We just got back from a 4 night/5 day vacation at the Divi Phoenix. This was our 2nd time in Aruba and our 1st time staying at the Divi Phoenix. We read a lot of reviews before booking this vacation and weren't sure how our stay would go here but overall things were great. As we walked into the front desk area to check in we noticed right away all the luggage piled up. Not a good sign at first and were expecting our suitcases to join the others however we were able to check in within 15 minutes and to our surprise the Divi had upgraded our studio to a one bedroom suite with no extra charge AND it was available for early check in...nice. We get our room keys, our 4 beach towel cards and welcome reading material and head off to find our room. Our room was located in the newer beach tower. We were on the ground floor which my husband and I weren't too happy with at first but when we entered the room and checked everything out we were very happy with the room and location. Nothing beat opening up our patio door and walking over to Pure Beach to grab drinks, jump in the pool or listen to the band. No stairs and/or elevator to deal with. We had just as a nice view of the ocean as those above us had. Our room also had an awesome view of the stage at Pure Beach so after soaking in the sun at the beach we would head back to the room, grab some beers at Pure Beach, sit on the patio and listen to the band and watch the people dance. Some of the previous reviews had commented on the staff and I have to say that overall the staff were great. We had Jude, Sandra, Lilo and Kimmy wait on us at Pure Beach. We also shopped several times in the gift shop store. While I didn't find the staff down out nasty, you can tell that this is their job and that they can at times come across as lacking the passion for doing it. Sometimes I felt that it was a bother for them to assist us even though it wasn't. Their lack of enthusiasm can come off being nasty and I can see why other reviews had commented about the staff. The front desk and deli staff I felt were a little clueless but maybe it's because they weren't given proper training. The food at Pure Beach and Pure Ocean was great. We ate lunch every day at Pure Beach (calamari was awesome) and had dinner at Pure Ocean (loved the Mac & Cheese and Scallops). The one thing I did notice was that there isn't much for kids to do. There is a little kid pool but no kid centered activities. This wasn't a big deal for my husband or I as our two children were back at home with our parents however if/when we come back to Aruba this may play a role in our decision making as to whether or not we stay at Divi Phoenix. I feel that the Divi is for an older crowd. Maybe that's why everything shuts down at 11pm and why you need to get up at the butt crack of dawn to "reserve" your palapa for the day. If you are looking for a good nightlife this isn't the place to be. It's true about the palapa situation...you better be up early to throw a beach towel or beach bag on something to "claim" your spot for the day. Seems as though there isn't enough thatched umbrellas to go around for those staying at Divi Phoenix. My husband and I overall had a great time and would return to Divi Phoenix if it's just the two of us again.

I've been to Aruba dozens of times, and this was my first stay at the Phoenix. It was one of my best trips ever. Upon arrival, things went from good to great as soon as we checked in. They upgraded us to a one bedroom villa suite foe free. It was the nicest room I've ever had in Aruba. The room was large, clean, and had 2 full baths with Jacuzzi tubs. Our huge patio faced the beach. As with most resorts, you get the idiots that get up at sunrise to claim their spot on the beach, and then don't come back for 6 hours. Even so, we had no issues finding a good spot on the beach in the sun or shade each day. This is during February too. One of the busiest times of the year. The optional wifi also reaches the beach. There are also several pools, but we spent everyday on the beach. We did not eat at the hotel, so I have no comment on the restaurants. I did enjoy the good coffee at the coffee shop near the lobby. All in all, we had a great stay and will be returning again this summer.

We were given a room in the old section upon checkin which was outdated and musty. We needed to switch rooms for other reasons and the staff was very accommodating. We were quickly switched to a room in the new towers. Wow....complete night and day difference. The rooms in the new towers are larger, modern and really nice. We had two, full baths and a washing machine. Great view of the pool and the beach too.
Beach is really nice but you have to get up early and claim lounge chairs/umbrella huts (even though your not supposed to "save" your spot but everyone does it anyway). This was annoying. I wish each room was assigned an umbrella hut so we didn't have to worry about getting a shaded spot on the beach.
Within walking distance of restaurants and shopping. Very friendly staff. We ate breakfast at Pure Ocean a few times. It was a little pricey but very good. We also ate lunch at Pure Beach a few times. Food was ok but nice atmosphere since it's right off the beach.

We've been going to Aruba for several years, but this was our first stay at the Divi Phoenix. We stayed in the new section on the 5th floor for one week in February. It was a beautiful room with a full kitchen and two full baths. The staff was friendly and attentive. It was a quiet location at the far end of the strip, but within walking distance of everything from shopping to restaurants to bars and nightclubs. The stretch between the Divi and the next resort was dark at night and there wasn't much of a walkway. A walkway with lights and landscaping would have been nice. The pools at the hotel are nice but the beach situation is completely disorganized. Apparently, you have to wake up before sunrise on your vacation to put a towel under a palapa (thatched umbrella) to "reserve" it for the day. And the sun is really strong in Aruba so most people need shade during the day. Last year we stayed at the Raddison a few hotels down. They had a great system. All of their palapas were numbered. Each afternoon you could go to the towel hut at 4pm and reserve a palapa for the following day. On the following day, if you didn't occupy your palapa by 10am other guests could use it. We go to Aruba to relax and enjoy the warm sun and beach during the winter. The beach situation was so frustrating that we won't be returning to the Divi, unless they implement a system similar to the Raddison. And I hope they do, because otherwise it's a very nice hotel and it's generally very peaceful and quiet.