“Have a good vacation, Mr. Kirk.”
Shortly after a slightly stressful and hour-long disembarkation from the Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba (more on the airport experience below), my mood improved considerably. In the few-minute commute to my resort destination, I passed by miles of pristine beaches. And good vibes were everywhere, including those from my chatty taxi driver.
It’s hard not to have a good vacation in Aruba. The weather seems to hover in the mid-80s, there are only eight inches of rain per year and there are no stoplights. It’s also easy and safe to get around, which is not always the case for these island countries. And, bonus, Aruba is located outside of the hurricane belt.
There are plenty of luxury places to stay on the Dutch-Caribbean island, but I was here to check out St. Regis’s first foray in Aruba. Located at the start of Palm Beach — the most popular beach on the island — the St. Regis is part of Marriott International’s luxury portfolio and offers a few amenities you may not find on other parts of the island. Opened in late January, the resort features 252 guestrooms (including 52 suites) and 20,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor function space. It’s located just minutes from the capital of Oranjestad, and some stores and restaurants are walkable, both on the beach and in the town.
We had a three-night, four-day stay at the St. Regis in early May, and while the resort has a few growing pains to work out (early reviews from guests have been mixed), it’s overall a wonderful and relaxing experience. As the weather remains grim here in New York, and after a particularly taxing winter and spring, I’m already eager to go back.
Not Your Grandparents’ Aruba: A Modern Guide to the Caribbean Island
Swap the Aruba Ariba and dated resort for ATV rides these contemporary hotelsA Quick Overview of Aruba
I believe you need to learn about the culture of anywhere you plan to visit, so here’s a very brief overview. Aruba is a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is why you’ll find a lot of blonde Dutch speakers everywhere you turn (along with the celebration of a few Dutch holidays, a nearby windmill and even Dutch karaoke — more on that later). It’s a bit north of Venezuela and is just around 70 square miles in size.
Once dependent on oil, Aruba’s primary source of income for the past few decades has revolved around tourism (over one million visitors per year, primarily from North America) — which is why most of the island seems to cater to travelers, particularly in the luxury space and those on cruise boats.
The Resort
Although new, a rep at the St. Regis said they expect to see most of its visitors around Easter and in the summer. During our early May trip, the hotel felt neither overly crowded nor uncomfortably empty — while the six restaurants on-site were a bit empty for a weekend stay, the pool, beaches and on-site casino offered a lively mix of people, who ranged broadly in age and nationality.
“Couples make up a considerable portion of our guests, particularly those seeking a romantic getaway or celebrating special occasions,” a St. Regis rep explained. “Families are more prominent during school holidays such as Presidents Week and Easter. Our resort is very family-friendly. Solo travelers represent a smaller segment.”
Food is a huge selling point for the St. Regis. There are six distinctive culinary experiences at the resort, including what the property is calling the island’s first rooftop bar and restaurant, the Japanese/Korean fusion restaurant Akira Black, helmed by, natch, Michelin-starred Chef Akira Black. “While a few venues have marketed rooftop concepts, these have typically been located on lower levels, such as the second or fourth floor,” our rep noted. “Until now, Aruba has not seen a venue that fully embraced the elevated rooftop lifestyle in both setting and ambiance.”
The other venues vary in price, style and vibe; the ground-floor Eskama is where you’ll spend most of your meals (it’s great for breakfast and a varied Coastal Mediterranean menu), along with the beachside Nuba, a bar in the lobby, a casino bar and and a coffee shop. I enjoyed all the food and the drinks — randomly, all the venues have a great whisk(e)y selection along with expected forays into rum and cocktails built from local spirits producers — although service could be a little slow. Again, this seems more to be about the growing pains of a new resort; I expect service to be on point within months.
