Originally Posted by
iahphx
That will certainly make the hotel more appealing, at least to Hyatt elites. Do they have any plans to make the resort "more interesting"? The location and layout would probably work better as an all-inclusive than as a Hyatt resort. Was the Melia a regular hotel or an all-inclusive? Candidly, the resort is dull and the location is dull. It's certainly "good enough" to attract 12K point redemptions, but I can't believe the folks paying hundreds of dollars a night to stay here are happy with their choice.
The Melia was basically the same exact resort - this really is mostly a facelift, not a rebuild. I believe there used to be nightly entertainment shows at the Melia, now just some music (not live) at the bar. Also gone is the casino (I think that one was gone a while ago).
Not sure I completely agree with the area being dull - yes, if talking about the "walking distance" area, but there are lots of activities not too far, starting with El Yunque and related things (hiking, horseback riding, ATVs, ziplines, etc.), local food (Luquillo kioskos), bioluminescent bay tours in Fajardo, ferry to Culebra, and plenty of others that are easier to access vs driving from San Juan.
Having said that, the resort itself is just not run very well yet, and needs some major help with F&B - the pastry chef is very talented, but that's the extent of what's good or even just edible at on-property restaurants. Weirdly, Regency Club food is better than paid offerings - and macadamia/chocolate cookies that are available throughout the day are the best tasting things at the resort.