Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusive

Absolutely Had a Blast!

If you want to just get away and relax and have no worries, this is the place for you. My husband and I were celebrating our anniversary and we were not interested in booking excursions or doing any crazy activities, our main plan was to eat, drink, play in the ocean and sleep if necessary! The rooms had all brand new mattresses and bedding along with the furniture that truly gave you the island feel. The bathroom was clean and roomy, some say it needs updating but I dont need granite while I am brushing my teeth. We stayed in Block 1900, right next to the Bunker Bar- never too loud and VERY convenient while lounging under palapas! The beach was all sand and we used snorkel equipment to see fish right from shore (bring left over bread!) The buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner were manageable and edible--morning selections were my favorite! The Red Parrot was simply delicious as well as Papparazzi(italian). For lunch and late night snacks we usually hit Pizza per Tutti for personal pizzas, sandwiches and appetizers. The little shuttles from Tamarijn to the Divi and Alhambra Casino were never a long wait away and the staff were quite knowledgeable with questions that were asked. I just want to thank Imelda, Catalina and Vincent for making our stay more enjoyable and we will definitely be returning next year to escape the cold of New England winters.

Make sure you bring plenty of sunscreen (spf30) the sun is strong and with the nice breeze you dont notice when you are burning! I used it all week and still came home with a tan! Take the bus into town, really cheap or head to the high rise district for great shopping.

Not the best I have ever stayed in in Aruba

I went to Aruba in October and stayed at the Tamarjin and was not impressed at all. I have stayed at the sister resort the Divi and liked it much better. The rooms were fine. It could use some updating. The slider going on to the porch moved very stiffly. The house cleaning had alot to be desired. Food wasn’t that good. The Tutti Bar had the best food and that was pizza, chicken fingers, french fries and junk food stuff. That is not what I paid the money for. We were not able to get the WiFi to work for my childrens computers to do homework. You did have a ocean view, but no beach unless you walked down the sand to the Divi. I would not stay there again and was disappointed.

The Safari Jeep tour was great. My children and I really enjoyed it. It was for a half of day. The jeeps were clean, air conditioned, and the tour guide talked to the caravan through the radio. It was very informitive and enjoyable. You saw a cave, Baby Beach, wind turbine project, small natural bridge and the other side of the island. Loved it!!

Would go again

The hotel was really great. Everyone on staff is very friendly. The food was good and has a great variety. I would absolutely would recommend this hotel to another person.

If you’re only looking for umlimited free drinks and a beach 15 feet away, this is the place for you

In general, the Tamarijn was a decent hotel. the staff is very nice and helpful, the rooms are clean, and there is free food and drinks everywhere. because Tamarijn is all-inclusive, you wear a wrist band for the duration of your stay that lets you get drinks and food at any of the Divi resorts, there are two others nearby the Tamarijn. I was not happy that i had to wear a wrist band the whole time, this was not mentioned on their website. however i noticed some other hotels made their patrons do this, even the expensive Riu hotel had wristbands. The food... well it is free, do not expect a lot of quality with the free food; I saw a lot of GFS (gordon food service) boxes, I think they buy all their food from GFS (think college cafeteria food) and tailor it to fit the theme of the restaurant you are at in their resort. so the food all ends up tasting similar and is not very good. The beach is very rocky around the Tamarijn right along the shore but it is extremely close to the rooms without being too loud at night. you can literally walk 15 feet to the beach from most of the ocean facing rooms, a feature that no other resort had after walking by many of the other hotels.The Tamarijn is also on the far south end of the low rise hotels which borders the far west side of Oranjestand, the largest city on the island. there are some grocery stores right across the street if you need to buy things. parking is very convenient if you rent a car, there is parking near many of the rooms.

Traveler's tip on recreational activities

rent a jeep and drive around in the desert! you can save a lot of money by driving yourself to the various things around the island and not paying the tour companies to do it.

Hotel was average. Buffet was awful.

