I have read many negative trip reports on the Occidential Aruba Resort. Some of the changes since the renovations are worse! I returned a few months after it reopened, and was very disapointed with the service. The employee's are wonderful, but some things should have been left as they were. The pizza's place should NEVER BEEN CLOSED. They have that area where you could get some late night snacks, and the food was terrible and if you get there after a certain time, there is nothing to eat!!!! Bad move.For a reservation you have to stand in line and make it only for two days; it is a joke!!! You should be able to call from your room and make a reservation, not waste your time and stand in line!!! The rooms are nice, but not enought drawer space, and furniture way too big for a smaller room! No more spa, now it is on the beach. Where would you rather be in an air condition room getting a massage or under a straw hut in 86 degrees weather. That person who made that decision should be fired, because everyone loves to be pampered on vacation, and loves a resort with a spa. Me and the 6 friend's went to another resort! As for the food I cannot say it was not good, because it was, but as far as the shows and moving the buffet and the shows from the ballroom was another bad mistake! I guess the people that own Occidential resort in Aruba, don't or cannot make a good decision when it came to decision making at this resort. The resort for what it costs is high, so I think people should get excellent service. They continue to raise their prices every year, but things stay the same. They need way more staff, and they need to adhere to all of their guests needs. Each year less and less return there, and it will be at the point where they will close due to the resort being empty. It is ashame, because It is in the perfect beach area where you can walk to all the other resorts.

Please Occidential make some changes, before IT'S TO LATE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just returned from the Occidental.
A few month after the resort reopened , there were things that I was not pleased with.
I must say, my Xmas trip and the one this past week were very enjoyable.
The food in all dining rooms has improved greatly since the initial opening, we never had a bad meal anywhere.
There is now a spa on the premises, inside the hotel. The spa outside in the large palapa is not owned or operated by the hotel.
We never enjoyed eating in the ballroom so we have no problem with the buffet being moved into the actual buffet restaurant in the evening.
We have new GM and things are really wonderful at the resort this year.
The hotel was at 85to 95% occupancy during our stay. It seems to be popular