In the past couple of years, pictures of pink flamingos chilling on a perfect turquoise-watered beach have been making the rounds on social media. And I'm not gonna lie: those dreamy Instagram photos definitely influenced me to consider Aruba for a vacation.
Because that beach with flamingos is called Flamingo Beach, and it's located on a private island in Aruba.
When my husband Elliot and I were weighing where to go for our first wedding anniversary in early October, we decided somewhere in the Caribbean sounded nice. There was one big problem, though: October is prime hurricane season for most of the Caribbean.
So that left us with the ABC Islands to choose from, a trio of islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao) located in the far south Caribbean outside of the main hurricane belt.
Thanks to those photogenic flamingos, it's probably no surprise that we chose Aruba.
Where to stay in Aruba
After deciding that Aruba would be our anniversary getaway destination, we then had to figure out where we wanted to stay. There are lots of all-inclusive resorts and nice hotels in Aruba (the island's economy revolves around tourism these days, after all).
But because I had read up on those Aruba flamingos, I knew there was really only one place to stay: the Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort.
You see, the flamingos in Aruba live on a private island owned by the Renaissance Resort. You *can* technically get a day pass to visit the island even if you aren't staying at one of the Renaissance hotels, but with passes running $125 per person, you may as well just stay a night at the Renaissance and be guaranteed a free visit to the private island.
We decided to stay at the Renaissance Aruba for our whole trip, mostly because we're kind of lazy and didn't want to have to switch hotels after one or two nights. It ended up being a great base for things to do in Aruba.
Staying at Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort
The Renaissance Aruba Resort consists of two separate hotels, both located in downtown Oranjestad, a few miles south of where most of the island's high-rise hotels are on Eagle and Palm beaches.
The two hotels are the Renaissance Marina Hotel and the Renaissance Ocean Suites. They're both included under the “Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino” umbrella, but you'll want to know which one you've booked at since they're located in separate buildings.
(They're also both Marriott properties, which was an added bonus since I'm a Marriott rewards member!)
Renaissance Marina Hotel
We stayed at the Renaissance Marina Hotel, which is a contemporary, upscale hotel that is strictly adults-only. With almost 300 guest rooms, the hotel isn't small – but it didn't feel crowded when we visited. (Though I'll note that we visited in October, which is low season in Aruba!)
The Marina Hotel has on-site restaurants including L.G. Smith's Steak & Chop House and Aquarius, the latter of which has an excellent seafood buffet. There's also a Starbucks on the lower level of the hotel, and a bar called Blue next to the pool in the open-air hotel lobby.
This is also the hotel where you'll find a fitness center, as well as the Okeanos Spa. It's also connected to an upscale shopping center and the casino.
The rooms at the Marina Hotel have undergone renovations recently and are sleek and clean, with lots of blue and white tones making them feel extra beachy. We booked an “Island Room” with a king bed, and ended up having a nice view of the city, as a well as a partial view of the marina.
Lastly, the Marina Hotel pool is a small infinity-style pool that overlooks the marina and one of the main roads in the city. There are some sun loungers around the pool, but it's not a huge pool area. I would actually recommend going over to the Ocean Suites hotel if you want to have a pool day.
Marina Hotel pricing
Their “Resort Rooms,” which only offer views into the hotel atrium, start at $179 per night. We booked the next class up, the “Island Room,” and actually had views of both the city and the harbor; these rooms start at $197. Their “Ocean King” rooms with sea/pool views start at $245 per night. (Expect these prices to be quite a bit higher in high season, though!)
Renaissance Ocean Suites
A 5-minute walk down the street will bring you to the Renaissance Ocean Suites, the family-friendly hotel of the Renaissance Resort. Here they offer 259 one-bedroom suites, which are perfect for both couples and families.
Restaurant options here include Fresco, an outdoor dining option serving up a breakfast buffet and an Italian menu, and the Solé bar. There's also a swim-up bar in one of the hotel's pools.
Rooms at Ocean Suites are larger (after all, they're suites!), but I can't personally tell you what they're like since we didn't stay at this hotel. (Reviews on TripAdvisor are pretty favorable of the Ocean Suites rooms, too, though.)
The pool area at Ocean Suites is large and very nice. There are two proper pools, plus a saltwater lagoon right on the beach. This is definitely the better of the two pool areas!
Ocean Suites pricing
The Ocean Suites rooms are a little more pricey – but that's because they're suites and are designed to fit more people. An “Island Suite” starts at $225 per night and an “Ocean Suite” starts at $259 per night. An “Ocean Front Suite” (with full ocean views) starts at $295 per night.
