This was our first time staying in Aruba and picked the Holiday Inn Sun Spree Resort for the pricing. We booked for 4 nights and kept our expectations open so we would have an open mind about the place.
Upon our arrival at the resort, we were met by a bellman who took our luggage inside. Very pleasant man who took our luggage to our room when we were ready to go there. Staff at check-in were pleasant and efficient and that theme remained throughout our stay. The room was a typical Holiday Inn room which is what we expected. There are higher grade rooms available but we stuck with what we had. I understood that the resort was recently renovated however our building was not done yet but our room was clean and pleasantly decorated. The one down side was we were above (7 stories mind you) the emergency generators and A/C units so there was some noise when we left to balcony door open. Annoying, but we spent relatively little time in the room so it wasn't an issue. Did not keep us awake. Housekeeping staff were nice and helpful as well as the rest of the staff we encountered.
We did not get a food plan for this trip so I can only comment about 2 things here. First off, the breakfast buffet was fairly good but not exceptional. Plenty of food and variety but some items were kind of bland. No real lines though. We had lunch twice at the bars near the pool. The food was good but the service was kind of slow, not that we were in any hurry. Needless to say to those who have been to Aruba, the food is not cheap and we expected that. That kept the shock level down. We ate off the property the rest of the time. We recommend the La Trattoria Italian Restaurant at the California Lighthouse. Excellent food and service and the setting is awesome. Again, be prepares to pay. The Petite Cafe in front of Playa Linda is also very good and not as pricey. Excellent steak on the hot stone. Pelican Pier located on the water at the end of the resort property has a good restaurant on the end of the pier. We had a very good dinner there and a beautiful view up the beach at night.
Speaking of Pelican, they are one of the larger tour operators in Aruba (the others being Red Sail Sports and Delorme). We took a sunset cruise on one day and a snorkel trip on another and had a great time on both. We also took a jeep tour of the desert side of the island and this is where we had the only problem of the trip. We had paid for a private vehicle ($30 extra) and they did not provide it. The guide told us to contact the main office for a refund but they stated that since we went on the tour anyway, that we forfeited the money. After a lot of calls and E-Mails we never got a refund. Also, the lady we spoke to was less that pleasant. Needless to say, we probably won't be using Pelican again when we go back next year. Not a direct reflection on Holiday Inn but they do use Pelican as a contractor for tours and the like.
The pool and beach area of the resort was very nice and we had no trouble getting a lounge to sit on by the pool or on the beach. The beach huts (or whatever they call them) were another story. You have to get up near 6 AM to reserve one. Good thing I knew this going in and didn't bother. We didn't miss them. The beach is nice and well maintained. Getting beach towels was easy but one lady there didn't seem to like her job and was complaining to another employee while we were there one day. We didn't need to hear that on our vacation. The pool is nice and spacious but only 2 hot tubs that get crowded. The layout is interesting and eye pleasing.
There was live entertainment while we were there on some evenings but we gave it a miss and just strolled around the are and along the path that goes behind several of the resorts. We also spent time in the casino that was pleasant but not profitable. We found it amusing how everything comes to a halt (or so it seemed) when Bingo was played. We also checked out several other resorts just to see what they were like. We also went into town to shop. There is a taxi stand right at the resort so getting one was simple. They are there during the day but they are also easy to get in the evening as well. They come and go and a call from the desk to the taxi dispatch gets you taxi in short order. Set prices make it easy and the drivers are friendly and like to talk about their island. There is no shortage of taxis in Aruba.
One thing we did notice was the presence of security on the property (actually all the resorts). They are not aggressive but seem to be watchful and professional in appearance and how they acted.
We encountered no lines or crowds but we were there off season at the end of April. Good time to go.
All in all we had a wonderful trip and we are going back the Holiday Inn in 2008 and look forward to it.