I just spent 10 days at the Boardwalk Retreat with a girlfriend whose move out of the province means we don't see each other much anymore. We decided we deserved a 10 day "Mom Camp" and chose The Boardwalk as our venue.

I am a 19 time visitor to Aruba, my friend has been to Aruba only once before but fell completely in love with the island.

We were looking for something not terribly expensive (I have many other vacations in the budget this year) but in a good location that would let us self-cater for the most part and really relax in a tranquil setting while catching up on each other's lives.

The Boardwalk surprassed our every expectation. It is a 1 minute drive, 5 minute walk to the beach. And what a beach! The water was as smooth as glass and we had the beach almost to ourselves.

The Boardwalk itself was tucked away a little, with a very pretty garden setting and very well equipped "casitas". We felt that everything we could possibly need was there, even the beach chairs, cooler, ice packs, and the loan of a beach umbrella. We never used it, we were always able to find shade at the beach. We did appreciate all the extra little amenities, even a lantern for our balcony table with refill candles in a drawer. It seems they've thought of everything.

Having a BBQ on our patio meant lots of wonderful grilled chicken, shrimp, and fish cookly fresh to order (by us!) . The cats all became good friends and joined us for happy hour on our deck and were back again in the morning to watch us sip our coffee and plan our day.

Housekeeping was daily and the housekeepers and office staff were friendly and accommodating.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Boardwalk and I have no doubt we'll return.

My husband and I just returned from our first trip to Aruba and our stay at the Boardwalk was wonderful! The owners have obviously put a lot of thought and time into their beautiful "retreat" to make it a fantastic place to stay. The intimate atmosphere and charm could not possibly be duplicated by the large resorts and timeshares that are the norm on the island.
I was so impressed with all the extras they have for their guests such as snorkeling equipment, beach chairs, and a cooler to name a few. Families will appreciate all the items they have available for children from beach toys to board games. There is also an impressive DVD lending library for adults and kids. In each unit they keep a fantastic booklet written by the owners with info on everything you could want to know about Aruba: snorkeling, beaches, restaurants, activities, tours - you name it- as well as detailed information on their own amenities and history. I came to think of it as our "Aruba bible" and never bothered to open the guidebook we'd lugged over... the one they'd written was ten times better!
The pool is small but nice, and a great place to soak for a bit after a day in the sun. And, unlike the big resorts, you can go in it anytime you please! The casitas aren't fancy but clean and nicely appointed. The beds have the most wonderful down comforters with duvets; nice and snuggly! The air conditioning works great, and there is lots of hot water in the shower, which in our casita was big enough to easily accomodate two people. (We were in one of the upstairs casitas). The palm trees and gardens make you feel as if you are on a small, private island oasis.
If you have to have a big pool or simply must step right out your door onto the beach (Palm Beach is a short walk across the street), the Boardwalk isn't for you. Otherwise, the Boardwalk is a great place to experience Aruba!

One man’s ceiling is another man’s floor

We we’re told that we were reserving a little studio with a sea view and technically it’s true. When you look out from the rusted stairway you do see the water shimmering on the horizon. Had we brought some powerful binoculars we might even have been able to see the beach. If sea view means that you’re looking out over scrubby fields, the main road, more scrubby fields, scrubby bushes, for hundreds and hundreds of feet, maybe even a thousand feet, then yes this is a sea view.

We we’re off to a bad start.

As we made our way up the battered staircase, past the rusty air conditioner to our “vacation retreat” we we’re hit by more bad news: the place had that glorious chemical smell that one might encounter in the men’s room of a bus station. Were we really going to spend the next ten days in a place that smells like a men's locker room. When we factored in the stained and uninspiring refrigerator door and sink area, the balcony that looks out over the omnipresent parking lot and the teeny and totally uninviting swimming pool, we decided to take our business elsewhere.

We didn’t even spend a night. We hoped that we would get our deposit back but it was clear that that wasn’t going to happen. They kept our four hundred and something (dollars) deposit and we didn’t even argue. Sea view…yeah right!

This is a gem of a resort! It truly makes you feel as if you are part of the island and not just a guest in another hotel. This was our fourth trip to the island and previously we had stayed at the renaissance marina hotel (very nice) and the marriott surf club (great condo living) but this time, we were tired of the same old, same old so I searched the internet for a small, intimate islandy resort and the Aruba Boardwalk was all that! We stayed in the 2-bedroom unit which was part of the original coconut plantation. It was roomy, comfortable and had nice little extras such as a cooler to take to the beach, folding chairs and nice beach towels. The 2-bedroom unit has a great L-shaped patio with seating for 6, a hammock and charcoal grill. For a small property, they offered a mini-market, concierge services if you would need tours, dinner reservations, etc. I thought it was fun that each unit contained a guest book that guests wrote their experiences, favorite restaurants, etc. There is also a very detailed book that tells you about the resort, its employees, the island, some drive-it -yourself tours, stuff like that! There is a small pool and peak season could get very crowded but since we were there in the off-season, we had the pool to ourselves. You have to walk across the street to the beach but it is a short walk and not a big deal. You are right beside the Marriott resort complex. The Vela windsurfing school is kind enough to let guests at the Aruba Boardwalk use their lounge chairs and Huts on the beach free of charge and you get and up close look at these talented windsurfers and kite boarders--amazing!

Since they weren't full, I asked to see a couple of other units and the units on the second level are the newest and they are very nice as well. The oceanview unit was my favorite but only has one king bed in it--great for two people and if only my husband and I return, we will reserve that unit.