BUCUTI – 9/6/08 – 9/13/08
Reviewer background: Just to give you and idea of where this is coming from here's the dilly. Husband and I are dual income no kids so we prefer adult only “affordable” luxury resorts. Meaning we try to keep the whole vacation, flight, food, hotel, etc under $4000. We are 37/38, live in northern new jersey, work and play in Manhattan. As a reference, some of the places we have stayed are, Aventura Spa Palace (Playa Del Carmen), The Excellence Punta Cana, Fiesta Americana Grand Aqua, Fiesta Americana Grand Los Cabos, Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Cancun, Hotel Floris Curacao, The Palms Turks and Caicos to name a few. I have written reviews on all of them so feel free to check those out. I pride myself on being as fair as possible.
I'm all about getting the best for the price and will pay a bit more so long as we see it is worth it. If it isn’t the husband and I will be the first to say so.
Here’s the review of the Bucuti, Eagle Beach Aruba plus local restaurants and things to do. I hope this serves as a helpful review. Happy and safe travels! Feel free to drop me a question lisagia71@hotmail.com
The Bucuti is a “boutique resort” which is the best way to describe it. There are no bells and whistles when you arrive, no grand driveway and big, fancy lobby. It’s contemporary chic and welcoming. Bucuti is set on Eagle Beach which is the best beach on Aruba –far better than the high rise zone which is a Disney meets Daytona with a little VEGAS thrown in. That whole zone is very very American, fast food, chain restaurants, big shopping plazas. Very very family. The low rise zone on the other hand, has a much more European feel. The taxi’s are fast and not that expensive. So you can go wherever you want within 15 minutes regardless of what zone you stay in.
Bucuti Staff: Incredibly pleasant, polite, willing to help and genuinely make an effort to know you by name. I was amazed and embarrassed to see so many bratty Americans with attitudes. It’s vacation. Chill out and wait 5 seconds and a hello, good morning, please and thank you goes a long way. Staff knew my husband and I by name by the second day. They hugged us when we left. I felt like I was leaving a friends house. You get what you give. Act like a brat and get it back.
The Rooms: For the first 3 nights of our vacation we stayed in the Tara suites and for the last 4, we moved to a regular deluxe room so I can offer a review and a clear understanding of what to expect from both rooms.
The Tara suites: The building is newer, cleaner, modern décor, very chic, very cool --a boutique hotel on the beach. The room has a living space, you get robes, it was our 10 year anniversary so we got this goody bag with cheese, crackers, sparkling wine and a happy anniversary balloon – all set up on the table when we walked in.
Pros: The set up of the room and the décor is great! The bed is nice big and comfy and there’s a large full length mirror across the bed. – very cool! They have i-pod docking stations, little kitchen space is good and fridge is big enough to store you own bottled waters which I suggest getting.
Cons: No hot tub in the room, (I don’t really care but people do so I figured I’d add it) No double sinks, lighting in bathroom is a bit weak, shower and tub is one thing no stand up glass stall shower with bench (this was a bummer for my husband and I for reasons adults can figure out for themselves), the lighting in general was a bit wacky. Flip a switch and a light across the room goes on. No flat screen TV’s --good because we hardly watched TV. You need to bring your room card key onto the balcony so remember this or risk being locked out. The balconies are situated in such a way that makes “relations” impossible. The resort grounds are very brightly lit.
Best balcony goes to Fiesta Americana Grand Los Cabos, in Cabo San Lucas and runner up The Palms Turks and Caicos. Bucuti is an eco friendly hotel (yet they could do a far better job of keeping trash off the beach - more on that later) so they change sheets twice a week. If this skeeves you, then you can ask for them to be changed daily but you better ask nicely and better leave $2 a day per person as a tip for the cleaning people. The cleaning staff are friendly and great and we never had any issues with a clean room and enough towels. However, the towels throughout the resort are skimpy. They could stand to upgrade to larger more plush towels to give a more luxe feel. I had a face towel with a hole in it. No biggie but when I travel I want to have a towel that makes me feel Ahhhhh. Not ewww scratchy!!
The Deluxe Room: Very similar to Tara Suites except no livingroom space and I liked the set up of the bathroom here better! Tara suites bathroom had toilet with door but it was dark and the doors when open hit one another – awkward. The bathroom in the deluxe room again nothing fancy, a basic hotel room bathroom that you would find at a Ramada or modest hotel. The décor was in line with that of the Tara suites. The bed was comfortable. The fridge is big enough for bottled waters and snacks here too. Everything in the Tara suites kitchen is also here except there’s no sink in the deluxe suites but I don’t do dishes on vacation so who cares!! All balconies have this cool hanger thing for wet bathing suits which was very handy.
Cons: No flat screen TV, towels are skimpy, chairs on balcony are terrible, hard metal, no cushion. Tara suite balcony chairs much better. And the dehumidifier was horribly noisy so we just unplugged it to sleep. It wasn’t even necessary. Aruba in September is divine!!
