I love the Caribbean, and have been lucky enough to travel to many of its beautiful island countries. But when I married into a family from Boston, I learned that one island lives rent-free in the minds of Bostononians: Aruba.

Having not been there myself (much to the disappointment of my loved ones up north), I jumped at the chance to finally see it for myself. More specifically, I made the journey to be amongst the first to stay at The Westerly at Hilton Aruba. A hotel-within-a-hotel, The Westerly is a chic new boutique tower within the popular beachfront Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino.

Here’s a quick rundown of the new tower, alongside some helpful information about the beachfront resort as a whole.

Related: Best all-inclusives in Aruba for a perfect Caribbean vacation

What is The Westerly?

The Westerly is a new-build, boutique-style hotel tower with 161 rooms at the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino. Named after Aruba’s east-to-west winds, the tower was created to offer an upscale, design-forward stay that feels more exclusive and elevated than your standard stay at the Hilton Aruba. The exclusivity includes a private check-in area, swim-up room offerings, in-room wellness kits and access to an adults-only rooftop experience called Terrace on 10.

Guests at The Westerly can also take full advantage of the resort’s expansive grounds and beach, various restaurants, a spa, an on-site casino, a fitness center and more.

What are the rooms like at The Westerly?

The entire vibe of The Westerly, from my lens, is Caribbean cool — and the large rooms are no exception. The rooms are infused with tropical blues, sandy hues, natural woods and whimsical, cool-toned patterns that reflect the beach and ocean just steps away.

The room featured a large, padded headboard with built-in USB-C chargers (modern!) and reading lights. The bed was ultra plush and comfortable.

There was a Lavazza machine for coffee, a well-stocked minibar and a large TV on the wall.

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The room came with a nice welcome kit and some fun wellness-centered amenities like sunscreen and after-sun lotion, a passport case and a beach bag. There was also an incredible sleep mask from Drowsy that wrapped around my entire head and a sleep spray that helped me crash.

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I particularly loved the large bathroom for its great lighting, incredible shower pressure and the local Aruba Aloe soaps, shampoos and lotions that smelled amazing.

And to round it out, a large balcony with a chair and table (ideal for remote work while enjoying the sunshine) and a couch and coffee table looked out over the pools, beach and crystalline ocean.

Eating and drinking at The Westerly

The Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino has a number of restaurants and bars to enjoy, including a massive breakfast spread at the Laguna buffet. Laguna was a bit crowded in the morning, but the service was fast and efficient. Sunset Grille, the recently upgraded steakhouse, serves something for everyone, including mouthwatering steaks, delicious fish, and a large menu of apps and desserts. If you like a G&T, be sure to have one custom-made for you from the roving gin and tonic cart.

And at Shore Club, grab a drink and munch on a beach-friendly menu (with beach views) of sushi, salads, wraps, burgers, tacos and quesadillas. The Korean beef tacos were the food highlight of my entire stay. Drinks with a view are also available at Shore Club rooftop, where folks can mingle around firepits looking out at the water.

Other options include the casual Sunset Bar, Oscar’s Market for coffee or grab-and-go snacks, in-room dining, and pool and beach service.

Guests at The Westerly can add paid access to the adults-only, club-like Terrace on 10, an indoor-outdoor space with ocean views, wellness programming, a bar, and locally inspired cuisine available throughout the day.

What else is there to do around The Westerly?

Whether you’re staying at The Westerly or in the other Hilton Aruba buildings, you won’t get bored. I mostly spent my downtime at the property, bouncing around between the large pool complex and shady beach palapas that can be reserved at the central activities hut.

At the hut, the day’s activity calendar is on display, and you can reserve spots to kayak out in the ocean, take a fitness or wellness classes, and even rent bikes. There’s also a Las Vegas-style casino with machine and table games to try your luck, and the Eforea spa for a treatment to help you destress after a night of gambling, or after hours spent in the sun.

Just across the street, there is also plenty of fun shopping, eating and dining opportunities, including outposts of vacation hotspots like Fat Tuesday and Senor Frogs. You’ll also find cultural and nature activities like the Bubali Bird Sanctuary and The Butterfly Farm.

How much does it cost to stay at The Westerly?

Cash rates at The Westerly start at $612 per night. Hilton Honors members can book with points. At the time of writing, the property only listed Premium Room Rewards starting from 262,000 points per night. Note that the resort also charges a $79 resort fee per night.

Bottom line

My quick trip to Aruba made me realize why people love it so much: the sand is unbelievably soft, the ocean is breathtakingly blue and there’s plenty to do and see. Not to mention the island country sits outside of the Atlantic hurricane belt.

But my stay was made even better by my luxe experience at The Westerly, which felt like a chic oasis slightly away from the rest of the resort. From the room’s fresh design and spaciousness to my balcony views, I simply loved it. I don’t love the points pricing, however, but I hope to see some non-premium pricing in the future so those Westerly winds can blow me right back to Aruba.

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