please tell me.... is the aruban resort and casino and la cabana, one in the same. i try to find the aruban resort on the satelitte map and it shows the la cabana. so if this is true, can anyone stay at this resort even if you do not own a time share? straighten me out, please!!!

They are two separate resorts.
http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=12.5511914&lon=-70.0528514&z=18&l=0&m=a&v=2 This map is centered on the Aruban Resort. La Cabana is closer to the ocean on the left hand side of the Aruban Resort.

Yes, you can stay at the Aruban Resort even if you are not a timeshare owner there.

http://www.thearuban.com/
http://www.lacabanabrc.com/

Aruba Bound! ~ Hoosier Kitties ~ Our-Cruises ~ Blogging to Aruba
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We are planning a trip to Aruba, but are so confused by all the on-line information, any recommendations would be helpful - hotels, all inclusive, ????

For you to make a decision on where you would like to stay I usually suggest picking a beach first and then narrowing it down from there. First option is to stay downtown in Oranjestad at the Renaissance Resort. The resort has a private island for their beach. At their Ocean suites tower there is also a small man made beach.

There are some differences between Eagle Beach and Palm Beach, Eagle/Manchebo/Druif Beaches have some waves and you can feel the wind here a little more than Palm Beach. Eagle is wide, long and very white. Because of it's width and length it will be less crowded than Palm Beach. There is less boat activity, so the water is clearer. There are quite a few watersports boats along Palm Beach.

Palm Beach is also long and white, but narrower and a lot less wind. Because the beach is narrower, it may seem crowded, but most of the resorts have long stretches for spreading out. For us, crowded is the Jersey shore on the 4th of July. Our favorite part? The total lack of waves makes it perfect for spending an afternoon on a float. Definitely one of our favorite activities. They rent them for about $5 a day.

Our personal preference for Palm Beach over Eagle Beach is activity. There are water sports: powerboats, parasail, banana boats, etc.galore. Here you are also within walking distance of at least 5 casinos, all types of water sports, some fantastic restaurants and the basics like Dunkin Donuts, TCBY. One of us can run over to Subway for some salads or sandwiches or Tomatoe Charlies at lunch time.The majority of our trips are spent reading and relaxing on the beach. There is even some good spots for happy hour all along Palm Beach. Dinner a good restaurant is always a short walk or taxi ride away.

If we had to stay along Eagle Beach, and we did not have a child, our choice hands down, would be the Bucuti. Their Tara Suites are "adult only" (the resort discourages guests with children as a rule) and all oceanfront. The rest of their rooms are all newly renovated. Their stretch of beach is of course white long and wonderful. The worst thing I can think of is that you would get tired of walking the distance between your palapa and the water everytime that you wanted to cool off.

http://www.frommers.com/images/destinations/maps/jpg/176_resortareaaccomodations.jpg

On Eagle Beach
Resorts from north to south, line up like this:
Amsterdam Manor, LaCabana (small casino within walking distance), Paradise Beach Villas, MVC Eagle Aruba, La Quinta, Costa Linda, Bucuti Beach Resort, Manchebo Beach Resort, Aruba Beach Club/Casa Del Mar, Divi All Inclusive (Alhambra Casino across the street), Tamarijn All Inclusive, Divi Village/Dutch Village/Divi Links. The Renaissance resort (2 casinos) is in downtown Oranjestad.

On Palm Beach: from south to north are:
Phoenix, Westin (casino), Riu Palace (casino), Radisson (casino), Occidental All Inclusive (casino), Hyatt (casino), Playa Linda, Holiday Inn (casino) and then a ways down the beach are the Marriott's Vacation Clubs, Surf Club and Ocean Club as well as the Marriott resort (casino). All are next to one another except the Marriotts which are located further down the beach.

All-inclusive has it's purpose and on some islands and, is the only way to go. Aruba is not like Jamaica where you don't go out at night. It is different in that you can travel freely and safely, even at night. Taxis are plentiful and fairly inexpensive so it is very easy to get around.

One of Aruba's many attractions is its restaurants. There are all kinds of restaurants in every price range. You will get to see first hand the food and culture of the island. Which all are, by the way, wonderful.
If you love to dine out and taste different things then AI is not for you. Dining out in Aruba does not have to be expensive. If you drink a lot, this can make AI cheaper than paying as you go.

Our last two trips have been to the Tamarijn Resort on Druif Beach. It is not on Palm Beach but has advantages of it's own. For us, mainly because kids stay free. Besides that we have come to love the all oceanfront rooms and grow used to the convenience of an all inclusive. The Tamarijn is not as luxurious as many of the resorts on Palm Beach but we are willing to make the trade off. With the money we are saving staying at an all inclusive we are able to dine off property a few nights to return to favorite restaurants or try new ones.

No matter where you stay Aruba is paradise.

Aruba Bound! ~ Hoosier Kitties ~ Our-Cruises ~ Blogging to Aruba
Back to paradise Trip #18
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>>> " can anyone stay at this resort even if you do not own a time share?"
---- All the timeshares usually have units not been used by its members so those are up for rent.

on a first trip the high rises are great. a good level of activities. as you return. and you will, you can gradually adventure to different locations. as important as picking a beach would be picking all inclusive or not. Enjoy