The all-new Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino features 558 newly renovated rooms and suites and the finest amenities and activities on Aruba. Two distinctive lodging options at this Aruba hotel offer both style and a tropical elegance. The Renaissance Marina Hotel is a hip destination for couples and the Renaissance Ocean Suites is perfect for families. http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/hotels/Aruba/renaissance_aruba/hotel/1918/29/ en-us Copyright 1998 e-TravelMedia.com/CaribbeanMag.com Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:23:28 EST Both Aruba resort options have pools or you can enjoy the 40-acres of private beach on Renaissance Island, which features inviting hammocks, a casual restaurant and bar, and many sporting activities. For a special treat, book a massage at our exclusive Spa Cove on the Island. Spa Cove includes a private cabana with a 2-person lounge chair and 2-person hammock. Aruba's best shopping; dining, casinos, and nightlife are all at the Renaissance Aruba Resort. For groups, the Renaissance Convention Center offers 22,000 sq ft of function space as well as special themed events on Renaissance Island. The Renaissance Aruba Resort is a Caribbean vacation from the ordinary. What to expect: The Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino comprises two sections of different character situated 250 m (273 yd) apart, with complimentary golf-cart shuttle service between them. Adults favor the more-upscale Marina Hotel section across the street from the resort's marina. Families prefer the casual Ocean Suites section along the Caribbean Sea. Guests of both sections enjoy access to the entire resort. Amenity highlights: Both resort sections have pools, but recreation centers on a 40-acre private island with two calm-water saltwater swimming/snorkeling lagoons (one shallow for children, one deeper for adults). The island also includes beaches with hammocks and thatched shades, a water-sports center, a casual restaurant and bar, a tennis court, a beach-volleyball net, a fitness center, and a nature trail. Guests may book either an All-Inclusive plan or a Room-Only (No Meals) plan. The All-Inclusive plan includes meals, drinks, gratuities, supervised children's activities, and non-motorized water sports. The Room-Only (No Meals) plan does NOT include meals, drinks, gratuities, supervised children's activities, and non-motorized water sports and may not include other resort-offered amenities. The Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino comprises two sections of different character and appeal. Guests of either section enjoy access to the other section's facilities, including pools. From early morning to late night, complimentary golf-cart shuttles transport guests the 250-m (273-yd) distance between the sections, which are separated by the Aruba parliament building. Marina Hotel: The Marina Hotel section is a six-story, 300-room tower across the street from the resort's marina. The center of the resort's nightlife, this section features the elegant 24-hour Crystal Casino; the Crystal Theater, which presents a movie about Aruba during the day and a Cuban stage show at night; L.G. Smith's Steak and Chop House; the resort's spa; and the indoor Seaport Mall, which leads directly to Oranjestad's main shopping district. The Marina Hotel has a skylighted atrium, a street-side pool and sundeck, and a contemporary lobby lounge serving Japanese-style bento meals and Spanish-style tapas. A small, lower-lobby lagoon has a dock where guests board shuttle boats to the resort's private island. Ocean Suites: The five-story, 257-suite Ocean Suites section is adjacent to the Caribbean Sea. This casual, family-friendly section features a children's club, a lagoon-style pool with swimup bar, a freeform pool, an artificial saltwater swimming lagoon with beach, the casual Seaport Casino, and the open-air Seaport Marketplace, with some 40 shops, 15 restaurants and cafés, and a multiplex movie theater. The Ocean Suites section has its own open-air lobby (Ocean Suites guests can also check in at the Marina Hotel), a conference center, and an oceanfront path. Shuttle boats to the private island stop for Ocean Suites guests at the marina. Patamingo Kids Club: Features day and evening sessions with fun activites. Baby sitting services are also available. Private island: Accessible by shuttle boats from early morning to early evening, the resort's private island features two calm saltwater swimming/snorkeling lagoons. Expansive beaches along the lagoons are dotted with hammocks, palm trees, and thatched shades. One lagoon is shallow and ideal for families. The other is deeper and caters to adults, with topless sunbathing permitted and orange flamingoes for company. The island's water-sports center offers snorkeling gear, kayaks, pedal boats, and floats. These are included in the All-Inclusive plan and available for rent with the Room-Only (No Meals) plan. Also on the island are a casual lunch-only restaurant, fish-feeding stations, and a nature trail through seagrape and mangrove. A dive center offers scuba instruction and books dives. A sunken barge teeming with sea life is 49.5 m (50 yds) offshore. Guests enjoy complimentary use of an artificial-grass tennis court and an air-conditioned thatched-roof fitness center. Iguana feeding at noon adjacent to the island's dock draws a crowd. An aviary is home to raucous macaws. A wandering pink duck delights children and mystifies adults. Ocean Suites: The resort's Ocean Suites section features an oval 76.25-m (250-ft) saltwater swimming lagoon, a beach, a 122-m (400-ft) lagoon-style freshwater pool bending around a swimup bar, and a 30.5-m (100-ft) freeform freshwater pool surrounded by palms. Marina Hotel: The resort's Marina Hotel section offers a triangular pool. A sundeck includes lounge chairs, umbrella tables for light dining (service from adjacent BLUE restaurant/bar), and a cabana with gathered sheer white drapes. L.G. Smith's Steak and Chop House - Waterfall wall, wood paneling, quartzite-stone columns, ceilings of soft-blue light panels and warm wood, sheer white curtains on street-view windows, black furniture with white leatherette cushions. Steakhouse menu. Dinner only. Dress code: long pants, collared shirts, closed-toe shoes for men. The Lounge - Contemporary lounge with overstuffed white seating. Adjacent to L.G. Smith's Steak and Chop House. Late-night menu until 6 AM (subject to change). Live music nightly. BLUE - Contemporary open-air lounge off upper lobby of Marina Hotel. Poolside service, also. Blue lights, high ceiling. Japanese-style bento boxes and Spanish-style tapas at night. Burgers, salads, sandwiches day and night. Tropical drinks, wines by the glass, specialty martinis, espresso drinks. Open mid-morning to late night. Café Brasserie - Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, with buffets and á la carte menus. International cuisine. Dinner buffet featuring sushi, shrimp, prime rib. Don Carlos Restaurant - Open-air Italian restaurant adjacent to marina. Lunch, dinner. La Terraza Bistro/Café - European, Asian, Caribbean cuisines. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Type: Resort No. of Rooms: 558 Beach Location: Beach Front (Directly on Beach/Water Front) http://www.caribbeanmag.com/search/hotels/Aruba/renaissance_aruba/hotel/1918/29/ Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:23:28 EST