Review: Marriott's Aruba Surf Club

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

Following is an overview of the review that was added:

Anxious to see why the Surf Club is so popular, now we understand some...but can't agree with all the adoration for this resort

Please see the review here!

Please use this thread to discuss the review.

[barndweller Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close barndweller]

Great Review

Thanks, Katiemack. Your review is very helpful. It's refreshing to read a review by someone with expectations that are more like ourselves. We are not so WOWED by the designer touches (duvets & such) and mega pools with swim up bars & that ilk. You hit the nail on the head with the term "impersonal." Now I realize why I often prefer the smaller non-branded resorts. Thanks for putting it into words.

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

barndweller, we got into ts'ng in the early to mid 80s and have seen so many things along the way, and the best vacations we have had have been in smaller resorts, where personal contact is encouraged by the management...we get to know the people on property and we find that they enjoy their jobs much more because they want to be sure you, the visitor, enjoy the resort and the area.

We went up to the concierge at Marriott and she didn't have a clue about most of the activities in the hotel area...something unheard of at our home resort in CDM. I predict that that young woman at the concierge desk won't be there next month. She was clueless, and she didn't even suggest she might find out for us...she just told us "no, there are none of those events in any of the hotels..."

A huge chain like Marriott, while they may keep the unit in "hotel - like" fashion, really doesn't care about the personal experience for timesharer owners. It is always about the image and bottom line profit, JMHO.

[m61376 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close m61376]

That's why they build and sell many different styles, designs, and price points of timeshares, because different people like different things on vacation.

It is interesting how different people can look at the same thing (or place, in this case) and view them totally differently. Obviously, I'm biased. We own at the Surf Club and wouldn't have bought there if we didn't like it. That said, our experiences and impressions are largely 180 degrees from yours: one of the reasons we love it there is the oceanfront proximity to the beach (it is a short, easy walk, and I love it that even my parents, in their eighties, can easily walk back to the room for the bathroom or anything else if they want). We find the units roomy, well laid out and comfortably appointed, and I love the concept of the duvets rather than blankets that only occasionally get laundered. It is not that we are "wowed" by it, but we find the bedding extremely comfortable (yes, having a good bed on a vacation is important to us) and not having dirty bedspreads and blankets that were washed "who knows when" preferable. We thought the bathrooms were nice- roomy and well fixtured. All five of us had plenty of room to enjoy the balconies to our heart's content.

I agree that, ideally, there would be a better palapa reservation system. However, so do most of the guests at the majority of other resorts in the area and elsewhere as well. Hogging chaises/palapas seems to be a universal problem, perhaps a reflection of human nature. Your resort may be one of the rarities where there are plenty of palapas to go around and/or other guests are more considerate of each other; if so, kudos to that.

As for the concierge there- we found her nothing short of extremely helpful. Gave advice, answered our questions, and went out of her way to make sure we got reservations and knew how to drive to wherever we were going. They even had pre-printed maps to most locations. We found the staff friendly and helpful in general; didn't find them "impersonal" at all. It's a nice touch if staff remembers who you are I guess, but it's just not that important to us.

As for location- I'm not going to get into the high rise/low rise discussion, because obviously the two areas have different feels and what is well suited to one person may not be for another. And, maybe, there are those that prefer to be in the center of the high rise section. However, I love the fact that the Surf Club is at the north end of the high rise area. I can easily walk along the beach all the way down to the Westin (and, truthfully, if I am walking along the beach I don't miss not having sidewalks) or I can choose to walk North and enjoy the relative serenity, watch the wind-surfers and enjoy the views. I don't need to be at the Holiday Inn location with a large shopping complex behind me; if I want to go there, I'll take the five minute walk.

Obviously, they wouldn't be selling so well if other people didn't agree with me. Your favorite resort wouldn't sell either if others didn't place higher value on other things. That's what makes the world go round- we all have different tastes. Since you opened this thread up for a discussion of your review, I thought it would be worthwhile to give the flip-side opinion.