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Greg and Katie’s honeymoon to Aruba’s Bucuti Beach Resort
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Hey Melissa.....The trip was FANTASTIC! Bucuti was the perfect place for a honeymoon. All the people staying at the resort (small, I think 55 rooms and 45 suites) were either honeymooners or there on their anniversary, and this made the setting very romantic. Only couples, and NO kids! The location of the resort was perfect. Not only was it out of the high rise district, ($9 cab ride away) but it was really close to the beach. Step out of your room if you’re on the first floor, and you’re at your seat. One of the things we noticed in the low rise section where the hotels and beach chairs were VERY far back from the water. The beach was great. Our area on Eagle beach wasn't crowded at all. People gave you your space, even swimming in the water. This high rise area was where people were crammed together, and loud noises of water sports.
The private transfers to and from the airport went flawlessly. Never through we'd get off a plane and have someone standing there with a sign! When we checked in to Bucuti, there were 3-4 other couples checking in so there was a bit of a wait, but the staff there handed out champagne, and made sure it never went empty.
Our room, Rm. 328 in the Tara Wing, was immaculate. Nicely updated. Great mini bar area with fridge, sink and microwave, and a lounge area with a couple chairs and a couch. The dehumidifier they have there runs almost all day/night and is kind of loud, but they have sliding doors that can be closed to cut off your bedroom from the other part of the room, so that was nice.
The staff there was the friendliest we have seen in a longgggg time. You cannot walk past one of them without getting a big smile and a big hello. If we needed something like reservations for dinner or wanted to plan a day to do something, the concierge's desk was more than willing to help us out with anything. We just told them what we wanted to do, and a couple minutes later there was a phone call to our room, or a piece of paper slid under our door telling us the plans were confirmed. Also, housekeeping was fantastic. They would come every morning around 10am, and tidy up the room. If you wanted to be left alone, we just hit a button that said privacy. If we would leave in the afternoon and it was wasn't during the normal housekeeping hours, we would hit a button that said "makeup room", and when we got back the room was done! They would also come sometime during the night, turn down the bed, and make sure the room wasn't too messy for our return.
Breakfast was served every morning. Inside in air conditioning from 7-10, and outside on the beach at the Pirates Nest Restaurant from 7-11. It was a full American buffet breakfast, with omelet stations and specials for the morning. And the food was excellent! We never ate dinner at the Pirates Nest,(except for our wonderful dinner on the beach) but we did grab some lunch a couple days when we were sitting on the beach. That food was very good as well, and very nicely priced. Their lunch menu consisted of everything from quesadillas ($8) and signature burgers ($10) to salads ($7) and wraps ($8).
The beach bar was also great. Every time we went up to get a drink, we were served in a timely manner. Drinks were expensive of course, ranging from $7-$10 for mixed drinks, but happy hour from 4-6 and then 9-10 was two for one. The bar got kinda crowded during these hours, but not too bad. People would come by from the resorts next door, and that didn't help, but it was never a long wait for a drink. The system they have for getting drinks on the beach by putting up a red flag and a waiter would come and take your order was VERY slow. Maybe 20-30 minutes. I think they only had one or two waiters for the whole entire beach area. It was much easier to just get up and walk to the bar. The whole resort is cashless, so you could give them a credit card, or have them charge it to your room. That was nice because all you had to bring to the beach with you was your room key.
There were cabs waiting outside the resort at all hours of the night, so all we had to do was walk outside and they were there to open the door for you and take you anywhere. We ate out almost every night, and we don't have one complaint about any of the restaurants we went to. Our best meal we agreed was our last night at Madame Jeanette. Awesome menu, and great food. Other places we went to and would recommend are Driftwood, El Gaucho steakhouse, Texas de Brazil, and La Vista at the Marriott. There were so many to choose from and so little time!!
All in all, the trip was great. Zero complaints about Aruba, or our resort. I would definitely recommend Bucuti to honeymooners and for anniversaries. If someone is looking to go on vacation with a group of people, or sit on the beach with loud music and lots of people, then Bucuti isn't for them!! It was nice and quiet all the time, and just a great place to relax/ take a walk down the beautiful beach.
Thank you for being a great travel agent!! You helped us put together an unforgettable honeymoon, one that we'll never forget. Nothing could of gone smoother! Yes there was a mix-up with De Palm, but it wasn't on your part and you could do nothing about it. Oh well!! I guess that give us a good reason to go back!!! Thank you again, and we'll be sure to recommend you and Wethersfield Travel to anyone else who we hear is going to travel!
Greg and Katie
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