Grand Hyatt Baha Mar

The trip started with the worst check in experience of my life, where a sullen uninformed check in agent (Selene) needed to be educated by a supervisor on the meaning of "incidentals" (the charge is huge), then proceeded, very passive-aggressively to misdirect me to my room by making me walk twice as far as needed, with all my baggage. This was after being given the wrong room, and after having to wait almost 4 hours to get one. Be prepared to pay EXTRA for a fridge! (Really?). For my long wait, and getting a lower valued room than I had already paid for I was given a one-night + $300 credit. I intend to seek proper compensation. Also, be prepared for the up to 40% surcharges plus tips on top of the already high food prices. As I needed to be on my computer at the desk, I requested a desk lamp - THREE TIMES - before just giving up. Beware the mini-bar, where a microscopic notice warns you not to move anything or else you will be charged for whatever you move. I wasted hours getting credited for the charges, after I removed drinks to keep food cool. On the bright side, J'Keita was great helping me to get resolution, but despite her efforts was not able to get me the room I had paid for, or any decent credits. I know she tried. One nice breakfast place was Pizza Lab (go figure!), whose Manager, George, was great, and really looked after us, as did the friendly takeout lady Gigi. Beaches were marvellous, of course. Be warned, you will likely not get what you bargained for - choose something more reasonably priced, because it's really the beaches that are the star attraction. The casinos were loud and uninteresting to me. The only machines that seemed to pay were the ATM's. Read less

This was a very fun place, with thoughtful staff. I ended up slipping on the dock after a snorkeling excursion (wrong shoes!), and went to the EMT. They were very good, but knew I needed to go to ER. I was fine, but the assistant manager called my room to make sure I was OK. I was also able to cancel my spa appointment the next day no charge. The rooms are cozy with good views, but the walls are paper thin. Read less

I have a family of 3, and when I’m stuck spending 1,500-2k a day. I expect a high level of quality…This was anything but quality! Long lines for everything! The staff hate Americans, the food was awful. Maybe and very cold most meals. I felt like I was in a jungle, not an island. The place is so big, it’s like a maze. The pools are small, and there’s never chairs open at the pools or beach. The staff keep them covered, so you’re forced to pay them to find you a chair. Not sure how anyone can have fun, when you’re forced to spend for such low quality. Oh, and on the weekends, you’ll see why there’s a travel advisory, when locals are all running all over the resort acting up. I was there for a week, and couldn’t get a Pina Colada all week. I keep being told they were sold out. Getting coffee in the morning has a hour plus wait, and options were limited for breakfast. I’d rather stay at a dated Atlantis, than this place. But I highly doubt I will he returning to the Bahamas. This place was horrible. I have yet to get my final invoice, even after emailing them twice. But I’m sure they may respond to this post with their “we’ll do better” comment. Read less

