It was not crowded which is a plus and not too many kids running around. The wind is unbelievable; I have never been to a place where the wind never stops. This is a plus and also a negative. The plus, since Aruba is so hot and a bit muggy the wind helps keep you feeling cooler and you can get a tan without feeling like your cooking. The negative is when sitting on the beach, the sand blowing will exfoliate your entire body, nose, mouth, hair, etc… I decided to not sit in the sand but lay out in the water on a rented flat rubber pad. (Not good we had to rent and was not part of the service like the towels are) But you have to be careful because the wind can blow away the pads if you are not paying attention.

Spending money: Aruba is so expensive, my cheapest meal was breakfast at the hotel which was buffet and it was $44 for two people. These same crazy prices were observed outside the hotel as well. We ate at restaurants on the strip and downtown and they all are pricy.

Aruba is very different compared to other Islands but unique in its own way. I did some tours like the safari and submarine, which both were wonderful. We also explored parts of the Island by public transportation (bus), no tourist places which were great. I’m a NYer that’s how we like to see other places, like a local native. I say see Aruba for yourself!

We stayed at the Westin May 26-31st. When we pulled up from the outside I was a bit disappointed. It looked very blahh compared to all of the other hotels we passed on the way. As soon as we walked in all my worries went away! the lobby is absolutely beautiful and smells great ( i wonder what they use to keep it smelling that way). Check in was a breeze, I asked for a even number room and was given one however we were only on the 7th floor. We went up to our room,The room was simple and clean. The bed was comfy, there was a pretty cool flat screen tv, we had a small fridge (i was under the impression that the room wouldn't have one I read somewhere that they had to be requested) the bathroom was a little small however it was fine no complaints.

The pool was nice and clean, The spa was great, the beach was nice.

The only complaint we had was that during the stay there was a problem with the hotel's satellite which sucked as there isn't much nightlife in Aruba so in the late evening/early AM we were very limited as to what we could watch. We were told we could order a movie and they would wave the fee but it was impossible to order one, go figure!

All in all I def would return to the Westin. I was worried about the negative reviews but I didn't run in to any of these problems

Hello there. I am a middle-aged woman who travels for leisure and buisness frequently. Most often, I visit tropical beach destinations for family vacations, and as a Starwood Vacation Ownership Owner, I always stay within the Starwood family. In my opinion, the brand is one of the best. I have been to some of their finest properties- namely the Princeville Kauai and the Kaanapali Villas in Maui- and have fairly high expectations when I travel. I was supposed to be going to Cancun for this trip, but with all the violence along the border, I switched last minute to Aruba. I traveled with my husband, teenage daughter and one of her friends. In this review I plan to be extremely thorough.

Overall, with this hotel, I would say that it is one of the better options on the island. However, that is not saying much. Aruba, much like Cancun, is rather commercialized. Most hotels sit along one strip- Palm Beach- and beyond that there is little to see or do. The island itself is not that high-end, whereas Cancun, despite commercialization, carries luxury brands. Aruba does not. But more on the island later. But first, on all aspects on the hotel.

LOCATION/BEACH: The Westin is, with out a doubt, on the best part of Palm Beach. It is on the southern most end, and although it is windier on this part, the beach is wide and uncrowded. Being on the end of the strip, it is isolated and, as compared to the other hotels, private. I walked the entire length of the beach carefully checking out each other hotel, and all of their beachfront seemed cramped. Or, as in at the Marriott Villas, the beach had been artificially expanded. Then, if you were sitting in the back, all you were looking at was umbrellas. Egh. The water was beautiful. My only complaint is that at the Westin, unlike all the other hotels, guests had to rent palpas and chairs. This is ridiculous; they should be free at a higher end hotel like this.
The Westin was also within walking distance (about twenty minutes) to Eagle Beach and, in the other direction, to the downtown where most of the restaurants are.

ROOMS: The rooms were excellent. Every room comes with a balcony. Only a select few rooms- all the suites- are ocean front. The building is a rectangle, and the shorter width faces the beach directly. The building is angled, however, so that the rooms on the left length of the building (even numbered) have great ocean and pool views. The odd numbered rooms face the neighboring Riu, although they still have a limited ocean view.
The decor was excellent, very in keeping with the Westin name- simple, high quality, nature inspired with neutral colors (green, beige, blue, white, etc.), plush white Heavenly Beds (the best hotel bed you will ever sleep in- I promise!), high-quality furniture in rich woods, flat screen TVs, granite countertops on the minibar and the bathroom counters. Basically, the entire room has been overhauled since it was a Wyndham. The only telling signs of the rooms age are the deck tile, the bathtub, toilet, and doors. Even still, very few (only those with a scathing eye for design like mine) would be able to detect these things. Everything else has been replaced. Surely some of the finest hotel rooms on Palm Beach.

