Experience this magnificent jewel of Aruba. Spoil yourself to a relaxation paradise. Located in a quiet residential area called Savaneta, you can submerse yourself in this oasis of tranquility right on an amazing private beach. Cherish your most romantic dreams while enjoying the breathtaking Aruban sunset and luxurious starry nights. With only 3 apartments for rent you will have the utmost privacy to be adventurous and venture on a kayak or to relax, put your feet up and bask in the Aruban sun on our lounge pier. Envision your next vacation at Aruba Reef apartments and you will surely be back for more.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Last time we stayed on the north end. This time we decided south. If you are uptight or pretentious this IS NOT the place for you. It is all about relaxing and chilling. Rabbi was a great host. There was only one request we hit him with that he couldn’t accommodate (out of about 100!). We wanted stevia for our morning coffee. So make sure you get your own on your grocery run (along with salt and pepper, which we forgot). WiFi was great, seclusion was great, we actually just stayed here one whole day because it was so relaxing. It is that good. Could it be kept up a little more, sure. Could the couch be more comfy, probably. But trust me, this is a great oasis. We are so grateful we found it. And we didn’t have to sell one of our children to afford it! We will be back. Mostly because of the vibe, but also because of the location and because of Rabbi. A+. Finally, parking is free, easy and within 30 feet of your door. Zeerovers is an easy walk. Get your groceries at the superfood. We found the local supermarkets were ok but limited.
Read more
Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was our third trip to Aruba and first time staying on the south side of the island. Can't beat the view or the privacy of the beach. The snorkeling is great and we were lucky enough to see some sea turtles. Zeerovers being next door is a big plus too.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fantastic stay away from the crowded beaches. Our own little paradise on a lovely beach.
Rental car needed. Ideal place with a few eateries around it and handy supermarkets.
We did our own bbq on the beach a few times which was lovely.
Everything you need here for snorkelling and kayaking.
Baby beach 200 mins and eagle / palm beach 20 mins.
Recommend a trip to the national park but def hire a 4x4.
Thank you rabbi for being a great host it was just what we needed.
All in its one of our best trips ever.
Mark and Gwen
Read more
Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Removed from the hustle and bustle of the Hotel Zone, Raabi offers a true Paradise. We travel with the aim of being authentic to the region and getting to know the locals. Aruba Reef met our criteria....plus! If a relaxing vacation is what you are after this is the place. Loved our stay!
Read more
Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This place is truly beautiful and a great value. If you are the kind of person who doesn't care about casinos, lots of people watching, or shopping, this is a wonderful setting. My partner and I stayed here a week, and for five days, we were really happy with the whole experience.
On the fifth day, we took two of the kayaks out into the ocean and then decided to go over the little strip of reef and further out into the ocean. We were careful not to damage the reef or the kayaks, and we paddled out into the ocean and around, safely returning to our little beach. The whole excursion probably took about 20-30 minutes, tops, and we were always within sight of the apartments.
When we returned, Freddy (the owner) was waiting for us. He proceeded to berate us in front of all the other guests for several minutes because the kayaks we used were very important to him and he was afraid that we had damaged them. It was clear that we had not damaged them, but that did not stop him from continuing to yell at us, saying at several points, "I am very pissed off. Do you know what pissed off means?" Uh, what?
We definitely did not know that we had broken any rules, and herein lies the problem- you really have to fend for yourself at this place. There are no instructions, written or verbal, about what you can and cannot do, what to expect, what to do with the kayaks, your towels, or really anything. You piece it together mostly from what other guests tell you. When you are basically in paradise, that's not a horrible problem to have...unless you happen to unknowingly piss off the owner. If you do, be prepared to deal with a guy who needs some anger management sessions.
We almost left that night. I can honestly say that I've never been treated that way by anyone in the service industry, ever. It was hard to shake, even though we felt as though it was unreasonable on his part. He did apologize to me privately the next day, but it didn't mean a whole lot at that point.
