Weighing The Awesome Options At Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino
If you're one of those people who is more than happy spending your entire tropical vacation alternating between dipping your toes in the crystal blue water of the ocean and the equally clear water of the pool, you'll want to stay at the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, where you can get a week's worth of good food — and variety — without having to leave the hotel.
At La Vista, breakfast is served à la carte or buffet style. There, you'll find everything from Mexican breakfast pizza to fish and cold cuts galore, which challenge you to find room after you've stacked your French toast high with fruit, chocolate chips, caramel sauce, and coconut flakes (fear not, special dieters, there's a gluten-free station, too).
Not a big breakfast person? The lobby café serves pastries and coffee creations of all kinds (it also serves sushi at lunchtime — refreshing!).
Daytime beachside dining is available at Waves restaurant, which offers low-key, beach basket lunch options like salads, wraps, and burgers. It's literally situated two steps from the sand, but the staff will also bring your food to you poolside, in case you're in the middle of a good book or jamming out to music (on some days, that music is live).
Dinner at Atardi was our favorite, though, based on the ambience alone.
Atardi (which translates to "afternoon" in Aruba's native language, Papiamento) transforms the resort's daytime beach lounging area into a pop-up restaurant once the sun begins to set.
You'll want to get there around 6:15 p.m. for ideal sunset watching time — and make sure you're not late, because that sun sets fast once it's on the move. As night falls, the sound of water gently lapping up against the shore near your table and the glow of lit torches are the perfect setting for a romantic dinner for two.
On the menu is a creative combination of fish, meats, sauces, and vegetables, including tropical bouillabaisse, macadamia-crusted grouper, and traditional Keshi Yena to banana brûlée.
Pro tip: Confirm that Eduardo Arias is on duty when you go. He'll make sure you have an unforgettable experience from start to finish and become your BFF while you're there. Seriously, this guy magically materializes exactly when you need something, and is just plain delightful.
If you'd rather dine on more solid ground, La Vista offers themed buffets with meat and seafood options such as citrus tuna, seared carpaccio, and grilled snapper, along with pizza and pasta favorites and live cooking stations. You'll want to be sure to dine on a Monday or Thursday, when the restaurant also hosts a live "Caribbean Carnival" show.
The man behind all of these menus is Executive Chef Teddy Bouroncle, who oversees all of the daily kitchen operations and food offerings in the hotel. A native of Peru with more than 10 years of culinary experience under his belt, chef Bouroncle has cooked all over the world, from Colombia to Spain to Singapore, and even brought home the title of Iron Chef Aruba.