Tamarijn Aruba Beach Oranjestad

Ah The Tamarijn. We just loved. We wanted to stay forever. My husband and I came to the tamarijn for our honeymoon, we stayed Dec 2001-Jan.2002. And let me tell ya we found heaven. We had a first floor room with a patio and the ocean only 5 feet away. The beach was very quiet and peaceful. Our room was very nice but very simple(king bed, bath,tv, very clean and a killer a/c that never stopped). But hey who spends all thier time in a hotel room when in aruba. The staff was excellent, always willing to bend over backwards to help you. The food was delicious and thier resturants very good. Thier nightly entertianment was very nice. I really can't say one bad thing about this wonderful hotel.

I went to the tamarijn beach resort on july 5th to the 12th. I don't wanna say i had a horrible time but it wasn't the best. If you wanna go to a place that has a beach like I did then i wouldn't suggest the tamarijn. The beach is nothing but rock and coral, there is lots of seaweed and i mean a lot of seaweed. The pool was nice same with all of the bars. The food wasn't bad. I wouldn't suggest to go to the red parriot because they when i went there they ran out of rib eye stack and it is only a sea food restaurant with some beef. I don't eat much sea food and when we got there they didn't tell us that they didn't have rib eye so my dad and I ordered and then they told us that there was no rib eye so we were pissed. My favorite restaurant was the paparazzi they had wonderful food the people were nice. If you wanna go shopping it is hard because everything is really exspensive. I went to get my friend a gift and it cost me 26.00 for 2 little things they were a chained bracelet and a charme for it for 26.00. The people at the front desk were nice.The people around the whole resort where nice. As you can see I did have a good time but I wouldn't suggest it because when you got mad about one thing it made the hole trip bad...., 14 years old

This was our 3rd time to Aruba and the Tamarijn. As a couple for the first time in '95, then again for fun in '97. Just came back from taking the kids in June 2003. A lot of has changed ... boo! We were no longer greeted by friendly islanders with a glass of champagne. We pulled our stuff up to the front desk ourselves. The trip once included two excursions ... no more! The food is not as good as I remember, all inclusive travelers know it can get boring, but this was barely mediocre. Grabbed a roll from the dinner basket and it had a big human bite missing from it, and couple other incidents made me feel like leftovers were being recycled ... gross. The staff wasn't as friendly.

Too many aggressive birds in the outdoor dining area, like a scene from a bird movie, nasty to think you're gonna get droppings in your plate.

Also a meandering stray cat begging for food at the outdoor tablea ...

made me feel like I was in a third world country. The pizza hut snackbar looks worn out, pizza was not so good, better at the Divi.

They kept pushing the timeshare thing. They are in the midst of a renovation, lots of beachfront is gone and you have a rocky trip to the water except in two spots. The once beautiful snorkeling near the old pier is gone and you have to go elsewhere. When the wind is blowing just right, there's a sewage smell coming from somewhere, still not sure where. The rooms look like average Holiday Inn, a little beat up, bathrooms need updating (and we stayed in the newly renovated ones).

Could see daylight around the air conditioner to outside, where ants love to come in and join so don't eat or drink in your room. Room service was reluctant to change sheets daily, a must in sandy situations and with kids, and many times just said they did, but obvious they didn't. If you have never been on an all inclusive vacation, you'll love it. But if your standards are higher than Holiday Inn, you'll probably be disappointed. We won't be back, such a shame it's gone downhill. For the sites, we loved the snorkeling at De Palm Island, a must with blue friendly parrot fish, but again, bad food (included) and wandering, sickly stray cats ... gross. This one cat had a huge open wound, yuk. There is no creamer for coffee, they use evaported milk and the milk for cereal isn't cow's milk. Not sure what, probably goat milk, but doesn't taste like U.S. milk. Golfing was near impossible in the strong trade winds. Wear lots of sunblock, we got slightly burnt while using 45 spf. Be sure to ask taxi drivers to see the rate sheet for trips around the island, they tried to overcharge us every time. We snorkeled at local Arashi Beach, a $14 cab ride one way from the Tamarijn. Nice snorkeling, but some topless bathers and my son got bit by a local's dog there. I'm sure the food is better, the rooms more elegant and the stray animals are absent at the finer hotels. We visited the Radisson, it looked beautiful. Depending on what you can afford, you're gonna get what you pay for!!!

My husband and I visited Aruba from May 29- June 2, 2003. We loved it! This was the first time we did an all-inclusive, but definately not the last. As everyone says, the rooms are so-so. We were in the 1200 bldg ground floor, near the beach that separates the Divi from the Tam. Whatever the rooms lacked, the restaurants, bars, etc more than made up for it. We did the buffet for breakfast and lunch, then ate at The Red Parrot (my favorite), Papparazzi (good if you like Italian) and the Grille (great desserts) for dinner. We did the Mega Inclusive so we visited the Divi every day. We really liked the pool area and the casitas at the Divi. We may stay there on the next visit. The "theme" nights were very fun! Snokeling and kayaking were great. There is a barracuda that makes it home out where the pier pilings are between the Divi and the Tam, be sure to check him out!I was skeptical that Aruba would meet with what my expectations were. I was very pleasantly suprized. We had visited Bermuda two years ago, and while the island was beautiful, the people were not. They were rude and seemed to resent tourists. I did not have that feeling from ANYONE in Aruba. They were all very nice.While trip was without our children, we know when we take them, they will enjoy the water activities and especially the snack bars.I am already planning a trip back!

