Jeanne, there are some nice beaches on Aruba, and actually, while I greatly prefer the places I have stayed in St. Martin, the view from the Bugaloe ( a bar on a pier on Palm beach ) is one of the best in the world - the water is shallow for quite a distance so it is a very light blue, prettier than any view in St. Martin, in my opinion. The downsides - Aruba is usually pretty windy, except during the windy months, when it is even more windy. My friend went a few months ago on a cruise, and said they could not stay on the beach , it felt like being sandblasted. We had some days when it wasn't that bad, but there is usually a fair amount of wind. Next, while the beaches are pretty, they are not very wide, so they can get crowded. I think the beaches are all public, but the chairs on the nice beaches, Palm and Eagle, are owned by the hotels. We stayed at the Hilton, my brother stayed a few months later at the Raddisson, if I did this link right,https://www.google.com/maps/place/Aruba+Marriott+Resort+%26+Stellaris+Casino/@12.5694288,-70.0475751,206m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x0:0xfa199e9911786450!2sHilton+Aruba+Caribbean+Resort+%26+Casino!8m2!3d12.5684!4d-70.046749!3m4!1s0x0:0xb841f3e5ad0bb6b2!8m2!3d12.5807403!4d-70.042989
you will see there is not much open beach space. When in St. Martin, we usually stay in a condo and enjoy a little less of a crowded space, but if you like hotels, and having everything on site, you might like Aruba.