The Pool: Small and it's 5 – 6 feet deep. I'm five/three so i hung out on the stairs being that arm floaties would clash with my bikini. I didn't mind at all because a deep pool mans No Kids - fantastic! The pool is nice at the end of the day and take a dip before ending a lovely day.
The Spa: no fancy bells and whistles. Best spa experience goes to The Palms Turks and Caicos (spa from the heavens), second runner up, Aqua Cancun. But you'll pay for it. The Tara Suites spa doesn’t put you in a robe, there’s no ice water with lemon, no cushy chill out room to wait in before your treatment. It’s very basic but WOW!! What an amazing massage. I love the bells and whistles associated with the spa experience but it usually runs about $120 for an hour massage. At the Bucuti I had no fancy extras but for $75 it was one of the best hot stone massages I ever had. I suggest getting your massage early on in the vacation so it lasts ahhhhhhh!
The Food: Ok here’s the deal with breakfast. If you are looking for the I-Hop – or Denny’s grand slam every day, then this isn’t for you. But if you are cool with a European style breakfast there is plenty to choose from to fill you up (not stuff you senselessly and raise triglyceride levels through the roof – there’s a reason Europeans are thin). Breakfast consists of, fresh fruit, cereals, pastries, mini bagels, cheeses, juices, coffee, tea, the most amazing yogurt I have ever tasted ever, different breads, salami, ham, tomato, cucumber and the dining space is like being in someone’s house. The dining area is adorable!! Very quaint and it forces you to say good morning to the staff and fellow guests. Imagine being in a large frat house or sorority house with 15 -20 housemates in the kitchen at the same time. There are tables to sit at and also couches in front of screen TV’s with CNN on for those who need their news fix while on vaction.
The Pirates Nest is ok for lunch. There was no need for us to go there for breakfast. The lunch was around $35 nothing special but nothing at all horrible. It’s your basic Caesar salad, chicken quesadillas, hot dog, burgers, other easy lunch type stuff.
Best lunch on a resort for the money was Fiesta Americana Grand Los Cabos – best nachos I have ever had in my life period end of story and they were big enough for two people to share, and they had 10 different kinds to choose from.
Anyhoo the place to eat at the Bucuti is PIZZA BOBS!! That pizza is amazing and this is coming from two pizza snobs from NY/ Jersey. Do not leave the Bucuti without having Pizza Bobs for either dinner or lunch. Husband and I got a pie one night and ate it while watching the sunset. The only issue is service. Pizza Bob’s is sllllowww but if you need a break from the sun it’s worth chillin and the drinks are good too.
The Beach: Eagle beach is LOVELY! Not as heavenly as Grace Bay Turks and Caicos but wonderful. The sand is white. There are palm trees spaced out along the beach and little palm umbrella huts for those who prefer shade. I worship the sun (as you will see in the photos) so husband and I pulled up a spot and just reeelaxxed. There are no kids running around and it’s nice and quiet. This resort isn’t a kid friendly place at all. It’s a couples retreat. The beaches are private in some spots public in others but you don’t get peddlers and people annoying you. The water is a lovely blue and it’s cool enough to cool you off but warm enough to feel like vacation beach and not the awful beaches here in Jersey – water I refuse to go in.
Just to check it out... we walked past the high rise hotel zone and the lounge chairs were placed side by side about 4 inches apart. It looked crowded and dirty. I would never stay in the high rise zone. I did go to the Hyatt for drinks, a very very cool place to lounge at night. It’s a total family fest by day but If you have dinner and then head over there by around 10pm you can have a few drinks it’s romantic and worth checking out. Which leads me to… restaurants!!
Screaming Eagle: very chic, very contemporary, not kid friendly at all, ideal for romantic dinner, or a meal with friends, dress nicely, no flip flops and shorts, instead opt for a sun dress and guys mandals and some linen pants and a short sleeve button down will be comfortable and just fine. DO NOT WALK HERE even though the hotel concierge says it’s close. The road is sandy with no sidewalks, not so safe. Take a quick taxi. You can always walk back if you want to. I carried my heels and did the walk back – it wasn’t so bad on the other side of the roadway. Ok so the food is great, service is great – it’s one of those places where 10 different people are taking plates filling drinks bringing food. Great attention to detail! We had mesculin salad, Peruvian ceviche, escargot, scallops and amazing sorbetto for dessert. Bill came to $160 (including 3 rounds of drinks). This was a favorite!! Do not miss Screaming Eagle (but if you have little ones or an aversion to dressing beyond shorts and flip flops while on vacation, skip it).
Texas de Brazil: located in the high rise hotel zone so a taxi is around $8.00. Husband and I do not eat enough for this place. We did have a good experience but this is no way our style of eating. We would have been fine with their amazing salad bar, one of the best I have seen. But we went for it! Sangria is great!! Meats are great!! The whole experience is cool especially for people who approach eating as a sport. I did love that I was able to sample various meats. Service was great food was great – just pace yourself it’s a lot of food.
