Why ebook?
For an adults-only escape that blends seamless entry to Aruba’s calmest waters with the polish of a brand-new, design-forward all-inclusive.
Set the scene
You are on the solely resort on Aruba’s distant southern edge, the place entry is restricted strictly to visitors, and the surface world feels deliberately distant. The bustle of Palm Beach, dwelling to the island’s casinos, chain eating places, and nightlife, is a full 40-minute drive north, and that separation is the purpose. This isn’t a spot folks stumble into; it’s a vacation spot you decide to. The recognizable pull of the Secrets identify has drawn a wave of first-time Aruba guests, together with visitors who may in any other case by no means have ventured this far south or to the island in any respect.
Despite the dimensions of the property and its quite a few swimming pools, Baby Beach itself doesn’t really feel any extra crowded than it did earlier than the resort opened. The crowd is predominantly {couples}, with small company incentive teams, the occasional intimate marriage ceremony get together, and clusters of longtime buddies filling within the gaps. Ages vary from honeymooning twentysomethings to seasoned retirees. The visitors skew closely American, with a noticeable Northeastern presence. Patriots and Red Sox caps make common appearances by the pool. Style is unassuming and resort informal, with billowing linen units, wide-brimmed straw hats, and outsized sun shades.
The backstory
As a part of Hyatt’s continued enlargement of its adults-only, all-inclusive Secrets portfolio, the model planted a flag on Aruba’s quiet southern shore with a purpose-built resort beside the island’s most famously calm swimming seaside. While longtime Aruba devotees initially frightened {that a} large-scale improvement may overtake Baby Beach’s pure appeal, the completed property, opening in June 2025, blends discreetly into the rocky panorama with low-slung structure and pale stone that mirrors the encircling cliffs and recasts the island’s southern edge as a brand new vacation spot for quiet luxurious.
The rooms
The suites lean into a contemporary Caribbean calm, however the true standout is the outsized balconies and terraces, some with deep soaking tubs made for sundown lounging. Inside, the beds are a pleasing shock: extremely comfortable, supportive, and dangerously straightforward to sleep in late. Bathrooms preserve issues easy and smooth, centered round outsized rainfall showers.
Private plunge-pool suites supply a quieter, extra secluded expertise, since their swimming pools are separate from the resort’s bigger pool community. For one of the best views, higher-floor ocean-view rooms present uninterrupted sightlines over Baby Beach’s glassy lagoon.
Food and drink
Dining is the resort’s most inconsistent aspect. Across the 4 core choices—a seafood restaurant, a South American spot, an Italian venue, and an Asian restaurant—execution is inconsistent, with dishes that always sound higher on the menu than they style on the plate. Tierra, the South American–impressed restaurant, is the place the kitchen feels most assured, and well-seasoned grilled meats paired with vibrant chimichurri make it a stable alternative. The hibachi expertise can also be a visitor favourite for its high-energy antics, and tables ebook out shortly.
Most visitors depend on the buffet and room service for breakfast and lunch, the place high quality is hit and miss, though native pastechi, Aruba’s stuffed savory pastries just like empanadas, make a day by day look. Room service presents a considerable menu, however endurance is required as a result of dinner waits can stretch past two hours. A 24-hour café helps fill the gaps with espresso, scoops of ice cream, and lightweight snacks in any respect hours.
Bars are scattered throughout the property, together with two swim-up pool bars and two reserved for Preferred visitors, so you might be by no means various steps from a cocktail. However, frequent shortages imply that substitutions are widespread. Margaritas crafted with lemons as a substitute of limes will not be uncommon, and even bottled water might be surprisingly arduous to seek out. In a resort that in any other case excels, the meals and beverage program seems like a piece in progress.
The spa
The spa facilities its expertise on a non-public hydrotherapy circuit that features a pool, sizzling tub, chilly plunge, sauna, and steam room with sweeping views of Baby Beach. I didn’t obtain a therapeutic massage, however the hydrotherapy by itself supplied a soothing reset after an extended day and the right approach to start therapeutic a sunburn.
The neighborhood/space
Longtime guests usually speak about what Aruba felt like earlier than the resort increase, and I couldn’t assist however surprise if that is the closest I’ll come to experiencing it: regular breezes, low humidity, wide-open skies, and never a Starbucks in sight.
The surrounding space is essentially residential, giving it a scruffy however genuine really feel that highlights how eliminated this nook of the island stays. Baby Beach is the primary draw and sits a five-minute stroll down a sandy path from the resort, though golf carts are at all times obtainable to shuttle visitors forwards and backwards within the warmth. Once you arrive, loungers and chairs are arrange for you, together with regular beverage service that features water, soda, and cans of native Balashi beer, which makes it straightforward to settle in for a complete afternoon.
While meals is included on the resort, many visitors make a degree to enterprise out no less than as soon as: the island’s most beloved seafood shack, Zeerovers, is a couple of 20-minute drive away and value each mile for its just-caught fish, chilly beer, and dockside tables. Nearby San Nicolas is a fast journey as nicely, providing a burst of tradition by means of its vibrant avenue artwork and no-frills Caribbean eateries.
The service
Service is extra heat than white-glove, with an easygoing rhythm that fits the resort’s laid-back setting. Staff are pleasant, approachable, and fast to assist, creating an environment that feels genuinely welcoming relatively than choreographed or excessive.
The concierge reliably handles the sensible necessities, together with eating reservations, golf cart shuttles to Baby Beach, and transportation across the island, if wanted. Preferred Club visitors obtain a noticeable service improve by means of devoted butler assist, with help that ranges from securing tables throughout prime eating instances to small luxuries, like personally delivered iced lattes every morning.
Bar service is much less constant throughout peak instances, with longer waits and the occasional incorrect order. It’s comprehensible at a resort this huge, however extra noticeable given the all-inclusive charges. By distinction, the leisure crew listed here are all standouts: whether or not they’re guiding visitors by means of informal bracelet-making by the pool, calling bingo on the bar, or providing introductions in Papiamento, Aruba’s native language, their power brings real connection to the resort.
Eco effort
Secrets Baby Beach Aruba treats and reuses all greywater on website for irrigation and bathrooms, and repurposes natural meals waste to assist feed greater than 200 animals on native farms, which stand out as main efforts in its broader sustainability push.
Accessibility
Secrets Baby Beach Aruba presents two ADA-accessible Junior Suites.
Anything left to say?
The Preferred Club expertise is the clearest improve on property and simply the resort’s standout. The elevated, extremely private service is genuinely phenomenal, and entry to the unique bar and infinity pool alone can preserve you fortunately parked in that nook of the resort for a complete afternoon with none urge to roam. It’s the quickest approach to unlock the resort at its highest.