Grand Hyatt Baha Mar - REVIEW MASTER THREAD
Apr 28, 2021, 11:53 am
#586
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA EXP - 6 MM | Amex Platinum | Hyatt Globalist | Hilton Diamond | IHG Spire Elite | Bonvoy Plat.
Posts: 765
It seems like quite the opposite. The rooms are priced cheaply, but the sticker shock comes as a surprise after you arrive at the resort. There is no way I would have known that a bottle of water at a sit down restaurant costs $17 if I had not read the review written here. I knew the food was somewhat expensive, but I had no idea it was that obscene. If you wanted to attract a more "well-moneyed" crowd you would price the rooms higher to begin with and not have to make up the difference by overcharging for food.
It seems like Saint (the person who wrote the review) was also caught off-guard by the high prices so he spent his entire trip adapting to minimizing his costs while he was there. Stuffing himself with the free unlimited globalist breakfast, stocking up on snacks at the VIP lounge, sampling free ice cream every day at 3:30 - 4:00pm, and bringing his own bottled water to dinner. Can you imagine being on vacation and bringing your own bottled water to dinner? Sigh....
It seems like Saint (the person who wrote the review) was also caught off-guard by the high prices so he spent his entire trip adapting to minimizing his costs while he was there. Stuffing himself with the free unlimited globalist breakfast, stocking up on snacks at the VIP lounge, sampling free ice cream every day at 3:30 - 4:00pm, and bringing his own bottled water to dinner. Can you imagine being on vacation and bringing your own bottled water to dinner? Sigh....
But glad the point got across that food prices are expensive for what you get. And if you look at TripAdvisor reviews on the hotel, just about every person mentions this. I think I even saw one of the menu prices somewhere before the trip but it's misleading as they don't include the 12% VAT tax on it. Also, I thought food portion sizes were fairly small so it seemed like we were also ordering more food as well which maybe compounded the costs. I always tip at least 15% anyway so that part wasn't new or unique but I think what irked me was that in most of the restaurants and even by the pool the service was meh to bad. You'd think that the employees would be happy to see tourists and to be fair some did seem happy but overall the service was fairly bad. Since every single bill already has the 15% tip on it, it seemed like service was bad and they could care less.
Okay group, help me form a strategy...
I've been to GH Baha Mar twice before, once with family and once without. I will be returning without family for a scuba trip. Overall I have always enjoyed it very much, but I tend to think of it as a Las Vegas strip hotel in the Caribbean.
When I traveled with family, I applied a suite upgrade and was given a one bedroom residence. Amazing stay. When I traveled without, I did not apply an upgrade, and was given a globalist upgrade to a standard king suite, which severely disappointed. The standard suite was poorly positioned with views of parking lots as much as the ocean, and the room itself wasn't really any nicer than the standard rooms (basically just had a bigger foyer area with a very small sitting area).
I'd love to see an upgrade again to the reserve / one bedroom residence. But I dont want a general suite otherwise. My concierge has never been of use to me (I drew a short straw). Do I use the upgrade and hope that better positions me for a residence upgrade? Anyone else with data points to fill in the success rate of globalists getting the reserve? I'm sure it all comes down to capacity and optimizing the house. Thoughts?
I've been to GH Baha Mar twice before, once with family and once without. I will be returning without family for a scuba trip. Overall I have always enjoyed it very much, but I tend to think of it as a Las Vegas strip hotel in the Caribbean.
When I traveled with family, I applied a suite upgrade and was given a one bedroom residence. Amazing stay. When I traveled without, I did not apply an upgrade, and was given a globalist upgrade to a standard king suite, which severely disappointed. The standard suite was poorly positioned with views of parking lots as much as the ocean, and the room itself wasn't really any nicer than the standard rooms (basically just had a bigger foyer area with a very small sitting area).
I'd love to see an upgrade again to the reserve / one bedroom residence. But I dont want a general suite otherwise. My concierge has never been of use to me (I drew a short straw). Do I use the upgrade and hope that better positions me for a residence upgrade? Anyone else with data points to fill in the success rate of globalists getting the reserve? I'm sure it all comes down to capacity and optimizing the house. Thoughts?
I travel quite a bit as a Globalist and my thought process is if you absolutely want to be in a suite then use one of your certificates. The hotel was really dead so I'd think your chances of getting a nice upgrade are pretty high. But with all the hassles of taking so many tests (even with that insurance promotion to stay free if you test positive), I think keeps most people away and probably will until they allow vaccinated people to come freely.