Pinchos: One of the most romantic dinner spots on Aruba. Not kid friendly at all. And ladies, do not wear heels. Wear either wedge sandals, flat sandals or dressy flip flops. Here’s why… Pinchos is set on a pier. You are basically eating on boards (think like a giant deck) above the sea. It is lovely. All open air. The menu is limited because there is no real kitchen. It's this incredible grille behind the amazing bar. Pinchos means “skewer” so everything is grilled. And the food is all fresh every day FRESSSSHHHH and you can tell. It’s amazing!! The food is flavorful, there aren’t tons of sides but what they have is great! And this place has the best sangria! We came here TWICE!! The décor is amazing, the bar space is lovely. This is the kind of place you would see on TV. DO NOT MISS the PINCHOS experience. My husband and I had one of every appetizer a pitcher of sangria and shared it all, which left room for dessert (cheesecake amazing!) and the fruit from the sangria. We loved it so much we went back for the last night to watch the sunset. LOVELY !!
Driftwood: Ok this place has amazing food but it’s casual and a family friendly place so I wouldn’t go back, but the food was really really good. So it’s a trade off. We were overdressed for this place. You can totally come here wearing shorts and a polo shirt and be fine, ladies whatever you throw on will work. It’s one of those seafood places where when you walk in the décor is very hard core sea -anchors and netting and wood everything. I was waiting for my server to be in a pirate costume – they weren’t. We ordered a bunch of appetizers and 1 entrée and shared. The meal was really good. The place isn’t super chic but the food is deelish. If it wasn’t for the awful screaming kid, it would have been a far more pleasant experience. Check it out but bring earplugs.
The Promenade: Oh my lord. Not sophisticated at all. They have a pay one price and eat appetizers until you can't think straight option. We met another couple from New York at the Bucuti and decided to dine at the Promenade. It was fun to do the shared plates thing but I’d skip this place. There are far better places to go. Had I known I would have gone back to Screaming Eagle. The décor here is like a diner meets old Vegas lounge, something out of a Tarantino flick and the food is eh, hit or miss. Skip it. There are other places to go that are better. I heard Aqua Gril is supposed to be great.
Night life: LAME LAME LAME! Cookoocanookoo?? We thought about it, investigated what you get for the money and decided it too to be too low rent an experience for the cost. Better to go to the Hyatt and drink there fo the same amount of money.
We don’t gamble and there didn’t seem to be any hopping outdoor lounges, so we mostly walked around and let the dinners linger longer. Puerto Rico has the best nightlife period end of story as does South Beach Miami and Vegas.
Activities: do the ATV tour. So worth it!! Also rent a jeep get a map and check out the Butterfly farm, then head over to Arikock park. You can drive through with the jeep and it’s desolate. Very very cool driving through. Check out some of the caves, you can see bats, super interesting! Baby beach is eh ok, a little too local for me but being able to walk out far with water only up to my waist was pretty cool. The coolest thing to watch out for – diving seagulls. They look like kamikaze pilots. Hysterical how they are not afraid of people and fly overhead and dive headfirst to get fish.
The weather: The week we went Sept 6-13th, the weather was more humid than the locals are used to and the sun was blazing. Husband and I love it hot so we didn’t mind. It didn’t rain once and the sky had these puffy clouds that would offer a few minutes of shade. If you burn, reapply that sunscreen. If you tan (like we do) you’ll do okay with an 8 or 15.
Other notable points: While Eagle beach is glorious and far better than the beach in the high rise zone, there still needs to be better clean up on the beach. People are slobs so the staff needs to be more on top of plastic cups by the lounge chairs and other plastic litter. My husband would pick stuff up and put it in the trash (heaven forbid people walk 10 paces to a trash can).
Aruba over all is a great place to travel to during hurricane season because it is below the hurricane belt. However if you don't have to travel during the height of hurricane season, there are better places to go. This was our second trip to Aruba in 10 years.
Personally I don’t see how people could come here year after year. But when I see all the fast food joints and the Americanization of Aruba, then it makes more sense. My next trip to Aruba might be in 5 or 10 years – not at all in a hurry to get back. On my bang for the buck scale I rate Aruba and the Bucuti about a 7.
The Bucuti was good for what it is. But you have to be okay with the items in the ‘cons’ section I listed above. I have paid less for other hotels and have gotton those things but other things were lacking so to be fair, there are always certain things that don’t measure up when you compare places. That's the glory of travel. You just have to figure out what matters most to you and what are the deal-breakers. For me I would sacrifice a flat screen TV in my room if it meant no kids on the resort. I would sacrifice plush cushy towels if it meant comfortable lounge chairs and plenty of them spaced apart and not one on top of the other.
I returned from Aruba knowing I had an awesome vacation and that was good enough for me. I wil say this, if I do decide to go back to aruba, knowing what I know I would still stay at the Bucuti (Tara Suites).