Traveling to Aruba on Points and Miles
Get ready for takeoff! Let’s talk about traveling to Aruba on points and miles.
Aruba is a sun-drenched Caribbean island known for its stunning white-sand beaches, vibrant turquoise waters, and warm, welcoming spirit. It truly lives up to its nickname: “One Happy Island”. It is one of my favorite places we have ever vacationed to. We were there for 7 days and can’t wait to get back!
Located just off the coast of Venezuela, it boasts a dry climate and consistently sunny weather, making it a year-round paradise for beach lovers. It is particularly attractive to travelers as it is below the hurricane belt. This means it does not get the high risk of hurricanes that many other Caribbean islands experience.
It is quite literally one of the most perfect places on earth for a vacation. And what makes it even better? A nearly free vacation to Aruba on points and miles. It’s all possible with credit card points and miles. There are so many ways to utilize points to offset the cost of your trip. Read below for a few of the options!
Flying to Aruba on Points
The best news is that there are a lot of direct flights bookable with points to Aruba’s main airport, AUA (Queen Beatrix International Airport). If you don’t mind a layover, you will have even more options and chances to score a great points deal!
One thing to note is that many airlines run seasonal routes that are not available year round. Many also only fly routes on a couple of days a week. So while Aruba is beautiful year round without a lot of variations in weather, you may want to plan your trip around one of these seasonal routes.
Airline options for traveling to Aruba on points
- Southwest: There are several US cities that fly directly to Aruba on Southwest, including Baltimore and Orlando. The points cost with Southwest is pretty unpredictable, especially with the recent changes to their program. However, if you have a companion pass or find a good deal, this could be a great choice!
- Delta: Minneapolis, New York (JFK) and Atlanta all have direct flights to Aruba. Personally, we are in a Delta hub so even though the points are often less valuable than some other airline programs. The convenience of direct flights wins out sometimes! I do always check AirFrance/KLM/Flying Blue to see if there is Delta flight availability through that program as well!
- United: Chicago, Houston, Newark and Washington, D.C. all offer direct flights to Aruba. I don’t fly United often but I have my eye on ORD to AUA for a future trip to Aruba with our kids!
- American Airlines: Charlotte, Dallas, Miami, Chicago, Philadelphia and Raleigh/Durham all have direct flights to Aruba. Make sure to check if Alaska Airlines has points availability for American Airlines flights! They are regularly fewer points than booking direct with American.
- That’s not even all of the options! There are a ton of great options for booking flights to Aruba on points. I use the Seats.Aero search tool to look for flights, but there are a lot of great search tools out there.
Booking hotels in Aruba on points
No matter what your preferred major hotel program, there are options for hotels and resorts bookable with points in Aruba. Hilton, Marriott, IHG and Hyatt all have great options. Many of these resorts are located in the popular Palm Beach area of Aruba and there are options near downtown Oranjestad and throughout the island.
Please note, this is not an extensive list. I have not stayed at all of these properties, but have been to the locations to help inform the details below.
The Hyatt Regency Aruba
The Hyatt Regency Aruba is one of the most popular hotels in Aruba to book with points. Because of this, it is often best to book this one right when room availability is released for booking, which is typically 13 months out. Here are some highlights of this property:
- Family friendly but with an adults only pool, swim up bar and casino, this is a great option for either an adults only trip or family trip
- Waterslide and multiple pools and hot tubs
- Amazing location with close walking to restaurants, activities and the beach
- If you have a larger family, there is a family suite that is bookable with points or you can book a standard room and apply a suite upgrade award. However, this room is difficult to book – make sure you book right when the availability opens up!
- Standard nights are 25,000 to 35,000 Hyatt Points per night – I always transfer my Chase points to Hyatt for great deals like this! Please note that after 5/20/26 these points prices will drastically increase!
Secrets Baby Beach
If you are looking for an all inclusive option, Aruba has several choices. Secrets Baby Beach a new option! When we visited Aruba in 2024, it was still being built and not open yet. However, if you are looking for an adults only all inclusive getaway, you should look into this resort. A few things to know about this property:
- It is not in the main areas near the other hotels – Eagle Beach and Palm Beach are north of the airport, while this Secrets resort is about 30 minutes south of the airport
- If you are looking to stay at a resort most of the time, this is a good option. There is not a lot nearby other than Baby Beach, so if you are looking for excursions or exploring off property, make sure you rent a car!
- Despite the name, the resort is not actually directly on the beach. It is a close 5-10 minute walk to get down there.
- Standard nights are 25,000 to 35,000 Hyatt Points per night – this is the price for two adults unless otherwise noted. I consider this a steal, especially since food and drinks are included with the room reservation!
- There are club preferred rooms bookable with points as well. We typically don’t find this worth the additional points, but some properties have additional pools, restaurants or areas that are only accessible to those in a club room.
Other points hotel and resort options
Hilton
- Aruba Caribbean Resort + Casino
- Located in Palm Beach area
- Two pools, beautiful beachfront
- Standard rooms bookable starting at 90,000 Hilton points when I looked at booking
- Embassy Suites
- Located in Palm Beach area
- Free breakfast, family friendly, beach accessible via a tunnel
- Standard rooms bookable starting at 85,000 points per night
Marriott
- Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort
- Located in downtown Oranjestad area
- Beach with flamingos, near the marina, in a busy area
- Rooms starting at 54,000 points per night when I looked
- Aruba Marriott Resort + Stellaris Casino
- Located in Palm Beach area
- Family friendly, beautiful beach and easy access to restaurants and bars
- 82,000 points per night was the lowest I saw when looking – most nights were 102,000 per night
IHG
- Holiday Inn Resort
- Located in Palm Beach area
- Lots of great amenities, very family friendly, very walkable area
- Starting at 40,000 points per night
Final Thoughts
Aruba is an incredible destination with a TON of great points redemption options. You could easily book a trip for nearly free! I hope this post has inspired you to get booking and plan that trip to “One Happy Island”!
If you’re looking for inspiration on what to do on your trip to Aruba, READ MY ULTIMATE ARUBA ITINERARY HERE