We just returned from a 5 day stay at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, and the immediate straw poll of Mom, Dad, and daughters (17&14) was that we should do it again soon. We had a ball - all four of us - for entirely different reasons, and we had a great time as a family too. Reading through the reviews citing staff issues, housekeeping problems, and the ilk, I think you'd wonder whether it's "worth it." We certainly thought it was. Of course everyone's experience is different, but it will help to set your expectations properly before arriving. First off, the place is HUGE. The resort campus is huge, the casino is huge, the East tower is huge, the West tower is huge. The resort staff is huge. The front desk(s) is (are) huge. That means that you aren't paying for, and will not get, ultra-personalized service, and that there are limitations on what can be accommodated by staff. Also, there are two other whole hotels onsite besides the Hyatt towers. All these people are using all the facilities, which means, during peak weeks (March - April) the place is teeming with guests, all of whom have wants and needs. No matter how much the hotel wants to treat you well, there are limits. Second, it is expensive; and I think this is what drives some of the negative reviews. Rooms during peak season can run $800+, and food on property is very, very pricey. For example, one counter lunch of a single vegetarian Poke bowl, a 1L bottle of Fiji water and a single Truly Hard Seltzer was $76. Yes, that included the Bahamas-mandated 15% service charge and healthy taxes, but still, yipes. A single Margherita at the 818 bar in the water park runs $27 all in. Dinners at any of the onsite restaurants run upwards of $100pp without wine or cocktails. But those prices aren't in a vacuum - they are the going rate for a resort in the Bahamas. Baha Mar is positioning itself as the newer, nicer Atlantis, and is priced accordingly. So if you are a "at these prices, they should...." sort of person, and you can't overlook some disappointments or service shortcomings, you might be happier at, say, the Four Seasons Ocean Club - but you'll be paying *4x* these rates. Third, it's the islands. Service is...deliberate... Food quality won't compare with NYC at the same price points. Alcohol is expensive. The staff has its limits, both in terms of dealing with the sheer volume of the place as well as dealing with literally thousands of demanding visitors while working in the hot sun. So, think of a trip to Baha Mar as akin to a trip to DisneyWorld. Just like the Magic Kingdom, with a little pre-planning, level-setting, and a "let go let God" approach to spending money, you're going to have a great time. Because the place is fantastic. The hotel itself is beautiful and grand, arching around a series of music-synced fountains in the front, and multiple pools and the ocean on the back. The casino is in the middle of everything, done up in lucky colors and symbols chosen by the resort's Chinese investors. All resorts and restaurants on property are accessible through or around the casino - making it very easy to get around. The rooms vary in design - we were in the East Tower on the 11th Floor on the fountain-facing side. We had adjoining rooms - a king and a double queen. The East tower bathrooms have a wall that opens and a big bathtub, making the room feel bigger than its sq footage. The king option faces the bed towards the window and balcony (some juliet, some full), while the queens face sideways. The king room had a very comfortable settee and chair with a cocktail ottoman. While you can pay for a standalone fridge, the one in the room is an automatic minibar - so best leave it alone... We brought a cooler bag for ice and water, which worked well. The Hyatt beds and bedding are very comfortable, and we spent little time in the rooms, so I didn't miss the ocean view, which wasn't available when I booked anyway. There are about a dozen pool choices, from quiet and peaceful to DJ-fueled kids fun, even one with a wall of glass looking into an aquarium and a cliff jump. Yes the chair competition at the popular pools is a bit silly, but that story is no different at any other mega resort during high season. There are BS-minimization options (see below) if you pre-plan a bit. The water park is beautiful and a perfect size - even at full Spring Break peak the lines were minimal (although I have heard that sometimes cruise ship day passes strain the capacity - but we didn't see that last week). The beach is beautiful with good wave protection and that turquoise water you came here for. There are many options for bars and restaurants as well, ranging from the rarefied Cafe Boulud, to the cacophonous Sugar Factory. The Jazz Bar is a real stand-out for evening entertainment that doesn't entail counting to 21. Both regular bands are phenomenal - not just good - world class. "The Essence" features the ultra-charismatic front woman Charisa Smith, while the T/R band features a bona fide Bahamian Jazz legend on sax - Ralph Munnings. The music is very much dance-friendly and crowd-pleasing hits, with truly stunning talent playing the changes. It is fun to get there early and watch the crowd get drawn in. The bartenders are superb. I'm not surprised they are building out a bigger home for the Jazz bar across the hallway - these musicians deserve a bigger venue. We covered the waterfront (pun intended) on restaurants, dining at Costa (mexican), Cafe Boulud (french contemporary), Cafe Madeleine, the Palms, the Regatta, Da Poke Bowl Shack, El Jefe, 21deg N, Pizza Lab, Shuang Ba, Sugar Factory, and Streetbird. We didn't have a bad dish. Yes the prices were astronomical and the service was creaky at times, but our meals ranged from good to great. We pre-booked evening meals a month in advance, but there are walk-in options (e.g. Stix) and room service, as well as tables available closer to opening times (5:30), so you aren't going to starve. The Regatta buffet appears to be open for dinner - and perpetually empty. Which brings us to prior planning. During peak season, expect things to book up fast - a month out or more. If you are the type of traveler who doesn't like to leave things to chance, pre-book your dinners (no need to reserve for breakfast or lunches), and reserve lounge chairs in the Baha Bay Beach Club. There, for ~$125 per seat (11yo and up) you have a reserved lounger by one of the two infinity pools, $100 of which is a food and beverage credit per seat to use for the day (10-4:30). If you are two adults and you want a mixed drink or two, that's a very easy spend. Any underages can be spent on takeaway food and even full bottles of wine, so you won't have a problem bottoming out those charges. Some light-drinking families can feed the clan for lunch *and* dinner off the food credit - and honestly the food was pretty good. Of course, if your budget allows there are cabanas galore all over the property, and even a cabana "club" called the "Nexus" for adults-only exclusivity, if you need/want that. If all else fails, there are always, ALWAYS chairs open on the beach. You can also pre-book activities like a shark and turtle encounter at the Sanctuary, or a Flamingo petting session. My girls LOVED feeding the budgies in the Aviary ($12 for 2 seed sticks - go at 10am when they are hungry), and there is a free, and hilarious, flamingo walk every morning at 9:30am. We had some issues over the course of the stay - a few surly employees, spotty housekeeping (no cleaning service for two days despite reporting an ant problem), eye-popping prices on miscellaneous sundries and souvenirs... But overall we were treated very well, and the staff, when engaged as people who were in the weeds, were friendly and helpful. The Globalist coordinator was particularly helpful, and as always at Hyatt, having status makes your stay that much better - it's a big reason I am very loyal to the brand. Special mention to the lifeguards throughout the property and waterpark. This resort centers around families and water, and it has obviously taken great pains to ensure that its lifeguards are well-trained and highly professional. I was endlessly impressed by their attentiveness, and a lightening-fast swimmer assist at one of the water slides was so impressive that my wife and several others thanked the guard because it made us all feel safer. We all loved it, and were sorry to be leaving such a beautiful property. Read less