Rating
"How can you not choose this place..." My wife and I recently returned from our honeymoon in Aruba, from Aug.14-21st. Wwe arrived at the Tamarijn around 230pm, check-in lasted about 10 minutes and off to the room. Upon arrival at the room it appeared to be just what I expected, a room with the basics that was clean and not outdated, with working A/C. Who needs a penthouse suite when the beach is 10 feet out the door? Our room was 1911, about 25 feet from the bunker bar, this was planned and a good plan indeed. Beach- The beach was not crowded in anyway the whole week and we would wake around 10, get breakfast and have no problem getting a hut right outside the room every day. Beach was clean and free of rocks and debris. Not much of a issue with blowing sand, perhaps once in a while if a big wind gust came, but your on the beach. Water- Warm, warm, warm. Some good fun size waves a few days, mostly calm otherwise. Water in from of our room had plenty of rocks the first 20+ feet in, no big deal really though. Food- Ate at buffet most mornings, typical Denny's type greasy buffet food, gets old, but they have fruits and breads as well so you cant really complain. Most lunch's were had at the Pizza/Snack bar. Great thin crust pizza's, mexican fries and so on. On site dinners- We ate at Paperazzi one night, it was OK. Red Parrot twice, rather good and actually had a great filet mignon the second trip there. Bars/Drinks- always had great fast service and great drinks, I did tip all the bartenders rather well, but I would feel guilty not tipping someone who is serving me multiple times a day. Top shelf booze, no tequila or jack daniels though. Service- Mostly all the staff were very personable and pleasant, and the few that were not weren't rude, just weren't real outgoing. Rudy is the man to see if you are looking to really 'party'. Off site - One day we rented a 4x4 and drove along the dirt paths on the north coast, great time and sites, however the natural pool was pretty much impossibe to get to without a actual off road equipped jeep wrangler. Went to Baby Beach twice, totally awsome beach and water and snorkeling. Can get to highrise and downtown for a dollar or two at anytime at ease. We ate downtown one eve at Le Petite Cafe, great meal, especially for the price. Waterfront Crab House downtown, horrible. I'm not sure about you, but when I see YellowFin Tuna on a menu I dont expect to recieve a well-done processed piece of tunafish. Prob. the only time we have ever ever sent a meal back. Flying Fishbone, cool cool place, sat right on the waters edge and by 7pm the water was running over our toes. Food was above average, you def pay for the whole package because we have had much better meals for 160 dollars total. Texas de Bazil, interesting concept, some good food, some bad. If I didnt have a 50% off coupon I would have really been disappointed to spend 125 dollars on dinner here. All in all a beautiful island and a great resort. On a side note I must say that some people can never really be pleased, expect to be bowed down to at these places and just have no general idea of how to act in public. While at the snack bar one afternoon this horrid english 'women' starts to cause a huge scene with the cook at the snack bar. Apparently her son keeps ordering food and taking a bite and throwing it away, so the cook finally does what any reasonable person does and tells him he cannot have something if he is going to keep doing this. Well, his mother comes over yelling and screaming and amongst other things saying he has the right to a dozen ice creams if he wants, even if he isnt going to eat them. Pretty much everyone at the snack bar was in awe at this 'ladys' performance, rediculious. Then upon checkout there is a huge hold up, well look who is causing this, apparently there are all these pay per view charges that her child charged to the room and of course it was no ones fault but the resorts. There should be a whole seperate island reserved for oneway flights for these type people.

Rating
"Best Vacation ever" We just came back from the best trip ever! Let me start by saying I could have stayed a month...It all started with the transfers to the hotel. De Palm tours does a great job and they take care of you from the minute you meet them till the time they get you to your hotel. Then the front desk more than helpful, We did not like the view I had in my room. I called them up and they changed my room no questions asked. Nothing like being treated nice from the moment you hit the island... Our room was 2nd floor with and amazing view bldg 13 was a great spot. Private balcony, close to everything. Then the staff, I did not meet one person that was not more then happy to say hello and mean it. None of this fake hello because they have to. The people of Aruba mean it when they say it. All the folks in all the restaurant staff was so friendly and helpful. They never let you pile up a mess on your table they cleared it in a timely manner. Then the bar staff, Reuben, Carman, Edwin etc...awesome you got the drink they way you wanted it, All you had to do was ask. The mix of liquor was good local liquor as well as some top shelf. Everyone we meet was great. Scott and Michelle from Mass., Matt and Eileen from Toronto, Patricia and Kim from Buffalo. All the people in Bldg's 11-12-13-14 were awesome from the UK on the first choice charter. We meet so many great people, we all had such a great time. You all added to our vacation!!! The casino was fun as always, the staff there was also so nice to be around. As you can tell there is not a bad thing I can say about the resort. The few people I meet the had a complaint was from a lack of information provided to them by there travel agent. Not the hotel staff at all. You need to make sure you get the exchange with the Divi, It is short money for it and well worth just to eat at the new Red Parot restaurant.

