Ever since the Baha Mar resort in the Bahamas opened, I’ve been dying to visit. I’m one of those people who obsesses over hotels, and this was one – specifically the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar. Everything I’d seen about the resort made me want to go more and more. I was lucky enough to visit the hotel recently and let me tell you, it lived up to the hype!
Getting There
The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is located on the island of the Bahamas in Nassau. The Bahamas is only a couple hour flight from several major US cities, so it’s extremely accessible, even for a weekend trip! The resort is a 10- or 15-minute drive from Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport (airport code: NAS). The hotel can arrange a transfer for you, but the taxis are only $23 plus $2 for every bag. Once you pick up your bags, follow the signs outside to the taxi stand. There was no line and plenty of taxis available, so I was on my way in no time!
PRO TIP: The Bahamas has their own currency (Bahamian Dollar), but you can pay for taxis with US Dollars. The exchange rate is equal. If you need change though, you’ll likely receive Bahamian Dollars instead of US Dollars.
Arriving at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar
We could see the resort in the distance as we pulled up in the taxi. I was so excited to finally be at this resort I’ve been drooling over for so long! The bell hops helped us out of the taxis and took our bags for us. The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar has two wings – the East and the West. The bell hops directed us to the reception area of the West tower to check-in.
We were greeted at the check-in desk by a really sweet employee whose name I unfortunately forget. Our interaction was the first of many pleasant experiences with the employees at the resort. We arrived around noon, 4 hours before check-in. Luckily, our room was ready! We headed up the elevator to the 15th floor to get into our room. To my surprise, our bags were already in our room even though our check-in went super quickly which was a nice touch!
Living in Luxury: An Ocean View Deluxe Balcony Room at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar
One of my favorite parts of the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is that they offer rooms with two queen beds instead of two double beds. Since I was visiting with my friend, it was nice that we could each have our own queen beds. Likewise, the resort allows 4 adults to stay in one room which isn’t common in the Caribbean. You could easily visit with a group of friends and have 4 people in a room to save on costs!
The room had a massive bathroom with separate stalls for the toilet and the shower. There was also a bathtub separate from that, so you had lots of options! The bathroom also had his or her sinks so you don’t have to fight with your friend or significant other over space!
If you’re the type of person who likes to unpack when you travel, there was a huge closet to hang your clothes in. The closet also had the comfiest robes that I spent wayyy too much time in! There was a desk area to set up if you had a computer or anything like that. There was a mini-bar with drinks (alcoholic and not) and snacks. The hotel also provided Dasani water bottles that were replenished daily.
Last, but certainly not least, we had a balcony! The balcony had a table and two chairs. There was an in-room tablet that had dining information, as well as the 24-hour in-room dining menu which you could even order on! We even set up our table outside with our room service when it arrived for a meal with a view!
Pools and Pools and Pools and Pools!
The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is part of a larger resort complex called Baha Mar. The complex is comprised of three different hotels: the Grand Hyatt, the SLS, and the Rosewood. The Grand Hyatt is by far the largest of the three and what I would consider the main hub of the hotel. The casino was within the Grand Hyatt and you could access both the SLS and the Rosewood from the Grand Hyatt.
Generally speaking, the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar shares features and has exchange privileges in a way with the SLS & Rosewood. The only exception to this is that the Rosewood pools were exclusively for Rosewood guests. However, the SLS pool was open for any guests at the entire Baha Mar complex. The restaurants, bars, and lounges at all three hotels could be used by anybody, including the option to pay your bills by adding them to your hotel bill which was convenient (almost too convenient!).
All in all, the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar guests have access to 6 swimming pools, 4 hot tubs, and poolside cabanas. I honestly never felt overwhelmed with the amount of people at any of the pools. There are so many options that none are ever really that crowded. The one pool has a little “cliff” area that kids can jump off of. The same pool also has a cave area with a waterfall that has a glass window into the aquarium, so you could see fish, turtles, sharks, and rays swim right next to you!
A White Sand Beach with Crystal, Clear Blue Waters
The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar also had a long stretch of white sand beach that nestles up to the crystal clear blue Caribbean water. It was the absolute perfect temperature: not too cold, but still refreshing. The resort offers beach chairs and umbrellas on the beach for you to use. Keep in mind, these chairs and umbrellas are first come first serve, so make sure to get out there early! Another thing to keep in mind about the beach is that all the way to the right (if you’re looking at the water) there’s a section of the beach reserved for Rosewood guests only. Don’t worry though! It’s only a small section and it took me until the last day to even realize it was there, that’s how big the beach area is!