We took our 2 children, 1 & 4 yo w/us to Aruba for a family vacation. The Tamarjin was as expected .Despite other reviews, we found the staff very pleasant & helpful. The bathrooms could use some updating, in particular, they need air conditioning! The room was cool & clean throughout our visit. Housekeeping was prompt, responsive & friendly; they really seemed to want to make sure we were happy. The hotel room was perfectly situated ON the beach-the view & convenience were perfect. The only down side to this all-inclusive was the buffet food. It was average to mostly below-average in preparation & flavor. The scrambled eggs sat on the buffet in some sort of milky, greasy liquid as if poached in a milk/butter combination. Totally gross. Even the salad bar was below-average w/ limited toppings selections. The rest of the food was just average, nothing special or very tasty. We’re not picky eaters at all, but this food was just not good. The dinner fare at the reservation-only places was much better. We ate 4 nights at the Red Parrot at the Divi & enjoyed it. The wait-staff ranged from good to wonderful. The food was not spectacular, but good & far better than the buffet. A 6pm reservation at the Red Parrot assures you a spectacular dinner/sunset pairing. The view is really special at the Red Parrot. All considered: We won’t go back to Aruba. The island is not beautiful. We’ll try another Carribean destination next time.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Transportation around the island is very expensive by cab. I left a bag at the airport & couldn’t just hop a bus to drive the 20 minutes back & a cab was to cost me more than the price of lunch for two adults at a very nice restaurant! Definitely rent a car. It’s very reasonable & gives you freedom to explore independently. However, Aruba is short on culture & beauty. Save your vacation time for a prettier, more interesting island.

Great!

Hotel is very comfortable and friendly.

Great Vacation

We had vacationed at the Tamarijn two years at the same time. When we arrived, we had reserved king size beds as per our reservation but were told they only had queen size beds. I showed her our reservation and was told again, they only had queen size beds. We are both tall and would have liked that as per our reservation.

Will stay in this hotel again

It’s not a four star hotel but if you want to be right by the beach then this is it!!! Make sure you request for first floor room because when you open the balcony door the beach and the ocean is right in front of you!!! You can’t beat that with a four or five star hotel.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

Must visit Baby Beach and Natural Pool & Bridge!!

Right ON the Beach

The best thing about the room was it’s location! Right on the beach! We loved it! Aruba is beautiful, and I’m sure the skyrise hotels are nice too, but there is nothing like waking up just yards off the beautiful sea!

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Understanding the ALL inclusive thing... You need to make reservations in advance, and reservations can only be made at certain times. Knowing when is key to getting all you can out of your ALL inclusive package!

Great place for a Honeymoon

We really enjoyed our time at the Tamarijn. We had a few concerns and issues when we first arrived, but after talking to the manager everything was resolved and the staff was great. This is the only resort on the island that we saw, that you can open your slider and you are right there on the beach. Food was great and being able to use the sister DIVI resort was a bonus. The Tamarijn seemed to be more for families with younger children, so since we were on our honeymoon our room was at the far end of the resort. That was nice because the beach area was quiet, but it was quite a walk to get to the food and bars. The resort is not new and the bathroom fixers in our room could use an upgrade. The bed was not as comfortable as we like, The matresses could be updated as well, but over all the room was nice and the air conditioner worked great. If we ever go back to Aruba we would stay at the Tamarijn again. We had a great and relaxing time.

Will Not Return

The beach outside our room was rocky. The only beach not rocky is on the Divi Side. The buffet is so so, avoid the Italian restaurant. The Asian one is better. Our room keys had to be reset on our third day three times. The next day I had to get them reset three more times and then they decided to change the battery on the door. The next morning we couldn’t get into our room again and the front desk associate told me it was because the battery must be dead, even though they changed it. When she sent maintenance to our room he tried to use a magnetic key. Then had to go back to the front desk to get a manual key. Real smart. The hotel is rather old, the bikes that can be rented out for free are in bad condition. At the end of the stay they still tried to charge for the lock for the safe, which is an old school lock and key not electronic located under the bathroom sinks. Also the bathrooms are small and don’t have fans just one little window so it is annoyingly hot after a shower. It is the first hotel from the airport close to Oranjestad, but it is worth it to go further into the hotel zone.

