Disastrous Aruba Vacation

Author: Ingrid Sanders
Date of Trip: January 2006

WARNING- Robbery at Villa Alexandra

A group of 10 visited Aruba 1/19-1/28/06. From 1/21 on, we were to stay at Villa Alexandra at Arashi Beach. On arrival, we found the villa to be substandard when it was promoted as luxury. It was quite expensive, and was more than we had ever paid for any other villa anywhere else in the Caribbean. Paying that amount, we had certain expectations, and these were not met with the villa in the condition we found it. It was not clean; it smelled of mildew; the refrigerater was in a constant defrost cycle; air conditioners in some bedrooms did not work; furniture looked like discards from a fraternity house; the towels were holey and threadbare; the plumbing on the lower level backed up into the showers – to mention a few of the problems we encountered. We were assured a repairman would be sent the next day, so we decided to stay anyway, as the beach location was ideal, even if the once beautiful house needed lots of updating and a good cleaning.

On the third night (still with many of the problems unresolved) the villa was broken into while we were sleeping. The thieves were actually in two of our bedrooms while we were asleep!!! We lost everything that was not in the safe in a different bedroom – 2 digital cameras, cell phone, Tag Hauer watch, cash from that evening, jewelry from that evening, etc. I hesitate to think what could have happened if one of us had awakened. The next morning we asked to be moved and were transferred to a lovely villa at Tierra del Sol. One of the couples was so traumatized that they returned home to the US immediately.

We feel the property at Villa Alexandra was misrepresented to us, and that while Aruba Reservations, or Aruba Reservation Services were prompt to move us after the robbery, they have done nothing to compensate us for the substandard housing at Villa Alexandra. I would hesitate to ever rent again from Aruba Reservations/Aruba Reservation Services, and I strongly urge everyone to NEVER rent the Villa Alexandra. Our vacation was mostly ruined because of this experience.

I just don’t want anyone to have a similar experience!!!