Read more reviews on TripAdvisor OR Book your room at the Renaissance Aruba Resort here
Renaissance Aruba all-inclusive
You *can* get an all-inclusive package at the Renaissance (which covers restaurants and bars at both hotels), but we opted to go with a special package that gave us a $50 credit each day instead. Since these hotels are so close to downtown Oranjestad, we knew we wanted to eat off-property at least a few times. (Plus, we don't drink enough to make an open bar tab worth it!)
The best part is, though, that any package you purchase is good at both the Marina Hotel and Ocean Suites. Staying at one gets you access to the other, as well, whether its swimming at the pool or charging a meal to your room. This is definitely a nice added bonus.
Visiting Renaissance Private Island and Flamingo Beach
Okay, okay, so now for the part that I know you're most curious about: the flamingos!
Like I mentioned above, the Aruba flamingos live on a private island owned by the Renaissance Resort. You can access this island for free if you're a guest at either the Renaissance Marina Hotel or Renaissance Ocean Suites.
How to get there
Free shuttle boats run from both Renaissance hotels from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, usually running at 15-minute intervals. There's one pickup for the Marina Hotel, and another for the Ocean Suites. When the tides cooperate, the boats pick up from right inside the Marina Hotel atrium, which is pretty cool.
The ride out to Renaissance Private Island takes about 10 minutes. The route takes you right past the airport, and if you're lucky you might even have a plane fly right over your head!
Renaissance Private Island
Once on the island, you have two separate beaches to choose from: Flamingo Beach to the right of the dock, and Iguana Beach to the left of the dock.
Also near the boat dock are restrooms, a small shop, and the stand where you can get free towels and rent water gear like snorkel masks, floats, paddleboards, and even kayaks.
Flamingo Beach
Flamingo Beach is the adults-only beach on Renaissance Private Island. This is where you'll find the private island spa services, a mangrove nature walk, a small beach bar, and a smattering of sun loungers in the sand. This is also where the Renaissance's 6 flamingos live.
Flamingos are NOT native to Aruba, and these domesticated ones have been brought in specifically by the Renaissance Resort. (So yes, they're a bit like zoo animals, so there's the ethics of that to think about.) The flamingos have free reign on the island, though, and seem well-cared-for. They honestly don't seem super bothered by all the people, either (and, when they are, they simply squawk a bit and walk away).
If you want to feed the flamingos, there's a small flamingo food dispenser on the bridge before you reach the beach, but you'll need USD quarters to use it.
If you want the best photos of the flamingos (or especially of YOU and the flamingos), I recommend going early in the morning for both the best light AND the least amount of people. Elliot and I got there before 8 a.m., and there were still a dozen other people vying for the flamingos' attention.
Pro tip: Don't chase the flamingos around. Pick a spot on the beach and just wait – the flamingos meander around (and sometimes move to get away from pushier selfie-seekers), and are bound to wander your way eventually, even if you don't have any food. All my best photos were taken when I went and stood on my own out of the way and waited for the flamingos to come to me.
If you have kids and want to see the flamingos, kids are only allowed on Flamingo Beach from 9-10 a.m. every morning.
Iguana Beach
The other beach on Renaissance Private Island is Iguana Beach, the family-friendly beach. This beach is slightly bigger with more sun loungers (and slightly more shade!), as well as a waterfront lounge area where you can sit and watch planes landing and taking off at the airport.
You'll also find the Papagoyo Bar and Grill at Iguana Beach, which serves drinks and light bites. Their wood-fired pizza is actually really good!
Oh and yes, there are iguanas all over this beach, too!
Renaissance Private Island day passes
Like I mentioned before, you CAN get a day pass to visit Renaissance Private Island if you aren't staying at the hotel. You used to only be able to get these in-person on the day you wanted to visit, but now there is an option to purchase day passes online in advance.
Island day passes are limited, and not available every day. Passes are $125 per person, and include lunch and one drink on the island.
But honestly, if you want to be guaranteed a visit to Flamingo Beach, I would just book a room at the Renaissance Resort for at least one night. That way you don't have to stress about whether you'll get passes or not!
Renting a private cabana on Renaissance Island
Since Elliot and I were visiting Aruba for our wedding anniversary, we wanted to do something special; splurge a little bit. So we decided to book ourselves a private cabana.
Renaissance Private Island offers a handful of private cabanas – 4 on Flamingo Beach and 5 on Iguana Beach – that can be rented out for the day. Seven of the cabanas can hold 4 people, which the other two are slightly bigger and can accommodate 6 people.
