Marriott's Aruba Surf Club Update

Anyone have recent information regarding the beach and pool situation at the Surf Club? What I've read so far isn't very encouraging .

We'll be in Aruba from February 4th through the 18th and I'm hoping that it won't be a hassle every day to get comfortable at either the beach or the pool. TIA for any information you may be able to provide.

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Tom

Here now - work is progressing - dock has been moved and beach is opened up in front of the buildings. New restauarant in 'fisherman' building just opened up last night, will probably check it out tonight. We decided to skip the palapa race every morning and instead get chairs with Canapy covers and sit under a palm tree each day....I will post pictures later. We are here week 52 and 1.

I will also be anxious to hear your full report.

We were there in September (Labor Day week) and never had a problem getting a palapa or chairs at the pool.

GrayFal said:

We decided to skip the palapa race every morning and instead get chairs with Canapy covers and sit under a palm tree each day....I will post pictures later

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GreyFal,

I was there last year and don't recall anything regarding the availability of canapy chairs...is this something new at the Surf Club? Please enlighten me when you have a chance...thank you for your help.

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Tom

Hi there,

Have a great vacation and YES please post pics of the new beach area

Please help and find out if there is a way to email whomever is in charge of room assignment at the Ocean Club. I believe there is a new front desk manager but cannot remember his name.

Thanks

Here is the 'new' master plan which is well on its way to completion. I am leaving it BIG so you can see it!




Here are a few close-ups of the Canapy Loungers - regular loungers are also available.




Here is a shot looking toward the water...off to Baby Beach!

Oh God will May ever come...that's when I will be there...

Beach

I just got back from the Surf Club. I was also there in May. In May, they had the bulldozers on the beach and construction fencing everywhere. The beach was crowded but getting a palapa wasn't impossible (perhaps behind the construction fence but at least in the shade). The line began at 7am for the free palapa reservation for the day. I was also able to reserve for two days later in the week somwhat close to the water at $15/day.

Last week, they lined up at 4:30am for the free daily palapa! I was amazed and chose the chair with the awning route as well. You still had to be out by 8am for these and then all chairs were gone by 11am (no seats at all on the beach). The biggest problem is that a family had tipped the beach person a hefty sum to put out their chairs with towels daily (which he did). On one day, he gave them my chairs (I had gone up to the pool for breakfast) and then he denied it! It caused a terrible mix-up as they even had my towels.

The bottom of the ocean where they dredged is muddy and not meant for wading or swimming yet. They also have 5 different water activity rentals on the Marriott beach. I walked all of the way to the fishermen's huts and was saddened by the overcrowding and unkept beach.

I sent in a comment card about it as I really love the resort. Everything else there is absolutely wonderful (the rooms, the pool, the casino, etc.). Everyone there was complaining so I'm hoping it is rectified soon.

Hey GrayFal thank you very much for the pics!

As for gretel

Last week, they lined up at 4:30am for the free daily palapa!

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Unbelievable...:annoyed:
4:30am! Is that the definition of great vacation or not?

Sorry but glad I bought at the Ocean Club...

Hope they will be able to fix that one day , but let me doubt a little with 2 more complex to go...

Swear!

It sounds insane...because it is! They were sleeping on chairs in line. I know that Christmas and New Year's are high season but there were just too many people and not enough palapas.

gretel said:

Last week, they lined up at 4:30am for the free daily palapa!

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And yet people on those Aruba bb's criticize those of us who pay the $15 in advance. Hey, at least at 4:30 AM, I'm sleeping in my incredibly comfortable Marriott bed, lol!!

Reserved

All of the palapas were already reserved for the week. I would have gladly paid the $15 (obviously, everyone else felt the same way!) Another option they suggested was waiting until 10am when the ones who reserved the palapas would forfeit theirs (the 2 hour time limit rule). I didn't want to be a part of the insanity if they did come down later and want their space.

qlaval said:

Hey GrayFal thank you very much for the pics!

As for gretel

Unbelievable...:annoyed:
4:30am! Is that the definition of great vacation or not?

Sorry but glad I bought at the Ocean Club...

Click to expand...

It is the same at the Ocean Club.

GrayFal said:

It is the same at the Ocean Club.

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Still the ratio of palapas/guests is not the same.
So if I have to choose between crazy and extrmely crazy...

Imagine next Christmas when the other 2 complex will be finished...

Marriott decided to choose the $$$ before the quality of vacation of their owners it is obvious dont you think?

GrayFal,

Thanks for the pic's and the information...makes me yearn for the gentle breezes of Aurba. We'll be there from February 4 through the 18...can't wait!

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Tom

Just retunred and the palapa situation wasn't a big deal- a minor inconvenience. Reserved for 2 days and went down early for the other days. They opened at 7:30 for reservations and as long as you showed up by then there were ones available. Lots of the canopied chairs, with availablity until around 10ish. Tons of lounges, including piles of new ones not even unwrapped. They are building some new palapas.

We had a fabulous time- this was our first visit and we are so glad we bought there. I am surprised I enjoyed it so much, because I am the vacation planner and generally plan very active weeks. Usually if there isn't something to do I am bored, but the location is beautiful and the breeze makes sitting out even in the heat so enjoyable. We can't wait to return!!

m61376 said:

I am surprised I enjoyed it so much, because I am the vacation planner and generally plan very active weeks. Usually if there isn't something to do I am bored, but the location is beautiful and the breeze makes sitting out even in the heat so enjoyable. We can't wait to return!!