Stayed at the Tamarijin (Pronounced: Tamaryn), from April 28th to May 3. I found out pretty fast that Aruba is WINDY. I don't mean Breezy I mean WINDY. All of the vegetation in Aruba is tilted in the same direction due to the wind. Sand stings when blown by the wind, and by the end of the week I didn't know if I was windburned or sunburned. Aruba also seems to be really Americanized. The only music we heard all week was American music and some Reggae. Whatever culture the Arubians have has been overwhelmed by the influence of Subway, McDonalds, Wendys, Dunkin Donuts, Hyatt, Wyndham, Marriott and Holiday Inn. You can compare it to Panama City with a non-stop 20-mph wind with 30mph gusts, a couple casinos, and much better snorkeling and diving.I have no real complaints about the Tam itself, other than Tip Jars are found at the bars and was approached 3-4 times about going to see the property (a.k.a., Time share pitch). Apparently this 'all-inclusive'does not include gratuities. Tipping is not required, I didn't tip all week, and this made no difference in service. Though, I did tip the maid $5 a day and got fresh flowers and all of my laundry folded. I did not go and see the property, they offer you some free things like $125 in casino chips, or a free jeep rental, this was the big clue that this was to get you in and pitch you on buying a timeshare. I didn't go because I had seen another post here saying that the 2-hour presentation was really 4 hours. They do disclose that the presentation does not include time for lunch, whatever that means. The bars carry a lot of top shelf brands except the whisky, which I had never heard of. They have Stoli behind the bar, but watch closely and the use the 44club Vodka brand when they pour the drinks. I'm sure they use the cheap vodka in most of the drinks. You have to request the Stoli, I saw several people do this and they had no problem pouring from the Stoli bottle.The store is just a short walk from the Tam walk past the 2300 block and keep going down thes. The water in Aruba is ok to drink, but I like getting a bottle just to have and refill it as needed. You can also pick up any liquor you may want to bring home. We did this because our flight out was very early and didn't want to waste time at the Duty free on the way out.The pool at the Tam is small and overrun by rugrats, but the beach is good although rocky in some parts. 10000 block has a small beach with a calmer ocean. The 2100 block that has a good beach area with waves. The 10000-block beach is small but next to a larger more public beach as well with calmer waters. Make sure you bring your water shoes because there is coral in Aruba.The rooms were nice and clean and appeared to have been updated recently, the food was good. I didn't upgrade and never went over to the Divi to check it out. I doubt it is worth the extra money. It seems like those who did upgrade spent most of their time at the Tam anyway. People just like being close to their rooms, I guess. I highly recommend the Snorkel excursion to the Antilla and the Sunset Cruise. Don't rent a jeep on your own to see the sights, I did and you will get lost. Don't waste your time driving in circles in Aruba. I found Baby Beach and the Natural Bridge on my own but didn't find the Natural Pool, I think I found the road leading to it, but a lot of the dirt roads are treacherous to say the least. Especially when you're driving a Suzuki Samurai 4wd. I wasn't about to take that little jeep up a dirt trail on a hill over jagged rocks, I could just imagine having a flat on a long and steep incline.My wife and I currently have no kids and are non-smokers. The others that were staying at the Tam were obnoxious Yankees that smoked and had kids or Europeans that smoked and had kids. I think we had one meal the whole week where we didn't get smoke blown across our table as we ate. There are no non-smoking areas anywhere and it seemed like everyone smoked but us. I probably will not go back to Aruba, but I do recommend staying at the Tam. I mean its not Sandals, ou are from the northern parts of the US, New York, Boston, Chicago types that smoke, have kids, love going to the beach with a non-stop 20-30 mph wind (which occurs all over the island year round), and don't want to get too far away from a McDonalds this will be your paradise.

Great Saturday to Satuday vacation. People and service was good. Food was good with a decent variety. Waiters and watresses were friendly. Upkeep of the place was good. If you like to eat and drink and be right at the shoreline then this is the place. Rooms were cleaned daily and if you needed something extra they would provide it (fee charged). Evening entertainment was ok nothing spectacular but there are so many places on the island for that so it isn't a problem. I recommend this place highly.

We stayed at the Tamarijn in Aruba in February 2003. We requested rooms in the 2100 block, but didn't get them. We stayed in the 2400 block. It would have been better in the 2100 block for the beach, but we did really like our patio and our rooms had recently been updated. The beach in front of our block was rocky, but the nice beach was a short walk down the boardwalk. A lot shorter than if we had stayed in a high-rise that required a person to walk down the hallway, wait on an elevator, go down another hallway, and then walk through the hotel and out to the beach....MUCH CLOSER. I would NOT have stayed in the high rise over what we had any day! The food was very good, both at the Tam and the Divi. Loved the buffets and ate at all the restaurants that required reservations. The food was delicious! Very well prepared.I would definitely stay at the Tamarijn again! If you like plush surroundings and a more up-scale place, stay at the high rises. But if you want a less crowded beach, being able to walk right out to the oceans waves, and nice people, you should stay at the Tam or the Divi.