All of the cabanas come with a cooler filled with water and a bottle of sparkling wine; free towels; snorkel masks and water floats to use; a fruit plate; an over-water hammock; and butler service throughout the day so you don't have to walk to the bar to order drinks or food.
And they're all shaded and usually breezy all day long.
We booked one of the smaller cabanas on Flamingo Beach, and whiled away our anniversary day by swimming, sipping bubbly, enjoying cool breezes, and watching the flamingos further down the beach.
This is the ULTIMATE way to relax on Renaissance Private Island, and I think it was worth every penny.
(Speaking of pennies, the cabana we rented runs $425+ tax during the low season. In high season, though, prices do go up for some of the cabanas. They can all hold 4 or 6 people.)
Booking a private cabana
You used to only be able to book these cabanas if you were staying at one of the Renaissance hotels. Now, though, it appears this may not be the case – you can reserve cabanas online now.
If you want to book a cabana with kids, remember that Flamingo Beach is adults-only, so you'll need to book one of the Iguana Beach ones.
These cabanas do sell out in advance, so I recommend booking as early as you can!
Start by booking your Renaissance Aruba Resort room here.
All in all, we enjoyed our stay at the Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort. The hotels are laid-back and clean, and the service is good. The on-site restaurants are quality (though I do recommend exploring a bit of Oranjestad for food, too!), the beds are comfy, and the pool areas at both hotels are nicely laid out and clean.
I like that the hotels offer an experience for everyone, whether you're traveling with kids, friends, or maybe on a honeymoon or anniversary trip.
And the private island is wonderful in so many ways; the flamingos alone would convince me to stay at this hotel again!
READ NEXT: The Perfect Aruba Itinerary: 5 Days on One Happy Island
Have I (and the flamingos) convinced you? Would you stay at the Renaissance Aruba Resort?
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Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
Yep. Convinced. I am booking an ocean view king in the Marina. Don’t believe I will need a car.
Hi!
My fiance and I are looking into all inclusive resorts in Aruba for our honeymoon. This place caught my eye, but I am reluctant to book since it its right on the marina, looks basically connected to the mall, and I can’t tell if the resort actually has a beach without going to their private islands. The place seems too risky for me to book compared to some other places, which seem a bit more seculed and from that busy scene, however we can still walk to on our own terms. Can you help clear these details up for me?
So, there are two separate hotels that are both part of this resort. The adults-only Marina Hotel does NOT have a beach, but the Ocean Suites does have a large pool and it’s own beach area. In addition, you can go to the private island while staying at either property. And neither hotel is connected directly to a mall, though both are within walking distance to lots of places in the capital. If you want to explore beyond the resort, both of these properties are a good option. (Plus, the private island is so nice!)
Hi!
I have found your blog to be so helpful!
My fiance and I are looking in to Ren Aruba for our honeymoon and want to book ASAP.
Do you have any tips for booking? Did you use a travel agent or special incentives? How far in advance did you book?
I just booked directly through the hotel website, probably a couple months ahead of time.
Hey Amanda!
Thanks for your excellent post on flamingo beach! My family and I will be staying at this resort from May 29-June 4 and we are so excited, especially after reading your post. We have decided to actually get the all inclusive. We have never done an all inclusive so we are a little ignorant as to what all that means or includes. I’m most curious about what % of tip is still expected? And is a tip still expected when you just order a drink? I know you didn’t choose the all inclusive but wondering if you would have a good idea since you do travel so much.
Also, we have booked a cabana like you suggested and can’t wait! Just curious how much we should tip the butler for the day?
Thanks for all of your help!
In some Aruba restaurants, a service charge will automatically be added to your bill. Otherwise, standard tips are 10-15%. As for the cabana, I think you should base tips on how often you use the butler service! We tipped ours $20 for the day, if I remember correctly, but I have no idea if that’s low or high!
Wow, what a great review!! Thank you so much, these are helpful information!!! I’m planning a trip there with my husband and daughter in May. Can you please let me know if there are cats/dogs on the island or specifically at this resort? My daughter has a bad allergic reaction so thought I ask.
I’m sure that there are cats and dogs on the island, but I don’t remember seeing any around either hotel. I don’t think Aruba has a huge problem with stray animals.
There are many things to do in Aruba, the island has a lot of competition at the lodging level. A friend lives in Azure Beach Residences, he tells me that the residence is beautiful and has everything, but sometimes he wants to try something different because there are so many attractions on the island. I had the opportunity to stay at Renaissance Resort and I think it’s money well spent (if you’re only going to stay a few days). Excellent post!
