La Maison was a wonderful piece of Paradise. It was so perfect for us, I don't know where to start. I'll write about the physical attributes first, but be sure to scroll down to read about what makes La Maison the best!
The grounds are even more beautiful than the pictures. Lots of greenery and blooming flowers. With all these plants you would normally expect fallen leaves somewhere and some debris in the pool, but there was not a fallen leaf in sight. The outdoor kitchen is well stocked and eating breakfast or dinner at the raised table under the thatched roof is like something out of a movie. The grounds are even more beautiful at night with the well-designed lighting and color changing pool. Definitely go for a midnight swim! Our room (#3) was very clean. It had a nice comfortable bed, two nice chairs and an armoire. The room wasn't huge, but it was big enough for us and the air conditioning worked well. The bathroom was also clean, nothing spectacular, but a bigger than average shower. We got to look in the other two studios and #1 is definitely bigger, with a desk, and we think that #2 is slightly smaller. #1 and #3 both have big windows that open onto the garden, #2 does not.
It is the service and thoughtfulness of La Maison that made it paradise. The directions from the airport were easy to follow and when we arrived our room was spotless and the air conditioning had already been turned on. A cell phone was waiting for us as well as the most thorough guide to things to do and see in Aruba that you could imagine. Everything you want to know about the property and Aruba's history and what to see while you are there is nicely described in "the binder". We took ours with us every day and saw lots of sights that we would never have found on our own. There were also two beach chairs for us to use, a cooler, beach towels, pool floats, basically everything you would have if you lived there. Really all you need to bring is a swimsuit and sunscreen. They provide housekeeping for an extra fee, but we didn't use it, but the linen exchange worked smoothly. We just left our towels in the basket when we went to bed and had fresh ones the next morning. There were two other couples staying there for part of our stay, but we never really heard them other to say “Hi” in passing. This would be a GREAT place for three couples to rent the entire place.
The location was perfect for us. We rented a car and could drive to the beach in about 2 minutes, the lighthouse is about a 5 minute drive. You could walk to the high rise hotel beach area, but we never did. I guess it would take about 20 minutes walking. We shopped at the SuperFoods (5 minute drive) and they had everything and prices were no different than what we pay here in Colorado. It was also an easy drive into Oranjestad for more tourist shopping.