My friends and I traveled to the beautiful island of Bahamas for a four day weekend. We wanted to relax and unwind so we decided to stay at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar resort in Nassau, Bahamas because of everything it had to offer. They have a large selection of restaurants and pools, a large casino, and even a water park! It also sits right by the beach with stunning turquoise water. The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar property is huge! There is something new to do everyday and it’s perfect for the family, a trip with friends, or a romantic vacation with your significant other. In this post, I will be sharing my Grand Hyatt Baha Mar resort review.
Best Time to Visit Bahamas
Before sharing my Grand Hyatt Baha Mar resort review, I thought it would be helpful to share the best time to visit the Bahamas.
The best time to visit the Bahamas is during the winter months. Here are the different seasons In the Bahamas:
High Season (December to April) – This is the best time to visit where there is warm weather, low humidity, and minimal rainfall.
Shoulder Season (May to June) – This season has warmer temperatures with an increase in humidity and there is a slight increase in rainfall.
Hurricane Season (July to November) – The hurricane season officially runs from June to November with the highest likelihood of hurricanes and tropical storms occurring from August to October. Visitors may visit during this time to take advantage of lower prices and smaller crowds.
How to Get to Grand Hyatt Baha Mar
We flew into Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, Bahamas which was only a 3 hour flight from New Jersey and scheduled a private transportation with the hotel. They also have their own stand at the airport, which makes it easy to find! And the drive to the resort is only 15 minutes! Since the drive to the resort is super quick, I actually recommend getting a regular cab to save money.
About the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar Resort
The Baha Mar Resort Complex is massive! It is a large resort complex that consists of The Grand Hyatt and its two sister properties: SLS Hotel and Rosewood Baha Mar. Each hotel offers a unique experience that caters to different preferences and styles.
The resort also makes it easy to be cashless. When you check in, you get a bracelet that acts as your room key and wallet. All charges get added to your room so it’s nice not to worry about carrying your credit cards and cash around the resort. Please note that there is also a daily resort fee of $68 that is applied to each room of your stay.
The only downside about this resort is because it’s so massive, I felt like the service wasn’t great. People were really nice, but I didn’t think they were super helpful.
If you are wondering which hotel to stay at, here are some of the differences of each of the hotels in the Baha Mar complex:
Grand Hyatt
The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is the biggest of the three and the main hub of the resort. It has a modern and contemporary design. It has a family friendly atmosphere and offers a variety of activities like a golf course, tennis courts, and a fitness center. I stayed at the Grand Hyatt so the rest of this blog post will be focused on the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar Resort review.
SLS Baha Mar
If you are looking for a more party atmosphere, you can head over to SLS. This is a smaller hotel and has more of a trendy vibe. It focuses more on nightlife and entertainment with a rooftop pool, nightclub, and a variety of bars and lounges.
Rosewood
The Rosewood is the most exclusive part of the resort. This hotel is the most luxurious of the three hotels. It has a stylish and elegant atmosphere and focuses more on privacy and exclusivity. They have a private pool, a spa, and personalized butler service. Even though their pool is for Rosewood guests only, you are still free to dine at their bars + restaurants and walk around the property.
Grand Hyatt Baha Mar Rooms
There are two towers at Grand Hyatt: East and West. Both of them have standard rooms and suites. If you are wondering what the difference is between the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar East vs West tower, the only difference is the decor and layout of the room. Rooms in the East Tower have blue walls, with both a bath tub and shower, and the bed is facing towards the balcony in the middle of the room. The West Tower has white walls, only a shower, and the bed is against the wall. Carl and I were on the West Tower and my friends were in the East. Both rooms were really nice! I loved that our room was more spacious, but I wished ours had the double sinks like in the East Tower. Our room was very clean and we had an ocean view room and king bed.
Things to do at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar Resort
One of the main reasons I chose this hotel and wanted to write a Grand Hyatt Baha Mar resort review is because there are so many things to do at the resort and it is an amazing place to stay in Nassau. You can do something new each day. Here are the best things to do at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar:
Pool
The Grand Hyatt has eight pools, where each of them are very different. There is a pool with a fountain, a pool with a swim-up bar, and one pool even has a cave area with a waterfall where you can go inside and see through a glass window into their aquarium. You can see tropical fish, turtles, sharks, and rays! Each pool area is surrounded by a bunch of chairs where you can lounge and relax.
Baha Bay Waterpark
The resort has their very own waterpark called Baha Bay, which is complimentary if you are a hotel guest. Hotel guests don’t need to make a reservation or buy a ticket. They have unlimited access to the water park. It’s great for everyone of all ages. They have raft rides, drop slides, free fall slides, a wave pool, an action river, a surf simulator, and the only water coaster in the Caribbean. They even have a secluded casino gaming pavilion and private cabanas.
The waterpark also has an area called Turtle Beach that is perfect for toddlers and younger children. There are kid-sized slides, fountains, and shallow pools. For older kids, they have an area called Stingray Cove. There are more thrilling water slides, a massive tipping bucket, and a fun battle zone.
They have complimentary beach towels, locker rentals to keep your wallet, phone, and valuables.
Baha Bay also has a few dining options to choose from:
- 25° North offers fresh California coastal cuisine
- Barracuda is a street truck that serves burgers, sandwiches and hot dogs
- Umami Burger for their must-try burger
- The Market where you can find three venues: Cleo Grill, Sam’s Crispy Chicken, and 818 Shack
- Sugar Factory has sweet treat like classic candy, chocolate covered strawberries, cake pops, ice cream and sorbet
We spent an afternoon floating down the lazy river and going down water slides. It was a lot of fun!