Was more than I expected

The Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusive is absolutely the best option to take if you are going to Aruba. Since the Tamarijn is part of the Divi chain you have access to all the other facilities. The rooms were nice, food was never ending, the staff was happy and very friendly and best of all you’re steps away from the beach. While you’re there take advantage of their restaurants, they’re included in your all inclusive package. Book your reservations early for your preferred dining times. Gingers is highly recommended. I’m definitely going back and will stay at Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusive again!!!

Food is very expensives, families should use the all inclusive option. You would save a tone of money. The Tour of Aruba was good

A Nice Place

Tamarijn is a nice place to stay. Room views of beach is excellent. Restaurant food is excellent. Buffet only for breakfast and lunch. For all the sit down restaurants you need to make reservations. You MUST be near front desk no later than 8AM to make reservations for next night. If your late you could be out of luck and only have buffet. Also need to hold beach chair early, will run out. Only complaint, after 5 days of relaxation all stress returned when airport transport showed up before luggage. Called 45 minutes before bus but desk said thier room key didn’t work. Also golf cart style in resort transportation was slow so allow lots of time to get around. Casino was nice but tables didn’t open until night.

Traveler's tip

You must be at airport 3 hours early for return so be prepared to entertain yourself.

definetly goin back soon

hotel was amazing. it looked like the high rise hotels were a little more up to date but with the amount of restaurants in the complex and walking out your door to the beach the tamarijn all inclusive is a far better value in my opinion. m girlfriend and i are def planning on returning to aruba.

Traveler's tip on dining

if your doing the all inclusive deal spend one night at the windows resaurant in the divi complex. costs a lil extra but well worth the $30 prix fixed price for all inclusive guests.

Had a great time

It was a great place to stay!

it was ok

for a allinclusive hotel was good

A place to go back to

The hotel was an average hotel - nothing spectacular - nothing horrible. The staff was very friendly - the activities personnel was great. Reservations had to be made in advance for restaurant dinner. The buffet was pretty cool - they had different foods every day - cannot complaing much about that. Staff was very helpful, except for one girl at the concierge who seemed to think she was doing the hotel a favor by showing up for work. But that was only one person. Pool was nice - we also visited Divi and ate there a few times as well since it is right next to the Tamarijn. We walked along the beach plenty of times and it was relaxing to just feel the water on your feet, as you were walking.... We would definitely go back. The only bad thing is our phone in the room did not work nor was it ever fixed up until we left, even though I repeatedly requested for it.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

Although the roads are in pretty bad shape, it is totally worth it to rent a Jeep and travel around the island. The sheer beauty of nature is breath taking! Just make sure you have a cell phone with you. Baby beach is a must! Also fun to do is the Seaworld Express - semi submarine. A nice way to see the underwater, even for non-swimmers!

Mediocre at best

Do not assume that just because you booked at the Tamarijn (all rooms ocean-front), you will indeed stay there. If you book a "Garden" room when making your selection on Expedia, you will be placed in the Divi Dutch Village (behind the Tararijn), potentially next to the main road and parking lot. The service was rude and not friendly (except a few select people). I had read this and thought that the travelers must have been "spoiled" - but when the waiter starts yelling at you or the receptionist answers to everything in two words, you wonder. Nobody ever smiles either. The food at the buffet is mediocre and boring. The reservation restaurants are a tad better. A thunderstorm caused electricity to go off and the resort does not have emergency power. Every once in a while there was a whiff of sewer smell in the ocean - but we were not quite sure where that came from. It might have been from the hotel’s sewer system which clogged later. Aruba is windy (almost no mosquitoes, cooler but choppy sea). There is essentially nothing to see on the island(maybe the caves) and the roads to the interesting places are all dirt roads in bad shape. At the time we were there, the other clients of the Tamarijn were mostly British, Dutch and American couples in their 40-60s and some youngsters (20s). They have a bingo session in the afternoon next to the pool. We will not go back.