Last edited by saint; Apr 28, 2021 at 1:43 pm
Apr 28, 2021, 1:02 pm
#587
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,635
Restaurants menu including prices are online.
https://bahamar.com/culinary/
F&B being expensive is not a Baha Mar-only "problem". You'll find expensive pricing at Atlantis as well. Not sure if it is resort pricing or groceries are just expensive in Bahamas to begin with. That's why there is a line in the morning at the Dunkin Donuts across the street from Atlantis. It's more expensive that US Dunkin but still cheaper to resort offerings.
You'll likely find similar at Aruba as well. Milk is imported from US and runs $7-$8 USD a gallon (non-organic) a couple of years ago.
https://bahamar.com/culinary/
F&B being expensive is not a Baha Mar-only "problem". You'll find expensive pricing at Atlantis as well. Not sure if it is resort pricing or groceries are just expensive in Bahamas to begin with. That's why there is a line in the morning at the Dunkin Donuts across the street from Atlantis. It's more expensive that US Dunkin but still cheaper to resort offerings.
You'll likely find similar at Aruba as well. Milk is imported from US and runs $7-$8 USD a gallon (non-organic) a couple of years ago.
May 1, 2021, 7:56 am
#588
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: IAH, HOU
Programs: MileagePlus 1K, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Titanium/Lifetime Plat
Posts: 1,073
So is the lounge closed and not accessible as a Globalist perk? My understanding is that you get breakfast at 3 Tides, 2 free drink coupons. Also, do you simply ask for water as a Globalist (as someone else posted)?
Last edited by vdostoi1; May 1, 2021 at 8:03 am
May 1, 2021, 8:07 am
#589
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
One more negative I do not see folks talk about is the poor construction of the hotel itself. It seems the construction was so rushed. The bed is supposed to sink into the floor frame. But it does not fit 100%. So the bed was not even level. Also, crew dumped some old concrete into the ocean. If you do snorkeling near the beach, you'll see those huge concrete blocks. That is a health hazard too since you could hit the concrete if you are not careful....
May 2, 2021, 9:47 am
#590
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: IAH, HOU
Programs: MileagePlus 1K, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Titanium/Lifetime Plat
Posts: 1,073
I do not know what the current situation is.
One more negative I do not see folks talk about is the poor construction of the hotel itself. It seems the construction was so rushed. The bed is supposed to sink into the floor frame. But it does not fit 100%. So the bed was not even level. Also, crew dumped some old concrete into the ocean. If you do snorkeling near the beach, you'll see those huge concrete blocks. That is a health hazard too since you could hit the concrete if you are not careful....
One more negative I do not see folks talk about is the poor construction of the hotel itself. It seems the construction was so rushed. The bed is supposed to sink into the floor frame. But it does not fit 100%. So the bed was not even level. Also, crew dumped some old concrete into the ocean. If you do snorkeling near the beach, you'll see those huge concrete blocks. That is a health hazard too since you could hit the concrete if you are not careful....
May 4, 2021, 10:57 am
#591
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,343
It seems that the stay can be decent if you're upgraded to the "Reserve" / "Residence" towers? Can anyone provide me with the email of the assistant to the GM? I'm planning on booking next week and I want to know what are the chances of being upgraded to the reserve tower. If it is nil (even using a DSU) I may think if I go here, Grand Reserve PR or Aruba.
May 4, 2021, 11:27 am
#592
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,635
It seems that the stay can be decent if you're upgraded to the "Reserve" / "Residence" towers? Can anyone provide me with the email of the assistant to the GM? I'm planning on booking next week and I want to know what are the chances of being upgraded to the reserve tower. If it is nil (even using a DSU) I may think if I go here, Grand Reserve PR or Aruba.
May 4, 2021, 12:40 pm
#593
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,343
Thanks. I read on TripAdvisor the GM said "elites have some benefits". I emailed my concierge but she didn't get back yet. Major bummer the Club Lounge is closed as I heard it was really great with lots of snacks and drinks throughout the day. I don't get there until next week but I got a welcome email from Tavara (Assistant to the GM) welcoming me. I asked her and she wrote, "Also, in addition to daily breakfast at 3 Tides, as our valued Globalists we waive your Resort Fees and you also will receive vouchers to enjoy complimentary drinks at any of our Grand Hyatt Outlets including: Stix Noodle Bar, T2 Cigar Bar, Drift, Out Island, H2O and The Jazz Bar."
I'm not sure how many complimentary drinks you get but I'll post once I get there.
I'm not sure how many complimentary drinks you get but I'll post once I get there.