RESTAURANTS: I cannot comment upon Pago Pago, Baci, or Azull- the Westins fine dining options- because I usually dine outside the hotel, no matter where I am. However, I did patron the beach/poolside Tambu bar and Terrace restaurant, and the Bon Bini breakfast buffet. I must say, food in Aruba was terribly expensive. However, the prices were consistent with that of the rest of the Caribbean. Like any hotel, you can probably find meals elsewhere for less money. The Terrace, abutting the beach and pool area with great views, served a very tasty assortment of sandwiches, salads, burgers, fajitas, and so on for around $15 a plate- thus lunch for four people at the Terrace could come to about $80. It was ridiculous; I felt like I was getting hosed left and right. The same meals back in the states would have been $8-10.
The bar was also overpriced. $6 dollars for a NON ALCOHOLIC pina colada! Luckily you could buy them at Happy Hour for $3 a piece.
The Bon Bini breakfast buffet was beautifully decorated and the food selection and quality was good, but $22 a person, including drinks. We only at here once and otherwise ate breakfast in the room to save money. For $5 a day, you can have a minifridge placed in your room, and so we bought cereal, milk, wine, yogurt, soda, etc to save some money. I would strongly reccommend doing this if you want to economize a little- we probably saved $3-400.

FITNESS CENTER: Excellent. Good views of the pool, broad assortment of cardio and muscular training machines. There was a selection of free weights, mats, steps, and balls. Great for the workout buffs like my family.

INTERMEZZO DAY SPA: Located in the Lower Level, amongst a selection of shops, I took my two teen girls and myself for manicures. Elegantly decorated, reasonably priced, and high-quality service. The spa menu had a good variety of treatments. It is great that the Westin even has a spa; most hotels were not high end enough to have one.

POOL: Okay, this is my biggest beef with the property. The pool was just mediocre. Most of the other hotels had much better pools. The Westin's was rather boring and dirty. There was no swim up bar or hot tubs. There was a cheap volleyball net and basketball hoop, as well as a neighboring playground, thus distilling the high-end feel of the facility. I disagree with other reviews, though, that it was poorly landscaped. This is the worst part of the property.

VALUE: As I said before, the food was overpriced, but probably would have been at any hotel you visited so don't let this deter you from staying at the Westin. I booked two adjoining rooms on StarPoints, but I looked up what my ocean view (an even numbered room) king would have cost: $285. This is equally expensive than the equivalent at the Hyatt (I looked for the purpose of writing this review- partial ocean view king was $310), one of the finer properties on the island. But the Hyatt is nicer than the Westin, so I guess that could make the westin slightly overpriced. Do note that I visited during the low season, so if one was to visit during high season, prices would differ.

SERVICE: All of the staff at the Westin was very friendly. The service at the restaurants was expedite, although I am warning you, nearly all the restaurants in Aruba attach a goofy 15% SERVICE CHARGE TO ALL BILLS! IT WAS RIDICULOUS! It unneccesarily drove up the cost of the meal. I do not understand why this extra fee- supposedly to pay the bartender, busboy, etc. was neccessary when this cost is tacked on to the price of the food and the waitress' tip at EVERY OTHER RESTAURANT I'VE EVER BEEN TO! This really frusturated me, but it was not done exclusively at the Westin.

SECURITY: My other big beef with the hotel. The security was basically nonexistent. Whereas a guard stood patrolling the beach entrance to the property at every other hotel, locals and other tourists could just wander in to the Westin property. The Front Desk would give you keys to your room without ID or any proof that you were staying in that room; the same policy went for charging anything to your room. The parking lot gate simply asked for your room number to let you in, no room key or anything. My family joked that we could have told them our room was 1950 (there were 18 floors) and they would have let us in. This was unacceptable; I expect more from the Westin.

ARUBA IN GENERAL: I do not like Aruba. I would not go back. Like most Caribbean islands, it was very impovershed. Unlike most Caribbean islands, tt was a very ugly island; the landscape was dry, flat, and rugged; it was not green and hilly. The water was still beautiful and calm, although I don't think the beaches were very good. We checked out Arashai, Baby, Eagle, and Manchebo beach, and they were okay. They did not take your breath away like some of the Caribbean beaches. There was really nothing exciting to do or see there; little to explore. We ventured out of the hotel zone to see Baby Beach, supposedly the best beach on the island, only to be very disappointed. The snorkeling and water were great but the beach itself was unattractive. However, despite their poverty, people were pretty friendly and did not hound you to buy their products or give them money like in Barbados, Antigua, or Jamaica. Still, it upset me to see my two teenage girls be leered at by locals- that would not happen in a more family-friendly destination like Maui. I was concerned for their safety and would not let them out of my sight. Overally, I want to travel to see diverse and interesting places, not tourist enterprises.

I keep comparing Aruba to Hawaii, where I own timeshare. Yes, the airfare is more expensive, but food is honestly less or equally expensive, and you get to experience a much more beautiful and less commercialized destination. It is more family friendly and safer. There is more to explore and a richer local culture. People do not hang on you out of poverty. It is a US island, so there is no hassle of customs. I live on the East Coast, so to go from Aruba- I left the hotel at ten in the morning and got home at ELEVEN O'CLOCK A NIGHT! TRAVELING ALL THE WAY TO HAWAII WOULD HAVE TAKEN JUST AS LONG, AND BEEN MORE WORTH IT!

But if you know you want to go to Aruba, consider the Westin. It is definetly a better option that any of the Mariotts, which were EXTREMELY overcrowded, even in the low season, and the decor was not as nice. Same with the Riu and Occidental. The Westin has a great location, great rooms, and good amentities. One of the better options on the island, most definitely.