Yes, there are tons of hotels and other lodging options to choose from. I loved the Renaissance for a short stay, especially the private island!
Hi, we went to Aruba like 10 years ago. I was nice, once. It is a small island, not that much to do. Every day we were approached by somebody trying to get us to go to a time share presentation. The natural bridge fell down right after we were there. Antway, like I said, once was enough….p.s. I just found your site and am enjoying it very much.
We only ran into one timeshare presentation solicitation, thankfully! Aruba is small, yes, but I was actually surprised at how much there was to do, as long as you were willing to get away from the main hotel area. But you can definitely see all the highlights in just one trip.
wow super cool pictures.
Thanks! Posing with those flamingos was a lot of fun!
Yes, I would go! Thanks for this great post Amanda. I’ve seen changes going on your site and I can definitely tell you are making sure that readers stay engaged and interested. Thanks and yeah, I’m jealous xD. It looks wonderful.
Thanks, Ana! I’m trying to provide the most interesting and useful content that I can!
Oh I didn’t know flamingoes are not native to Aruba. They are native to Bonaire at least, so I assumed they live on all three islands. I’ve never seen them from that close up though. I adored Curacao & Bonaire! 🙂
And I had no clue that they actually lived on Bonaire! I guess that makes me feel a bit better about them in Aruba – at least there ARE Caribbean flamingos!
Thank you for your review and input on this hotel. My wife and I will be traveling there next week and I was hoping for good things now I expect them. I was concerned about the private island being taken over by people with guest passes however after reading this, you have taken that concern away. This is our first time out of the country (besides Canada, we are from Detroit) so you have eased some concerns. Now I just hope the flights and airports cooperate and we will enjoy our anniversary trip!
Congrats on your anniversary! Both my husband and I really enjoyed our time in Aruba. The private island did not feel too crowded (but I do recommend going early in the day to have your pick of beach chairs!), and Aruba itself is a very safe and friendly island. I hope you have a great time!
Amanda,
Thank you for that beautiful review.
I am an Aruban currently living in Europe and it’s nice to see people enjoying my island. I will be there this December. you should try the Aruban new years eve.
friendly greetings
I enjoyed your island very much – I imagine it’s a great place to celebrate the new year!
Thanks for the great review. For the price I pay at the Marriot and Hilton I would consider staying at the renaissance for the price and flamingo beach. The private cabana looks awesome. Lisa
It’s definitely worth it at least once, I think! And yes, the cabana was amazing!
Nice you came to Aruba. I live on this island and I love it here, but… I must say its not a good thing to promote that flamingos live on this island. They dont live here, they were brought to the rennaissance island like a zoo would do to their park. They cant fly because their wings are cut when they are born. Everyone thinks Aruba has flamingos now, but truth is, we dont. Its a false image that is being spread around the world now. Hope you had a wonderful stay. Regards from a local.
Thanks for the input! I do mention in the post that flamingos are not native to Aruba, and that they were brought in specifically by the resort.
My wife and I have been there twice in the past few years . We stayed at both Marriott hotels and it’s just like you said the marina is nice and a little more quieter due to the fact that it is an adult only Resort. They are both nice hotels and the other one does have the nicer pools.You also forgot to mention the fact of how clean Aruba is and it appears to be a very safe Island considering all their business is from tourism.I would definitely feel safe sending my wife there with a few of her girlfriends.and there isn’t anybody bothering you trying to sell your trinkets when you’re on the beach. When you are on Flamingo Island if you walk the path on the flamingo side through the mangroves all the way to the end you could hang out there and have the planes fly over you that’s a pretty neat experience also . California lighthouse also is a very nice restaurant to go on the other end of the island the unfortunate part that my wife and I had experienced about our first few days in Aruba was our luggage did not make it there with us so I had to keep canceling my reservations for the lighthouse because we did not have any dinner close with us all in all Aruba is a great place to visit it is probably one of the more costly of Islands to visit in the Caribbean our first trip was for 7 days and our second trip was for 11 days the 11 days made it really nice looking forward to our next visit there again and eating some puffertgees which would be like a dutch pancake but they are small about the size of a half dollar and are puffy and having a Balashi beer with my dinner
Yes, Aruba is definitely a very clean and safe island – evident when walking around and when out on the water, which is so clear and clean! It’s nice to see an island where tourism has developed in a positive way. I would definitely visit again!
Adding to bucket list – go to Aruba, sit on beach, feed flamingos! It does look like pure joy!
It’s an excellent bucket list item!