My husband and I went to Aruba for our honeymoon last June for one week. I had really wanted to go somewhere in the Caribbean, and Tamarijn at Aruba was the best deal. We upgraded so that we could use both the Tam and the Divi. We usually did the buffet at the Tam, but we loved the Red Parrot at the Divi. I loved the Salsa Snapper! Overall, great food! I was hesitant about all-inclusive, but now I love it. I loved how I didn't have to carry money and could just walk to the bar and get a nice tropical drink! Bartenders were all very nice. I do think the bar at the Divi is nicer, but I like how you can walk upstairs above the Tam bar and look out. I really want to go everywhere in the Caribbean, but I would definitely go back to Aruba and stay at the Tamarijn!

We could not have had a better time!

My boyfriend and I stayed here December 15-22, 2001 and loved everything about the resort.

The set up is amazing - there's nothing like being guaranteed a beachfront room and not having to pay extra for it!!! The rooms themselves are small but well appointed, comfortable and clean.

The staff were amazing. They couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful and we never had to wait more than a moment for drinks or anything.

The food was good. No complaints from us but we would recommend upgrading to the Deluxe package, as we did, which allows you to use the facilities at the Divi as well as the Tamarijn.

We spent all our days on the beach - infact, we didn't go into the pool once. The bikes are a great idea and we used them on a few occasions to cycle into town.

Aruba is a safe, safe island and we felt comfortable walking at night, taking buses, etc.

Do rent a jeep!!! The island is small enough that you really can't get lost (the maps they provide are poor, at best). We explored the whole island and had a blast four-by-fouring our way to the natural pool - an amazing experience. You really only need one day for this and you can rent a jeep for about $30 USD.

If you travel with a tour company, be sure to attend their briefing. Our Sunquest/ALBATours representative could not have been nicer and gave us all the info we needed on the island, the resort and more.

One word of advice about the Tamarijn Aruba: GO!!!

A group of us (8 adults - aged 34 to 59 and 3 kids - ages 4, 5, 7) from Toronto were at the Tamarijn Feb 10-17, 2002. I am one of the 30-somethings of the group and mum to the 5-year-old girl. We stayed on the ground floor of the 1900 building.

Tamarijn versus The Divi

We went to the Divi a lot as we had the "deluxe" package that allowed us to use both resorts. The Divi Aruba Beach Resort has a much nicer beach, newer facilities, etc. If I went again, I would definitely choose that place instead of the Tamarijn. However, the Tam feels more private and secluded (especially in the 1900-2500 rooms) which I think my parents liked.

Pools:

We used the pools at the Divi Village behind the Tam as well. The kids liked them - there is a small tiled slide and shallow pools that the kids would have spent the whole week in if we'd let them. One of the pools at the Divi Beach Resort also has a shallow area.

The Beach:

The beach in between the Tam and Divi and continuing in front of the Divi and for a mile or two north is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The beach from 1900 to 2500 is wide and sort of secluded, but it was really windy. There are also rocks and stuff in the water in that section of beach. Take water shoes and be careful! My sister broke her toe on something in the water the first day there. They would sit and read a lot wheras I go in the water more, hardly ever sit still and am picky about stuff in the water so I would have been happier at the 1100s end. There is a beautiful, but very open and public, stretch of beach between the Tam and Divi right next to the 1100s. I thought the nicest beach for going in the water at the Tam was in front of 1800 - much more sandy.

Activities:

I liked having access to a bike. I rode to Palm Beach and into town.

Some of our group went on the 1/2 day snorkeling to De Palm island. They said it was good. Lots of fish. TIP: The air-hockey game doesn't need money to work, just push the lever in to start.

Food & Drink:

The Paparazzi was quiet good - my parents went there 3 times. The Palm Court is a grill place - I don't eat meat and don't like charred food, so it didn't appeal to me. The best restaurant was the Red Parrot at the Divi. I had the vegetable puff pastry and it was great. The buffets at both the Tam and Divi were the same - nothing spectacular, a bit meat oriented for my liking (what's with the chopped up ham in the salads???), but not bad at all. There's plenty in the buffets for the kids and you can ask for a kids menu in any of the restaurants. The self-serve ice cream was really good - I liked it as much as the kids did. As for drinks, look for the special of the day - those were always good as were "Miami Vice" (1/2 daiquiri, 1/2 pina colada) and "Aruba Aribi's". A few of us adopted my dad's habit of having an extra spicy Bloody Mary from the Bunker bar right before lunch - now that's vacation living.

Other Info:

There was a dispenser of body lotion and shampoo/body wash - no conditioner, no hair dryers.

You don't need dressy clothes. It's very casual there.

Regarding the famous(?) sewer smell... It wasn't constant, but I did notice it near the 1300 rooms once or twice. I don't think it's a big deal. I think some people just need to find something to complain about.