The "house rules" at Aruba Reef Apartments suggest that you treat the property as you would your own. I would suggest that the host heed his own advice with a slight alteration. Freddy, try treating your guests the way that you would like to be treated. Give them clear instructions, and be kind whenever possible.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2015
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Let me start off with saying these apartments are probably the best deal you will find in Aruba.... In general, accomodations in Aruba are pricey, but Aruba Reef provides you with large apartments, privacy, and use of their kayaks for a much lower price than most of the hotels in Aruba charge you for just a room - you can't beat it. In addition, you get a discount at their spa which is amazing, you have to go, my husband is uncomfortable with the idea of massages but I convinced him to go and he was SO happy we went. In addition, the location is directly next door to the Flying Fishbone, the best restaurant in Aruba, hands down! Overall, this was the perfect place for my husband & I to stay during our honeymoon.
So why did I say I'm unsure if we'd return to Aruba Reef? - Aruba Reef is in Saventa, a fishing town, no where near the high rise / low rise hotels so you have to rent a car to get around which can get pricey (about $40 / day). Most of the tours that say they'll pick you up from your hotel mean they'll pick you up from the high rise / low rise area, none of them will go to Saventa - Saventa is a fishing town so naturally there are lots of nats there and we'd wake up with a ton of bug bites. Clearly that is no fault of the hotel but it's not comfortable - The owner and his daughter are extremely friendly, awesome people, who overall we really enjoyed, but they did 3 things that bugged us that you don't get with larger hotels: 1. The first day we were there he complained to us about gasoline prices and told us that instead of using the A/C a lot we should try to open the side door and the patio door to let the breeze cool the room. Which was great during the day when we were in the apartment, but it was August in the Carribean, so it got very hot at night. We would turn on the A/C over night and some mornings we'd find it off. At first we thought it was a faulty A/C system and then we realized someone manually turned off our A/C controller from outside the room. My husband turned it back on, and the next day Fred complained to us again about A/C prices, and later on in the week he turned it off again without telling us, so we woke up very hot. I don't see a larger hotel chain doing that. 2. They have 2 dogs, a huskie and an Aruban street fighter dog. We both love dogs so we were fine with that, but one night we got in late and the Aruban street fighter dog went crazy, it barked at us like crazy, and even showed us it's teeth (in dog world that means ready to attack). We called out for Fred but he wasn't home. We left the property and came back in 10 minutes later from the main entrance and ran over to our room. The next night the owner told us that if you come in from the side the dog freaks out, you have to come in from the front - that would've been nice to know before your dog almost attacked us. 3. In the reservation form you give your credit card information. I was under the assumption that they were going to charge our card for our stay. The morning we left Fred asked us for cash. Apparently it costs a lot less to pay in cash because the Aruban credit card fees. It was nice of him to help us avoid those fees but it would've been nice if he told us in advance because we did not have that much cash on us, and the ATM nearby was out of money. He felt bad so he split the fee with us, but I think it would've been nice to give us a heads up before we went.
Overall we enjoyed it, and we LOVED Aruba, but the next time we go we'll probably go to the high rise area.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2010
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are an Australian family of 3 who have just spent a week at Aruba Reef apartments. Rabbi, THANKYOU... Thankyou for now continuing to live and share your fathers much loved oasis in Aruba.... We were looking for a holiday on Aruba where we would be as far away for hordes of tourists and the hideousness of the 'High-rise' location of Aruba. We were looking for somewhere that had a spirit, a sole, but was also private and beautiful... How your father ever made it all of that and more is an amazing vision of a super worldly amazing personality. Aruba Reef is simply a slice of Aruba heaven.. Its private, its quiet, its peaceful, its beautiful, and within a day it felt simply like the home we would wish if we lived an island life. Rabbi, our family morning fitness sessions we did on the private beach and our swims to the coral rising opposite the beach will forever be remembered as the 'best place' we have ever trained and woken up to and been revitalized from. Aruba reef doesn't have signs all around it, it isn't plastered with rules and regulations on every deck or hammock.. Its somewhere where you simply are trusted to make it 'your' experience. This is why we fell in love with it 24 hours a day. Our balcony where we enjoyed sunset drinks at night or breakfast every morning, the hammock