Located a five-minute drive to Palm Beach restaurants and shopping
Large and beautiful outdoor pool and hot tub
Apartment-style rooms can accommodate up to six guests
Each room has a kitchenette
Children’s play area with swing set and slides
Outdoor grill and garden area for common use
Free Wi-Fi and free self-parking
Free beach chairs at Moomba on Palm Beach
Maintenance issues in some rooms
We spotted evidence of termites on our visit
Room decor and some amenities are outdated
Wi-Fi is spotty anywhere but the lobby
For families on a budget, two-pearl Del Rey Apartments sounds almost perfect. It has reasonable rates, a big outdoor pool, a playground, and is only a
five-minute drive to Palm Beach. But one word is probably enough to put an end to that: termites. While we
only encountered one room with serious issues on our visit, it's compounded by other maintenance issues like broken door
knobs and funky smells. These factors may not apply to all rooms at the hotel, and unfussy budget travelers do appreciate the
independence and privacy here in contrast to the massive hotels on Palm Beach. Still, for an alternative without these underlying issues try Beach House Aruba, which has homey rooms with kitchenettes right on the water, though rates will likely be higher.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
Family-friendly budget property with playful and bright decor
The 26 Del Rey Apartments stand in bold contrast to the neighboring properties on this quiet street. A bright
rainbow of colors decorates the walls, railings and trim -- it looks playful, as
if a child was in charge of the decorating scheme (and only had crayon colors
in mind). Blocky letters announce the lobby area, which is a simple office that offers maps of Aruba and limited reception hours. It’s a fittingly cheerful
welcome to the family-friendly place, which also counts a modest children’s
playground among its list of amenities, as well as a kiddy pool. The hotel’s large pool is its shining centerpiece, featuring
an impressive flowing waterfall and a smattering of daybeds, tables, and chairs
under shaded tiki huts. The grounds also include a grilling area for
barbecues. A handful of carefully planted palm trees grant a bit of shade in an
area that’s mostly empty otherwise. The excessive dead space and lack of natural
landscaping makes it feel sparse and cold here, despite the bright colors and
cleanly organized walkways. One perk of the spaciousness is that it rarely
feels crowded or loud, despite the American and European families who often stay
here.
Location
Five-minute drive to Palm Beach and 15 minutes to downtown
Del Rey Apartments is in Noord, a neighborhood that’s well-situated
for those who want a break from the high-rise hotel scene, but prefer to stay relatively
close to Palm Beach and its restaurants. It’s a bit too far to walk to there from
the hotel (at least 30 minutes on foot), but it’s just a five-minute ride in a
taxi. While cab fares are relatively reasonable here (they operate on fixed
prices), it’s still worthwhile to rent a car to get to the various other sights and
beaches around Aruba. Dining options are limited in the immediate vicinity of the hotel, as
it’s in residential area, but there are plenty of casual and fancier places along
the sea at Palm Beach. Downtown Oranjestad is a 15-minute drive away for
nightlife, shops, and dining. Eagle Beach takes about 10 minutes to reach in a car, and the California Lighthouse is a
13-minute drive from the property. Expect a 20-minute drive to Queen Beatrix International Airport.
Rooms
Homey apartments with some fairly substantial maintenance issues
The 26 rooms here are either One or Two-Bedroom Apartments, each with simple outdoor seating areas. All rooms are spacious, with One-Bedroom Apartments starting at 32 square meters of space (344 square meters), and all units have at least one separate bedroom. Decor is simple and homey. Lime-green couches surround dark wood furniture, with white tiled floors, and a bland piece of art on the cream walls. However, the dated decor is less worrisome than the discoveries we made on our recent visit. Beyond basic maintenance issues like doors not locking properly and foul-smelling odors in some of the rooms, one apartment showed evidence of termites burrowing down from the ceiling (the Second Apartment).They all come with kitchenettes that have modern stovetops as well as coffeemakers, flat-screen
TVs, and microwaves. Most also include toasters, cutting boards, and
thoughtful extras like scissors, salt and pepper shakers, and dishwashing soap.
All feature sofa beds, meaning suites can accommodate between four and six
people, respectively. Bathrooms here are straightforward -- they’re small and lack
counter space, but they’re at least bright and clean. Walk-in showers have semi-enclosed glass walls and come with a few bars of cheap soap
(the standard brand for budget properties in Aruba). Hairdryers are provided.
Features
Lovely pool, hot tub, and common grill area
The hotel’s small size and apartment-style rooms means extra
amenities are limited, though they carefully maintain the features they do
offer, like the large and glittering on-site pool. It has a pretty mini-waterfall
and is surrounded by plenty of daybeds, tables, and chairs, as well as a kiddy pool and hot tub. A handful of palm trees and tiki huts add some shade here and
at the grill area, which is free for guests to use. There's also a playground for kids. The hotel offers free Wi-Fi, though it seems to get spottier
the farther you walk from the lobby area. Other nice perks include free passes
to get beach chairs at Moomba on Palm Beach, and discounts to Moomba Bar and
Restaurant.