This is the first St. Regis with an on-site casino — while I don’t gamble, I did enjoy their cocktail bar, where our bartender (who was heavy on the eye contact) seemed intent on crafting unique takes on classic drinks to impress our group. But I spent most of my time by the resort’s infinity pools and on the powdery white beaches, dipping my toes in the shallow and clear blue waters. If your ideal holiday is hanging out in a cabana, soaking up sun and music (and daiquiris), you honestly won’t need any of the other amenities. But that said, there is a spa (offering good pedicures), a fitness center and a Children’s Club.
I wanted to check out the other hotels on the beach. My brief forays suggested that I’d made the right hotel choice. The resort next to us featured very loud DJs playing to, oddly, a much older crowd. And the supposedly family-friendly resort next to that property actually had the loudest parties. The St. Regis? Far less of a spring break vibe.
Since you are at a St. Regis, there are a few traditions here. We enjoyed a nightly Champagne sabering, an afternoon tea and the resort’s variation on the Bloody Mary, a drink supposedly invented at the hotel’s NYC location back in 1934. I’m not usually a fan of the cocktail, but the local variation, called the Bon Bini Mary, features papaya and habanero chili. It’s delicious and very much reflective of the Arubian culture.
The Rooms
Then again, you may not want to leave your room — our ninth-floor suite (around 516 square feet) featured two private balconies overlooking both the beach and the pools, a king-sized bed, a separate hallway/closet/changing area, a bathroom larger than my first studio in New York and a huge living room with multiple couches and sofas. Outside of food, there was often little incentive to leave my rather decadent enclave.
Rates will vary depending on the view and number of bedrooms. For the Memorial Day weekend, I found rates from under $1,000 for an ocean-view room with two queen beds to over $3,000 for the John Jacob Astor Suite, a two-person, two-bathroom, 2,600+ square foot apartment named after the St. Regis founder.
If you need help, the St. Regis is renowned for its butler service (which we did not try). As a staff member told me, the butlers can offer garment pressing, shoe shines, packing/unpacking help and typical concierge services like dining reservations, transfers and private island experiences.
What to Do in Aruba Outside of the St. Regis
I loved the St. Regis, but there’s quite enough to do at the resort to keep you entertained for more than maybe 48 hours. Definitely book some time on the water (the hotel can help, or there are dozens of boat and excursion operators along Palm Beach). And while you’re on the beach, you should hit up Bugaloe, a dive bar on a nearby pier that offers cheap drinks and late-night karaoke (including, as mentioned, some Dutch songs you may not know but the crowd certainly loves). You can also book water-based activities and excursions on that pier.
There are plenty of nearby restaurants, bars and stores to the St. Regis, but I’d suggest taking a morning to hit some of the island highlights — the Casibari Rock Formations, the California Lighthouse, Arikok National Park and, most importantly, a butterfly sanctuary literally across the street fom the St. Regis that feels like a Disney cartoon come to life. We even had fun visiting an aloe factory (aloe being one of the few products produced on the island).
Honestly, the best experience I had outside the St. Regis was a lunch and rum tasting at Bodegas Papiamento, a rum distillery with a backyard food truck and proximity to a Scientology boat (more on that here), a topic that dominated our group discussion for hours.
Getting to Aruba (and Leaving)
If you’re traveling from the Northeast, you’re in luck — there are plenty of direct flights from major airports (JFK, EWR and BOS) to Aruba’s Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA). The bad news? You’ll have to go through Aruba’s airport, which was slightly disorganized on arrival and kind of a nightmare on departure.
You’ll want to get to the airport at least three hours early — people start lining up out the doors — and be prepared to go through multiple security checkpoints. The only good news? For U.S. fliers, you’ll be able to do the arrival customs within the airport, saving you a step on the way back. It’s just a shame that the most (and only) stressful part of your stay in Aruba is leaving it.
Otherwise, Mr. Taxi Driver? Yes, it was a good vacation.
Note: Before you arrive, you’ll need to complete the digital Aruba Online Embarkation and Disembarkation form and pay a $20 fee.
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