Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club

Marriott Aruba Ocean Club is just one of at least four Marriotts on Arunb. This was our second time staying. We had transferred to hear from Marriott Aruba Surf Club our check out was 10:00. We had our luggage move by our favorite bell man Vixen. We had 7 bags tagged and he took great care making sure our food & bottles were un damaged. He takes pride in his job as do all the bell men. Once at Ocean, check in was 3 or 4 but somehow (mabey being owners (I doubt it)) Guest Experience Expert Shulaika Maduro was able to get us in our room very quickly. She must have the magic touch cause this it usual. She is the best !!! Our ocean front villa was very clean and the view is spectacular.

We enjoyed our stay at the Ocean. It was a very nice room with all new appliances. We were on first floor so the view was nonexistent, but the walk to beach was short and easy. A suggestion would be to fill the property with flowers which would be nicer. I also wanted to mention the shower pressure was awesome! The beach was nice and a short walk and pool was even closer. I also liked the Stellaris was close by. I did not deal with many people at Ocean although the bellman were great. Also the security by the pool Christian, and some others helped me get in the bathroom the day we checked out, but still had access to the property. I did want to call out some great people at Stellaris. I took a chair yoga class with Emma which was great. I also met Dala who helped me get to the class. Beverly & Ludwig are also 2 of the best! They understand customer service and are always kind, nice, & helpful. I would have no issue staying at the ocean again. Great location and well kept property.

This property is on what I call the "Marriot Strip." It's nestled between the Marriot Surf Club and Marriot Stellaris. The Ritz Carlton is at the end of the strip, next to the Stellaris. This is the smallest property on the strip and the quietest along w/ the Ritz. The pool is great. It's large w/ a swim up bar, pool bridge and numerous waterfalls and hot tubs. There are sufficient pool loungers and umbrellas. The outdoor lunch restaurants are very good. The outdoor area is well maintained. The beach has palapas, which need to be rented at 7 am for $10 each online. You can also pre-rent a day in advance at the towel desk for $25. The beach is nice with lots of palm trees. Lots of floaties available for use. My only complaint was that they did not clean up the seaweed every day from the beach. It was only cleaned up once during our one week stay. They really need to dig it all up from under the water and clean up the beach like the Ritz Carlton. Their towel policy is also restrictive - you are only given 4 towels for the one bedroom units. You can refresh them once a day, but you must hand in your wet towels. So, you can either cover the back of your chaise lounger or the bottom, not both. On the plus side, the chaise loungers are lightly padded and comfortable! There were blue lizards and iguanas roaming around by the pool area, which the kids loved of course. We had a one bedroom apartment which was very spacious. The unit had a nice view and was all updated and modern, except for the bathroom which needed some TLC. My only complaint about the unit was the bathroom. The building has some gift shops, a convenience store, a Mexican restaurant and an ice cream shop. Service was adequate but not consistent. The property is a short walk from the restaurant/shopping strip that is bustling at night. All in all, it is a good Timeshare if you are looking for something that is quieter, and not too busy like the Surf Club or Stellaris.

I’d like to preface this review by saying that I’ve been staying at the Marriott Ocean Club for over 20 years. I absolutely love the location, the spacious rooms, the relaxed atmosphere, and the consistently friendly and helpful staff—especially those on the operations and activities teams. However, my most recent stay was deeply disappointing, which is why I’m leaving a two-star review. We were aware before our arrival that the resort was undergoing renovations. Over the past several years, the property has been working on much-needed upgrades, and we understand that progress takes time. In the most recent newsletter, the resort briefly mentioned structural renovations, but offered little detail about how these might impact in-unit experiences. Upon check-in, we were informed that the two-bedroom unit we had been assigned was directly affected by exterior renovation work. Specifically, both balconies would be unusable from a Saturday checkin until the following Wednesday morning—this was a major disappointment for my family, as we regularly enjoy meals and downtime on the balcony. We were told that work would be completed by Tuesday Afternoon and the furniture would be returned Wednesday morning, making the space usable again. As a goodwill gesture, we were offered a beach palapa in the 4th, 5th, or 6th row for the impacted days—a roughly $30/day value. When we arrived at the room, there was a fresh coat of paint on the balcony floor. Over the next several days, however, we saw little additional work being done aside from some window cleaning. Concerned about delays, I checked in with the front desk multiple times. Each time, I was reassured that the balcony would be ready Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning at the latest. But Wednesday came and went—our unit remained the only one in our column without balcony furniture. I followed up again and was told it would be resolved that day. Thursday morning arrived and still nothing. With less than two days left in our stay, I returned to the front desk to request additional compensation—again, not a refund, but simply another palapa to make up for the ongoing inconvenience. While the first two staff members I spoke to were helpful and understanding, the property manager was abrupt and dismissive. She claimed it was out of the resort’s hands because the contractors were behind schedule, and that this wasn’t a "full-service hotel." I explained that their own team had consistently told us the issue would be resolved on time, and we were now the only unit still affected, even though work had moved on elsewhere. Yet, there was zero accountability on her end. Interestingly, after I left the resort for a few hours that day, I returned to find the furniture magically back and the balcony accessible—suggesting it could have been resolved sooner. It was also obvious that they had simply overlooked our unit the day before but had no interest in owning it. I’ve worked in the hospitality industry for many

Our premier vacation experience planner, Ludwig Croes, was simply the most friendly and helpful person during our entire week in Aruba. He remembered our names and had an infectious smile and warm personality. He booked all our dinner reservations and even told everyone it was our 40th Anniversary so each restaurant did something special for us. Claudia Simmons, Master Sales Executive with the Marriott Aruba Vacation Club did our presentation and she was fabulous as well! Knowledgeable, warm, caring and not pushy. We loved her presentation!

My father is a timeshare owner. I have been to many different timeshare properties and stayed in multiple two bedroom villas. I have never been more disappointed in a resort as this one here. Timeshare owner one of the perks of having a villa is washer and dryer… well no washer and dryer in unit. On our floor…about 80 rooms and only 4 washers and dryers! Such an inconvenience when you pay so much money. Went to exchange our pool towels at 5pm and were told we can’t exchange after 3pm.. insane, towel hut still open just wouldn’t accommodate us. Kids can’t jump into the pool… pool is as deep as 5’ and no jumping… I get the no running but not the jumping. Also no balls in the pool.. yup you heard correctly no balls… so no football, volleyball etc… how do you entertain 3 boys? Want to try a gelato flavor? Nope sorry can’t do that either, you pick a flavor and have to buy without a sample for a child. To top it all off the staff is not friendly at all… no one says hello… just a terrible atmosphere… I will not be returning here and will continue to let people know our experience. Extremely disappointed!!!!!