Everything was wonderful at Serene by the Sea. It is very well maintained, very comfortable, quiet/calm/restful....not "fancy", but also utterly perfect. You have many choices of wonderful places to sit and look at beautiful views everywhere...no need to rush to claim a chair for the day here! The "beach" itself here is very small, but is all one needs to walk into the water and have a lovely swim or to snorkel from the beach or to kayak over to nearby Seaglass island...just perfect! We had a rental car, so it was super easy to drive to other beaches (e.g., Baby Beach or Mangel Halto Beach were two favorites quite nearby, also relatively not crowded), for something different. But if you want to just be here and truly relax without a car that would be fabulous too! You can walk from here to several great places to eat... We went to Zeerovers (3-4min walk) several times for inexpensive/casual seafood and drinks; we also had a fancy dinner at Old Man and the Sea (attached to a resort nearby); and Flying Fishbone is a popular spot nearby (1-2min walk), though we found it overpriced and more touristy (but fine). The owners are lovely, as is the chef who offers to make eggs each morning to go with the buffet breakfast. Breakfast is idyllic... you help yourself to excellent coffee, fruit, meat/cheese, bread, homemade pastries.... and then can ask for an omelet or eggs if you like. There are wonderful creatures around to watch...from lizards to birds to crabs and fish. We hope to come back with our kids (who are teenagers), as we know they would love it. This was the perfect home base for our adventures....we hiked in the National Park, drove out to the lighthouse on the point, etc... And as we drove around the whole island (including checking out town and the big resort area) we didn't see anywhere else we would rather stay (in fact, the big resorts looked unappealing to us). Highly recommend!

Breakfast was very good.

the property was secluded enough from the tourist area so the beach was alway quiet and relaxing. it also had a variety of marine and island life that was fun to observe without going anywhere.

Staff was friendly and accommodating. Facilties were well kept. The area was very quiet and away from the hustle and bustle of the main tourist areas. If you want to relax and enjoy the natives of Aruba, this location is for you.

Nice family run hotel right in front of the sea. Staff is very polite and friendly. Spacious, comfortable room. Bed is comfortable as well. The bathroom is a bit outdated but it's clean and that's the most important thing for us. Breakfast in the restaurant area right in front of the sea. Fantastic! The variety of the breakfast is okay: bread, cakes, yoghurt, granola or cornflakes, jams, fruits and the chef makes you an omelet. The facilities at the beach were outstanding. And you can snorkel right from the beach. You can also take a kayak to go to the island in front of the hotel. It's the perfect hotel for a relaxed holiday at the beach.

The breakfast was not organized like we are used to: some days there were not enough plates/knives or they run out of yoghurt/fruits or tables not cleaned,... In the fridge you find 3 pots of yoghurt, 2 of them empty and expired. It felt like a hostel at that point. It's a pity cause everything was available at breakfast but for us the logistics could have been better. For European standards the hotel is not that cheap so we expected hotel standards and not hostel standards for breakfast, even in a ***-star hotel. We had a 'romantic diner' one night. $110 for two persons is way to expensive...

This is a beautiful, Serene location by the Sea with beautiful views of Sea Glass Island. Very peaceful location far from the the crowds and high rise hotels. The room included access to kayaks to be used on the property and beach chairs and snorkels that you could take with you for the day. Breakfast was very good and prepared and served in a building right on the water. The family who owns the facility are very kind and helpful. Reno the manager, his mom and his uncle the Chef were all excellent hosts. Serene by the Sea also has wonderful sunsets and a small swimming beach.

Room was comfortable with close view to the water. The bathroom fan was very loud and probably should be updated.

Location, Hosts and stuff, breakfast, fishes, lizards, dogs.

Absolutely wonderful place to stay when you don’t want the hustle and bustle of big hotel life. On the south end of the island, currently less traveled. Family owned and run Bed-n-Breakfast. They are wonderful people and are very attentive to their guests. Private beach with all the needed amenities. Breakfast cooked by the chef every morning while we sat and watched the iguanas and crabs stop by for a visit. His special request romantic dinner was the absolutely best meal we had and we found many great restaurants. It is definitely paradise!

