Beautiful resort, but guest disruptions need more consideration

There is so much to love about JOIA Aruba. The hotel is clean, new and well laid out, with spacious rooms, comfortable beds and lovely amenities, including quality shampoo and conditioner. Housekeeping and turndown service were excellent. The pool area is beautiful, with amazing views, comfortable loungers, cabanas and daybeds. Service was excellent, and we appreciated the towels, sunscreen and water provided. The beach beds and beach service were equally wonderful—and Eagle Beach is hard to  [... read more]beat! The breakfast buffet was another highlight, with an amazing selection. There were, however, two significant disappointments. The spa was under renovation, and construction around the pool brought noise and fencing that obstructed the views. None of this was disclosed when we booked, which would have helped us make an informed decision. During our stay, a private wedding also closed the entire adults-only pool section, including the bar and lounge, for the full day and evening. We were relocated to the family pool and offered an ice cream for the inconvenience. Our beach day was also shortened as we were asked to leave our chairs so they could set up for the wedding. We’ve stayed at many resorts that host weddings, and this was a much greater disruption than we’ve experienced elsewhere. I would still recommend JOIA Aruba—it’s a beautiful resort with excellent service and many thoughtful touches. But management needs to give more consideration to paying guests when planning construction and private events. Advance notice, reasonable access to amenities and a more meaningful gesture when guests are displaced would make a real difference.