Stay away

Great Experience

Our overall experience was wonderful. Food & service was excellent. Front desk needed to give you a little more information when checking in - dinner reservations in all but one restaurant had to be made at least 24 hours in advance and what services at the other hotel were actually fully included in order to take advantage of it. The staff, tour drivers, charter captain and taxi drivers were absolutely fabulous - a very friendly and service oriented island. We’ll definetly make a point of returning. The hotel is a bit in need of upgrading (paint, bathroom tiles) but being in the industry, I understand this is always work in progress.

Family Getaway

i can sum it up in one word "FABULOUS"!!! The people were incredible, the food every time we ate was THE best. Our favorite was the Red Parrot at the Divi and our waiter, Calvin was TOP NOTCH. My 14 year son found tons of kids his age, my 21 year old daughter and I had no problem sitting pool-side every day. And there is always something going on for people of ANY age. We met great people, mostly from PA oddly enough (we’re from OH). Would we go back - you bet!!! I was ready to go back the next day after we got home! What a wonderful experience!!

Will go back to Tamarijn

We were little disappointed when we first arrived at this hotel. Our room was very dirty. Floors and bathroom were dirty. We called the hotel cleaning supervisor and complained that our room was dirty. They inspected the room and took care of it right away. After this complaint, our room was perfectly clean for the entire stay. We had an ocean front room and this was something that made our vacation perfect. Beach was really close and that is what we were looking for. Food at this hotel is amazing. They had variety of food every day and I really enjoyed it. It was so delicious and I could not wait for another meal. The best restaurant: Red Parrot (at Divi), you must try it!!! Pools are small but we did not care much about it because we came for the beach. Who would swim in a pool when you have such a beautiful beach and nice, clean ocean to swim in? Anyways, this was the perfect escape to a paradise and very nice relief from everyday stress and work.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

I am very serious! Loose some of your weight before you go to this hotel. Food is that good and you will come back home with extra pounds on yourself. Also, rent a car for a day to see the island.

Great

One of the best vacation ever, the food was excellent.

Great Hotel for the Price!

The Tamarijn was a great place to relax. My partner and I had a wonderful time laying on the beach and enjoying the sites in Aruba. If you are expecting a four star hotel, you aren’t going to get that at the Tamarijn, but what you do get is a ocean front room and a beautiful beach that isn’t overcrowded. We walked down to the high rise portion of the island and we were very pleased about our choice of the Tamarijn. We were so close to the water we could have literally thrown a quarter into the ocean from our balcony! We didn’t see this at any other hotel. The food and drinks were pretty typical of All Inclusives. No complaints. We do recommend the Paparazzi restaurant! It is worth making reservations! Overall we had a great experience and would return. The only negative comment I have is that the rooms are in need of a face lift...especially the bathrooms. We would recommend to take a day and rent a Jeep from Hertz in the lobby. This is the best way to see the island!

Best Honeymoon!

We had the best honeymoon that I could have imagined at the Tamarijn! We were supposed to go to Mexico, but changed plans at the last minute due to the swine flu scare, so I was already a bit disappointed. But, the accommodations and the people at the Tamarijn made us feel like this was where we were meant to spend the first week of our marriage! It was wonderful! The food was excellent and plentiful, the beach was beautiful, and the people were extremely welcoming. I agree with other reviews that this isn’t a "5 star" resort with the finest of everything, but we were looking for relaxation and beautiful beaches and we found everything here. It is a very relaxed atmosphere, which is just what we needed. They even put honeymooners at the far end (we were in the 2500 block) of the resort for more privacy. Even though we had more walking to do, I think that it just added to the romance. We are even thinking seriously about coming back with the kids!

Traveler's tip

Definitely give the people who serve you a tip whenever possible. They work very hard to make your stay enjoyable. We even had one bartender, who we hadn’t tipped as much as others, stop everything he was doing to go make us a copy of the drink menu to take home with us! Looking back, I wish we had tipped more. Oh, and go get a hamburger from the Sandpiper Grill at the Divi. We fell in love with that place and all of the lizards that hang out there :)

Definitely worth the trip

The hotel was great. The food is ok, definitely make sure you try the Palms Grill one night.

Traveler's tip on recreational activities

Make sure you do the ATV tour. That was an incredible experience. You get to drive/see the entire island for 4 hours for only $77.