Joia at Iberostar Aruba was one of the worst “luxury” resort experiences I’ve ever had. While there were a few kind and professional staff members—the bellmen were incredibly helpful and friendly, assisting us with luggage and promptly getting us taxis whenever needed, and the front desk personnel were polite and welcoming—unfortunately, the rest of the experience was a disaster.
The service at the restaurants and bars was appalling. Staff often stood around doing nothing, rarely approached our table, and made no effort to see if we needed anything. At breakfast, we were rushed out every morning - a plate was taken out of my hand when I told waitress I wasn’t done repeatedly. Staff was constantly hovering over us like we were in the way. It was uncomfortable and rude.
Beach and poolside service was just as bad. We were ignored while waiters passed us multiple times to serve other guests. It took forever to get a drink, and we often gave up entirely. At the rooftop bar, we asked if we could order food from the downstairs restaurant and were told no—we had to order it ourselves and go pick it up. Meanwhile, our neighbors by the pool were getting full service and had the exact same food delivered to them. The double standard was blatant and completely unacceptable.
To make matters worse, the drinks were a complete rip-off. They were expensive, weak, and clearly watered down—I had several and didn’t feel the slightest buzz. It’s obvious they’
