Aruba Ocean Villas

This was the most romantic evening I’ve ever experienced. My husband and I are on our honeymoon, we needed our trip with one last dinner at “Old Man and the Sea” everything is natural, romantic, and a gentle evening! Food was amazing but the experience is worth everything!!

On the whole, this venue has an undeniable enchantment. However, I question whether the experience is worth the investment. Our Room: We reserved a room to mark our anniversary and were pleased with the thoughtful display. We selected Joy, which featured a beautiful outdoor bathroom. Regrettably, our enthusiasm was tempered by the presence of rain flies and ants in the room, including our bed. Management failed to apologize, instead expressing puzzlement that this issue was isolated to our room. We were transferred to Elle Marie, an upgrade, but our preference remained with Joy, especially its outdoor shower. Although Elle Marie boasted a more spacious area, a small beach, and a couple's swing, the bathroom lacked the same impact. Service: Staff politeness and accommodation were notable, but forgetfulness led to meal timing issues. Restaurant: Unfortunately, the food was mediocre, inconsistent with the restaurant's visual appeal. Omelets were overcooked, yogurt tasted sour, and desserts seemed pre-prepared. The difference between a cook and a chef is evident, yielding underwhelming, stale, and overpriced food. The Beach: Despite its stunning and comfortable appearance, the beach's water shoreline area is compromised by an overgrowth of algae, making it unpleasant to access, even with water shoes. Activities: Unfortunately, there are none. We attempted to utilize two outdated kayaks, but no snorkeling gear was available, and the front desk was unaware of the sailing tour, which was allegedly offered by a partner, with no effort made to connect us with them. Essentially, what are you paying for? The experience, a peaceful environment and combined beach and jungle views, which is indeed beautiful

The most wonderful part of our experience was the staff who became part of our lives for the 18 days we were there. The 3 women whose job it was to serve breakfast and lunch by the ocean, and provide for the usual "needs" associated with relaxing all day in beautiful weather - Yvonne, Cookie, and JeanMarie - were among the most caring, loving, friendly, and sweet people we had ever met in all of our lives! There are not enough or adequate words to express how the "3 musketeers" literally made our vacation. We will not soon, if ever, forget them; it was so sad to say our goodbyes. Let us also not forget Carlos, who took the reins late in the day, and was always there to give my wife her daily hug. The grounds maintenance staff were on top of everything, as was our hut attendant, Gizel. The hut was pretty much as advertised: rustic and Bali-like. We quickly got used to the outdoor - though covered - bathroom and shower (in fact, the shower had strong water pressure and hot water that came quickly), with occasional local wildlife passing through. The mattress was very comfortable, the sheets were soft, and the towels were of high quality. WiFi in the hut and throughout the property was good enough to be able to work. Missing was any closet at all to hang clothing, and the shelf space was lacking as well; they brought in a coat rack, which was an accommodation, but not a great one. We lived out of our suitcases. No place that was lighted to put on make-up and no electric plugs in the bathroom for the hair dryer. The included breakfast was served next to or over the water, always brought with a smile and a lovely morning welcome by the "musketeers". It came as ordered (the night before), with enough options available to keep it varied over the many days. The lunch choices were limited, but the salads were good. The dinner restaurant is worth doing, once, for the view and setting, but the menu could use an upgrade and better preparation of food. Our biggest disappointment was the beach. Our main reason for choosing Aruba was to relax on the beach, of course with its trademark weather, in an environment that was quieter and less populated than the huge hotels on Eagle and Palm Beaches. The website photo of the beach at AOV is very misleading, as it shows a reasonably wide area of sand with adjustable chaise loungers and Adirondack chairs, next to both shaded and sun-drenched spots. But, as we learned upon arrival, the photo had been taken on the adjacent property, showing predominantly the beach geography of that adjacent property. The very small beach on AOV's property had a number of flat, not adjustable, queen-size beds under fixed hut structures, and a number of other flat twin-size chairs, also not adjustable, that were extremely difficult to move, due to their weight. What the website photo offered was not there. As an accommodation, they brought over 2 loungers from storage, and did a re-arrange of the furniture close to the

Very warm and welcoming service in an overly priced horrible location, with a joke for a beach it sits on. Sorry for being blunt. Here’s more about our stay: The entry door will hurt someone if over 5’11”. You need to step OVER the walkway while ducking UNDER the wood entry decor simultaneously (where my 6’ tall husband banged his head so hard it started to bleed). Needless to say, handicap accessible isn’t even close. The number of trip and stepping hazards is insane. Always watch where you’re going. Even on the drive in, the amount of major holes that need to be leveled is unreal. Resulting in enormous mud piles you need to drive and walk around. The shower doesn’t get hot. Ever. The so called private beach is a joke. No one would ever want to dip their toe in this murky mess. But now explains why there are so many mosquitoes!! The amount of mosquitoes!!!! From Tuesday night to Saturday morning, I have over 40 bites on me (including my face!) and I have lathered the bug spray on me constantly. I went through 2 tubes of anti itch gel - which doesn’t seem to work for these blood sucking creatures. The largest cock roaches I’ve ever seen in my entire life, came strolling through our “open air living” space - more than once. So gross!! They are definitely well fed here. Wifi sucks. Got better connection at random restaurants during our trip. This location is so far from anything and everything. We had to travel 14km to get anywhere. The sounds within the bedroom are non stop from leaves hitting the roof to what sounds like animals trying to get in while we are trying to sleep. Plus the bar location. The bar is located so close that we could hear all the music and conversations which made falling asleep difficult. When we tried to see if another room available (it wasn’t), we were told the live music stops at 10. It wasn’t the live music that was a problem. Have to request for housekeeping services and towels refreshed - they are pleasant when responding but was surprised so much had to be requested. Including pick up of our room service dishes from the night prior. For what they charge especially given their location, I’d expect much better amenities and food quality. Breakfasts tasted like premade microwaveable dishes. We won’t return but do hope they read these reviews and implement positive changes over time. So disappointed in our overall stay. The people who work here however, are incredibly nice.