Divi Aruba All Inclusive

We just returned from our first trip to Aruba. We had a relaxing holiday and enjoyed seeing a new Caribbean island. We chose Divi Aruba All-inclusive based based on personal research I did. We wanted to be on the beach to relax, snorkel, enjoy the ocean, and dine at night at a variety of restaurants. We arrived and were put in the wrong room which was supposed to be an upgrade. It was rundown and not acceptable for 4.5 star hotel as well as an Air Canada vacation. They found the correct room we payed for after we explained that this was not what we chose. Hotel staff was hit and miss. Service is not their specialty as we have travelled lots and have never experienced this type of service before. Concierge service which we had to use to book dinners at the A La Carte restaurants was very time consuming and frustrating to deal with. Never enough staff for amount of people waiting in long lines. Food was not anything to brag about. It was average and the most dissappointing part of our holiday next to hotel service. Typical food for a buffet. The thing we missed the most was: lack of fresh fruit and vegetables, no milk with our coffee, and no fresh salads like back home. We ate big breakfasts to make up for the lack of food choices. The bar foods were what we ate each lunch: pizza, hot dogs and burgers with fries.It seemed like the hotel did not have a lot of healthy options. Orange juice tasted like "Tang". Water was plentiful and they did give water bottles to keep upon arrival. Many accessible water fill stations which was necessary due to heat. Bars around the hotel were not stocked with premium wine or liquor. The Balashi beer was good. Not a ton of drink choices for an all inclusive. Room we stayed in was cleaned and renovated like the pictures showed. Nothing in fridge in room at all. Staff didn't seem like they wanted to be there and did not make it a "happy island". The positives about the trip: safe place and very clean, divi beach was gorgeous, hot weather 42 with humidity each day, windy but needed, and transfer from airport was simple. ABC tours was an amazing tour company with Suri as our guide. Saw Arikok national park which was gorgeous. Pools were nice but small. Beach was beautiful sand. Water was crazy rough so no snorkelling unless you went elsewhere.Water was murky not clear which was surprising! Beach chairs were hard to get unless you went early and lots were damaged which was weird. No service on beach from bars at all. We would go for a walk and get a drink. There was shuttle service to sister resort which was nice feature. Had a night when we mixed up our reservation time. It was our error and we acknowledged that. Asked to see if we could eat anyway as restaurant was empty and response was "we can not accommodate you at this time". We ended up going to town and eating dinner at Giannis Restaurant Aruba. Was unbelievable food and service! Best meal all week!! After that night we never ate out at the ala carte restaurants at the hotel. My favourite part of the trip was running each morning along Eagle Beach on the pedestrian road. After running to high rises I would have to say the beach of this hotel is gorgeous but wind makes water super rough. Island has a European vibe not Caribbean which was surprising. Also terrain was very desert-like which was different than any other island we have been to. Did not get the "one happy island" vibe at all. I had heard it was windy but our spot on Eagle Beach was never calm waters. Million dollar question... Would we return? We would stay at a different location closer to the high rises where we could make our own breakfast and lunch and eat at different restaurants. But in all honesty, beautiful beaches, hot weather, safe country but not our favourite destination. Turks and Caicos Grace Bay is still the most beautiful beach we have ever stayed on. Divi is a beautiful hotel location, lacking customer service, and healthy food options. But we never regret trying a new place and are happy we got to see Aruba. Been on our bucket list for a long time!

The hotel was beautiful and the customer service workers were very nice. The drinks weren’t the best but the food was above average. I was disappointed that there was no room service and you had to leave your room to get all of your food and drinks. The hotel entertainment was ok, but nothing special. I was disappointed that most of the hotel restaurants, bars, and activities ended pretty early in the night. Overall, it was a pleasant experience with no major negatives.

We had a great experience at this hotel, our rooms were immaculate and spacious, the restaurants were delicious. Nightly sunsets, swimmable beaches and quiet pools. There were plenty of groups there but I'd say this is a family resort or maybe a good choice for honeymooners. Hotel service was excellent, friendly, polite and professional