[katherine]

Just wanted to add my two cents.... We have stayed at the Hyatt for the past seven years with our children (ages have ranged from infancy thru 8 yrs old). We love the Hyatt and find it to be very kid friendly with a lot of families, great pool and wonderful employees. I would highly recommend the Hyatt for many reasons.

That being said I have to admit that the Hyatt is pricier than other options, and I have started to doubt whether the extra money we spend to stay there is well spent. We are now a family of 5 and require larger quarters which comes with a high cost. We have considered renting a 2 bedroom timeshare at the Surf Club, but feel that perhaps it would feel too crowded and overwhelming for us there. The rooms and pool area would be more along the lines of what we are used to, but perhaps we should make a more drastic change. So many people tout the benefits of the low rise section - less crowded beaches with easy access, more peace and quiet ( i have to admit the high rise section can be noisy especially at night - we go to bed early) etc. I know that ArubaLisa is a high rise crossover and loves it at the Tam - anybody else? Do the benefits outweigh what i perceive as the negatives ( not so "plush" rooms and less attractive pool area). I should tell you my two older children like the pool scene better than the beach so we tend to use the pool a lot. We feel that perhaps it would feel less commercial and americanized in the low rises, we would maybe get a more caribbean island feel- is this true?

Well i did not mean to ramble on and turn this thread into something else, but have been struggling with the decision of next years spring break. I guess the important thing to note is that Aruba is the only option no matter which resort we pick.