Just got back last night...
We stayed at the Hyatt, which was great as always. We did have major trouble checking in but that was because of American Express travel not the hotel(although the guy at the desk,Vladimir, was a little cranky) My husband had also arranged for a credit line at the casino, which we have always done, and there was a problem there too. However everything worked out in the end and it is after all Aruba!!!
Since this was our 4th trip there we didn't really do anything except lay at the pool and beach. We basically walked up and down the beach for entertainment. We made a brief trip into town but it was really just to eat at Iguana Joe's (GREAT!!!). Anyone who has been to ARuba more than once knows that there is nothing to buy in town anyway. The weather was FAB!!! Some rain here and there but never for the whole day. Bugs were present, husband got bit but they weren't major.
Since there was not much to do but lay at the pool, I had lots of time to study the work being done at the Allegro. This week they were up to putting the windows/sliders in on the balconies. I know that everyone here and in Aruba has said that they will be open by Dec. but that is really hard to believe unless they plan to kick it into high gear soon.
Okay here's where we ate:
Salt and Pepper : DO NOT see what the fuss is about...did not care for it AT ALL
Flying Fishbone: FAB FAB FAB FAB FAB FAB. I had made a Email reservation and requested a table as close to the water and possible, not really thinking that they would honor it BUT THEY DID!!!! It ws a wonderful fabulous romantic place. Keep in mind that it is FAR from the Hi-rises(complete other end of island) about 30 min by cab but YOU MUST GO!!
LE DOME - FAB FAB FAB FAB - service CAN NOT BE BEAT and the food is OUTRAGEOUS!!
Blossoms - Fine..would go back but not a rave
Sunset Grille: Fine..not as good as last year but I may have ordered the wrong thing. Prime rib was a HUGE hunk'o' meat with ALOT of fat(yes I know that prime rib has fat but this seemed like alot)
Have to run ..more later

okay to get back to sunset grille..the service was great and the martinis were good too but as I said what we ordered was eh...
We also ate in the Ruinas Del Mar at the Hyatt(on the casino as an apology for the credit line issues) it was good but I think that people must really go there for the atmosphere..If you ask to be seated outside.

I got to see two weddings at the Hyatt from a far..they were both so outrageous(the ceremonies at least)that I wished right then and there that I could get married again and this time in Aruba!!! The brides were so beautiful and a more beautiful setting could not be had...on the beach at sunset in Aruba ? OY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh we also ate lunch at Tulips at the MVC. The prices were very reasonable and hubby liked what he had but I ordered the WRONG THING..Genoa salami in Aruba is NOT like genoa salami in NY...I did the best that I could but it was icky!!!
One last warning.....with regard to US customs when you depart...for the past four years my husband and I have always done the same thing...we stop at Subway near the Playa Linda on the way to the airport to get some sandwiches to eat while we wait at the gate...We have never ever had a problem. This year we made it through to US customs (you know..the area that you go through after you pick up your luggage from Aruban customs.)We filled out the declaration and swore that we were not bringing anything illegal out of Aruba( you know, agriculture, fruit, meat)and into the US. We were just on our way out when a very cranky US customs agent approached and said "May I please see that subway sandwich please" I thought that this must a joke since as I said, we have always done this. To make a long story short, the SOB confiscated my husbands sandwich, (mine was safe b/c it was a veggie) because it had meat!! I tried to explain that we had always done this w/o a problem but he did not want to hear it and proceeded to lay into me about "falsifying" an official document(the US declaration) because I was knowingly carrying sandwich meat out of ARuba. I tried to explain that we intended to eat the sandwich in Aruba(well okay the airport) but he did not want to hear it. I have a short temper for self important morons but I knew that if I told him what I really thought I would end up in jail. Long story even shorter...eat your lunch before get to the airport or at the airport...
anyway the trip was still great and we can't wait to return to paradise!!!!

It seems rather odd that you found nothing to do but lay around the pool and watch construction at the Allegro. Days of watching sliders going up on balconies because you found nothing else eventful. With just the minimum of thought and adventureness there are many many exciting and much better ways to spend time in Aruba than watching Allegro construction.
Far too many to list here.

Defining walking up and down the beach for entertainment instead of walking up and down the beach for peace and tranquility, adding a warm loving closeness with your mate also reads rather odd.
You are returning back to Aruba for the 4th time and you claim you really did not do anything but lay around the pool all day? (Because there is nothing else too do)??

