So, should you stay at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar? In this post, I’m reviewing our stay and telling you everything you need to know about the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar and the complex as a whole. We visited for 3 nights in September 2023 which was the perfect amount of time to explore the property and get some much needed R&R. The Bahamas is a short flight from most east coast destinations and getting to the resort takes less than 15 minutes from the airport! The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is one of 3 luxury properties in Nassau and makes for the perfect place to relax, explore, or bring the whole family… but is it worth it? Keep reading to check out my real thoughts on the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar review.
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Resort Overview
Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is a luxury resort nestled on a beautiful white sand beach in Nassau on the island of New Providence in the Bahamas. The Grand Hyatt is part of the Baha Mar property, which houses 3 luxury resorts: The Hyatt, the SLS, and the Rosewood. In addition to the 3 resorts, there’s also over a dozen dining options, pools, and a beachfront waterpark!
Grand Hyatt Baha Mar rooms
There are a variety of room categories to choose from at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar. For your view, there is standard (a parking lot, as you expect), “fountain” view, or ocean view. The front of Baha Mar has a fountain that displays a coordinating music and light show every night from 6-10 pm so this could be fun if you have kids and a balcony!
Rooms start with your standard size with a king bed or 2 queens. We had a standard room and thought it was plenty spacious for just the 2 of us. It also has a freestanding tub and huge bathroom which was much appreciated! If you need a little more space, there are suites with a separate living area or one, two, or three bedroom options. Book a suite in “The Reserve” which is located in the east tower and comes with Butler service and extra amenities.
Overall, the rooms at the Grand Hyatt are very spacious even if you choose the standard size. If you have a family, a standard with 2 queens might be a little tight, so I would spring for a suite. Although, there’s so much to do at the resort property, you’ll barely be in the room!
Baha Mar Restaurants
There are a myriad of restaurants to choose from at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar. We found that unless you want a buffet, breakfast options are pretty limited. Lunch is your standard beach/pool grill food but dinner is where this resort REALLY shines. In addition to all the restaurants on Hyatt’s property, you also have access to the dining options at the SLS and the Rosewood.
For breakfast, you’ll have the option of a buffet, Cafe Madeleine which serves a french-style menu, or Starbucks. We just went to Cafe Madeleine most mornings to grab a pastry and coffee. There’s also another French cafe at the Rosewood that is open for breakfast.
Shuang Ba is a signature restaurant at Baha Mar with fine Chinese cuisine. This upscale restaurant has amazing ambiance, great service, and the food was absolutely to die for. Their signature dish is the Peking duck, but we chose the beef and a Szechuan chicken dish. I would 100% go back here again and again!
Katsuya is the sushi restaurant on the property and the fish was so, so fresh… as you would expect! This is some of our favorite sushi we’ve had. The service was very lackluster, however. That was a huge turn off for us. The restaurant was busy as it was a weekend night but I imagine that’s not out of the norm. We waited for our check for what felt like 45 minutes!
Marcus is owned by renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson. The restaurant serves fresh, local seafood that is inspired by the Caribbean. The patio area was perfect for dinner, over looking the Caribbean sea!
In addition to the main dinner restaurants, there are also smaller options for lunch and dinner like Da Poke, a noodle bar, a pizza place, and a smoothie bar.
The SLS and Rosewood also have their own signature restaurants available to Grand Hyatt guests, as well. For any restaurants within Baha Mar, reservations are strongly recommended.
Beach and pools at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar
At Baha Mar, there is a generously sized beach area and several pools. Let’s talk about each.
Pools
The primary pool area at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is dubbed “The Grottos.” Two zero-entry pools lineup side by side and feature a waterfall, an area where you can jump into the deep end, and access to see the aquarium from the pool! This is mostly geared towards kids and families but we loved going to visit the fish in the afternoon when most of the kids were going in for naps and/or dinner. There’s a bar right by the pool as well serving up poolside drinks and snacks.
Another large pool closer to the property offers a large swimming area, a huge hot tub, a waterfall feature, and a swim up bar. Kids were welcome in this area but it was primarily geared towards adults shimmying up to the bar.
Finally, Grand Hyatt had a large, modern pool near the Drift Bar that also primarily catered towards adults. This pool had the only bar open til 6 so you could often find adults lining up for that last call beverage before dinner. There were tons of chairs around each end of the pool with some half on the edge of the water, which was lovely.
Most of the pool bars closed at 5 pm, except for Drift Bar. We tend to eat dinner on the later side so we could’ve happily stayed at the pool til 7 pm had the bars been open.
SLS has one main pool that serves up more of a club atmosphere with a DJ and really sleek cabanas and chairs. They also have Privilege, the day club with a pool and DJ, that you can pay extra for entry. The Rosewood pool is only open to Rosewood guests.
In addition to pools open to all, there is a private pool for certain guests that can be reserved. NEXUS also holds a pool club with a champagne bar that is open to “The Reserve” guests. Be sure to reach out if you want to know how you can gain access to this exclusive club!
