My Huband and I just returned from a week' s stay here. We exchanged our timeshare through Interval. The hotel does indeed need some major updates but apparently they are doing so. Our room was a 1 bedroom. Came with a full kitchen, which I'm sure is great for families. The bed was not too comfortale and the pillows were HORRIBLE...flat..cotton stuffing. I think we had 6 between the 2 of us..lol. All in all, we were hardly in the room that much, so it didnt really bother us.
Eagle Beach across from the hotel is beautiful. We spent a few hours there everyday. The sun is strong and the wind is constantly blowing, so you dont really feel yourself getting color. SUNBLOCK!!!
The food on the island is very good. We made reservations for the week through guest services in the lobby. Some of our favorites were Aqua, Flying Fishbone and LG's. Most of the fish is caught that day or the day before, so it is very fresh. If you want EXCELLENT ribs, I suggest Smokey Joe's. It is in town by the High Rise hotels. Everynight we passed, it was packed with a line, so we decided to eat there and it was great! Stay away from Le Petit Cafe, It was awful! Their are about 3 of them on the island.
I would definitely recommend renting a car. We rented a Jeep. The hotel is in a good location, but a distance from your restraunts and shopping.
The shopping is great, upscale stores like Louis Vuitton and Gucci. They have a bunch of straw markets. We found some beautiful hand carved wood items such as vases and bowels.
I would definitely suggest checking them out.
We did the ABC jeep tour, that was awesome! You get to see alot more of the island you wouldn't see driving around yourself.
Their is a place by the cruise ships. I forget the name of it but it is black and white like a cow, (I think it has a cow on the roof actually) They make some of the best frozen drinks!
The island seems very safe. We have been to quite a few and it
is definitely less "third world" than most.
All in all, if your looking for a place thats not upscale or luxury but good for a family, then La Cabana is a pretty good place. Lots of activities going on for kids. Oh and we could never smell anything from the plant...not once.
P.S. Go to King Rib...a small take out rib place. Pretty much 2 people on a grill taking orders. A popular place, heavy traffic. My husband stopped everyday for some chicken and ribs. Very cheap!

Rooms are old and need lots of work . Food is even worse. The pool area is not bad however they have a fly problem . YUCK !!! There is also a human waste treatment plant next door that gives off some nasty smells. If you can find another place do so .

My husband and I stayed here after buying a timeshare and we had a good time. The rooms need an upgrade, but most timeshare older hotels do. We rented a car and drove down south to Baby Beach and that was awesome! Our favorite tanning experience, however, was in front of the Marriott just north of Eagle Beach.

My husband and I just returned from a weeks stay at LaCabana and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was our first time to Aruba and we stayed in a 1-bedroom unit overlooking the pool and Eagle Beach. The sunsets from our balcony were beautiful! Yes, the unit was in need of remodeling, but after sitting through the timeshare pitch, we saw what the newly remodeled units will look like. The improvements will be worth the wait! We really don't have any complaints about LaCabana. The staff was friendly; we had daily housekeeping service; and the restaurants on-site were very good with prices comparable to what we are used to here in the NY Metropolitan area. As far as excursions go, we booked everything right at LaCabana with Pelican Adventures. We did a morning bus tour of the island, which was fun and interesting; and we did a sunset cruise, complete with an excellent 3-course dinner at the Pelican Nest Restaurant. Other than that, we just vegged at the pool and took advantage of their daily Happy Hour! Overall, it was a very relaxing vacation. Just what we needed!