You obviously enjoy the island but your post denotes boredom with monotonous undertones.
A further look into Arubas offerings other than the town and a pool will allow you to find much enhancement and added pleasure that you are so obviously missing, watching windows/sliders being installed on a building all day.
Perhaps your "more later" info. will place a better perpective than your first post.

Simply stated, you are missing out on some of the best attractions that Arubas magnetism draws and is savored by thousands.

Sounds great. I love Le Dome, it's great!

Jill:
I don't know what your problem is but you sure do have one...Why in the h*ll do you care what my husband and I do on OUR vacation? If we wanted to go to Aruba and spend our time within the four walls of our hotel room that would be our choice and our business. My husband works an extremely demanding job and we chose to spend our vacation doing nothing. Who are you to give your opinion about what we did or did not do? Second of all, you when my husband and I walk up and down the beach we are obviously enjoying alone time that we do not have at home. We CHOSE for that to be the extent of our activity. I am well aware of everything that Aruba has to offer. However, we chose not to partake in those activities. And as far as the "boredom and monotonous undertones" you so intelligently identifed, spending our time together just "hanging out" was anything but boring or monotonous.
Furthermore, I think that you should get a life of your own and stop commenting on other peoples lives. When you go to Aruba you can choose to do whatever it is that you do there for YOUR OWN enjoyment and entertainment. Keep your obnoxious comments to yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

great come back

We are flying to Aruba the week after Thanksgiving. I saw your post about the dates you were writing about so I wanted to read about anotheres vacation. You do seem bothered and annoyed of haveing nothing to do saying a beach walk was a result of having nothing to do and you layed around the pool because there wasnt much to do. Also since we love town shopping and lunching often I was surprised reading if you been to Aruba more than once, there is nothing to buy in town. It really doesnt matter, to each his own but I kinda see where Jill is coming from. Her likes and dislikes are very similar to ours. Being fair about this, you painted the picture that we are looking at, you certainly have a bunch of not so good experiences there, hmmm, not too common.

Jill,
I have to say I that I read the reply from "Jan" to your email and just about fell off my chair laughing... She posts her life on the internet and then gets mad and sends a nasty reply because you commented on it??? That does not even make sense!! If she wants people to mind their own business why the hell post it on the internet???

Jamie,whatever! The second post has over 450 words describing a bad lunch experience???

Consider the source and perish the logic because it is absent. I'll join your lol post. Sign me gone!

To Jaime and Michelle and anyone else who thinks that just because I decide to post a trip report it's open season on me:

First of all to you Michelle: We had a WONDERFUL TIME IN ARUBA!!!!!!!!!!!!! We WERE NOT BORED OR ANNOYED by any means!!!!!!!! As I pointed out to Jill, WE ENJOY WALKING ON THE BEACH!!! THAT IS ACTIVITY THAT WE CHOOSE TO DO!!!!!!!! Furthermore, unless you want to buy eight zillion tee shirts that say ARUBA, perfume(which we have bought before)or some piece of jewelry that you are more than likely getting ripped off on(as evidenced by some posts on this very message board)there is nothing to buy in down town Aruba!!! Certainly it is nice to walk around there but with 3 cruise ships in on the day that we were there, it was too hot and too crowded. In re-reading my post maybe my it was my choice of words that is leading people to believe that I was "complaining" that we did nothing but lay by the pool or beach. However, nothing could be further from the truth. I was giving people who read these boards the benefit of the doubt that they would understand my point(THAT WE CHOSE TO DO NOTHING! THAT WE TOTALLY ENJOYED DOING NOTHING! THAT WHEN WE GO TO ARUBA WE LOOK FORWARD TO RELAXING AND DOING NOTHING!!!!)In retrospect, I should have realized that there are people such as you, Jaime and Jill who for whatever reason JUST DON"T GET IT!!!!
To Jaime:
We live in a free county where the first amendment allows us to say what we want and comment on what we want. I was not angry(FYI dogs get mad and people get angry, which are you?) that Jill chose to comment on my trip report. What ticked me off unbelieveably was that she presumed to impose her opinion and attitude on me that what my husband and I CHOSE TO DO was wrong. She basically intimated that we should be ashamed of ourselves because WE CHOSE TO LAY BY THE POOL/BEACH AND DO NOTHING!!!! The last time I checked I am adult who can chose to do whatever I wish whenever I wish. Furthermore, I don't know if you are new to this message board but people tend to post trip reports to be helpful to others who are going to Aruba. That was my exact intent. I did not post my report with the expectation that my vacation would be critiqued(do you understand that word)by you Jill, Michelle or anyone else!!!