Another highlight is the long pier that the hotel has running from the beach into the water. I believe some of the excursions that involve boats will pick you up from here as it’s a dock as well. The end of the pier offers 360 views of that blue water I’ve been talking about! It’s also a nice area to take pictures if you’re looking for a nice spot when you’re all dressed up!
Endless Things to do at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar
As if the several pools and beach weren’t enough, there are tons of activities you can join in on when you’re staying at the resort. Baha Mar is home to an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus golf course. As a hotel guest, you have access to non-motorized water sports and the option of renting at the onsite JetSurf Watersports. You can even play racquet ball at one of the 3 racquet ball courts.
While you’re walking around, you may run into some friends – the resort has some resident flamingos that live in Flamingo Cay! They even have a flamingo parade around the resort twice a day!
Click here to see tours you can do in the Nassau area.
If you need an escape from the sun, you can test your luck at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar Casino. The casino has everything you could want from slot machines, blackjack, poker, roulette, and more. The casino even offers a high rollers section. Hopefully you’re lucky and win some money, because there are on-site shopping boutiques with tons of great items. If shopping isn’t your thing, you can head over to The Current Art Gallery, which is a hub for compelling Bahamian artistic experiences.
To top your night off, you can visit one of Grand Hyatt Baha Mar’s bars and lounges (including a cigar lounge). They even have a nightclub where you can dance the night away!
It’s Time to Eat!
The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar offers a rate that includes breakfast. I’d highly recommend getting the included breakfast, because the breakfast buffet at Regatta was AMAZING! Everything you could ever want on a breakfast buffet was there, and then some. Let’s just say there were multiple plates full of food each morning! I couldn’t get enough!
One of my favorite parts of the resort was the food trucks. It was such a fun concept for a resort. There are a few different food truck options, even an UMAMI Burger! I would suggest these for lunch as they close earlier in the evening (unless you want an early dinner!). The nachos at El Jefe were TO DIE FOR! As an alternative to the food trucks, there are some other casual eating options like Da Poke Bowl, The Palms, Drift Bar, and Stix Noodle Bar. You really can’t go wrong!
Last, but certainly not least are the delicious dinner options. Like I mentioned earlier, as a Grand Hyatt Baha Mar guest, you have access to all the restaurants, even Commonwealth and Costa which are part of the Rosewood. I would definitely suggest making reservations for dinner. Some of the restaurants have bar seating that’s first come, first served, but I definitely wouldn’t count on that timing working out, so be prepared!
There were so many great dinner restaurants, so it’s easier to list them below (with menu links)!
- Shuang Ba: fine Chinese cuisine
- 3 Tides Fish House: seafood, with flavor cues from the Middle East, California, and New York
- Regatta: dinner buffet
- Stix Noodle Bar: traditional Chinese noodles with a Bahamian flare
- KATSUYA: Japanese, sushi
- Cleo Mediterráneo: Mediterranean-inspired cuisine
- Fi’lia: Italian, pizzas
- COMMONWEALTH: London brasserie
- COSTA: Coastal dishes with a Mexican twist
- The Swimming Pig: Gastropub
- Carna: contemporary steakhouse
Summing Everything Up – What a Great Trip!
One last thing I want to mention is cost. The cost of the hotel is really reasonable, especially if you take advantage of the 4 adults in a room option. The resort is not all-inclusive, so aside from breakfast (if you have it included), all your food and drinks are on your own dime. I’ll be honest, the food and drinks are pretty expensive. However, there’s plenty of options if you don’t want to spend a ton of money. I found myself so full throughout the day that my friend and I would split a dinner or a lunch because we were so full from the massive buffet. Definitely budget an extra amount for food and drinks, though.
Overall, I absolutely adored my stay at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar. We ended up at a different pool every day, never running out of things to do. The food was delicious, the drinks were yummy, and the staff were as friendly as could be. I would not hesitate to visit the resort again. It’s such an easy trip from the US, so you’ll probably see me back here on another long weekend escape!
Like this blog? Check out everything Caribbean here! Want to visit somewhere tropical? You can check out other tropical stays here. Also, you can find great weekend trips here!
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Maddie is the traveler behind A One Way Ticket. She has been traveling internationally for over 10 years and has visited 75+ countries on 6 continents. In addition to traveling herself, she’s been helping others plan their own travel for 6+ years. Maddie eats, sleeps, and breathes travel and loves to help others discover that same wanderlust!
