JOIA Aruba - Family Review

Trip details: 5-night stay, June 2026, celebrating son's high school graduation. Two rooms booked — a swim-out room, and a pool-view room for the son and his girlfriend. Reviewers are travel agents (memoriesandmojitos.com), specializing in Mexico and the Caribbean.

Favorite Meal

• Kevin: Linguine and clams (night one) — talked about it all week; group decided everyone's ordering it on the next trip. Also loved the chicken parm at the Italian restaurant
• Brittany: Gaia (steakhouse) — fried pork/bacon/cheese balls as an app, steak, brussels sprouts, truffle fries, chocolate mousse cake for dessert
• Ethan/Riley: Breakfast at Marea — açaí bowl (best of the whole trip) and caramelized French toast

Favorite Pool

• Three pools total: all-ages, adults-only, and a timeshare-members-only pool (not accessible to guests)
• Kevin: Adults-only pool — good view, good drink/food service
• Brittany: All-ages pool — bigger, more room to spread out, swim-up bar, better-behaved crowd that trip, preferred the lunch food from Marea restaurant (vs. Zima rooftop, which serves the adults pool)
• Ethan: Bottom pool — swim-up bar, better food menu
• Riley: Infinity/rooftop pool — best views (ocean and trees visible from the in-water loungers)

The Beach (Eagle Beach)

• Gorgeous, colorful water, minimal seaweed, not huge waves
• Resort provides thick padded loungers/umbrellas and waiter service
• Windy — sand can blow around, sand itself has some texture/shell content (not ultra-soft) but softens once in the water
• Universally well-liked, including by a normally beach-averse reviewer

The Rooms

• All rooms are interior-identical — differences are just in the view
• Liked: fish wallpaper, modern design, spacious, big bathroom, comfy bed
• Disliked: open-concept closet (no privacy for mess)
• Issue: the swim-up feature was drained/under construction (new skimmer installation) for the entire stay — would book a pool-view room instead next time
• Son's pool-view room was reportedly gorgeous with a great view

Favorite Drinks

• Kevin: Aruba Refresher (tequila, club soda, mint, basil, strawberry) — joked it wasn't actually "refreshing"
• Brittany: Loved the mocktail selection and drink mixes overall; piña colada was a standout
• Ethan/Riley: Shirley Temples (ordered constantly — breakfast, lunch, dinner, poolside); also enjoyed a mocktail called the "Pink Flamingo" (strawberry)

What They'd Change

• Kevin/Brittany: More pool servers — service wasn't bad, but noticeably understaffed on day one (one server covering the entire pool/restaurant area)
• Ethan/Riley: Wished for a few more interactive activities (loved the aloe-making/scrub experience) and more offerings like it

Favorite Bar

• Kevin: Zima rooftop bar
• Brittany: Gaia (steakhouse bar) — liked the bartenders and ambiance

Favorite Overall Aspect

• Kevin: Compact resort size — everything reachable in under 5 minutes, short walk to the beach
• Brittany: Same — intimate, easy-to-navigate size; fits Aruba's food-forward reputation well as an all-inclusive
• Ethan: Food quality — consistently excellent across all restaurants, room service, and the café
• Riley: Overall service level — attentive staff throughout, even at the pool when not actively ordering

Overall Rating (out of 10)

• Kevin & Brittany: 8.9 (independently, without comparing notes)
• Ethan: 9.5
• Riley: agreed it's a strong resort with something for everyone
• Note: Kevin/Brittany said the swim-up issue didn't factor into their score since it was a one-off construction fluke

Bonus Notes

• SPF 30 Sunbum sunscreen provided free at every pool (not just VIP/club areas)
• Great burger at Maria (Caribbean restaurant), available at both lunch and dinner
• Tap water quality praised — served with fresh citrus garnish options at restaurants
• One dislike: having to sign the bill after every meal (resort isn't fully all-inclusive)

All-Inclusive Cost & Value

• All-inclusive add-on: ~$250 per person per night
• Sample pricing: drinks/apps/lunch ~$20 each; dinner more expensive (e.g., filet mignon ~$60–62)
• Booked originally without all-inclusive (breakfast plan only); upgraded a few months later for a significant added cost — but concluded it was worth it to avoid "nickel and diming" during the trip
• Compared Aruba pricing to Cancun — noted Caribbean destinations like Aruba cost significantly more for a comparable luxury experience

Upcoming Resort Additions (per staff)

• Casino (in progress)
• Tiki bar on the beach
• An additional restaurant
• A rooftop bar

Closing

• Reviewers plan to return once new additions are complete
• Encouraged viewers to book through their travel agency (memoriesandmojitos.com) at no added cost
• Referenced a companion "sunup to sundown" vlog of the same resort
• Teased next review: Ocean Allure Costa Mujeres, Mexico — their first group trip