I have to admit after reading many reviews I was a bit reluctant to book this hotel but I did anyway because I had a friend that stayed at this hotel, which kind of reassured me. Well what I can say is this place is not as bad as people made it sound but also not so great either. If you keep in mind this is a 3 star hotel that caters to budget travellers and families, and you have realistic expectations you should enjoy your stay. By realistic I mean there is nothing fancy, it caters to your basic needs. I had no problems with the basics, the room was ok, the A/C worked, the fridge and tv worked, the cleanliness was ok too. When it came to food, again it was ok, just enough to have something to eat. For example the fruit for breakfast was apples, bananas, watermelon and cantaloupe. No papaya or pineapples or other exotic fruit you would find at other fancier hotels. Also for breakfast the omelettes are premade, there is no chef that makes it on the spot for you like other fancier hotels. You can't compare this hotel to a 5 star where you are treated like royalty and have these beautiful lobbies and fancy rooms. Look at what you are paying and what you get for your dollar. It is important that you figure out what you want and how much you are willing to spend. That being said I would reccomend this hotel if you are on a budget and don't expect 5 star treatment. I walked around the other hotels and the beach is the same everywhere, so when choosing compare the price and figure out what is important for you. If you like to stay in the room and you want the fancy stuff then this hotel is not for you.

Regarding the all inclusive I do reccomend it only if you like to DRINK. Otherwise there are many restaurants around the hotel to choose from. During our stay two restaurants were closed which limited our meal choices, find out if the renovations are completed before you book.

I created my own package at expedia.ca paid $1,750 per person tax included for one week (includes flight with Delta + hotel) + all inclusive in the aruba tower with ocean view. Don't pay for ocean view in the aruba tower its not worth it. Compared to other hotels it was much cheaper however I find I overpaid for what I got. Having been at the hotel a good deal for this place should be $1,350 per person all inclusive. Remember Aruba is a bit more expensive as a destination than other caribbean places....

We stayed at Holiday Inn Sunspree June 1st - June 8th and other than the almost 2 hrs to check in our stay was excellent. After being to many beaches around the world, Palm beach is second to none when it comes to beauty, cleanliness, calm waters and no undertow. The hotel itself has an excellent setup conducive to easy access to everything including shops across the street. (The aruba and bonnaire towers are more central and offer quicker access to everything.) The rooms are unspectacular but clean and updated. The grounds and pool area are spectacular with plenty of room for everybody. The beachfront is a 1/4 mile long and you can choose to lay your towel anywhere you want. The staff was friendly and the place has a family atmosphere. The food was decent. Seabreeze restaurant was excellent with great service. The buffets were par for the course with a decent breakfast selection. Plenty of other restaurants to choose from in Aruba but they are quite pricey. All inclusive is the way to go and you can always venture out for dinner a couple of times. I would not hesitate to go to holiday inn again.

Just returned from Aruba. The Holiday Inn was definitely NOT a 4 star .. .and needs a major up-grade and cleaning. Two restaurants were closed and opened later in the week. The food was reasonable but the buffet restaurant is decorated like a school lunch-room.

As its very windy in Aruba, there is no indoor lounge or anywhere to sit out of the wind.

The constant signing of chits was annoying, bearing in mind that the hotel was under-staffed. The night shows were a joke.

Spend the extra $$$$ and go to a 5 star!

The advertisements for this hotel are totally misleading.

I will not be returning.

B & N, Toronto, Canada

My senior citizen Mother and I are handicap individuals and booked our trip through Orbitz to ONCE AGAIN stay at the Holiday Inn from May 14-21, 2008. This was our eighteenth trip to Aruba, and, our fourth stay at the Holiday Inn. For the life of me, I cannot understand the level of complaints for this resort? Being handicapped, I called Guest Services here in the States and emailed the same from the Holiday Inn’s web page. I asked for the Aruba Tower, the sixth floor, and, I asked for a beach hut for the week. We cannot stand in lines and both Rafael Castellanos (Guest Services Manager) and Miquel Marquez (the Pool and Beach Area Manager) worked tirelessly to accommodate our needs and requests.

Upon arrival, we found ourselves back up on the sixth floor as requested, in the same room! The room was on the sixth floor, nicely decorated, and spotless. Our housekeeper was Adela Daygo, and, she made it a pleasure to return to the room at the end of the day! Beds were clean, made, and, plenty of supplies and towels! No smell of mold, no dirt, just lovely. The bathroom was always immaculate, and, we requested Adela’s floor specifically because of her stellar service! This lovely lady even arranges the toiletries for you on a towel, every day!! Now that is going out of the way for a client! When we return, I will ask for her floor AGAIN!!

Check-in was painless, polite, with smiling folks at the Reservation Desk. I did stop by the Guest Relations Desk to ask to speak to Miquel about the beach hut. Being the polite and professional gentleman that he is, Miquel called our room that very afternoon, had the hut arranged for the week, and, stopped by twice to make sure we were happy, content, and, taken care of…which we were. Every morning the beach staff arranged our chairs and towels with a smile and stopped by for a chat. Smitty and Eorol were wonderful young men, with hearts as big as the heavens themselves. We were not the only handicapped folks there for this trip. There was a group of six deaf senior citizens, a lady with polio who walked with a walker and several others with walkers, canes, and, crutches. The staff gave us all dedicated, professional and compassionate care with smiles and often hugs to get us up and going. Never, never in the eight days that I was there, did I meet a grumpy staff member! Now that is compassionate service, just not for me and Mother, but the others as well. We looked like the “Knee, Hip, Joint, Arthritis Group” and we compared notes on treatment for the disabled clients. The Holiday Inn did not slight its physically challenged clients, rather it provided us with stellar and compassionate service. If Mother and I would have to had to stand in line for a hut, the pain would have leveled us by ten in the morning. Thus, the efforts so charitably given on our account were so welcomed and appreciated. It made our stay comfortable, and we could enjoy the beach and pool like other clients.

