Aruba Too Expensive???

[hat0112]

that it is hurricane free. I am really concerned about the costs of the resorts. My budget is $10-$12,000 and it seems like it won’t be possible with room rates at $400 per person per night. I also can’t ask my guest to pay that either since I know they don’t have that much money.

 

Does anyone have a budget like mine and are there any nice resorts that don’t cost an arm and a leg? I’m sorry if this is a repeat question but I couldn’t find anything when I was search the boards.

 

Thanks!

 

Heather

[Marcia313]

Hi Heather - I have a small budget too, and am getting married in Aruba in March. I didn't really consider the fact that March is high season in Aruba until the STDs were already out and people had started making arrangements -- oops. Anyway, we decided to get married on Renaissance Island. The rooms at the resort are pretty expensive, but if you can guarantee that you will fill at least 10 rooms, they offer a discounted rate. I'm sure the discount varies from low season to high season, but it's definitely something to look into -- I'm sure the Renaissance isn't the only resort that does that. For perspective, the discounted March rate for the cheapest room is $169 -- not too bad. Good luck, and let me know how it goes!

[hat0112]

Thanks for the response! $169 is a great price from what I have been looking at! I will definitely look into all those resorts!

 

You are right Aruba has so many great features it really is worth it. (Hopefully my guests will feel the same way!)

[soxgirl]

I am an Aruba bride on a budget as well. I made some compromises to plan my wedding there, including the resort, but it's all worth it as Aruba is such a wonderful island.

 

We booked the Divi All Inclusive, definitely not a 4 star resort, but for our guests more than affordable and will meet their needs. It's an island resort and we have many family and friends who have been there for their honeymoons and loved it. What was important to us is that people are able to come. We're in May so it's not considered the high season so our rate is probably a little lower, but at $340 per room per night all inclusive we couldn't pass that up. Plus the wedding coordinator I'm working with is fantastic!

 

Good luck!

[Sheree10]

It is true that Aruba is one of the expensive islands. But from what I've heard it's totally worth it. We decided not to do all inclusive and will stay at the Renaissance resort. I would suggest speaking with a travel agent to get quotes for the various hotels and find one that will work in your budget. DW wedding can be as expensive or as affordable as you wish. Take a look at your options before making a decision.

 

Good Luck!

[MK1]

We booked our wedding at a hotel where there isn't a minimum guest room requirement. Our friends and family pooled in money to rent villas and saved a lot of money this way. I think the Marriott and Westin do not have a room requirement.

[alisonu22]

It's true that renting a villa can be much much cheaper than going to a resort, just make sure you map it out first, there are a lot of villas that are in middle of the island and not really near anything.

[Stacy015]

Oh my gosh - I LOVE Aruba! You are going to love it there.

I have been there 6 or 7 times, and each time I end up renting someone's timeshare week. Several places will have this option, and it's cheaper than paying per night through the resort. Some of them are beautiful! One of my family's favorite places we have stayed is Playa Linda.. (We don't stay at the most expensive places, but they are always nice) The Marriott was nice - when I went there was a brand new lazy river that everyone loved. The Riu is brand new. I haven't stayed there, but it's pretty from the outside (you can't go in and look around if you're not a guest so I haven't seen the inside - security stands at the gates).

 

All inclusive really isn't as popular in Aruba as other places... There are really just a handfull - Holiday Inn, Some of the Divis, Tamarign (I think), and a few others. It really didn't even seem worth it to me when I looked into it one year, unless you find some amazing package on special. The restaurants are good and don't end up costing as much as the all inclusive. There is a happy hour somewhere in the area at all times (or so it seems) and we usually pick up alcohold from the grocery store as well to take to the beach in coolers (if you drink beer).

 

Yay - exciting for you!

[MDLady]

I'm also an Aruba bride and originally we wanted to get married in February or March. When I looked at the hotel rates, I almost passed out but after further research, realized that by May, the prices were literally 50% less. We are getting a group rate at the Hyatt Regency for $222/night which is still pretty high but it's a 5-star resort. The flights are actually not bad at all, they are about $400/pp. I spent more on flights to Vegas!

 

So take a look at off-season, it won't be as crowded and will be significantly cheaper. But I imagine that Mexico and Jamaica will be cheaper at any time.

[MDLady]

Btw, the Westin was our 2nd choice and their rooms were $169/night. The wedding prices were also 25% or so cheaper but I really fell in love with the Hyatt so we had to go with that. The planner at the Westin was amazing to work with and I also have a friend's friend who got married there last year and said it was wonderful.