I read all the reviews and was a little nervous about the mixed comments. We were promised a 'Oceanfront" view but got a view of a crain. We went back down and asked to be changed and was moved to the other side of the crain. As gold starwood members I told the front desk this was not what was promised and after a few battles we were upgraded to a 'suite". Im not sure why it was such a big deal to move us the hotel was empty it was there 'low time'. I saw the reviews about being brought water and ices and im not sure where that came from because there was none, however there was a water cooler set up and you were free to help yourself. The rooms are a bit outdated, the railings had splattered paint all over them on the balcony and on the floor. The food was delicious everywhere we ate. We had a great time but the hotel does need some updateing

The Westin was a great spot for my wife and I who visited Aruba for the first time. We upgraded for a nominal fee to an oceanfront view that was beautiful. The hotel is located at one end of the high-rise hotel area, which I think is good, because it was a little less commercialized. The beach and pool area were beautiful and the food was excellent (we did not purchase the all-inclusive package, but ate sometimes at the restaurants). You will not be sorry if you book here.

My girlfriends and I stayed at the Westin in December of 2007. Unfortunately, the hotel was going through some remodelling so we didn't get to see the lovely lobby until the last day of our stay. Though we came to Aruba expecting a wild, possibly constantly drunken, girls' week, we actually got a very calm and relaxing experience without many opportunities to really be Spring Break-type crazy. The hotel itself is geared more towards couples and families than single groups, the food in the hotel was good though overpriced (not outragous for a hotel though). The room was servicable and clean, nothing to complain about considering the price and our expectations. We got one with a balcony and I would suggest anyone who books a room to get one with an oceanview balcony as the view and the option of sitting outside at sunset are very much worth it. There are a good number of activities offered by the hotel's activity guide also, they're very helpful and will help set up anything you wish to do. Overall, a very relaxing and refreshing break from the grind.

There's an area in Palm Beach called "Hotel Row" by the locals. It stretches from the Marriot property (3 hotels together) on one end and the Westin is on the other. Its the first hotel you come to from the airport (taxi ride cost $25 - $30 depending on your driver) .

The lobby is nice and has an elegant feel. The lady at the check-in desk was very sweet. After the usual check-in paperwork, she personally escorted us to our room. The hallways have a musty, damp feel and smell. It had me very concerned at first. When we got to the room, we felt more at ease. Things did get shaky for a moment at this point, but I'll include that at the end of my review for folks that want to read about my incident.

The room itself was good, not great. The Westin bed and pillows are consistent if you're familiar with Westins (it's the main reason I try to stay at Westin's whenever possible). And there is a 42 inch plasma TV in the room with cable TV showing NY local channels (i.e. CW11, Fox5). The balcony was a bit shabby looking, somewhat dirty feeling and not well maintained. The fridge in the room STANK. We opened it and almost got sick from the smell. The bathroom was lacking too. Good water pressure in the shower, but despite the granite surfaces the room just felt...dated. There's more to a bathroom than a sink and shower. They need to do something to spruce up the walls and floors too. My wife tried drying her hair with the blowdryer they provide. After a minute it died. We plugged it into an outlet by the bed and it worked again. Next day, the same thing.

The resort property was fairly small compared to others in the Hotel Row. The pool area was fine, but it looks better at night with the lights on. During the day, the wear and tear around the pool caught my eye. And there are exotic bird cages around the property that are filthy. We saw mice crawling in and out of the cages on multiple occasions. The bar by the pool was good and fairly crowded considering the low number of people we saw on the property (isn't June a big honeymoon time??). But the pool restaurant could use a complete overhaul. Once again, it just seemed cheap and dated.

Important Note: This hotel is the last on the "strip" so the public beach is right next to it. On the weekend, the locals show up in droves and they are loud and boisterous. On Thursday we had a nice relaxing time on the beach; on Saturday we had to move closer to the Rui property to get away from the rap music and unsupervised screaming children.

Like most of the hotels on the strip, the casino was small. The Marriott casino was the only one that felt like a real casino like you would find in downtown Vegas or Atlantic City. About 75 slot machines and 12 tables at the Westin, not much excitement there. We gambled elsewhere most of the time.

Overall, I would say its a decent place to stay if you get a good rate, but it's not worth more than $125 - $150 per night. If you can get a room at one of the other properties for less, go with them.

For those interested in my incident...I originally booked a partial ocean view room, but after reading the reviews here I cancelled that reservation and booked a full ocean view room. When we first checked in, we were given room (1739) which had a view of the Rui hotel and some beat up tennis courts, which I believe someone has a picture of in another review. The balcony actually faces AWAY from the ocean on these corner rooms! I stopped the girl in the hallway and explained that I had upgraded to an ocean view room. She said that she would try to find me another room and she did. This time it was room 1338 which was just on the other side (left to right) of the hotel. It had an "island view" and you could see some of the ocean if you craned your head to the right. I gave the girl a $20 for her efforts, but I wasn't happy with new room either. The moral of the story is get a room with a low number for the last 2 digits when you check in. 1702 = good. 1503 = good. 1838 = bad. 1839 = worse.Unless you want to drool over how nice the rooms in the Rui, with their pearly white balconies, must be