Magical Garden

Me gusto la ubicacion, el senor es muy buena gente y amable y es amigable con las mascotas

El lugar es un cuarto de una casa, en el ingreso al bano hay una puerta de los bares del antiguo Oeste

Un lugar muy cómodo y excelente calidad precio

Muy bueno el alojamiento volveríamos siempre!! El sr una calidad de persona

Todo

La ubicación permite la movilización usando transporte público, y está cerca de San Nicolas

La playa del sector el Estado la tiene descuidada

Me gusto todo , execelente, el dueño es muy amable , es buena persona , gentil , la habitación muy bonita volveríamos sin dudarlo .

Gracias

Gracias

El lugar

Ninguno

La atención y formalidad

Nada

loved the location & host

Nada

No hay agua caliente pasa por el baño para entrar a la habitaccion las cortinas no paran el sol .falta de todo.no hay veladores las guayas con olor a umedad

Muy buena ubicación muy cerca de varios lugares

Me hubiera gustado que hubiera una TV

NOTHING

worst place I ever stayed in

Large room and large bathroom. Quiet area.

Een fijn ontvangst met gezellige en behulpzame host! We konden kiezen welke kamer we wilden. Hele relaxte plek.

Het had iets schoner gemogen, maar we zijn zo ontzettend gastvrij ontvangen en het verblijf was fijn, dat dit niet onoverkomelijk was!

O anfitrião é muito simpático.

Infelizmente achei a propriedade muito longe dos principais pontos turísticos. O quarto não tem muita ventilação, iluminação ruim e o banheiro mal direcionado.

Hospitalidade do anfitrião

Porque houve mudança de valores no Booking. Tenho impressa a minha reserva com o valor de 351 dólares, quando cheguei no local o valor que apareceu no Booking foi de 400 dólares. O mesmo aconteceu com outro imóvel que eu aluguei pelo Booking. Isso me fez perder a confiança no Booking. Combina uma coisa e na hora de ir pagar aparece outro valor.

The room was comfortable and the bed was nice and soft. It's a great place to chill out for a day or two away from all the tourists and you can see a more local side of Aruba. Ac and wifi worked really well and you could use the kitchen for coffee. Jay and his dog were really helpful and friendly.

La disponibilidad

Entras por el baño, eso es pésimo. La cama estaba compuesta por 2 colchones lo que hizo que durmieramos pésimo

Jay is super welcoming & gives you fresh fruit every day! He also gave us the bigger room (no extra charge) because we were the only ones staying there at that time.

The neighbors are pretty loud at some annoying hours of the day & night. Make sure to bring cash to pay Jay with, we were unaware of this when coming to the property- we were told about it on our 3rd out of 4 days there.

The bed is so comfortable

Good location to go to San Nicolas and Baby Beach areas. Very kind host. Magical Garden sign on outside wall when arriving. Off street parking. Air conditioning! I felt very safe as a solo female traveler. Clean and comfortable room. Large accommodation with closet and storage areas. Standard USA outlet at foot of bed. I actually slept at bottom of bed to have access to my phone and alarm when charging overnight.

Very clean and Good location. Jay gave lots of great info about what to visit and places to eat

Need bug spray for little noseeums. When I go again I would like a better setup kitchen

It’s far from the tourist area. The host very unappreciated and unprofessional. Asking if I could find the girls to have sex with. To be specific black girls . Making flirting comments expecting me to engage. I didn’t like when he insist of me buying a wine just because I went back to pick my staff.

Woke up every morning and ate mangos that Jay gave me from the tree. Then biked down for fish dinner on the water each day. Was quite nice.

Breakfast was plenty to start the day. The host Jay was the best part, as he provides a wealth of information.

Lovely place helpful staff. Beautiful grounds.

Nothing

The owner was very friendly, nice and helpful. Was a good location to explore San Nicholas, baby beach, Mangel Halto. The beds were comfortable, good AC, good water pressure in shower. Refrigerator. Ample storage space. Table and chairs to sit outside. Can park your car there.

I think some new outside chair cushions and new soft towels and a couple of beach chairs would make the place even better.

I like that it wasn’t in the touristy area up north. I liked the plants and that there was AC.