Their week seems shorter than ours in the states. 😉

Breakfast cooked by Elize was amazing! Near the hotel you can snorkel and swim and see tourtles and fishes.

quiet, private, feels like home

nothing!

Wonderful place to relax and take in the ocean. Everyone we met was friendly and helpful. Alise, the cook and baker, made breakfast each morning -- omelettes, pastries, fruit, cereal, granola, juice, coffee, and tea Dinner, too, by special order.

Not a thing. One suggestion: as someone who does a lot of canoeing and kakaying, they could upgrade their kayaks and lifejackets. Having an outrigger would be great, too .

location, view, amenities, hospitality, small place, get to meet nice people

nothing

The breakfast was a great way to start the day right there on the water. Nice breeze.

Amazing location! The ocean is right outside your door! It has comfy outdoor furniture, snorkel equipment is provided & kayaks available to take a few minute paddle ride to Sea Glass Island (the ENTIRE island is full of seaglass!). The property is very clean & is super quiet. It was nice that breakfast was included every morning at the outdoor kitchen. Lots of choices and a chef to make whatever omelet you want. It is family owned and operated and you won't have a nicer bunch of people to greet & take care of you. They are definitely there to make your stay comfortable. We needed a cooler, they provided. We wanted a dinner for just the 2 of us and the chef made that happen one night even providing a bottle of wine! Also nice to have a couple restaurants less than a 5 minute walk. Zeerover fish restaurant is a must. I honestly can tell you that you will be well taken care of & is worth every penny.

We stayed in the suite. Kitchen is pretty well stocked with dishes, but no microwave or toaster (you have to go to the outdoor kitchen if you need either one). We also had to use a lighter to get the stove to fire up. The important thing to note in this unit is the breaker trips after a 5-10 minute hot shower. That really should be fixed. Anyone staying in that unit should be told about the issue and how to trip the breaker back. Easy enough to do, but still needs to be relayed.

This place was amazing, they treat you like family, and the chef is exceptional

There wasn't anything we didn't like, we will be back next year for sure.

The location is quite, safe, away from the tourist busy area. The view is exceptional, near by are good restaurants and beaches. Wonderful ground facility and clean room. Family owned and warm and attentive staff.

Need coffee maker or electric tea kettle in the room. Need some mosquito repellent torches around the facility grounds.

Loved the location. Very clear water and great snorkeling. It was across from sea glass cove and other great kayaking locations. The family that owned it was amazing. Treated us like family. The chief was excellent. He cooked a wonder omelet and breakfast every morning and we paid for the extra dinner one night and he made it extra special and it was delicious. Best hidden secret on the island. Miss it already.

Leaving Aruba

The setting, with hammocks and lounge chairs on the dock was amazing, a nice little beach for a swim, or snorkling. You could also borrow kajaks. The breakfast was also on the dock, the chef made nice omelettes, he also through bread to the fishes so we could se all sorts, like an aquarium. We really enjoyed this place. A plus is also that Serene is door to door with the superb restaurant the Flying Fishbone

The room, was a little outdated, but still very clean and comfortable

Everything was perfect, piece of heaven.

Great location with 2nd floor room overlooking the ocean. Breakfast by the sea was very nice, and it was serene. Very clean. Family run by super people. They invited us to their Christmas dinner!

On occasion the bathroom did not smell good.

very nice property and host. highly recommended

no

this property is away from the hustle and bustle of the hotel sector in the island which makes it a wonderful destination to find tranquility

there are very few places to find relatively healthy foods but the property has a chef who will prepare food as requested.

The waterfront location is gorgeous. Serene by the Sea—especially at night in the hammocks with the string lights listening to the ocean waves—is an accurate name. Truly peaceful. Lovely staff.

I agree with some of the other reviews. The pictures shown here are old and not an accurate representation of the current property, which has gotten a little rundown. Would benefit from some updates/modernization to make it feel a bit cleaner and worth the full cost.

Everyone was so kind. And the was incredible