Renaissance Marina Hotel and Casino: "Reasonable Hotel in Downtown Oranjestad" Aruba Hotel Tip by diver-x

We got this hotel on Priceline.com for about half the rack rate, and that was fine. I wouldn't want to pay rack rate, which is over $200/night. The hotel was comfortable and clean, but just about due for a renovation. For example, our bathtub was old and had been painted and fixtures a little bit worn. Though not dirty by any means, it's not what I'd expect from a $200+/night hotel. This is the only major hotel in downtown Oranjestad and is located at the marina, which we found convenient for scuba diving. The Renaissance resort includes The Renaissance Suites down the street a bit and guests at the Marina hotel are welcome at the bigger pool and pool bar at the Suites. There is no real beach right at the resort, but the resort owns a private island with a couple of very nice beaches with a restaurant, bar and Red Sail Sports shop. There are regular ferries about every 15 minutes to the island from both the Marina Hotel and the Suites. At the Marina, the boat comes right into the lobby through a channel, which is a nice touch.

Unique Qualities: For those of you who enjoy that sort of thing, there is a casino at the hotel. We just walked through once and yup, it looked like a casino all right.

There is a small pool at the Marina hotel on the street side one story up, with a bar nearby. But use the pool at the Suites across the street. Much nicer!

Address: L. G. Smith Boulevard 82, Oranjestad, Aruba
Comparison: about average
Directions: Right down town at the Marina
Phone: 297 5 836000
Price: US$80-120
Theme: Hotel
Website: http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/AUABR