阿鲁巴岛 Tamarijn 全包酒店

Having stayed at many beach resorts around the world I can say the sand and water looked amazing when the sun was shining. We were lucky to be in the part of the resort with direct access to the water. 75% of the resort has a large rock barrier between the beach and the water to prevent erosion. There are lots of coral, rocks, concrete and pipes hidden under the water so take beach shoes. Forget about snorkeling the water is too cloudy. The room was small with dated tired furniture you would expect in 1-2 star motel. The resort did not feel crowded and you rarely saw a member of staff. When you did, they were mostly never smiley, did not look happy and were not very helpful, not exactly "one happy island". Check in took 45 mins and they were very rude. Every 2nd meal we had to clear the table ourselves before sitting down and the plates/cutlery were not well washed. The quality of the food was good and the alcoholic drinks very generous. There is no beach service, we had to walk 10 mins to get a drink. Make sure you line up at the concierge desk before 8am to book a table at the restaurants. By 8:15 nothing is available. There were very few activities and sports for example rock climbing was available for only 2 x 2hr sessions per week. Their Hobie Cat sailing is a joke. My 37 years if sailing experience was apparently not enough for them. A big plus for being Eco friendly - solar panels, reusable water bottles and cloth napkins. Overall it is expensive for what it is.

Probably should have listened to an internal feeling that an all-inclusive was not for my wife and I. Food was worse than our college cafeteria. Rooms were small, bed uncomfortable, and you could hear all of your neighbors. Beach was very small. If you like all-inclusive resorts this was probably fine, but if you're looking for decent food at an all-inclusive, this is not the place.