CASH ONLY HOMESTAY It was not clear to me that the host needed to be paid in cash. They could probably do a better job of highlighting that. This was very inconvenient as of course the guest is then on the hook for ATM fees and the work of finding an ATM that can provide this much cash on a small island. It took me half a dozen tries to get the money out, and I paid over $15 in fees. Why can’t I pay through booking.com, which is way safer and more convenient? Another reason is that I felt like I constantly had to report on my trip to the host. The whole purpose of travelling by myself is so that I don’t have to answer to anyone. He always had questions and opinions about where I would go to eat, my activities, my appearance, … He called me affectionate names which is not okay with me. He made me feel very uncomfortable. Every time I was in the shared space, I had to have small talk that interrupted my reading or research. I did not want to leave my room when I was at the homestay because I just wanted to be left alone. The host told me upon arrival he is lonely, hates his life and wants to leave Aruba. That’s all good and well but I came here to have a good time, not to be your therapist nor the recipient of your attention/affection. Lastly the place was dirty. There was sand in my room, in the shower and on my bed (!) when I got there, before I myself went to the beach. There were other people’s hairs in the bathroom. The furniture was sticky and there was a dead cockroach behind the door. There were no towels or soap provided. I decided to leave as is, considering I did not want more interactions with the host. It’s a shame I have to leave such a long and negative review. The host is an old man who did not keep pace with the zeitgeist of how to treat other people. His behaviour was not acceptable to me. He might not have been aware but it is not my job to educate.

Jay was a fantastic host. He treated us like family (we think of him as family as well). He helped plan our days in Aruba and told us all of the best spots. Magical Garden was right next to the cutest beach bar. The room with the patio was totally worth it and it was so beautiful. Jay puts a lot of work into his house and makes it feel like home.

Just keep in mind transportation options. Jay recommends renting a car but we got around with the bus and taxis just fine.

the host is amazing. and i felt right at home

i had to get used to the bed , but i slept well.

Allover a very nice stay. The garden is truly beautiful, the owner takes good care of that and all of the cute animals. The room is good too, and for sure the Owner, Jay is the best part of it. Friendly and gives advice about the area. If that was too hot outside, we had a good chat protected by his Garden's shades. It was said it is far from the airport, but in real only 15 mins. Taxi is pricey prebooked also, but due to traffic and all it still may be reasonable and safer for a shorter visit. Make sure you visit

N/A. Jusf a suggestion: maybe the window shades might be changed to a bit more 'protective'. For me it was OK, but for others (maybe for women) it may be stated too 'opened' and to let others to look in. That is not expected, but still would be a plus to the comfort level.

The small beach is just a walk away and it is very nice to spend the day with family. Plus they is a restaurant right at the beach

N/a

Good price. Location. Clean. Friendly owner

N/A

The host was a wonderful and kind man with a great sense of humor and a good story to tell about his life. He was generous in offering me some water and juice when I arrived and also allowed me to borrow one of his books. He even provided an extension cord that I needed for one of my devices. I felt right at home and would recommend this spot to someone who is looking for value, safety, friendliness, and all the practical needs.

Parking was an issue for my rental car. I had to park it on the curb. I was assured it was safe but would have preferred something a bit more secure.

Close to places I had to go. Host is very nice.

Not dark in the room during the night. Not clean, I had to cough a lot.

Love it

Love it

The staff was friendly

My wife did not feel confortable due to the lack of privacy of the room. The location was not the best of Aruba. There were not good restaurants near the place

Jay (the owner) is a very cool guy. He was super friendly, welcoming, and helpful. It’s a short drive to baby beach.

The owner was amazing and the space was very private

The room I was in kept getting hit by the trees cause it was windy and I didn’t sleep all night

This location was perfect! It was so close to all the main areas we wanted to explore and the host was amazingly helpful and easy to communicate with.

Jay was incredibly welcoming - showed me around upon arrival. The location was good (I wanted something quieter to experience life away from the tourist area). He offered me recommendations on places to eat, helped me bring my luggage in, opened his home for me to use kitchen, etc. wifi was good. AC when on was comfortable!

There were some bugs that bit me as the day was winding down (he warned me about them, I just didn’t have bug spray with me).

The ultimate lush and cozy bohemian Aruban pad. Trees, garden, birds, just minutes from beautiful Baby Beach

Our room was a great size, nicely decorated and well thought out in terms of space and handy items such as plug adapters and hooks to hang your towels and clothes. Jay is very welcoming and friendly and gives good tips on things to do and places to eat. The beach near by is great to watch the sunset and very quiet which suited us. As others have said best to have a car but very close drive to lots of nice beaches and things to do.

Although the bed is very large and comfortable it was very noisy and creaked every time you turned over. We had a fridge, cups and cutlery but no kettle although we were able to use Jay’s in his kitchen which was very kind of him but our own kettle would have been easier.

