The Best All-Inclusive Hotels to Book in Aruba, Caribbean

If you want a slice of authentic Caribbean, consider this all-inclusive hotel – it incorporates local touches in jaunty blue-and-white rooms, elevating what could be a generic beach break into a distinctly Aruban experience. Max up your tan around the outdoor pool, or sign up for the twice-weekly scuba diving lessons. Seven restaurants keep guests sated – Kyoto is a winner for Asian food – and, if you’re feeling lucky, have a flutter at the hotel’s casino before retiring to bed.

Here’s one where the kids won’t get to run riot – adults-only Riu Palace Antillas Hotel is one of the best all-inclusive resorts in Aruba; particularly if you want to let your hair down. Beyond its fabulous setting on the shores of Palm Beach, there are complimentary cocktails to slurp at the beach bar. Alternatively, have a romantic meal under the stars – five restaurants, including Italian and Japanese, cover the ground. Expect nights of live music and dancing as well as a casino. Which just leaves revival time the next day at the spa.

1.5mi (2.4km) of pure sand are only the beginning at Divi Aruba: beyond the spectacular white sands of Druif Beach, this all-inclusive hotel in Aruba rolls out plenty of lush gardens, with four pools and more than enough sun decks to go round. Rooms here – pick from garden view, beachside, pool view, ocean view and oceanfront – are urban-comfy, all dark woods and blue trim; dining is delicious, with five restaurants spanning pizzas to vegetarian. Guests get a complimentary pass to the sister hotel, the Tamarijn Aruba – join in weekly sessions of Zumba, yoga and pilates, or try the climbing wall.

Fans of Caribbean music love this place – there’s a great steel band that plays at mealtimes at the laid-back Manchebo Resort & Spa. And, speaking of meals, the range of restaurants is impressive, with options such as smoothies and coconut toast at Ilke’s Bistro or shrimp in curry sauce at the Red Parrot. This is a sociable place, with one of the best all-inclusive Tuesday night cocktail parties in Aruba, aided by a rum punch or two. Or doze off with the breeze caressing your shoulders in the massage cabins on the beach.

With a mile-long beach, the Tamarijn has one of the most coveted offerings on the Aruba all-inclusive hotel circuit. It’s been designed with laid-back luxury in mind, hence the sparely designed, urban-sexy rooms with futon-style beds, the cool pool and the cocktail bar overlooking the long sands. There’s plenty to keep the family occupied, with a supervised kids’ club and nightly entertainment. Roll up for evening events ranging from circus acts, fire swallowing and live music to movie nights, karaoke and salsa dancing lessons.

Stay at the Divi Village Golf & Spa, and you’ll be in holiday mode the minute you glimpse at the relaxed island style foyer. The dining will seduce you again and again – be it with beef stroganoff at the Windows on Aruba Restaurant or with cheese-laden brick-oven pizzas at Mulligan’s Golf Cafe Bar and Restaurant. The grounds are dotted with freshwater pools and sun terraces, there’s a waterslide for kids, and it’s a short walk to the white sands of Druif Beach. The grounds are expansive, but a free shuttle service links the sister resorts and amenities.

A good time is always helped by unlimited drinks, and the Hotel Riu Palace resort, in scenic Palm Beach in Aruba, certainly lines them up generously. No wonder this is one of the most popular adults-only all-inclusive hotels in Aruba. Based on a princess palace, the hotel has plenty of quirky features, such as oversized crystal chandeliers and stained-glass ceilings and a liberal dose of zebra print. But rooms are more classic, and the spa is positively sedate, with low lighting and hypnotic massage treatments.

Dine al fresco with cool ocean breezes and endless ocean views of Palm Beach at the romantic, all-inclusive Divi Resort Phoenix Beach. You’ll get faultless Caribbean hospitality in this beach-themed home from home, run by noticeably friendly staff. Choose from a spacious studio suite or a one-, two- or three-bedroom suite, all of them with stylish kitchens. If you need a break from your sun lounger, there are plenty of pools as well as a golf course, tennis courts and a wildlife sanctuary to keep you occupied until you’re ready for your next cocktail.