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Sandals Resort in Aruba: There Isn't One (Try These Instead)
"Is there a Sandals resort in Aruba?" comes up regularly because Aruba is one of the most-searched Caribbean destinations. The honest answer: no, there is no Sandals in Aruba. Sandals' closest property is on Curacao, about 70 km east. Here is why Sandals never came to Aruba and what to book if Aruba was your target destination.
There is no Sandals on Aruba
Sandals operates 17 resorts across 8 Caribbean islands, but Aruba is not one of them. Sandals' closest property is Sandals Curaçao, which opened 2022 on the neighboring island of Curacao (about 70 km east of Aruba). Both Aruba and Curacao are part of the ABC Islands chain (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) and share similar climate (south of the hurricane belt, dry, low-humidity).
Why Sandals went to Curacao instead
When Sandals expanded into the Dutch ABC Islands, the chain chose Curacao over Aruba for three reasons. First, Aruba's resort market is already heavily developed (Marriott, Hyatt, Renaissance, Bucuti, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Riu, Tamarijn) with limited beachfront available for new construction. Second, Curacao offered a large undeveloped tract on the east end of the island (the Santa Barbara Estate) where Sandals could build a property at scale. Third, Aruba's labor and land costs are higher than Curacao's.
If you booked Aruba expecting a Sandals: book Curacao
If your trip plans were "adults-only all-inclusive somewhere south of the hurricane belt," Sandals Curaçao is the right substitute. It sits on the protected Santa Barbara Estate, includes the Awa Seaside Bungalows (Sandals' alternative to overwater bungalows), and offers something most Sandals do not: rental cars on property and a 9-hole golf course on the estate. Climate, dive sites, and dining quality are all comparable to what you would find in Aruba.
Best Aruba adults-only alternatives
If you specifically want Aruba, here are the closest adults-only all-inclusive options to a Sandals experience:
- Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort - adults-only boutique on Eagle Beach. Highest TripAdvisor-rated property in the entire Caribbean for the past several years. Closest match to a Sandals Royal Plantation experience.
- Riu Palace Antillas - adults-only all-inclusive on Palm Beach. Larger property, full inclusive. Closest match to a Sandals Negril experience.
- Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa - adults-only boutique on Eagle Beach. Wellness-focused.
- Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusive - mixed-age but skews adult; on Druif Beach. All-inclusive.
Aruba vs Curacao for the typical traveler
Aruba has more nonstop flights from the US (Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, NYC, Miami, Newark, Houston, Philadelphia), more developed tourist infrastructure, and the famous Eagle Beach. Curacao has fewer nonstops (Miami, NYC, Charlotte, Atlanta), a more authentic Dutch-Caribbean cultural feel (Willemstad's Handelskade), and the only Sandals in the southern Caribbean. For most adults-only travelers I send to the southern Caribbean, Curacao now wins because of Sandals Curaçao's all-inclusive consistency.