that we lay in and felt the warm breeze blow while we read books or just nattered to each other.. The dogs who made our hearts even warmer. Bonsa, Master and Apple- the 3 of you are truly living in paradise.... Thankyou for the memories you lucky lucky dogs. Rabbi- may your fathers love, your fathers dreams to open this oasis to the magic of the people of the world continue to fill your heart as much as it filled his.. Aruba Reef- there is that fine line of wanting to recommend your paradise to the world- and simply wanting to keep it quiet and simply for those who will simply fall in love with it as we did. We hired a car for our week and drove all over the island to visit other beaches etc, but never ever day we all just wanted to come back to Aruba Reef and forget about everywhere else as Aruba Reef truly was our 'HAPPY PLACE'.... More thanks than words Rabbi, and may we see you in Oz one day soon.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2016
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We got back from our 4 day stay at Aruba Reef almost 5 days ago, and we're still mourning the fact that we had to leave. Aruba Reef is total perfection -- from the gorgeous private beach, beautiful and spacious apartments, adorable dogs, to FRED (the coolest/nicest guy ever), breathtaking views, and amazing Bali-inspired decor, this place is a total gem. You really do feel like you're at home here, and I can safely say that we would have gladly stayed there for the rest of our lives if we could have. 100% recommend this place! Great food within walking distance of the apartments (check out Zee Rover and the Indonesian place across the street for delicious meals) and totally away from all the annoying tourists of the main part of Aruba. We rented a 4x4 jeep, which was a great idea, as we got to drive along the coast and see some beautiful parts of Aruba's national park.
Aruba and Aruba Reef apartments have stolen our hearts! Thanks Fred for an amazing time!
Read more
Date of stay: March 2014
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â We had one of the ocean view apartments, but all the apartments have great views/perks, and each...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fred gives a 5-star service. He is very nice and welcoming. However, the apartment that we got was not that clean (kitchen, bathroom, shower, bed). It really needed a good clean. Location is not that great. It is peaceful but not that relaxing because you have to drive 30 minutes to get to the nice beaches, if you don't get stuck in traffic (which the first day we did ….it took us 50 minutes to come back from the beach).
Read more
Date of stay: November 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was my first time in Aruba and I vacationed alone. Naturally I was concerned about safety but my worries quickly faded away as I was welcomed to "Paradise" by the owner Fred. I felt like a member of the family and very well taken care of. I went on this vacation alone so that I could relax and this was the best place for it! I felt like I was able to truly get away without the hustle and bustle of the tourist areas. The private beach was awesome , the ocean side gazebo was sooooooo relaxing and the views were absolutely breathtaking!!! My room was very clean (and I must admit that I am very picky) and well maintained. The entire property had art, woodwork and decor from Bali and it was so beautiful and unique (you can tell that Fred truly put his heart and soul into this property). Since there were only a few apartments on the premises, there was lots of privacy, peace and quiet. I enjoyed the convenience on having a great restaurant "Flying Fishbone" right next door but there was also a grocery store just a few minutes away. I have stayed in all inclusive resorts and high rise hotels in the past, but after experiencing the tranquility of Aruba Reef, I am convinced that this is the absolute best way to vacation! Fred was an AMAZING host and he went above and beyond to ensure that my stay was perfect. The only thing that I regret is that I was only able to stay for four days. I just got back home tonight and I am already planning another (much longer) trip....Thank you again for everything Fred!!
Read more
Date of stay: December 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
no need to bring towels. towels aplenty.
there is plentiful hot water and wonderful water pressure too.
there is housekeeping but you have to make arrangements with the woman who provides the service. we did not know housekeeping was available until the day before we left. please be sure to ask Freddy, or whomever greets you when you arrive, what the housekeeping rates are and what services are available.
this is information we would have liked to know upon check in. the woman who is in charge of housekeeping was not forthcoming with a personal introduction -- and the apartment really needed a good scrub down prior to our check in.
be prepared to drink some of the most delicious tap water you have ever tasted. there should be a pitcher full of Aruba Sweet Water in the fridge when you arrive. drink it up! do not bother with bottled water.
There are more places to choose from in the Savaneta area.
LOCATION
CaribbeanArubaSavaneta
NUMBER OF ROOMS
4
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
