is it better to book an all inclusive hotel pay as you go for food and drink in aruba?

It's cheaper to pay as you go. When you pay for an all inclusive, you are paying for a buch of stuff that OTHERS are inserted in, and not just those goods and services you are interested in. But it's not just the cost.. it's the LOCATION... All inclusive are almost always located in the worst part of town which is why they have to warn the custom es to not go outside the gate.. when you stay at a regular resort or hotel, you will be staying in a much better part of town ad you can usually go wander at your Leisure.

I have done all inclusive & pay as you go. I personally prefer to pay as you go in Aruba. Here is why. In the High rise district of Aruba especially, there are many really good moderately priced restaurants to choose from. I have also found that I almost always end up spending less paying as I go than with the all inclusive plans. Plus, you get way more variety. All inclusive is fine for some places, but you will get sick of eating at the same place everyday. Even though the menu changes, it still gets old after about the 3rd day. The only time I would do an all inclusive is if I were in Mexico, or a place that is secluded and didn't have any restaurants nearby. Mexico and food poisoning go hand in hand in my book. I speak from experience. 3 strikes Mexico, sorry. If you stay in the high rise area, I suggest the Marriott Stellaris & Casino. It is nicer than the other two Marriotts on that stretch of beach. However, if you do decide to go the all inclusive route, there is a hotel called Riu. It looked pretty nice too. Have fun!

Aruba is a small somewhat arid island that has great beaches. There are not a lot of "attraction" or things to go see in Aruba, it's best for beach and water activities. The island has a lot of nice hotels along beautiful sandy beaches. Some of the hotels have casinos and bars and discos. There are lots of eating places, some in hotels and others near the many hotels. You can get around in Aruba via the public buss, been there and did that. A rental car is in my opinion a waste of money because if you stay in an area like the Palm Beach, or even in the town or Oranjestad, you can walk pretty much all over or take a public bus. The hotels on Palm Beach are the ones you should look for in addition to the Radisson and some others in town.

My advice is DO NOT book all inclusive as you may not want to eat your meals and spend all of your time in the hotel you book. I would suggest booking a package that includes breakfast and leaving the other meals for what and when you want them. We stayed at the Marriott on Palm Beach and had a breakfast only package and that worked fine for us.

I've travelled extensively in the Caribbean and have done it both ways: all-inclusive and room-only. Quite frankly I prefer the all-inclusive arrangement; it's usually cheaper than eating three meals out and much more convenient. You can always splurge and go to a restaurant or two, but having breakfast and lunch available on site is a real bonus. And the food at Sandals is great. Have fun.