Las Islas

We were in Aruba on a cruise last week and stopped by a place we love. We had a drink at Bunker Bar, and the people and staff were great, just as they usually are. It’s one of the best places in the world.

The people of Aruba, the shop owners, and most of the staff we met were wonderful, sweet, and kind. My family and I loved the island, and my seven- and ten-year-old kids were incredible and understanding. But we’d never return to Divi Dutch Village or recommend it unless you’re an owner. In all my years of travel, I’ve never been treated so poorly. We originally booked a week with all-inclusive. None of the beach bars or huts along the beach were included except two right on the property, and they had no beach access. Nearby properties wouldn’t take cash or credit at their bars, so I had to buy a card for all of us. When we couldn’t leave, I asked to extend the all-inclusive. They wanted $500 per guest per day, so we had to pay full price for every meal. Given what we and many others were going through, even a little courtesy or compassion would have helped. Instead, there was no care or concern. Our unit had plenty of problems. The front desk was unpleasant, and my daughter called four times over two days just to get extra pillows and blankets. The sink and shower drains were clogged, drawers wouldn’t close properly, the shower had mold, and the downstairs air conditioner didn’t work right. There were five of us in one unit. My daughter and grandson spent five nights on a sofa bed with a paper-thin mattress, sleeping on the coils and springs, while my granddaughter slept on a lounge chair. In the one-bedroom units with an upstairs bedroom, the upstairs neighbor’s bathroom is literally in the downstairs apartment. A woman upstairs drank all day and vomited all night, keeping my daughter awake for two days. The airspace closure forced us out of our unit. The only flight I could get was Sunday, but they told my other family member and me there were no rooms and my daughter and two small grandchildren had to leave by Thursday. I scrambled to find another hotel. When our Saturday departure was also blocked, I waited 45 minutes at the front desk. I heard them bend over backwards to accommodate owners and their guests with extra bedrooms, then we were rudely told nothing could be done and to come back at 4. They said the same thing again. The Divi Golf and Tamarijn concierges were kind and pleasant, but when they asked where we were staying, they all rolled their eyes. The response to my review was just as I expected, generic and impersonal, asking only whether we’d come back. They didn’t offer any help finding a room, even though they knew we were stranded and couldn’t get home. I understand they couldn’t accommodate us with owners and others coming in, but nobody made even the smallest attempt to help. That’s not the service I’d expect at a place like this on an island that was wonderful in every other way.

We had a lovely stay, and the small kitchen was useful. Our clean, spacious room had utensils and a coffee maker, and we found a supermarket a few blocks away for coffee, milk, and other things. The staff were good. Trying a little Papiamento, even just “bon tardi,” seemed to make people smile and more willing to help. That’s true around the island, not only at Divi. I liked being away from the high-rises and nightlife but close enough to drive or take a taxi there. You can walk to Manchebo Beach and on to Eagle Beach, though Divi’s own beaches are lovely too. The main tradeoff is choosing between being by the beach and near the food. We prioritized the beach, and the golf carts and kitchenette made it manageable. The resort has three sections, each with pros and cons. We stayed at Divi Dutch Village with the all-inclusive package. It has a small, well-maintained beach that seems to be eroding, a couple of pools, and a tiki bar included in the package. The rooms are said to be older; we heard a lot of street noise and could clearly hear the neighbors through the adjoining door, which wasn’t great. For all-inclusive meals, we had to walk or take a golf cart across the road to Divi Golf Resort. Drivers were easy to find, which was handy. The food was great wherever we ate. That section has nicer pools and rooms farther from the road, and I was told the rooms there are newer. But you need to cross the street to reach the beach, and there was more palapa drama, with towels saving spots while few people were there. That annoyed me. We didn’t have that problem on the Dutch Village beach. Tamarijn has its own all-inclusive plan. Our package let us swim there, but drinks and meals cost extra. It and its restaurants are on the beach side of the road, so you don’t have to be carted between beach, room, and food. We barely spent time there because our package wouldn’t cover anything, though it did look nice.

The rooms were kept clean by housekeeping, but that was about the main plus. There was no entertainment or music at the pools, and the resort bars closed at 7:30, with no nightlife on site. The pools are all small, all five of them, and the food wasn’t good. Every pool restaurant had the same menu. The rooms felt dated, had no chair to sit in, and no coffee, even though there was a coffee pot. There’s no elevator to the rooms, and the walls are thin enough that we heard everything from the ice room in the hall. The room light and ceiling fan switched on in the middle of the night, and the TV would shut off at random. Most guests seemed to be over 70 and didn’t want music. The listing advertised entertainment that they no longer offer.