Aruba's Best Kept Secret
Written: Jan 08 '01 (Updated Jan 19 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Clean, friendly, good value
Cons: none
The Bottom Line: Aruba Beach Villas is highly recommended lodging in a pricey location. Good value.
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| friskycelery's Full Review: Aruba |
Have you ever come across a deal so good you wanted to tell everyone, but you're afraid if you do it will get ruined? Well, come a little closer, friend; let me whisper in your ear. This is such a good deal I don't want just anyone to know about it.
Aruba Beach Villas/Sailboard Vacations is arguably one of the best values in lodging on a rather pricey island. Located on the edge of a residential area, it is about a half mile north of the high rise hotel strip. Walk across a not very busy street and you're on the beach. You can catch a public bus right in front that will take you to the grocery store, downtown, or just about anywhere else you might want to go.
Amenities
There are 31 accommodations here. They are all a little different - no standard room here - but they are all light, airy, and impeccably clean. Some are small studio apartments, some have one or two bedrooms. All of them come with air conditioning, cable TV, a small refrigerator, a coffee maker, plates and silverware, and at least a two burner stove. The daily maid service will make your bed and change your towels, but they will not do your dishes.
Extras
This would be a pretty good by itself, but there's more. When you check into your room, you'll find a cheese, crackers, and a split of red wine. Just the thing when you've spent too long in planes and in airports. Every morning there is a continental breakfast consisting of fresh fruit, coffee and tea, and bagels and pastries. Beach chairs and beach towels are available for guests. If you have ever stayed someplace where it is customary to rent beach chairs on the beach, you know what an annoyance that can be. All of these extras are included in the price of your room.
At noon you can get a sandwich here. It's convenient, but there are better places to eat. Their ads boast of a bar, but it wasn't in evidence while I was there. They will, however, sell you a beer or a soft drink out of the refrigerator in the office.
Once a week there is a barbecue or a pizza party, depending on the number of guests. There is an extra charge for this, but the food is pretty good, and after dinner they show video of the windsurfers who have been out sailing that day.
If you're a windsurfer, this may be just the place for you. I don't windsurf, so I can't judge the quality of the equipment or the instructors. They do have sails, boards, lessons, and a chase boat at the ready in case you get out too far. Every afternoon there is a more or less informal exchange of sailboarding ideas and experiences out on the deck while the sun sets.
The Less than Perfect
Depending on your tastes, the following may or may not be a negative for you, but I'll include it in the interest of full and fair reporting:
- The beach directly across from Aruba Beach Villas is not particularly good for swimming, mainly because of the sailboards zipping by. The better beaches are an easy walk of about a quarter to half a mile.
- To get to a restaurant for dinner you either have to take a hike or take a bus (or rent a car). You have the ability to cook your own dinner, if you have spent some time at the market, but sometimes it is nice to have someone else make dinner. Same is true for a grocery store.
Contact Info
Aruba Beach Villas/Sailboard Vacations is owned and operated by Phil Bradley, an American from Indiana. The young ladies who staff the front office are Dutch, the instructors have several different nationalities among them, and the clientele is from all over the world. Everyone speaks English.
I paid about US$125 a night during high season. This was a discounted rate because I wasn't windsurfing. The staff here is friendly, efficient, and helpful. I'd go back here in a heartbeat.
Contact Sailboard Vacations at 1-800-252-1070 or at www.sailboardvacations.com.
Tell them you read about Aruba Beach Villas on epinions, but for goodness sake, don't tell anyone else. Let this be our little secret, OK?
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
friskycelery
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Location: Holly, MI
Reviews written: 98
Trusted by: 47 members
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