Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino - European Plan

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

3366 reviews

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  Don't be scared of the construction!

  Just got back from a week at the Hilton. This was my second time staying there, and fourth time in Aruba (have stayed at the Riu and the Barcelo). The Hilton is by far my favorite out of the hotels I've stayed at because of the food/drink quality, layout/atmosphere and overall vibe of the resort. I was a bit worried about the construction, but I didn't find it disruptive or bothersome at all! There are currently just 2 active construction sites - the new tower and the restaurant (where Gilligan's was). I live in a city so I am used to noise/construction sounds and can easily tune them out, so perhaps if you are looking for complete peace and quiet while on the beach, the restaurant construction might bother you, but I didn't find it to be an issue at all and could still relax and read my book on the beach all day. Everything else was accessible and there were still plenty of gorgeous views and parts of the property that were completely undisrupted by construction. I included some pics in case others are worried about it too (honestly, don't be!). We had one issue with our room that was handled a bit strangely - I reserved a room with a king size bed and the staff member at the desk confirmed that at check-in. When we got to our room, it had 2 queens instead so I called the desk, and they told me that there wasn't currently a room available with a king bed. I thought that was odd since that was what I reserved and it was confirmed moments prior. We decided to just keep the room with the 2 queens because we were tired from traveling and wanted to start our vacation! Other than that issue, our experience was great - all of the food at the hotel was excellent, the staff were friendly, and the resort is beautiful and has lots to offer. We will definitely be returning and can't wait until the renovations are complete!

  Feb 20, 2025
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  Loud Loud Loud

  Hotel is fine and staff has been very friendly. However, we were offered an “upgrade” to a room facing the resort garden and ocean view. If offered, don’t take the upgrade! They neglected to tell us the foot wide balcony overlooks not only the resort but the outdoor bar which has music pumping and people yelling till all hours of the night! I have had to use sound machine every night and it does little to mask the noise.

  Feb 18, 2025
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  Definitely coming back

  We enjoyed our stay here at the Hilton, The rooms were very clean, and the staff was very friendly. The beach was fantastic! There are miles of white sand beaches right out the back side of the hotel. The pools are very nice with plenty of room to hang out. Off site, there are many resturants for dinning. There is a shopping mall within walking distance from the hotel. We also rented the scooters and rode them around the area. You can walk along the beach past the other resorts on a paved walkway, with many little shops and food bungalows.

  Feb 18, 2025
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  Great time in Aruba

  Nice property with construction currently in process. Will be nice when finished. Staff were very friendly and attentive. Only recommendation would be to upgrade the beach towels. They were small and very thin. I walked the whole beach and most of the other properties had full length beach towels that were more plush than the Hilton’s. I consider the Hilton a top tier hotel chain and would expect better. We would definitely return.

  Feb 17, 2025
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  The new, the noise, and the lovely

  This is the review of the Hilton Aruba (with construction) that I was searching for before we booked our trip this year. TL; DR: If you go to the Hilton because you love this particular spot, the staff, and the beach, you’ll probably still love it with the construction. If you’re looking for an Aruba vacation in general, you may prefer another hotel this year. The construction is loud. How much this bothers you will probably depend on your expectation of peace and your mood. The changes: Lobby: The check in area is more airy, with more desks. The two elevators in the Aruba tower are now called by different buttons, which makes things less efficient. Aruba tower rooms have been painted and have updated thermostats, but generally look/feel the same (that’s not a complaint, to be clear). There is more seating in the lobby. Sunset Grille - thank goodness Juan (aka “Juan Happy Island”) is still there. The menu has become more generic (I missed the local flavor - grouper, churrasco steak, etc.. Now it’s salmon and filet - upscale wedding vibes.). It’s still good, but less special. But I have to say the crab cake was among the best I’ve had. Gilligan’s - gone (sob!). They did a nice job with the Miramar Bar/food truck area. The printed menu is a bit bizarre (does anyone want a short rib sandwich while wearing a bathing suit?), but they also have fish and shrimp tacos as non-printed additions to the menu. It was wonderful to see familiar friendly faces (Elvita and Carlos, as well as Steve and Eugemar behind the bar). I hope the new spot keeps the beach vibes - and brings back the catch of the day! Mira Solo - now the Sunset Bar. It looks the same (though now has some bizarre cocktail napkins that are pulled off a roll like toilet paper), but has an updated menu. They still offer a nice twist on cocktail classics, and the food menu is more robust than it had been. We really missed the live music (it wasn’t always great, but it was always fun – now there are DJs spinning background music that is not noticeably different from the house sound system), but we were happy to see Tico, Jean Pierre, Elvin, Ramon, and others. Worth a mention - Ronaldo was working inside at Sunset Grille - we had to go find him to say hello because we missed him outside! Laguna: We’re not big breakfast people, so this is usually a once-only visit. I think there is more outdoor seating, and the inside has a fun diner vibe. What hasn’t changed: The beach: always great. I appreciate the palapa reservation system, and the beach staff who set it all up. They’re wonderful. I still wish they’d upgrade the beach chairs from the 80s-tastic plastic slats to a solid surface with a chair cover. Perhaps with the St. Regis opening a couple of doors down, they’ll do it (the pool chairs have already been upgraded). And for anyone else who’s curious, the St. Regis looked lovely but the beach set up is very…European (two chairs per umbrella, no space in between them). The spa: a nice massage, when we can tear ourselves away from the beach. Oscar’s: very much appreciate grabbing coffee in the morning, but the covers for the iced coffee are trash (literally - every single one broke). The staff: The people who work at the Hilton really make the place. We look forward to returning every year (and this is the only vacation where we go back to the same place!). We’ve stayed at a couple of other places, but the people make this one special.

  Feb 10, 2025