Rating
"Great Family Holiday!" We have just return from a great two weeks stay at the Tamarijn, Me, Hubbie and 2 sons 16 & 11, when we booked the holiday we paid extra for the Mega All Inclusive package which allowed us to use the facilities and eat at the Tam and the Divi and we were so pleased that we did, combining the two hotels there was so much more to see and do. The flight was fine; it took just over 9 hours to fly from Gatwick UK to Aruba. First Choice was the airline we flew with the service on the flight was standard really. Flying into Aruba make sure you have a window seat in row A because you get a great view of the hotel just before you land! Checked through the airport quite quickly had to wait a little for our suitcases but nothing too bad. Got put straight on to a waiting bus to take us to the hotel and arrived there within 20 minutes, they were very well organized with check-in and got took straight to our room….Brilliant! We stayed in room 1505 and we could not have wished for a better location, we were right next to the towel and activity hut and a few steps from the dinning area, pool and bars. The room was cleaned with fresh towels being left everyday. The food in the hotel was lovely, being a vegetarian I had no problem at all with the choice of food and there was something quite simply for everyone. We ate breakfast at the Tamarijn every morning with a great choice of fruit, cereals, yogurt, toast, bagels, croissants, muffins, French toast, pancakes, waffles, omelettes, bacon, sausage, roast potatoes, scrambled eggs, hash browns. Lunchtime at both of the hotels there was a choice of different salads, a choice of main meal e.g. Curry & rice, potatoes and meat, fish in sauce and then there was a choice of hotdogs, hamburgers and chips. For our evening meals we ate at all 5 restaurants. The 2 hotels both had a buffet restaurant and each one had a different theme each night so if you didn’t fancy say Mexican that evening you could go and have Chinese at the other one, the choice on offer was really good and all of us ate really well. The Palm Grill…….Didn’t really know what to make of this one, you sit around a table that has a heated centre which gets really HOT (beware if you have little ones with you) they bring out your starter (salad or soup) and then you choose what 2 items you are going to cook yourself Swordfish, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork. They bring you rice and chips and place vegetables on the hotplate, it was a good 5 minutes before they brought the meat and fish out so the other items had gone cold by the time you had cooked your mains, I think it would work better if they brought the meat and fish out first. There was a choice of 4 deserts. It wasn’t one of the best meals we had but it was OK and I am glad that we experienced it. The Paparazzi……. We were expecting an Italian meal, but that was not really what we got maybe we just ordered the wrong things on the menu but it wasn’t really very nice, the service was a little slow and it was also quite dark and cramped, we spoke to a few other who ate there and had a mixed review some liked it and some didn’t, I think it is one of those places that you have to make your own mind up. The Red Parrot…..This was our favourite of them all, the service and surrounding were wonderful, the waiters were so helpful and the food, we ate there 3 times and didn’t have a bad meal once. Our top choices off the menu were The Dutch Onion Soup, The BBQ Chicken Wrap, The Cheese Ravioli, The Baby Back Ribs (there were nothing baby about them) and The Rack of Lamb……Excellent!!!!! Deserts were much of a much at all of the restaurants the apple & cinnamon slice was one of our favourites. If you fancy just a snack you have the choice of pizza, chips & toasted sandwiches by both pools. Drinks were unlimited and there was a great choice, there was a different long drink and cocktail to try each day……..My favourite was A Brown Lady, you must try one…..Hmmmmmm We spent most of our days at the pool at the Tamarijn has our 2 boys had made friends and hung there. The sun loungers were really comfortable so there were no complaints from us. The pool wasn’t the cleanness pool I had seen and you had to be really careful of the sharp sides and bottom, but once you got used to it you were ok. One thing I will recommend you not to miss is the bike/snorkeling trip that the hotel organizes on a Tuesday morning, 8am collect your bike and follow one of the “Fun Makers” for a flat 6 mile bike ride, the bikes are really cool and really easy to ride all you have to remember is to stop just peddle backwards, it is really well run a small truck follows you with all your towels and snorkeling gear, they take you to a small beach where you can snorkel or just enjoy the sunshine, they bring drinks and snacks with them for everyone, then you have a gentle ride back to the hotel, it’s really nice and a great way to see some of the Island. We did 3 more trips……The Jolly Pirate Ship, it was a good day, snorkeling at 3 different spots, you have lunch and then the best bit of the day you get to swing off the end of the ship on a rope, it was great fun. Jeep Safari…….This has to be the best thing on the Island DO NOT MISS IT, Eric our tour guide was a scream, he was so funny and really made the day so exciting with his funny jokes and all the information about the Island, we got to see loads of interesting places, The lighthouse, The Church, The Baby Bridge and the Natural Bridge, the Ostrich Farm and last but not least De Palm Island, there is loads to do there if you wish or you can just enjoy the sunshine, Sea Trek, Snuba, snorkeling and the Blue Parrot Water Park. We booked both of the above trips before our holiday online and saved a few pounds compared to the price you pay with First Choice. Helicopter Ride…….This was a spare of the moment thing but it was really great we got to see the whole of the Island and got some really great photos that you can’t normally see, it really put the Island into respective. The only one negative thing I can say is that the evening entertainment was a real let down, apart from the Limbo Show, WOW could he move or what; he was a real entertainer and really got the crowd involved, there really wasn’t much else to do put sit around the bars. On Saturdays night they show a film on the beach, 1st film starts at 7pm for the younger ones and then another one a 9pm suitable for adults, get your popcorn and drinks on your way there and sit back under the stars and enjoy! We had a great holiday and would really recommend it, we would go back but not for a few years have we feel that we have seen Aruba.

