Marriott's Aruba Surf Club

My family and I have traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean, staying mostly at Marriott-affiliated resorts due to my husband’s status. Unfortunately, the Marriott Surf Club Aruba is the WORST place we’ve ever stayed—a complete disappointment for the $5,500 price tag on a one-bedroom suite. Beach & Pool Chaos • Beach Access: If you want a palapa, you must log in at 5:30 PM the day before to reserve one (either free or for a fee). They sell out within minutes, and even if you get one, you’ll be packed in with no real ocean view. The beach itself is a letdown—murky water, hard sand, and overcrowded. My husband described it as a “beach jail.” In contrast, the nearby Ritz-Carlton and even the Marriott Ocean Club and Stellaris have a much nicer, less crowded beach. • Pool Chair Madness: To get a chair, you must be at the pool by 6 AM, stay with it until 7 AM, then return by 9 AM or risk losing it. After 9 AM, people just leave their stuff there all day, even if they’re not using the chairs. Workers patrol to enforce this ridiculous system. To top it off, some guests were just plain rude. One afternoon, after returning from another beach, my daughter and I found two empty, untagged chairs. Minutes later, an aggressive woman confronted me, falsely claiming they were hers. She even went to complain to staff—only to later find out from a friend that her group had already vacated the chairs! This entire ordeal upset my 8-year-old, making her uncomfortable enough to want to leave. Rooms & Service—Or Lack Thereof • The rooms, while spacious, are incredibly outdated. • Housekeeping is virtually nonexistent—they cleaned our room ONCE during our 7-night stay. When I called to request cleaning (because I was tired of washing the same four towels), the immediate response was: “Let me check if it’s been four days yet”—instead of simply saying, “Yes, we’ll send someone.” • Customer service was terrible—most staff members were unfriendly and unhelpful. Final Straw: The Bar Incident During happy hour, I ordered two drinks at the bar. The bartender took my order and relayed it to another bartender. I then waited 10 minutes as they made multiple drinks for table service—completely ignoring me. I finally walked away, only to have the bartender yell that I was “next.” Too late—I was done. Final Verdict: DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY Worst rooms, beach, pool situation, and customer service we’ve ever experienced. If you’re considering Aruba, stay at the Ritz or Stellaris instead.

The resort grounds and Pool area , Lazy River are spectacular. We enjoyed that part immensely. Problems.. Started at Check-in , we did not get wrist bands required to be in the pool. We were politely approached by Hotel security as we were floating in the lazy river, who went and got us wrist bands!! Room service is once every 4 days. or pay 20$ for more towels. Had to request coffee packs. Biggest problem was the A/C. it appears to be set at a permanent temperature (72?). The room NEVER got cold. We reported this issue and maintenance said the A/C was working fine.. I call BS.. The A/C blower did not shut off for the 5 days we were there.

Beach chair booking like trying to buy concert tickets. Sold out in 4 minutes. Web booking page and app unresponsive. Chair competition silly. Rooms tired but they’re going to do a major renovation. Common areas not really clean. Kids will love it, adults not so much