May 6, 2021, 4:18 pm
#595
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 694
https://www.sbe.com/hotels/sls-hotel...-bay-waterpark
May 6, 2021, 4:49 pm
#596
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 44
The rooms pre-COVID I saw sometimes for double of what they are going for now sometimes. I'm not sure what they typically are. I always "stuff myself" during breakfast. Ha, ha. That's nothing new and I didn't eat more or less because the rest of the food was expensive. As mentioned, I would go down to stop at the Club before dinner as it was on our way anyway. We'd have to go down to the lobby so we'd stop by and my wife and I would have a glass of wine/champagne and then go to dinner. Vincent was the one that told us to bring the bottled waters to dinner and I feel no shame in that. Actually, there were a LOT of people at the restaurants that would bring their own bottled water in. And as far as the ice cream. If we didn't have young kids we wouldn't have but do you have kids? No reason not to stop by if you have kids. I pointed this out to share information.
But glad the point got across that food prices are expensive for what you get. And if you look at TripAdvisor reviews on the hotel, just about every person mentions this. I think I even saw one of the menu prices somewhere before the trip but it's misleading as they don't include the 12% VAT tax on it. Also, I thought food portion sizes were fairly small so it seemed like we were also ordering more food as well which maybe compounded the costs. I always tip at least 15% anyway so that part wasn't new or unique but I think what irked me was that in most of the restaurants and even by the pool the service was meh to bad. You'd think that the employees would be happy to see tourists and to be fair some did seem happy but overall the service was fairly bad. Since every single bill already has the 15% tip on it, it seemed like service was bad and they could care less.
.
But glad the point got across that food prices are expensive for what you get. And if you look at TripAdvisor reviews on the hotel, just about every person mentions this. I think I even saw one of the menu prices somewhere before the trip but it's misleading as they don't include the 12% VAT tax on it. Also, I thought food portion sizes were fairly small so it seemed like we were also ordering more food as well which maybe compounded the costs. I always tip at least 15% anyway so that part wasn't new or unique but I think what irked me was that in most of the restaurants and even by the pool the service was meh to bad. You'd think that the employees would be happy to see tourists and to be fair some did seem happy but overall the service was fairly bad. Since every single bill already has the 15% tip on it, it seemed like service was bad and they could care less.
.
I’m glad you enjoyed your trip, it seems like everything except for the food / service was spot on!
May 6, 2021, 4:56 pm
#597
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 44
Restaurants menu including prices are online.
https://bahamar.com/culinary/
F&B being expensive is not a Baha Mar-only "problem". You'll find expensive pricing at Atlantis as well. Not sure if it is resort pricing or groceries are just expensive in Bahamas to begin with. That's why there is a line in the morning at the Dunkin Donuts across the street from Atlantis. It's more expensive that US Dunkin but still cheaper to resort offerings.
You'll likely find similar at Aruba as well. Milk is imported from US and runs $7-$8 USD a gallon (non-organic) a couple of years ago.
https://bahamar.com/culinary/
F&B being expensive is not a Baha Mar-only "problem". You'll find expensive pricing at Atlantis as well. Not sure if it is resort pricing or groceries are just expensive in Bahamas to begin with. That's why there is a line in the morning at the Dunkin Donuts across the street from Atlantis. It's more expensive that US Dunkin but still cheaper to resort offerings.
You'll likely find similar at Aruba as well. Milk is imported from US and runs $7-$8 USD a gallon (non-organic) a couple of years ago.
May 27, 2021, 3:05 pm
#598
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 154
Does anyone know if you get base points for all of the expensive food and drink on property? Also do you get base points for golfing at Bahamar? Due to the reduction in qualification requirements, I may be close to Globalist this year and $2000 in food/activity spend would put me over the top.
May 27, 2021, 6:57 pm
#599
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: DL DM MM, Hyatt LT Globalist, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,141
Only the Hyatt operated venues. Which includes nearly all the pool F&B outlets. But expect zero if you ask for and are charged for a rollaway bed. Not sure about golf.
Does anyone know if you get base points for all of the expensive food and drink on property? Also do you get base points for golfing at Bahamar? Due to the reduction in qualification requirements, I may be close to Globalist this year and $2000 in food/activity spend would put me over the top.
May 28, 2021, 7:27 am
#600
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Chesapeake, VA
Programs: MR Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 108
Does anyone know if you get base points for all of the expensive food and drink on property? Also do you get base points for golfing at Bahamar? Due to the reduction in qualification requirements, I may be close to Globalist this year and $2000 in food/activity spend would put me over the top.