Renaissance vs. Hyatt, Radisson, Wyndham, etc.

[WeBeCruisin']

We're planning to go to Aruba for a week in early November and are having trouble deciding whether to stay "downtown" at someplace like the Renaissance for walking access to restaurants and shopping, or to stay at Palm Beach at one of the nice hotel/resorts there.

 

Is the Renaissance area too noisy?

 

If we stay in the Palm Beach area, how easy is it to take a bus, or taxi to town? Or would it be better to have a rental car. And would the rental car be used much other than to go to restaurants, shopping, etc.?

 

Thanks!

 

Allen

[kkelle17]

It really all depends on the type of person you are and what you want to spend. My husband and I spent our honeymoon at the Hyatt. It was absolutely beautiful, but pricey.

 

It was very easy to get a taxi to the downtown area. And it was only about $10 per trip. The nice thing about Aruba is that the taxis are privately owned so the tip is negotiated in the fare.

 

We walked through the Renaissance. It looked very nice, but a bit more crowded. You are also missing the beautiful beach. There was also less privacy - the cruise ships unload right there so if you are staying at the hotel, it might be a little annoying dealing with the crowds.

 

If I was going on a budget I would stay at the Renaissance, if not, Palm Beach is the way to go! Hope this helps.

[kiwigirl]

We spent a week in Aruba a couple of years ago. We stayed at the Wyndham which was nice. We had a partial ocean view and from the balcony could see the pool and the beach.

 

The Radisson which is next door looked absolutely beautiful. If I had known and $$ wasn't an issue, I would have stayed there. It has a completely open air lobby and just had that island feel. We ate dinner in one of their restaurants (sorry don't remember the name) and ate outside with an ocean view. Gorgeous!!

 

If we ever go back the Radisson would be my choice.

 

p.s. the only hard thing to get used to was that they tend to eat dinner later in the evening. Restaurants were always empty when we were there. By the end of the trip we finally adjusted.

[Arubalisa]

We're planning to go to Aruba for a week in early November and are having trouble deciding whether to stay "downtown" at someplace like the Renaissance for walking access to restaurants and shopping' date=' [/quote'] Downtown is still downtown. Yes they have a beautiful "private island", but it is right next to the airport...

or to stay at Palm Beach at one of the nice hotel/resorts there.

 

If we stay in the Palm Beach area' date=' how easy is it to take a bus, or taxi to town? Or would it be better to have a rental car. And would the rental car be used much other than to go to restaurants, shopping, etc.?

 

Thanks!

 

Allen[/quote']We love the Palm Beach area for its wide variety of activities, restaurants and resorts. If money is no object, I would choose the Radisson. Honestly you cannot go wrong with any of the resorts along Palm Beach. Phoenix would probably be my last choice only because we like their beach the least.

 

Getting around is easy. The island is small. If you need "freedom" and plan on doing a lot of running around, rent a car. If you plan on half beach and half activity you may want to consider renting a car for just a few days of running around and relax the rest of the time.

 

The bus is cheap and taxis are affordable.