Aruba: Where We Stayed

Aruba was on my "bucket list" for several years before we went - an island adventure in the Caribbean outside of the hurricane zone. Like many of you, I spend a considerable amount of time researching locations (refer to my post "Aruba: One Happy Island - Where to Stay") for hotels and resorts, balancing the cost of the hotel with the experiences during our stay before deciding on our hotels. When planning, I ask myself not only what I want, but also what I might regret if I didn’t include. I often plan and book hotels 9-12 months in advance for availability and better rates.

For our Aruba trip we decided to split our stay between two places:

• Marriott's Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort

• La Cabana Beach Resort and Casino.

Marriott’s Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort 

We very purposefully chose the Marriott's Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort for the first several nights of our stay. This hotel is located in Oranjestad, Aruba’s capital, with colorful buildings, shops, and access to local food spots. Other reasons for this choice included the hotel’s reputation, the breathtaking view from the ocean-view balcony, fantastic pool with bar, mid-range cost (for Aruba), and close proximity to the airport (so we did not rent a car for the first few days).

But the #1 reason we stayed at this hotel was because of the free exclusive access to Marriott’s Renaissance Island where pink flamingos roam (yes, really!). Your hotel key is your pass to this tropical oasis via a brief complimentary water taxi ride. We were granted access on the day of our check-in as well as after each night's stay (so if you stayed only one night, you would have access for two days on Renaissance Island). Renaissance Island has two smaller pristine beaches: the family-friendly Iguana Beach and adult-only Flamingo Beach. Relaxing on the lounge chairs under the shade of palm trees with fruity tropical drinks in hand, we watched flamingos and iguanas meander by as if we didn’t exist! So relaxing!

Because my pale Irish skin burns easily, we splurged and booked a cabana (tip: do this a couple of months in advance) online for a full day at Flamingo Beach on Renaissance Island. Our private cabana was perfect for the four of us, providing us with needed shade and a tropical breeze while relaxing on padded chairs. To add to the luxury of the experience, our attentive butler brought menus and delivered our yummy food and drinks directly to our cabana. Our fruity non-alcoholic drinks arrived in adorable flamingo cup holders! My daughters (aged 18 and 20) loved soaking in the sun whilst lounging on the rope hammock suspended over water. Colorful fish flitted around us when snorkeling or on floating water mats. We practically had the cove to ourselves! To me, it was worth every hard-earned penny, and I would book it again!

On Thursdays, the Renaissance Wind Creek Resorts hosts “Dushi Aruba This Way” on the beach (book online). The event features a hearty buffet of Aruban BBQ food and handcrafted cocktails, followed by a live high-energy Carnival Show We got there early for a table close to the action, but that also meant we waited longer for the show to begin. The hostess of the show was fabulous, intermingling audience interactions with displays of Carnival dancing. The energetic finale enticed audience members to join the dancing line - my daughter joined in the dance party!  Based on response, the audience loved to “party like a local”. 

La Cabana Beach Resort and Casino

For the second part of our vacation, we wanted to stay near Eagle Beach. The 2026 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards recognized Aruba’s Eagle Beach as the #3 “Best Beach in the Caribbean.” We chose La Cabana Beach Resort and Casino, located across the street from the soft white sand of Eagle Beach. It was a great location allowing us to easily visit the beach daily to swim in the turquoise water, walk the beach, sit on a beach chair under the palapas, or dreamily watch the waves crash into shore as the sky turns into a rainbow of colors as the sun sets.

At La Cabana Resort and Casino, we booked a one-bedroom deluxe unit with a balcony facing the ocean. From our balcony we watched the colorful sunsets turn bright tangerine orange as the sun set on the horizon.

Our deluxe unit included one king bed in the separate bedroom, with both a queen murphy bed and a queen sofa bed in the main room. Staying here provided us with a fairly well-equipped kitchen and thus the opportunity to better balance food costs. When we vacation, we purposefully look for units with kitchens. Although the grocery food costs in Aruba were higher than in the USA (because so much food is imported to Aruba), we found plenty of choices available and were able to prepare food according to our own preferences and amount desired, enjoy dinner on our balcony at sunset, and save money to spend on treats and the excursions or “places to go” instead. Besides, there was always ice cream (our indulgence)!

This resort had an outdoor pool with poolside bar; we hit the pool after dinner to just float around and relax. While the others in my family went horseback riding, I enjoyed a trip to Citro Spa for a relaxing pedicure and some "me time." The resort also had a fitness center, casino, and an activity center next to the pool. When we travel, we always check to see if resorts host activities of interest. While our girls created colorful tie-dye t-shirts through the resort’s activity center, my husband and I enjoyed a Wine and Cheese Pairing class and Rum Tasting class.

Managing Expenses

Pre-planning is crucial when traveling on a budget. We made three key decisions: first, we prioritized experiences (see to my blog "Aruba: What to Do"), then we chose a resort room with a kitchen to save on dining costs, and finally, we earned points on essential credit cards.

To maximize our hotel points, we primarily choose to stay with one hotel chain. We particularly enjoy the Marriott chain for several reasons: the point (and dollar) prices are reasonable for the location, there are numerous locations throughout the USA and Europe, some hotels are pet-friendly, and we find the beds to be comfortable. In addition, Marriott has a “best rate guarantee” - per their website they will match the best rate "+ 25% off or 5,000 points:” To earn Marriott Bonvoy points, you need to first become a member. You can then earn points through opening and then using Marriott Bonvoy Chase credit cards when making purchases. Right now, there is a fantastic bonus point promotion (subject to change).

An excellent third credit card choice is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. With this card, you can redeem points for part or all of your stay at La Cabana Resort (and many others) by booking through the Chase Travel options website, which is associated with this credit card. There are usually some promotions throughout the year to convert these points to Marriott points at a higher conversion rate or other partners (e.g., select airlines). Although this card requires a slightly higher credit score, it is regarded as one of the top cards for earning travel points. Right now, there is a fantastic bonus point promotion (subject to change).

	Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
	Bonus	125,000 Bonus Points plus 1 Free Night Award after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening
	Annual Fee	$95 (terms)
	Apply Now
	Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card
	Bonus	60,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening
	Annual Fee	$0 (terms)
	Apply Now
	Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
	Bonus	100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
	Annual Fee	$95 (terms).
	Apply Now

Note: I may be rewarded with points too if you apply and are approved for these credit cards, but our choice to post these links is based on saving you money.

Explore my other blogs about Aruba (links below).

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