Spa and Beach Vacation Guru

Palm Beach

Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino

Some of the best dinner shows on the island are held at Wave's Beach Bar & Grill, which is also the perfect place to enjoy the sunset. And as the last resort along Palm Beach, the Marriott boasts a spacious beach that's ideal for sunbathers craving space. Built in 1995 and under constant renovation, the hotel has a quiet and discerning tone. Guests run the gamut from honeymooners to retirees to corporate-incentive rewardees. There are plenty of families, too, but children here are well behaved. The eight-story complex forms a U that overlooks a large free-form pool, a waterfall, and lush palm, banana, and jacaranda trees. The Mandara Spa offers Aruba's most spiritually transformative indoor experience. Shopping arcades and a casino cater to your material needs.

Bucuti Beach Resort Aruba

On the widest, most secluded section of Eagle Beach, this elegant oasis provides Aruba's most adult ambience. Set on one of the Caribbean's best beaches, a serene 14-acre expanse of sugary white sand, it's a favored retreat for sophisticated couples of all ages, especially honeymooners. About half are from Europe, and most are independent and well traveled. And while most guests are straight, the Bucuti is both appealing and welcoming to gay couples. Carnival and West Indian-plantation motifs enliven the spacious rooms. Rooms are done in cool creams and feature cherrywood furnishings; there's a distinctly modern and European feel to the entire place. The stylish drapes and bedspreads blaze with colors like mango, lemon yellow, and cobalt blue, but the taupe-tile floors, pastel area rugs, and warm cherrywood louvered furniture have a calming effect. The bathrooms feature plenty of counter space, and the large balconies overlook gardens or the beach. Suites have kitchenettes.

Because the Bucuti's owner-manager is the driving force behind many environmental initiatives, the hotel is one of Aruba's greenest. Recycling bins, water-conservation measures, and beachwide clean-ups are part of the effort. Beach lovers appreciate the Bucuti's palapa-to-guest ratio -- it's the highest on the island (you'll always have shade if you want it). Once the sun sets, you can dine intimately at a torch-lit table on the beach. At the breezy, open-air fitness center, nature and exercise go hand in hand. Built in 1987, the three-story Spanish mission-style resort was comprehensively refurbished in 1998. The new wing of 39 oceanfront suites scheduled to open in March 2004 promises to raise the comfort level to stratospheric levels, with in-room Internet connections and a separate concierge lounge.

Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino

This elegant nine-story beachfront 12-acre resort has stunning public spaces and a stellar reputation. Monumental cactus plants stud the refined lobby, and massive wrought-iron chandeliers give the grand, breezy entrance the air of an alcazar in Seville. Past the lobby, carpets of bougainvillea, moss-covered boulders, and towering palms spill down to a multilevel pool where exotic macaws and toucans doze. This full-service hotel offers first-rate amenities and some of the most elaborate guest programs on the island. Although attractively furnished with Deco-inspired furniture and modern carnival colors, the rooms are significantly smaller than the Marriott's. The "Parisian" balconies offer just enough room for one person to stand. The good-size bathrooms were recently renovated.

Overlooking the pool area, standard rooms have no balcony. Other rooms provide vistas of the pool and ocean, while garden units boast views of the lush tropical foliage. The 18 suites vary in size, but all are spacious, with good balconies, and some feature extras like stereo systems and in-room fitness equipment. The restaurants are very good, most notably Ruinas del Mar, which serves fresh seafood with a continental flair. Built in 1990, the hotel conducts ongoing renovations, and the room decor changes every 18 months.

Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club

First-rate amenities and lavishly decorated villas have made this time-share the talk of the island. (By 2004, it will be the island's second-newest timeshare; Marriott is building the even grander Surf Club next door.) Shaped like a giant U, the six-story building echoes the design of the Aruba Marriott hotel, its sister resort next door on Palm Beach's quietest stretch. The villas at the Ocean Club have a sumptuous, up-to-date look (they opened in 1999). Hardwoods, dark rattan, and tasteful fabrics create an elegant yet cosey feel. All suites hold a full gourmet kitchen. Bar seating separates the kitchen from the semi-formal dining room and spacious living room, and an open whirlpool in the king-size bedroom beckons irresistibly. Vistas from the large balcony take in the ocean and the central rock-and-palm lagoon pool; two-room villas boast two balconies. The pricier oceanfront villas have even larger balconies with spectacular views. Ocean Club guests have full access to the Marriott hotel's impressive array of amenities, and the Mandara Spa, tucked away off the beaten path, is without peer on the island.

Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino

Luxury is the key word at this 14-acre resort. Integrating Caribbean plantation and South Beach Art Deco elements throughout, the complex is both sophisticated and personal. Because the lush gardens, lagoons, and waterfalls ramble over more than 14 acres, the tone is tranquil and the feel is spacious even when the hotel's completely booked. The guest rooms aren't large, but they're amazing. West Indian colonial louvered doors, rather than drapes, cover the terrace doors, and intricately carved finials crown the mahogany four-poster beds. The reading chair's retractable ottoman and floor lamp mix Bauhaus and plantation influences. The bathrooms reconfirm that space is not the strong point here, but the Italian marble floor, soapstone sink, and glass-enclosed tub argue that good things come in small packages. Elegance stretches out to the balconies, too, where mahogany slatted chairs and flagstone floors enhance the view over the gardens or turquoise sea. To create the warmth of a private home, the Radisson adds touches like frosted drinking glasses, silver ice buckets, and earthtone pottery. The pools are top notch and even though there's a comprehensive children's program, peace and quiet are not hard to find in this resort. The fitness center is dazzling, and the spa is the perfect place to unwind from the stresses of everyday life. Built in 1959 as Aruba's first high-rise hotel, the complex closed in 1998 for a $55 million overhaul and reopened in 2000. It's now Radisson's flagship hotel, and it attracts a discerning clientele.

Wyndham Aruba Beach Resort & Casino

Come to the Wyndham for pampering and impeccable service, both of which are in plentiful supply. This hotel offers a personal vacation planner who'll arrange your dinner, tour, and tee-time reservations before you leave home. When you arrive, you'll have a friend waiting for you at the airport and a customized plan for your stay. Built in 1977, the hotel was most recently renovated in 2000, when $10 million went toward room refurbishment. It was money well spent. Olive, beige, and mustard fabrics accent the cherrywood and dark rattan furniture. Subtle carpeting and modern wrought-iron lamps add more style. The rooms are spacious, and all have Internet service (there's a $16 per day fee for unlimited minutes). The large bathrooms have Tels, although the counter space could be more generous. The balconies are great: With 18 floors, this is Aruba's tallest building; a terrace anywhere near the top means superb ocean views and total privacy. The Wyndham's pool concierge service is in a class by itself. While you bask in the sun, you'll be misted with Evian water, offered a CD player, and given cool towels and stock quotes. The kids' program includes scuba-diving lessons in the pool. Guests include the usual suspects -- couples, honeymooners, and families -- and a fair number of business groups. The downside? The elevators can be slow, and you have to wait in line in the morning to reserve a beach hut.

Eagle Beach

La Cabana All-Suite Beach Resort & Casino

You could spend a week here and still not know all the amenities and activities available. It's a great place for families -- there are tons of kids here -- but there's ample room for privacy, so couples and honeymooners are abundant, too. Spreading over acres of landscaped grounds, the self-contained village's two main complexes feature spacious accommodations, all with balconies and whirlpool tubs. The rooms are in tip-top condition (every room is taken out of service 1 week per year for a major overhaul). The studios and one-bedroom suites in the front four-story building (built in 1990) form a U around an expansive courtyard and busy pool. These units, most popular with families and couples drawn to the action, come with fully equipped kitchenettes. Those refurbished in 2001 feature muted floral prints and darker-wood furniture. The five-floor complex in back was built in 1994. The one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites here are larger and quieter than those in front, but they're farther from the beach. Enclosing a large patio with two pools, they have good-size kitchens. The sunny bedrooms and dining/living areas sparkle with tropical floral prints, white bamboo furniture, and white tile. Across a relatively sleepy road from a prime section of Eagle Beach, La Cabana boasts distinctive extras like a home shopping service (order groceries online before you arrive), "blue Tels" that offer international calls at U.S. rates, and all-inclusive packages. An excellent children's program called Club Cabana Nana makes this a popular choice for families, but those not fond of masses of children should avoid this hotel completely.

Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort

The last low-rise resort on the road to the high-rises, the hotel's across a small road from a prime strip of Eagle Beach. The colors of the well-maintained three-floor complex are tropical, but the architecture is Dutch -- gingerbread ornamentation, quaint gabled roofs, and whimsical turrets.

Scattered around a series of intimate courtyards, the studios and one- and two-bedroom suites feature oak furniture from Holland and European cabinetry and fixtures, dark solid fabrics, and beige-tile floors. All units feature a balcony or terrace and a kitchen or kitchenette. The standard studios have shower-only bathrooms, but they're flooded with light and slightly larger than superior studios. On the other hand, the superior units have a Jacuzzi and an ocean view. The one- and two-bedroom suites have comfortable living rooms and complete kitchens. Suites on the top floor boast high barn ceilings. An environmental leader, the resort is Green Globe-certified. Cyberphiles love the free Internet access at a couple of outdoor terminals. Note that package deals booked through a tour operator are even cheaper than rooms booked online.