I stayed at Palace Antillas and, overall, I had a good time. I was actually planning on bringing my family back and visiting again in December. Up until the very end of my stay, I had nothing but positive things to say about the resort.
Unfortunately, several issues completely changed my opinion of the property and the way guests are treated.
During our stay, we found used dental floss underneath our sofa, which was extremely unpleasant and concerning from a cleanliness perspective. We also found the mattress to be very uncomfortable, making it difficult to get proper rest. These concerns were brought to attention, but they were ignored and nothing was done to address them.
The biggest disappointment came when we were leaving on Friday morning. After waiting at the airport for five hours, we found out that our flight had been canceled and we needed to extend our stay for another two days before we could return home. Since we had literally just left the resort, we decided to return and see if they could accommodate us given the circumstances.
When we walked back in, the staff, security, and employees immediately recognized us. They knew who we were and remembered us from our stay. However, when it came time to book another stay, we were treated as if we were first-time guests making a last-minute reservation. There was no effort made to help us, offer any flexibility, or show appreciation for the fact that we had just stayed there and were interested in returning.
Another concerning experience happened while we were on the beach. I booked an excursion, and there was a disagreement between two excursion businesses. During the situation, one individual who appeared to be under the influence approached the person I booked with, began pushing him, and acted extremely rude and disrespectful. The situation escalated to the point where I stepped in to try to calm things down. The individual then got in my face and acted as if he wanted to fight me.
Witnessing this type of behavior in front of guests was extremely disappointing and does not reflect well on the resort or the level of safety and professionalism visitors expect while on vacation. A first visit to Aruba should be a positive and welcoming experience, and unfortunately, this situation added to our disappointment.
To me, this is a reflection of poor customer service and poor business practices. They didn’t just lose me as a returning guest; they lost the opportunity to welcome my family and anyone I would have recommended the resort to in the future. After this experience, I will be sharing my honest feedback with others.
Compared to other resorts I’ve stayed at, including resorts in Punta Cana that also have mixed reviews, I believe a company of this size should be able to show more appreciation and provide better service to loyal guests when unexpected situations occur. I was extremely disappointed with how we were treated. There was no attempt to accommodate us, extend our stay, or find any reasonable solution.
Future guests should be aware that, unfortunately, it can feel like you are only valued while you are spending money. This experience left a very negative impression of Palace Antillas and made me feel like it reflects poorly on Aruba. The rest of the island has shown much more warmth, hospitality, and appreciation toward visitors, which made this experience even more disappointing.
I will be contacting management once I return to the United States because I believe they need to hear how this situation was handled and how it affected our overall experience.
