In no particular order, here are my Top 10 Things I Love about Aruba’s Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort:

1. The Staff – Spence and I, as well as other guests we spoke to, all concurred that we’ve never received the level of service and sincere caring about our stay that we experienced here. Each staffer’s name tag included the languages that they speak, making this great for travellers from all over the world.
2. Beach and Poolside Service – as simple as raising a flag on your sunbed and one of several charming servers arrive with drinks. While Spence’s choice was buckets of Balashi (Aruba’s own beer) I favored Banana Dacquiris, Pina Coladas and on our final day, an ice cream based drink called Sand in the Pants.  As we relaxed, they would stop by with cups of fresh melon and cool cloths to refresh with – lovely!

3. Adults-Only – We loved the Adults-Only aspect of this resort, it assured a tranquil and quiet environment that met our needs. There were always ample shaded sunbeds available on the beach and around the pool.  Both the pool and beach were serene and never crowded. Breakfast and dinners were peaceful and romantic.  Just couples enjoying time together…..

4. Designated Smoking Areas – Though I’m not a smoker, Spence is and he found that the three designated smoking areas were comfortable and didn’t make him feel any less welcome. In fact, he met a number of other guests there, striking up friendships as he always does and one was right on the beach, just far enough away so that the non-smokers weren’t disturbed.

5. Elements Restaurant – Executive Chef, Kurt sets a standard of excellence with the quality and preparation of the food at the resort.  We were wowed every morning by the selection of choices at the breakfast and the menu variety for evening dining (they also serve great lunches – we were just too full from breakfast).  The food here is so delicious and beautifully presented that we really never needed to go elsewhere.  Dining outside, a footstep away from the beach, trade-winds blowing and soft lighting, you feel as though you are truly in paradise.  Service, as mentioned before is exceptional both at dinner but also at breakfast.  Spence, who is very non-techy even learned how to operate the iPad menu which was very cool.

6. The Property – Set in the Low-Rise Hotel area, the grounds are landscaped with care and precision, with small signs posted that tell what type of tree, cactus or shrub you’re looking at.  For a gardening buff like myself, this was so interesting.  The white sugar sand of the beach was always clean – no littering, seaweed or anything other than an occasional shell or piece of coral.  And speaking of the beach – on 14 acres, there is so much to explore along the shore.  When you reach the ocean, you step into water which is clear turquoise with sand under your feet. The hotel itself is a beautiful boutique style property.

7. Two Daily Happy Hours – We loved Happy Hour at Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts.  After day one, the bartenders and servers knew our drink preferences and again, service was prompt and always friendly.  We enjoyed talking with them as well as other couples we met while seated at the Sand Bar or on any number of attractive seating enclaves that were comfortable and afforded views of the sunsets. Each night, there was a complimentary snack for the guests as well as music – steel drums, one night a violinist who was terrific and several exotic birds in cages which added to the tropical ambiance.

8. Breakfast included –  This is not your typical “breakfast included” experience. The value cannot be fully realized until you see it for yourself.  The choices each day were extensive and we loved that you could choose one of two places at the resort to enjoy it (same selection), our favorite was the one that served until 11 a.m.  There were a number of items not limited to omelets and belgian waffles that are made to order as well as 5 chafing dishes containing hot items and two full buffets of cheeses, meats, breads and countless baked goods, cereals, fresh fruits, juices and yogurts.  If I listed everything I remember, you’d probably think I was exaggerating.  Suffice it to say, it was impressive and a fabulous start to each day! What made this a terrific value for us is that by finishing our huge brunch by 11:00, we never needed lunch.

9. Location – We loved the convenience of this location.  It was close to the Alhambra Casino, a short, easy walk away, with nice shops and a market, several neighboring hotels – one of which, Manchebo Beach, has two great restaurants – The French Steakhouse and Ike’s Bistro. The low-rise hotel area is quieter and more laid back than the high-rise hotel area.

10. The rooms, amenities and eco-friendly policies – We opted for a “green stay” which meant twice weekly full maid-service and a daily discount for each day here. The engraved aluminum water bottles (to save on plastic and take when we go) were easily refillable at numerous water coolers on the property.  The bath products, liquid hand soap, lotion, shampoo/conditioner and body wash were provided in dispensers and were Aruba Aloe products – excellent and high quality. As a blogger, one thing I loved was the use of an iPad, courtesy of the hotel, during our stay. The rooms were designed with comfort in mind – robes, fridge and microwave, air purifier, humidifier, mini-bar snacks, wines etc, lots of closet space.  The beds and bedding were comfortable and the decor was beautiful. We loved the quality furnishings, especially dressers which afforded lots of drawer space. The hotel had provided a chilled bottle of chardonnay, gouda, crackers and Dutch chocolate for our arrival gift as well as a chilled bottle of pink champagne and champagne flutes as their gifts to us.  And it was quiet – again, adults-only equaled no noise.  We slept well here.