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LOL this sounds like us. We used to go to Vegas for our big trip every year, and we were on the go constantly - needed another vacation when we got back. In Aruba, we have done literally none of the sightseeing or other stuff. We sit on our butts all day at the beach and/or pool, eat dinner, then go to the casino for an hour or two. Lather rinse and repeat. And we love every second of it!!!

Cathy in Boston said:

LOL this sounds like us. We used to go to Vegas for our big trip every year, and we were on the go constantly - needed another vacation when we got back. In Aruba, we have done literally none of the sightseeing or other stuff. We sit on our butts all day at the beach and/or pool, eat dinner, then go to the casino for an hour or two. Lather rinse and repeat. And we love every second of it!!!

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HAHA...except for the casino part, that was pretty much our itinerary...and if anyone told me I'd enjoy doing nothing as much as I did, I would have told them they were crazy.

My hubbie also always quipped that he needed a vacation from one of my vacations.... As the kids got older everyone started requesting that I build in some relaxation time into our trip itineraries; it was the family joke. Everyone was shocked to see me enjoying myself relaxing.

m61376 said:

Just retunred and the palapa situation wasn't a big deal- a minor inconvenience. Reserved for 2 days and went down early for the other days. They opened at 7:30 for reservations and as long as you showed up by then there were ones available. Lots of the canopied chairs, with availablity until around 10ish. Tons of lounges, including piles of new ones not even unwrapped. They are building some new palapas.

We had a fabulous time- this was our first visit and we are so glad we bought there. I am surprised I enjoyed it so much, because I am the vacation planner and generally plan very active weeks. Usually if there isn't something to do I am bored, but the location is beautiful and the breeze makes sitting out even in the heat so enjoyable. We can't wait to return!!

Click to expand...

You just described our 2 week stay - we came home on Saturday.
We opted out of the palapas - got our canapy chairs at 8:30 and enjoyed our weeks.......

If you notice my pictures above, they are shots of the beach in the middle of the day....we never felt 'crowded' while we were there.
But then again, I am a 'glass half full' kind of person.

m61376 said:

Just retunred and the palapa situation wasn't a big deal- a minor inconvenience. Reserved for 2 days and went down early for the other days. They opened at 7:30 for reservations and as long as you showed up by then there were ones available. Lots of the canopied chairs, with availablity until around 10ish. Tons of lounges, including piles of new ones not even unwrapped. They are building some new palapas.
We had a fabulous time-

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So glad to hear!
Read a few scary posts about the situation...

Hope your husband was able to enjoy as much as you did.
Now the difficult part, reajusting to the city and the cold...:annoyed:

qlaval said:

So glad to hear!
Read a few scary posts about the situation...

Hope your husband was able to enjoy as much as you did.
Now the difficult part, reajusting to the city and the cold...:annoyed:

Click to expand...

I think the overcrowding is a problem over Christmas week (but then, where isn't it crowded). Things were very smooth last week. Also- I was surprised at the hotel-type amenities. Lots of help with the luggage (something I particularly appreciated because my husband separated his shoulder a few weeks ago so the help made things a bit easier), not only up to the room but unloading and reloading the car, and storing it from check-out till flight time), concierge services for making restaurant or other reservations, bar and restaurant service at the pool and the beach (we brought our own drinks and snacks, but there was plenty of pool and beach service), people at the beach stepping in when I started to drag a lounge to get and arrange whatever I needed, etc..

The staff was very helpful and friendly. My only other timeshare experience was at Ko'Olina, which was great, but the staff at the Surf Club was just a tad better. My impression is that many of the owners in Aruba were frequent guests at the resort there and perhaps that is why they are giving just a little more hotel-type service. I don't know; it was just a feeling I got while there. On the other hand, they do advertise it as "one happy island," so maybe that's just the way they cater to the tourist trade there.

Service

Both of my stays at the Surf Club have been met with excellent service. On my second trip, many of the staff welcomed me back and remembered our family. It was a feeling of returning home.

As for the chairs on the beach and around the pool, it was definitely a problem over the holidays. As I said, it wasn't so bad in May. Also, with the new buildings, the pool with the slide has become difficult to sit around as it has created a wind tunnel effect. Marriott removed all of the umbrellas in that area and few people sit there now (making the other pools more congested). Security did a great job of checking every wristband all day (with a smile!). I traveled to several other beaches around the island and did not experience the same crowding. I suppose its the price you pay to stay at the mega-resort.

I'm staying at La Cabana in April for the first time. I know I'll miss the beautiful suites at Marriott but I look forward to their expansive beach.

I'm definitely not a "glass half full" type person (my cynicism horrifies even me at times) - but we've been to the Ocean Club in May, and the Surf Club in July and September (obviously not all in the same year, lol), and have never experienced the problems a lot of people bring up on the various message boards.

The beach is definitely not deserted, but we never had a problem getting a good spot (we do opt to pay for the palapas ahead of time). The Lazy River and the pool area were completed when we went in September, and we would do the Lazy River (which is thoroughly awesome) in the morning, around 8:00 AM, and usually it was just us and maybe 3-4 other adults. Around 1:00-2:00 every afternoon, we left the beach and went over to sit at the pool - again, never a problem, we were always able to get two of those covered lounge chairs (those are great).

The staff at the Surf Club is very friendly, very helpful and a pleasure to deal with. The units are gorgeous, as is the rest of the resort.

Just my two cents!!

I have been reading what everyone has posted about the Surf Club.
We will be traveling there in May with our kids. Just wondering about
the wristbands. Are they worn by all Marriott guests at hotel and timeshares?
Are you allowed to use all pools? We have never been to Aruba so I don't
know what to expect.

Thank you for any info,
Debbie