Hey there, it’s been a while since we last spoke. 👋 There was covid, I had a baby, and just general busy-ness as a working mom since then. But have no fear! We have kept up our Fancy but Frugal travels - we've explored several new countries since then, and our 3 year old has already been to 6 countries!! 🛪 This time, I thought I’d dust off the old blog and try something new: writing about traveling with a toddler! I was inspired by our last trip when we went to Aruba over Thanksgiving. It was spontaneity at its finest, as we booked 3 days in advance - but it was so affordable and family-friendly that I had to tell you all about it!
It all started when I found cheap ($330!) last minute flights to Aruba on JetBlue! Things only went up from there, as I stumbled upon the Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort. It is part of the Marriott Bonvoy group and has both a family-friendly side as well as an adults-only side. Unsurprisingly, we stayed at the family side called the Ocean Suites in a 1 bedroom suite, ocean view. 🌊
I'd particularly recommend the Renaissance Wind Creek hotel if you have status with Marriott (Not a member? you can sign up here!). We received so many perks via our Diamond status, like 10% off resort charges (adds up!), free desert and shots, and the best customer service I’ve ever had in the Caribbean. The hotel staff were particularly great with our son. He was treated like a king the our entire stay and received several gifts, personalized cards, in-room balloons, and an abundance of attention. 💙
I could go on and on about this hotel. It had numerous pools, numerous restaurants, a casino, a playground, kids club, and a generous sized beach. The location is excellent being 15 minutes away from the airport and right next to a large mall and food marketplace. I googled restaurant options found that there were more than 50 within a 0.3 mile radius of the hotel, so you could try a new place at every meal if you wanted! The restaurants on site were great, especially for my husband who has a severe gluten allergy. All restaurants took allergies very seriously and require you to write the allergies (or preferences) on a white slip of paper so that all wait staff and cooks are fully aware. 🖺 Our favorites on site were L.G. Smith's Steakhouse (fancy but not frugal), Sole (the pool bar - you must try the ahi tuna nachos and hit up their ~ daily happy hour~!), and the breakfast from room service! 🥘🍹
🦩 And how could I forget the best part? This hotel owns the private “Flamingo beach” island (also known as Renaissance Island), and trips to the island via boat are included in your stay! There is plenty of wildlife to see on the island, along with a lagoon, chairs, private cabanas, and 2 restaurants (I recommend the pizza)! 🦩
Right next door to the hotel is the Renaissance Marketplace. It has dozens of restaurants, a movie theater, golf simulator, another casino, and an arcade for rainy days (we didn’t have any!). It also has several grammable photo opps, if you're into that! We took a lovely stroll by the water and through the Marketplace on our last night! Cheers to Aruba! 🧉
When our trip was (sadly) came to an end, going home was almost as enjoyable the rest of the trip! Another perk of visiting Aruba is that you clear customs there prior to departing home to the US! We took one of the first few flights out in the morning so the airport was not crowded (pro tip, as I hear the flights later in the day can have 2-3 hour long lines), and we have Global Entry, so going home was truly a breeze! Once you pass security, hit up the up the airport lounge with Priority Pass for some peace & quiet (and a pre-flight drink) before your flight home!
Overall, Aruba and the Renaissance provided a 5 star experience (check out the Google reviews for yourself!). One thing is for sure: at < 4.5 hours flight away from NYC, we will definitely be back soon!
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