Boardwalk Boutique Hotel Aruba
Aruba
Bakval
Vibe
Lush tropical gardens and winding paths weave past pastel casitas, creating a quiet retreat shaded by historic coconut palms.
“Pastel casita hideaway”
Pastel casitas nestled along winding tropical pathways, featuring private plunge pools, hammocks, and open-air rainfall showers.
Attentive staff arrange private patio chef dinners, casita grocery stocking, and dedicated loungers on Palm Beach.
Aruban-raised sisters host stays amid native fofoti trees, offering local fish delivery and Caribbean patio grilling.
In Bakval's peaceful residential lanes, five minutes on foot from the sands of Palm Beach.
“a vibrant, colorful, eclectic boutique hotel that makes no compromises on location, set as it is amid a coconut grove…”
Rooms
Bright casitas feature kitchens and private patios with hammocks and barbecues, while select layouts add private plunge pools or outdoor showers.
“The casitas are all unique, offering bright and tropical decor that’s quirky, kitschy, and eclectic without being tacky or overdone.”
Wellness
Guests drift between two garden pools and an outdoor yoga deck, with body treatments bookable on private casita patios.
“the 46 casitas are scattered on the grounds of a former coconut plantation and individually decorated: studio, one-, and two-bedroom spaces are outfitted with bright pinks, yellows, and aquas”
Backstory
Built on a late nineteenth-century coconut plantation, the property was revived by Aruban-raised twin sisters Kimberly and Stephanie Rooijakkers.
Eat & drink
The Coco Café serves Mediterranean and Aruban dishes under a thatched palapa, alongside daily afternoon cocktail service beside the pool.
The neighborhood
Set in quiet residential Bakval, the grounds sit a five-minute stroll from dedicated guest palapas and loungers along Palm Beach.
The app
This is one hotel. The app has every one we rate, in your pocket, for the whole trip.
Our shorthand
What makes a hotel special, how well they pull it off, and what it feels like outside the door.
How well they pull it off
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
They did this well. You’ll notice.
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Architecture and interiors lead. There’s a creative vision at work.
The guest is conspicuously well cared for. Requests met before they’re made.
Rooted in place. Local character runs through the whole stay.
Energy and scene. Where the city goes out, whether or not it’s sleeping here.
A building with history. The story of the place is part of the stay.
Built around feeling better. Rest, sweat, soak, spa.
A hotel the city grew up with. Same rituals, same regulars.
A world of its own. No reason to leave the property.
Scene — what’s outside the door
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
A place apart: the property is the destination.