As you would expect though, this kids club does not come cheap - you'll pay $20 per hour per child or a flat $80 for the evening program. The kids club, for children ages 4–12, is great if you are looking for some hours to yourself while the kids can play within a supervised program.

That said, 'Ritz Kids' is one of the big advantages that the Ritz Carlton has over the Marriott Stellaris next door. Ritz Carlton Aruba (image courtesy of hotel) These hotels have access to the same beach, so be sure you really want to spend more points just to stay at the Ritz Carlton. Being a Category 7 property, The Ritz will run you 60,000 points a night - which is 10,000 points more a night than staying next door at the Marriott. When traveling with family, I don't believe The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba is worth the extra points over the Aruba Marriott Stellaris. You'll also find beach tennis and beach volleyball. There are two swimming pools at the resort and five restaurants, including BLT Steak. Its location means that it is less crowded, but also further away from the off-site restaurants by foot. The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba is located on Palm Beach, but a little more secluded from the other hotels right on the beach. And, since it is a Category 5 property, you can use your free night certificates that come with the Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card and Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express. Compared to the 50,000 points at the Aruba Marriott Resort, this is a great deal and can allow your family to tack on a few extra nights for the same amount of points. This is a Category 5 property so you can redeem a free night for 35,000 points. The real appeal of this property is the low points price per night.

Every room includes a balcony (which is perfect when the kids are sleeping and you want to chat) and all of them have a view of the pool or the ocean. It is a beautiful hotel offering two separate pool areas - a lively kid-friendly pool with a swim-up bar and an adults-only pool - as well as many on-site restaurants. If you are looking for a full-service hotel in the Marriott Rewards program, pick the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino.

If Aruba is on your family's horizon, start saving your Marriott, IHG, Hilton or Hyatt points. This gives you many different options to choose from when you want to redeem points. Most Caribbean destinations have chain hotels from just one or two loyalty programs (if any), where Aruba includes properties from four different major hotel programs. In addition to being kid-friendly, there are also many opportunities to use your hotel points from many different programs. The beach in Aruba really is this perfect for kids.

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