Aruba Harmony Apartments

The location and price were good, but I was unhappy with the rest. The photos gave a misleading impression. The bathroom was awful, the pool looked neglected, and the beds were small mattresses pushed together. There was no TV, air conditioning, or kitchen equipment. The older woman on staff came across as insincere, despite acting friendly. We booked only 2-3 hours before arriving. When we saw the place didn’t match the photos or what we expected, we asked to cancel and were told we’d still have to pay 75% of the cost. That cancellation policy is ridiculous.

Yamir made our stay especially pleasant. He was consistently helpful and upbeat while the owners were out of the country, and they kept in touch with us on WhatsApp. He also gave us useful tips for restaurants, a local coffee place, nearby groceries, and beautiful excursions away from the usual spots. We spent some time relaxing in the lovely tiled courtyard, with its clean pool and furniture in both sun and shade. It was a quiet cul-de-sac with free street parking, and the other guests were considerate. We hope to try the owner’s food next time, which I hear is very good. We’d like to return next year if the value stays about the same, and would book directly to avoid the Priceline mix-up. We got a message saying our card had been declined and we had five hours to fix it or be cancelled, but the card hadn’t been declined and they never even tried to charge it. We checked with the bank. It’s a good thing we didn’t need to find a secure network to update the card. We stayed in Efficiency Apt #2 for 10 days in February 2025. After a week at the newly redone Divi resort, it took us a few days to adjust, but we had a positive stay. The tiled room had no cracked tiles, insects, or signs of them. The bed, linens, towels, bathroom, shower, and kitchen items were clean, with plenty of towels. The faucets felt a little loose where they meet the sink, though there were no leaks. The tap water tasted very good. There wasn’t truly hot water, but it stayed lukewarm, just above tepid, which was fine for a shower after a hot day. The coffee maker was a hot water pot for instant coffee, not a drip machine. Plates, glasses, and utensils were provided. The kitchen and fixtures were a bit dated. There were just enough outlets, though we couldn’t find one in the bathroom. Two of the six chandelier bulbs worked, but the light was enough, so we didn’t ask for service. Having two bathroom mirrors was nice. The location is close to central Oranjestad, the airport, and the low-rise resorts and beaches, with easy access to the outer-loop highway. You need a car. A few reasonable rules included a 12-hour limit on AC use and no paper in the toilet. Room tidying may have been available on request, but we didn’t need it. We were out exploring most days and evenings, and had a relaxing trip.

My friend and I arrived in Aruba with nowhere to stay, and I was extremely disappointed with the host. We’d booked a room for a few nights through Hostel World, but nobody from management answered the gate. Some maintenance workers told us to leave and wouldn’t share the Wi-Fi so we could contact the host. We walked to a nearby cafe to get online and messaged the host on WhatsApp to ask whether we could leave our bags. They replied that they’d cancelled our booking because, they said, my payment hadn’t gone through, even though my card shows a deposit charge. I offered to pay, but they said the whole reservation was cancelled and didn’t help. The app showed the cancellation only after that conversation, once we’d already landed. Nobody had contacted us beforehand. If we’d known before arriving, we could have sorted out the payment or found somewhere else.

Your Paradise was a comfortable stay for the price. It was clean, the beds were comfy, and the service was nice. A decent choice if you’re traveling on a budget.