My family (8 of us) just returned from a 10 day stay at the Aruba Marriott Surf Club. This was our first time using our time share. We LOVED it! We chose a time when we knew kids were still in school and it was perfect. The lazy river was so relaxing. Be sure to bring your floats. There is an air pump right on the property for you to blow up your floats. The staff were right there for us when we needed drinks or something to munch on. The casino at the Marriott more than paid off for us! We had a ball every day! It was one of my best vacations I have ever had. All the restaurants were 10+!! We went shopping in town and found some extrodinary deals at Kay's Jewelers. They are always willing to make deals with you, so don't be afraid to talk them down on prices. I have bought jewelry from them in the past and it is always been appraised for MORE in the states. The beds at the Surf Club were soooooooo comfortable! The washer and dryer definitely came in handy with all the clothes. Next time I will only bring a carry on. Why lug all the clothes when you live in a bathing suit most of the time. The weather was awesome the entire time we were there. I totally advice buying time share here if you ever doubted it... think NO more. It is totally worth every penny!!

nice clean resort complex. The staff could be a bit friendlier and more helpful though. Lots of pool areas and pretty large beach area.

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Surf Club from 5/4-5/11 to celebrate his 30th birthday. Before arriving we were nervous that the place would be overcrowded and that there would be a ton of noisy kids running around (especially after reading all the reviews). But that was not the case, despite the hotel being at 98% capacity when we checked in on 5/4. We headed to the beach or pool each day around 10 am and had no problem getting two chairs together or even a palapa without reserving. Some days we even managed to score front row chairs or palapas on the beach! Also the lazy river was amazing! Like everyone else says, bring your own floats, but be prepared to be amazed by some of the floats other people show up with...we both had float envy!

As for the room, we stayed in a lock-off and although it was bigger than I expected, it is basically a hotel room with a tiny galley kitchen. For two people, there was plenty of space and we had maid service more than once free of charge, plus clean towels everyday.

For food, we had Ling & Sons deliver groceries and alcohol to the hotel on the morning of our first day and used that for breakfast in the room and lunch/drinks on the beach. We ate dinner out every night and were for the most part impressed.

Some of our favorites were
Fishes & More - Delicious! My boyfriend had the Panama Canal special and raved about it all week.

L.G. Smith's Steakhouse - Had dinner here as part of the "Royal Romance" Package offered by the Renaissance (includes a couples massage, 3-course dinner, and drink for a good price.) Dinner was very tasty!

Simply Fish - Had a birthday dinner here at sunset which was fantastic. The staff was great as well and they sang Happy Birthday!

Asian Fusion Restaurant at the Hyatt (can't remember the name)- it was delicious and eating out on the grotto/fountain area was a lot of fun.

I wouldn't bother with the happy hour drinks at the Surf Club unless you want something blended and don't feel like making it yourself. Even at 2 for 1 they are still overpriced $10-$12 each and you have to wait for 30 minutes for delivery to your chair. Same goes for the food at the bar. Unless you are sitting at a table in the dining area don't bother, because the service is slow. We brought our own beers to the lazy river for happy hour each day (as long as you have cans or cups, you are all set) and enjoyed ourselves immensely!

One last thing, we had a great time and would highly recommend this resort, but be careful of your belongings by the pool/lazy river in the evening. We went for a swim at night and my boyfriend had his brand new sandals stolen out from under a pile of our stuff on a chair.

What a great vacation we had at the Marriot Surf Club last wk! My family of 5 stayed in a 2b2b condo which was perfect! We went to the local supermarket and saved so much by eating b'fast in the room each morn and buying liquor for the beach.

weather was gorg! 90 and breezy, never rained!

Fab food on the island!! Pricey but worth it. Approx $40 each person per night. We highly recommend: madame janette's, el faro blanco @ the lighthouse, ruinas del mar, gianni's.

pool is nice but go out early to reserve chairs and beach huts! bring your own tubes for the ocean and lazy river, there is an air pump there.

cleaning staff, lobby, car rental staff are all great. we have no complaints!

def rent a JEEP to see the island. the caves and natural pool/bridge are off dirt roads! we looked like fools in our kia sedan! plus we got a flat tire. =(

only complaint: the country's map has no rd/street signs! you have to wing directions according to landmarks! but half the fun was finding the places lol....oh and the surf club had no restaurants in the hotel, you had to walk elsewhere to each. no big deal to us but fyi.