The week had perfect weather, between 88-92, no rain. The beach and pool area were cleaned daily, the pool had sparkling clean water, and NO SEAWEED on the beach anywhere. I did take note that the bottom of the sea did have a few “mushy spots” but that is indicative of past storms in the area. Being an old “Master Diver” of thirty plus years, I wear the “aqua shoes, or aqua waders” into any water I get into, just safer. I almost stepped on a poor stingray! So folks, pack a pair, and, protect your feet. There are a lot of beach activities such as rafts, kayaks, paddle boats, etc. for those interested in the same.

We did the “all inclusive program” more to save us time and energy. My Mom had just had her second knee replacement, just twelve weeks prior to the trip and I was leery of running around looking for restaurants and in and out of the cabs. However, we did go to a couple of our favorite restaurants for dinner. Aruba is an “eating capital” with fare for every taste, so venture on out! Back to the Holiday Inn food…Irena at the Coral Restaurant greeted us daily with smiles and stories to share! What a great way to start the day! The servers were on the ball, cleaning tables, brining coffee or tea, and were always friendly and polite. Now, the food selection is what you would find at any standard buffet. We ate plenty, we ate well, and, came on home three pounds heavier, so, we apparently did not starve! There was always veggies, fruit, salad, soup, beef, chicken, fish, rice/potatoes etc. Desserts abound if you have a sweet tooth! Now here is what I did see….MOSTLY MEN left the steamer lids open after they took their portion of food!! The kids put the lids down, the men left them open! Is this comparable to their leaving the toilet seat up as well?!?!? If more folks would be gracious and put the lids down, the food would of course remain hotter.

We did get drinks and lunch from the pool bar and it was well tended. If you find the drinks a bit weak, just ask the bartender for a double shot of whatever you are drinking. We ourselves do not drink, but the other patrons looked well provided for and content. The servers were very sweet, personable, but busy. It was nothing for them to hand out a Coke or a Mud Slide, all with a smile! I loved the brick oven pizza and the grouper fish platter!

We popped in and out of the shopping mall, won a few dollars in the casino, and attended a couple of the resorts nightly show offerings. There were several programs for children including movies! The taxi drivers were wonderful, kind, and, we managed a full day of shopping downtown! You know you have been to Aruba several times when your taxi driver recognizes you! It was wonderful to catch up with our old friends, ask how their families were doing, and, speak of the changes on Aruba over the past fifteen years. Hopefully the building will stop and, soon. I remember when there was open land and pastures across from the Holiday Inn.

Mid-way through our trip, I stopped by the Front Desk and spoke with Alicia, the Manager on duty. We shared our appreciation with her, and, spoke about the services at the Holiday Inn. When you arrive, you are given a sheet with the numbers to call IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS!!! Why people do not give the staff an opportunity to correct a problem, change a room, or, provide a service is beyond me? Please, just call the number and be pleasantly surprised at the outcome you will receive. Remember, courtesy, manners, and, a smile will get you far in Aruba. We had the pleasure of speaking directly to the Guest Service Manager on duty the day we left. Rafael Castellanos patiently listened to us express our gratitude to the staff and resort for making our stay safe, happy, and, enjoyable. The Management makes itself available to the patrons, something I have rarely seen in my travels. It is a feature opened to all of its patrons, so, make good use of it during your stay. Do not wait to come home and complain, straightened it out during your trip.

This was my eighteenth trip to Aruba. I stayed at the Holiday Inn back in the early nineties, the Hyatt, the Marriott, the Buccutti, the Wyndham (now the Westin) but the Holiday Inn Supree's service topped them all. Go, have a good time, and, if you have a special need, or run into a problem, contact the given number, and, give them a chance to remedy the same. I never saw or heard one grumpy person, never had an employee be cross with me or my family. We brought home wonderful memories from this trip. Sure hope your trip goes as well! Mother and I will return to the Holiday Inn in the fall, and, we are counting the days. We miss the island, and the staff at the Holiday Inn already.

We ran into one problem with American Airlines in Miami. Typical. I hate that airline. They left us once again with no wheelchairs. A golf cart finally retrieved us, but the man spoke no English, and, he ran around the airport for thirty-seven minutes before delivering us to our proper docking bay gate! I was right dizzy from all the twists and turns! American Airlines was two hours late getting out, having to wait for a flight crew to arrive from New York. No, you don’t get fed, no peanuts, no pretzels, just a drink. We managed to get some dinner before the long flight into Baltimore. Another two hour drive home has me pulling in the driveway at two in the morning. A very long day. Thank goodness Irena and the staff at the Coral Restaurant made sure we had a good breakfast and some fruit to carry along with us on the day we left! Otherwise we would have been two hungry and disgruntled ladies.

Anyway folks, take it from an avid traveler who knows, give the Holiday Inn Sunspree in Aruba a chance. It is a great value for the buck, stellar service, fantastic beach, they provide a plethora of services and tour, there is the shopping area in the hotel, and the bus stops outside for a quick trip to town. Just remember your manners, enjoy yourself and the Island, and, come on home safe, happy and healthy! Happy traveling to all!