St Regis Is Opening Its New Resort This Week on Palm Beach in Aruba

If you know Aruba, you know Palm Beach. It was the original home of tourism on the island, and, in many ways, it remains the “town square” of the island’s tourism district, from its most iconic hotels (including the lovely Boardwalk, one of our favorite stays on the island) to a number of its most popular restaurants. It’s also a spectacular stretch of sand in its own right, with shimmering white sand and deliciously calm turquoise water. 

But this week, the Palm Beach area is getting another major draw: the first-ever St. Regis resort in the Dutch Caribbean, with rooms bookable as early as Jan. 23. 

It’s a major new level of resort for the island. Indeed, the new property is instantly the most luxurious resort on the island, a spot that had been until now occupied by the nearby Ritz-Carlton, Aruba. 

So what do you need to know about the new ultra-luxe retreat?  

The beach resort has 252 rooms, 52 of which are what the resort calls “direct beachfront” rooms. 

That’s along with some signatures of the brand, including a St. Regis Bar and a St. Regis spa, along with a popular amenity in Aruba: a casino, too. The resort also has multiple infinity pools and a large, sweeping lobby with a lobby bar that quickly reminds of the Ritz (and, in a cool touch, signature high tea on offer). 

What about prices? 

You can book a room as soon as Thursday for rates starting at $1,637 per night; that prices goes down to about $1,236 for much of February. 

It’s one of a growing number of St. Regis-branded resorts in the wider Caribbean, including the new St. Regis at Kanai in the Mexican Caribbean and another imminent debut, the St Regis in Cap Cana.

It’s also the second big opening in Aruba in just about a month, following Iberostar’s Joia on Eagle Beach (rooms at $668).

Are you planning a vacation to Aruba? 

You can find some good options on Google Flights, including $256 roundtrip on Spirit out of Fort Lauderdale; $698 on JetBlue from Boston to Aruba; and just $478 on JetBlue from JFK to Aruba, all in the first week of February. If you’re heading to the island, make sure you fill out its online immigration form required for all travelers (one that now includes the $20-per-passenger “sustainability fee.” You can find the form here.