Having stayed at a Palm Beach resort in the past, we opted for a less crowded, adult oriented, and romantic experience this time. We selected the Bucuti Beach Resort after a significant amount of research. This resort is heralded in numerous travel magazines as one of the most romantic resorts in the world, and the Bucuti will definitely stand out as one of the most romantic and relaxing resorts we have ever stayed at.
We stayed in a Tara Beach Suite on the bottom floor (Room 303). Our patio looked out over the beach, and from the patio we could stroll out to the Pirates Nest Restaurant, the Sand Bar, and the beach. The suites are well appointed and comfortable. There's a sitting area with a refrigerator and wet bar, and a sleeping area with pillow top king size bed that can be closed off from the seating area with sliding doors. The sleeping area looks out over the beach. There are also TVs in each of the areas - not that you'll use them much.
The beach is powder white and spotlessly clean. The resort has plenty of palapas that are spread out. You don't have to worry about not getting one or being on top of other guests like you do at the Palm Beach resorts. The Sand Bar services the beach by use of a red flag that they provide you. Guests just have to stick the flag in the sand by their palapa / lounger to get service - and the service is excellent!
The room rate includes a full breakfast at the Pirate's Nest each morning. You get quite a selection, from cooked to order eggs, omletes, french toast, etc., as well as fresh breads, cheeses, fruits, and a variety of coffees and juices. The best part is you eat breakfast overlooking the beach from the deck of the restaurant.
The resort is focused on adult clients. Only a limited number of children are allowed to stay in the resort (we never saw any children). I don't know what the ratio of employees to guests is, but we never wanted for anything and they went out of their way to cater to us. I don't think we ever had to wait for anything, the bar and beach service was excellent and fast, the room services were the same, the concierge was well staffed as well. These people know how to pamper their customers! I can't count how many times I was asked by the resort management staff how my stay was going and if I needed anything.
The resort itself was maintained to very high standards. The landscaping is well designed and flawlessly maintained, as are the buildings and rooms. Everything was conveniently located throughout the resort, including an full service Spa. There are a number of restaurants within walking distance of the resort, including the Pirate's Nest which is located in the resort. Right outside the resort there is; Pizza Bob's for pizza and beer on an outside patio, Ellioto's Italian Restaurant, the French Steak House at the Manchebo Resort, and a Subway and Dunkin Donuts by the Alhambra Casino (also in walking distance). There were also numerous restaurants within a 5 minutes of the resort by taxi. Oranjestad is also a quick taxi or bus ride away.
We completely enjoyed our stay at the Bucuti Beach Resort and would highly recommend it to anyone that wants to getaway for a romantic vacation and to be totally pampered. We will be back!
From journal Romantic Aruba Vacation