Aruba hotels, side by side

Holiday Inn or Barcelo?

Set side by side on what can be checked: Agoda's price for the same week at both, guest ratings on Google, the official taxi fares, and what our own reviews say.

Holiday InnBarcelo

490 m apart, in a straight line

Each hotel is pinned at the position Google returns for its own name. The faint dots are the other hotels we have reviewed.

Holiday Inn

$384 a night

on Agoda, Dec 5 to 12

See dates

Barcelo

$599 a night

on Agoda, Dec 5 to 12

See dates

Lowest nightly rate Agoda listed for two adults, read November 14, 2026. Both buttons open the same week, Dec 5 to 12, unless you have given us your dates. See the full table

The short version

Both stand on the Palm Beach high-rise strip, about 490 m (0.3 miles) apart in a straight line.
The Holiday Inn is room only with an optional all-inclusive plan; Barcelo is all-inclusive.
Both take all ages.
For Dec 5 to 12, Agoda listed the Holiday Inn from $384 a night for two adults and Barcelo from $599: $215 a night apart, about $1,505 over the week.
On Google, guests rate the Holiday Inn 4.1 of 5 from 4,574 reviews and Barcelo 4.5 from 8,438.
The official airport taxi fare is $41 to either, for up to four passengers.

Row by row

Every figure names its source and its date. Where our review does not cover something, the cell says so.

Where it stands

Beachfront on Palm BeachPalm Beach: lively, high-rise

Beachfront, heart of Palm BeachPalm Beach: lively, high-rise

Board

Room only, all-inclusive plan optional

All-inclusive

Who it takes

All ages, family-forward

All ages

Size

590-plus rooms

About 370 rooms

Guests on Google

4.1 of 54,574 reviews on Google

4.5 of 58,438 reviews on Google

A night on Agoda

$384 a nightlowest rate, 2 adults, Dec 5 to 12Lower that week

$599 a nightlowest rate, 2 adults, Dec 5 to 12

Airport taxi

$41official daytime fare, up to 4

Between the two: about 490 m (0.3 miles) in a straight line

Agoda rates: the lowest nightly rate its live feed listed for two adults, Dec 5 to 12, read November 14, 2026; taxes or fees may be extra, and a hotel with few rooms left that week shows a higher lowest rate. Google ratings read November 14, 2026. Taxi fares from the Government of Aruba tariff published May 27, 2026. Board, age policy and size are from our own reviews.

What our reviews say

The verdict and the catch are our own words from each review: a local team's assessment, never a claimed stay.

Holiday Inn Resort Aruba

Palm Beach. Palm Beach: lively, high-rise.

Our verdict

590+ rooms, three pools, a kids club, five restaurants, and IHG loyalty points in a family-forward Palm Beach package.

The catch

The most accessible price point here, and the experience reflects it. Comfortable but not luxurious.

Near the door, from our guide

Palm Beach (80 m), Eduardo's Beach Shack (220 m), Scott's Brats (260 m). Straight-line distances.

Booked direct nearby

Parasailing, $70 per person, on Palm Beach.

See dates on Agoda Our review

Opens the sample week, Dec 5 to 12. Change the dates on the next screen.

Barcelo Aruba All Inclusive Resort

Palm Beach. Palm Beach: lively, high-rise.

Our verdict

370 rooms, seven restaurants (including Japanese and Italian a-la-carte), a casino, and nightly entertainment in the heart of Palm Beach.

The catch

Large property. Pool and beach chair competition gets real during peak winter season.

Near the door, from our guide

Scott's Brats (250 m), Eduardo's Beach Shack (290 m), Bugaloe Beach Bar & Grill (420 m), Palm Beach (490 m). Straight-line distances.

Booked direct nearby

Parasailing, $70 per person, on Palm Beach.

See dates on Agoda Our review

Opens the sample week, Dec 5 to 12. Change the dates on the next screen.

Try another pairing

First hotelSecond hotel

14 hotels we have reviewed. Every pairing has its own page.

Keep Holiday Inn, change the other

Keep Barcelo, change the other

Questions about these two

Which is cheaper, the Holiday Inn or Barcelo?

For Dec 5 to 12, Agoda listed the Holiday Inn from $384 a night for two adults and Barcelo from $599: $215 a night apart, about $1,505 over the week. That is one sample week read on November 14, 2026; rates move with the dates, so open both on Agoda with your own.

How far apart are the Holiday Inn and Barcelo?

Both stand on the Palm Beach high-rise strip, about 490 m (0.3 miles) apart in a straight line.

Is the Holiday Inn or Barcelo all-inclusive?

The Holiday Inn is room only with an optional all-inclusive plan; Barcelo is all-inclusive.

How much is a taxi from the airport to the Holiday Inn and Barcelo?

The official airport taxi fare is $41 to either, for up to four passengers. Fares are fixed by the Government of Aruba's tariff, published May 27, 2026; there are no meters, and $5 is added on Sundays, holidays and at night.