Aruba Marriott Resort Tradewinds Club

Here’s how much I wanted to go to a new-to-me Caribbean island this week. This is the planes-trains-automobile itinerary I endured to get to the AAA Four Diamond Aruba Marriott Resort. (Please note I’m using the term “endured” lightly; I recognize that even the most rigorous travel without kids is nearly a vacation in itself):

1. 6.5-hour Amtrak train ride from Colorado mountain home to Denver.

2. Cab ride from Union Station to my friend’s workplace.

3. Car ride to DEN courtesy of friend (after a couple of drinks at a jazz bar; okay, it wasn’t all doom and gloom).

4. 1 a.m., 3-hour red-eye flight to JFK.

5. Two-hour layover, then four-hour flight to AUA.

Thankfully, I crashed on that final flight, and arrived in Aruba relatively bright eyed and bushy tailed. And let me tell you, so far, that 21-hour travel ordeal was worth it. Namely because the journalists on this media trip to the Marriott are booked on the Tradewinds Club floor of the oceanfront property that just finished up a $50 million overhaul.

All of the hotel’s 411 guest rooms have a brand new look. No more rattan accessories with floral bedspreads; enter sleek dark-wood furniture, classy neutral-colored bedding, and contemporary accents in the bathrooms.

But since we’re on the Tradewinds Club floor, for which guests pay an additional $125/night per room, we have access to a private lounge that offers food and drink at distinct times during the day: breakfast (not just Continental offerings, but hot foods like eggs and ham, as well, I’m told), lunch, “tea time,” happy hour with apps from the hotels’ restaurants, and mid-evening “cheese and pastries.” That includes alcoholic drinks from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Plus, at any time of the day, you can scoot into the lounge to use the Internet-connected computers, grab a soda or juice from the fridge, pick up a piece of fruit or make a cup of tea.

Now, if you’re a family of four with children under age six (pay a bit more per night if children are older) staying at the beachfront Aruba Marriott Resort, or even if you’re a couple going big on an anniversary trip, you could easily spend that $125 a day in on-site food and alcohol alone.

Instead, with the Tradewinds Club, your stay becomes more “all inclusive,” and you pay the fee to enjoy the private dining on the 8th floor, plus other perks like a separate beach area with your own beach bar (pay for drinks there), complimentary use of floating rafts (for which other guests pay a fee), dedicated concierge, private check-in, deluxe robes and slippers in your room, a pillow menu and enhanced bathroom amenities.

Many other hotel brands — like Hyatts and Sheratons around the world — offer this “club” access, but recognize that not all club privileges are created equal. If you’re considering paying a bit more for some extra amenities and upgrades, do the math to figure out if the other perks are worth the extra cost. In the case of the upscale Aruba Marriott, upgrading to the Tradewinds Club is likely worth it — especially if you take full advantage of all of the included food and drink.