Rating
"Amazing Honeymoon spot!" Booked our honeymoon from Sept 5-13 at the Tamarijn with the included Divi package. Stayed in the 2500 section, all the way down at the end. Still never got sick of the walking...it was perfect after some of the breakfast/lunch/dinners we ate. Have a choice of walking on the boardwalk down the beach, which tends to be a bit hotter, or walking on the back sidewalk. Sometimes we would get lucky enough, and catch a golfcart ride to the lobby, which if you stayed on, would take you all the way to the Divi, and to the casino. We had the honeymoon suite, room 2502. The size is good, no problems moving around in the bathroom or anything. Shower pressure was good, though the drain in the sink was constantly backed up, and the water pressure lacked in the sink lacked as well...and forget cold water. Use the ice bucket. The other problem was that the air conditioner, while never getting cold enough to begin with, would sometimes not work at all. We called maintenance twice to look at it. The first time, they went to the room below us and turned their's on, and somehow that worked. The second time, the maintenance guy came when we were out of the room, but apparently fixed the problem. It was a constant issue, but only at night, since we were out of the room all day anyway. The beach is great, especially being it is right outside your room, where ever you stay. We had a second floor room, and all we had to do was walk down the stairs right down the hall from us and we were on the beach. The sand was great, white and soft, and the water is an absolutely beautiful deep shade of blue. The pools were ok, not the most elaborate, but sufficient for escaping the heat and humidity. Overall, the food is the expected resort food for a massive amount of people. Scrambled eggs, bacon, corned-beef hash (yummy!), etc, and omelettes made to order, which were great. Also the typical breads and fruits. Lunch we usually stuck to eating at the bar, with some HUGE sandwiches and thick crust pizza's. The chicken nuggets aren't bad either. We ate at Paparazzi a couple times, which was actually pretty good. We also ate at the Red Parrot at the Divi a couple of times, the second time around, the steak was amazing. We tried the Palm Grill, where you cook on your table, and only the two of us sat at a table, which actually seemed less awkward than being paired with another couple. The drinking is what makes it all worth it. You can stick to the fruity Caribbean-type drinks. By the third day, I was asking for the top shelf stuff. They have pretty much anything you could want, or something comparable. And they were more than happy to fill you up! Met some amazing people, both tourists and some employees of the Tamarijn. Make sure to say hi to Ruben, he is a great bartender, and will be absolutely sure to make sure you always have a drink and a great time! Loved that guy so much, we made sure he was our bartender for 4 nights straight! The people of Aruba are absolutely wonderful, kind, and generous. They are very sincere people, and always say hello and you know that they mean it. This was our honeymoon, and combined with the time of year, there were hardly any children, and plenty of other honeymooners. The crowd ranged from young to old alike, with people from all over the world. We're not much into the showy stuff, but we even watched some of the nightly shows, which turned out to be excellent! Prices for souvenirs and other stuff in the resort stores are generally a little pricey. Sometimes you're better off buying that stuff downtown if you can. Like a lot of the reviews say, stay at the Tamarijn and use the benefits of the Divi. Overall the Divi is better on the eyes, and we spent most of our time in their pool, but not all the rooms are beachfront. The Tamarijn is an ABSOLUTE MUST...there's no reason to not stay here. This was an absolutely beautiful honeymoon, a lot more than I could have ever expected, and I will definitely be back sometime in the future. The BEST vacation I have ever taken!

Rating
"Everything a vacation should be" OK I need to state right off if your looking for 5 star food, stuffy staff, mini bars in your room, this is not the place for you. Now if your looking for a fun, relaxing vacation, with great freindly staff then this is your place. First of all the staff is fantastic and friendly. Mica and Carmen are the best bartenders. After the second night they knew what we were drinking, we would turn around and our drinks would always be full! The food as I said is not 5 star but I certainly would give it 3 1/2. We ate at the buffet 3 nights, Palm grill 1 night (you cook your own food in the center of your table) and 2 nights in the Paparazzi. The pizza and snack bar was great, went home with a pizza each night. All of which was very good. Location of this resort is priceless. I woke every morning to the ocean being 50 ft from my balcony, that alone was worth the price. The beaches are clean and never full. We never had a problem getting a lounge chair at the pool. All in all if your looking for a fun vacation with pleasent staff this is your place. I will be returning in 2007, can't wait.

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