Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino

First time at the Hilton and overall it was a fantastic vacation. First, I want to address the construction. I read the reviews so was aware that there was construction going into this but was willing to take the chance. There are 2 huge towers being built on each side. We didn’t stay by the pools at all but they were blasting the music to cover the sound of the construction. I sat on the beach every day so could barely hear it with the music over it. If you are looking for quiet and serene, I would wait till the construction is done. We sat our first day in one of the back row free palapas and there were definitely some points where the pounding of the construction was bothering me. We rented front row palapas for the rest of the week and didn’t notice a thing. The palapas were great, well spaced apart and necessary to get some shade from the sun throughout the day. It was worth the price to not have to play the 7AM chair game. The beach is beautiful and wide and even though it was Easter week, it never felt crowded. We stayed in a suite at the Palm Beach Club which was fantastic. You get access to breakfast in the AM, some finger sandwiches during the midafternoon and drinks and light appetizers from 5-7. The ladies who work there are fantastic and it was a great way to munch throughout the day when you didn’t want a big lunch. The room was spacious, housekeeping did a great job every day and kept the room stocked with towels and water daily. We had dinner at Sunset Grille one evening and everything was delicious, especially the lobster bisque and the mushroom risotto. Everyone in the resort is very friendly, I would definitely come back.

We love this resort - have been 6 or more times since 2010 when it was the Radisson. It is on the best stretch of beach in all of Palm Beach. Very family-friendly and an amazing and caring staff. Here during a peak week and despite the hotel being full, it does not feel crowded. We absolutely love the birds and enjoy greeting them each day. The resort has a great line up of activities - my kids are having a blast. Emmely is the best! We are Hilton Diamond. The breakfast is great- full is included, not just continental. Book the room category you want and don’t expect an upgrade, especially during busy times. We booked a studio suite and we are happy with the extra space it gives us. I don’t find the construction to be an issue. However, I will say that I think the addition of the new tower and the Shore Club restaurant take away from some of the charm of the resort. I am sad to see the beautiful open space gone. That being said, my children are looking forward to returning and staying in the new tower when it opens. My only other complaints- the bed in our room so very uncomfortable. I am instead sleeping on a rollaway instead of the king bed. This is somewhat disappointing. There have also been a few errors with our food from the food trucks.

I hardly ever write hotel reviews but wanted to let other travelers as well as Hilton managers know about the state of the resort with current construction. As others have said there is major construction taking place. A notice can be found on the website by clicking a small "Resort Expansion" link. There are minimal details given. Last year, I stayed at another nice hotel brand's property that was undergoing construction, and a notice was prominently displayed on the website. I was able to call and get details and feel comfortable staying there. In Hilton's case, I feel duped as the website does not disclose the extent of the renovation and potential impacts. There is a big tower being built on one side and a restaurant on the other. From some reviews, I had imagined the construction would not be as noticeable, but that's not the case. The Hilton is not as large a resort as I had imagined, and construction was in view and heard from everywhere. Also, two nights of our stay the power was turned off at 4 am for planned maintenance. We were notified by a note in our room that power could be turned off in the coming days - way too vague. My husband has a CPAP that turned off which is not healthy for him and this woke us up both days. Then the water went out due to a construction crew hitting a pipe. This happened right after I had exercised and needed to quickly get ready for our family's all-day excursion. I stopped at the front desk to get some information and was told they knew about the issue and had no information on when the water might be restored. I explained my family had to get ready and leave soon (shower and brush teeth, etc.). All the front desk attendant offered over and over was there was a water break and they didn't know when the water would be restored - leaving the impression that it could easily be hours without water. I asked if there were any areas of the resort with water? Nope - can't help you. I asked if he could give me some bottled water? Nope, they don't have any. There was slight relief when I learned housekeeping could deliver some water, but then I learned about the 2 bottle max. I asked if they could make an exception since their water was out. Nope. The desk attendant seemed to have absolutely no concern. This water incident was apparently the last straw for me, and I had an embarrassing breakdown in the lobby. A manager type came over and said I could have some water delivered to the room (she sent a bunch and also called when the water was back on, and gave us a small resort credit). What really bothered me about this was the no apology/show of concern and the nothing I can do attitude from the front desk clerk. A bit unbelievable for a nice resort in my opinion. We left for our outing late and had to cut it short. All that said we had a nice stay, and felt like there were benefits like a competitive rate to the other resorts, pretty grounds, rooms, and pool (they play music to drown out the construction noise which worked pretty well), and generally very friendly staff. The location is great, an easy walk to all restaurants. We also ate at the resort's Sunset Grille and had a great experience. The outside patio is lovely in the evening, and we have food allergies and felt very well taken care of. The waiter was very friendly and knowledgeable, and the chef came out to check on us. The resort will be very nice when the construction is done.

We stayed at this property 2 years ago and found it to be a stunning resort in a great location with impeccable service. This year we stayed at the Embassy Suites which gives you a lot for your money but the service did not come close to the Hilton Aruba Caribbean resort. We returned to the Hilton for their breakfast buffet twice during our stay. The service and food were out of this world. In particular we were impressed with the attention coming from Norman Dijkhoff, the assistant F & B manager. Such a lovely man who clearly loves what he can do for people. He's great at his job and made us feel valued and special. Such a generous & sweet person. I'd also like to mention Wiebe who also made our visit so enjoyable! We would highly recommend this resort.