Beach
The beach is very large and has hundreds of beach chairs pretty much on top of one another. However, it doesn’t get super crowded until later in the day so you can find some room to spread out if need be. As long as it’s not too windy, the staff will put out big mats and ring floats anchored down in the ocean which are great to relax on. Paddle boards and kayaks are available to use as well.
On the beach, there are several food trucks that make for a great lunch! We loved grabbing a burrito bowl and margarita for lunch while we lounged on the beach chairs.
You have the option to rent daybeds if you’d like them.
Bottom line: The service at the beach was lackluster, but there were plenty of bars nearby to grab a drink or snack. It didn’t deter me much. The main grottos pool can be very crowded but there are plenty of other options if you need some peace and quiet.
Activities at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar
I personally like to just spend several hours on the beach or by the pool, but if you’re anything like my husband, that would make you bored out of your mind. Have no fear! There is no shortage of things to do at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar.
Flamingos
Each morning, weather permitting, the on site flamingos do a “parade” around the property. Many of these flamingos were raised in captivity and love standing around to do a little Q&A with their caretakers. This was so fun and only took us about 10 minutes to enjoy!
The Sanctuary
The Sanctuary is Baha Mar’s aquarium with dozens of fish, sea turtles, and stingrays. You can also see them through the grottos but if you want an extra special experience, you can schedule an encounter to touch the stingrays and see the turtles up close. There’s also an aviary that can be accessed during specific hours at no extra cost with no reservations.
Day trips
At Baha Mar, there are any number of activities that can be booked right from the concierge desk! Whether you want to sail around to different Bahamian islands, jet ski, or go snorkeling, it can be arranged for you to leave right from Baha Mar’s dock. They also have day trips to the famous island full of pigs!
Water park
Last, but most certainly not least…. The water park! Baha Mar boasts its own generously sized water park right on the beach! The park has an amazing lazy river, a huge wave pool, two daredevil drop slides, and a couple group slides. All were an absolute blast and whether you’re two adults (hi, it’s us!) or a family, there’s so much fun to be had here. The best part? It’s no extra cost, your guest room wristband gets you access!
The water park also has a private beach club that allows you to make reservations to have your own beds with a restaurant and bar on site.
The spa
Espa is the spa on Grand Hyatt’s property and overall, I would say it’s worth a visit if you have the extra time and money… otherwise, skip it. The massage was nothing to write home about and I didn’t feel that anything in the spa was over the top like at the Andaz Mayakoba. It’s located on the 7th floor just outside where the rooms are and also houses the fitness center. You can choose from a variety of services such as massages, facials, and even manicures and pedicures.
Is The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar Family Friendly?
Is the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar family friendly? Absolutely! We saw so many families together for vacations and there are so many things for kids to do like the flamingo parade, the Sanctuary, and the water park.
Not bringing kids? We didn’t feel overrun by kids at all. The resort is so spread out and there are options to bring your kids or relax in a quiet adults-only area, too! In busy periods of school breaks, like spring break, Christmas, or summer, this may be a different story, though.
How expensive is the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar?
The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar does fall into the “luxury” category (I think that is a bit generous) and you’re in a luxury property at Baha Mar, so you’ll be paying a premium for rooms. Depending on the season, expect to pay anywhere between $300 and $800 for a base room. However, this is the most affordable option within the Baha Mar property! I also love that because it is a Hyatt resort, you can pay for this resort with points (or if you pay cash, you can earn tons of Hyatt points!).
Aside from the rooms, food and drink is VERY expensive. Expect to pay around $15-20 for a cocktail and dinners for 2 each night cost us an average of $200+. This is certainly not a budget option but the food and amenities are exceptional. I never felt like I was paying an arm and a leg just for a mediocre experience.
Other Resorts at Baha Mar
The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is situated in a managed complex, Baha Mar, which includes 2 other resorts: Rosewood Baha Mar and the SLS. Each are luxury resorts, and in my personal opinion are a bit higher caliber than the Hyatt. The Grand Hyatt is definitely the place to stay if you have a family. The SLS is known more of a “party” scene with a rooftop bar and day club pool area. The Rosewood is an upscale luxury resort perfect for a couple wanting a quieter scene for a honeymoon, anniversary, or couples getaway!
Final thoughts/recommendations on the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar
The Grand Hyatt is an amazing luxury resort located a short 10 minutes from Nassau’s international airport in the Bahamas. The resort is perfect for every kind of traveler whether you are seeking relaxation, adventure, or a mix of both. You’ll love the soft white sand beach with tons of amenities and activities for a couple or a family. Everything you need for a perfect vacation is right in the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar! I think the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is perfect for the mid-to-high level luxury traveler with decent service and great food options… but if you are really seeking ultra luxury and next level service I would stay at the Rosewood. Overall, I would return to the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, especially with a family or large group because it satisfies a variety of price points and interests.
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