The owner is a lovely person! Very welcoming and made me feel well looked after. Definitely would stay again.

Jay is a wonderful host. Welcoming, friendly, man of many skills and is willing to help in any way possible. Spot is well kept and clean. Right around corner from groceries and Batata Beach.

Friendliness of staff

The place is perfect for your stay in Aruba, it has a very beautiful garden where you can relax and Jay is a very kind and helpful host. He did everything to make our stay a positive experience :) The room had air conditioning and warm water. Also you can borrow snorkels and even a canoe. We would definitely recommend staying here!

Very friendy guy nice to deal with nice easygoing vibe

Owner very good man

Little bit far from the airport

The host is so Kindly and helpfully

Basic room, we didn't find soap

Wonderful and quiet place. Owner is super friendly and interesting person. Grows his own fruit. Walking distance to a beach and a beach restaurant.

It is good to have a car or some other means of transportation. The car was handy to get to neighboring beautiful places, such as San Nicolas, baby beach, the easy side beaches.

The Magical Garden put 'Home' into Homestay, Jay (our host) was very friendly (& a comedian), he is rightly proud of his agricultural attempts (when the chickens don't get into his crops) and made us feel very welcome. We were happy we chose to stay in the South to begin our visit to Aruba, it gave us a different outlook than if we had just stayed in the North (ie quieter, calmer and less developed). There are a couple of Supermarkets close by, Jay took us to the Zeerover restaurant, good place (fish n chips), inexpensive and a nice spot to take a beer and watch the fish (& people) in the evening (but it can be very busy there). Jay provided us with snorkelling gear and advice where to use it.

As with other inexpensive accommodation in Aruba, the Magical Garden can feel a bit isolated and it helps if you have your own transport, though Jay was more than happy to ferry us around the South for a small fee and was always available to us when we needed him. The Beach 200 metres away, whilst nice enough to watch the sun go down (& there is a bar there) is not really any good to swim at.

A hidden gem on the South side of the island. Easy to reach by buss and the owner is super kind and relaxed!

That we did not stay longer

location away from the crowds. walk to the beach. real local experience.

parking on the sidewalk.

Lovely little oasis in its simplicity. Jay is absolute wonderful, kind and helpful.

I was very sad and uncomfortable when I see a dog tied up day and night a few houses away from the accommodation. This is a mattet for the city inspector. Jay, Please look after this dog 💗

Everything!

Nothing!

Jay (the host) is awesome person! And his cat, Pinto, aswell. Jay welcomes you so that you can really feel like home. I had a private home with kitchen, bathroom, and basically my own garden. Garden is beautiful, Jay plants so many species. And takes care of abandoned sheep. And has chikens and roosters (they won’t wake you up, they’re a bit further). Jay let me borrow his kayak and helped me to carry it to beach (which is ~ 200 metres from the house). Jay has two more rooms, so not too many quests. Jay offered one guy a chance to sleep in a tent at rooftop for free, that would’ve been awesome for me aswell, but I already had the apartment. Thank you Jay for once more, let the good winds be with you! See you!

I really loved staying at this place, it was so lovely and Jay is the best host ever! He took care of me like of his own daughter and even gave me a bigger and a better room to what I initially booked. He also shared his dinner with me and was always offering more food etc. The location is very nice, in an authentic and very chill area. There is a bus stop nearby and you could reach almost everywhere by buses. I would definitely recommend this location rather than the super touristic area around Oranjestad. Wifi was really good which was important to me since I was working remotely. I felt safe walking back to the hotel in the dark as a solo female (my only concern were dogs).

Magical garden is a great place to disconnect from the busy world and go back to the roots. It's simple and beautiful. The room is big, the bed is very comfortable, and the vibe is great. Our host Jay made our stay extra special. It's a great place to relax and enjoy some sunshine.

There's absolutely nothing I didn't like about this place.

The bonus for me was my morning fruit. On the grounds of this location you will find plenty of fruit. Mangoes and Bananas were my go to. The host allows you to eat freely of them. Jay will also make you a smooth-- NO EXTRA COST!

You must get use to the various bugs/flying insects especially at night. Having a net at the door would allow you to keep your door open to feel the tropical breeze. Jay allowed me to put up one but it would of been nice to have had that there initially. For the next customer I believe he may have it in place for you. Enjoy.

Food and price

Ok for the price

It was comfortable and close to shops and public transport.

N/A