Just returned from a fabulous week at Marriott Aruba Surf Club! All of the beach palapas are reserved online now. You just login to the website provided and select the specific palapa number you wish to book. Booking opens at 7AM each morning for that day and you need to visit the beach hut no later than 10AM to get your ticket and sign for the room charge. If you do not pick it up by 10AM they will rent to someone else. Daily charges are:
Row 1: $20
Row 2/3: $15
Row 4-8: $10
Row 9: $5
Each reservation number is limited to one palapa reservation per day.
The online process was very simple. I only reserved one day but logged in at 6:59, grabbed hut #106 that I wanted and checkout- was done by 7:03 or so. Once you put the hut # in your cart its held for you for a few minutes while you complete your info; so no worries someone else can type faster than you and steal it. I tried to click it a few seconds early and no dice- it became available at exactly 7:00:00 on my Apple Watch. I was able to get the exact front row hut I wanted when I tried- but all the first couple rows were certainly filled everyday. I never saw the back rows even close to filled up so at least in the off season it seems you can always get something maybe just not in the first couple of rows unless you do it right at 7AM.
One other unrelated note- Surf Club is offering a complimentary mid-week cleaning as of 6/1/22. They changed all the bed linens, provided all new towels, and loaded the dishwasher. The card said they would empty the trash too; but ours was not emptied for whatever reason. Not a big deal I am use to emptying it and taking it down the hall to the trash chute.
This was my first trip to Surf Club so nothing to compare it to; but I did not find the resort overly crowded. It was busy of course but we were always able to find pool chairs to tag each day. Luckily we are early risers but even the couple days we didn't go down till in the afternoon we found some chairs; just not prime front row ones. They did not seem to be enforcing the two hour rule at all. Maybe they are stricter about it at busier times than they were during this trip?
Champions Sports Bar at the Ocean Club is permanently closed according to the note on the door. There was construction equipment inside so hopefully they are planning for something new and improved in that space.
Happy to try and answer any questions anyone has.