Wildlife Experiences
Grand Hyatt Baha Mar has an ultimate wildlife experience where you can explore their Aviary, Sanctuary, Flamingo Cay, and brand new Aldabra Tortoise habitat.
Aviary
Enjoy their walk-thru Aviary where you can observe a variety of birds. Entrance to the Aviary is complimentary for all hotel guests. If you are interested in feeding them, tickets are $12. Each feeding purchase includes two specially prepared seed sticks. This was a really cool experience where you got to see the tropical birds up close. Guests under eight must be accompanied by an adult and all ages are welcome. Tours are 30 minutes long.
Wildlife Sanctuary
Baha Mar offers multiple activities at their Wildlife Sanctuary. You can enjoy a guided close encounter with starfish in their touch tank for $20 per person. You can watch the staff feed nurse sharks, stingrays, green sea turtles, and Caribbean fish for $30 per person. There is also a tour where you can meet their majestic macaws in a fun and interactive way for $45 per person. Sessions are 20 minutes long.
Flamingo Cay
You can book a 30 minute personal encounter with Baha Mar’s flamingos. The tour includes feeding, touching, taking photos of the flamingos. The duration of the tour is 30 minutes and is $95 per person. Guests under eight years old must be accompanied by a paid adult. Ages three and under are free with a paid adult.
Another fun activity at Flamingo Cay is flamingo yoga! The class is 55 minutes and it is $80 per person. Advance reservations are required and guests must be 16 years or older.
Tortoise Habitat
Visit their new tortoise habitat where you can to meet their young Aldabra tortoises. The interaction is twenty minutes and includes touching, feeding, and taking lots of photos with these gentle giants. Guests under eight years old must be accompanied by a paid adult. Ages three and under are free with a paid adult. Adult tickets are $35 per person. The habitat is open daily from 11am to 2pm, but closed on Tuesdays. Reservations are required.
Stay Active
If you love being active on vacation, they have a golf course, tennis courts, racquet club, basketball court, croquet, bocce ball and a fitness center! They also offer group fitness classes like aerobics, dance, and yoga.
Beach
Baha Mar is located on Cable Beach, which is known for its white sand and beautiful turquoise waters. You can relax on a beach chair, lounge on one of their large floats in the water, and enjoy complimentary water activities like paddle boarding, kayaking, and snorkeling. We loved lounging on one of their floats that can fit up to 10 people and one of the days we went snorkeling by the beach.
On the beach, you can also find a pier that you can walk across. I recommend going there to see the sunset on the water!
Spa
Unwind and relax at Baha Mar’s two world-renowned spas, ESPA and Sense, A Rosewood Spa.
At ESPA, you can book massages, facials, body treatments, and manicures and pedicures. They also have Infuz IV Nutrition Therapy where they offer five IV options and four booster shots that provide 100% vitamin absorption.
At Sense, A Rosewood Spa, they have a salon where you can book a luscious scalp treatment. You can book treatments that incorporate traditional healing remedies that include Bahamian ingredients and other natural elements.
Nightlife
Casino
The Baha Mar casino is the largest and most luxurious casino in the Caribbean. It has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the clear turquoise water. They have 18 different types of table games and over 1000 slot machines. They also have a section for sports bar betting that includes pro and college football, basketball, baseball, soccer, auto-racing, hockey, MMA, boxing and more! Also, every Friday night, they have a happy hour tournament . You have a chance to win $100 in Free Slot Play plus a Baha Mar Splash Kit. The tournament zone is located on the main casino floor across from the Club Blu Rewards Desk.
Bars and Lounges
- Jazz Bar – elevated piano bar with live music and a small plate menu
- Manor – refined salon that serves sophisticated bar snacks, cocktails and a fine selection of wines and high-end spirits
- Marcus Up Top – rooftop bar overlooking Cable Beach that’s a great spot for dancing with their live DJ
- Monkey Bar – the signature lobby bar at SLS that serves delicious drinks
- Sky Bar – rooftop lounge at SLS with stunning ocean vies and craft cocktails
- Cigar Bar – cigar bar lounge with an open-air terrace that serves a curated collection of cigars
- Swimming Pig – elegant spin on a classic English pub with an emphasis on gourmet cuisine and draft beers
- The Lynden – lounge that offers a selection of top shelf liquors, specialty drinks, an extensive wine list, fine champagne, and expertly made craft cocktails
Excursions
If you are looking to book excursions, you can check out their activities booth where they will organize everything for you!
Here are some of the excursions that you can book:
- Snorkeling + Catamaran Cruise
- Pirate Jeep Experience
- Evening Catamaran Cruise
- Exuma Seaplane (Pigs + Shark Experience)
- Exuma Full Day Powerboat Adventure
- Glass Bottom Boat + Snorkeling
- Rose Island Pig Interaction
- ATVs
- Harbour Island Pink Sand Experience
- Rum Tasting
Best Restaurants at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar
The resort has over 30 restaurants – I love that they have a wide variety of foods. The food was all really good!
Is food included in Grand Hyatt Baha Mar? No, it is not. There are no meal plans offered at this resort. The food is pretty pricey and every bill has a 15% VAT tax and 20% service charge so food and drinks add up. For instance, breakfast was always around $50/person. We heard that its the same everywhere in Nassau so just make sure you budget for food and drinks. I also recommend booking dinner reservations way in advanced because spots fill up quickly.
Here are some of our favorite spots to eat at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar:
Regatta
This was their breakfast buffet and it was honestly the best hotel breakfast buffet I’ve ever had. They had a huge variety of food – I wanted to try everything!
Cafe Boulud
This is a chic cafe that serves breakfast and dinner. We came here for breakfast and the food was so good! We loved the omelette, avocado toast, and eggs benedict.
El Jefe
This is a Mexican food truck near the beach that serves tacos, nachos, burritos, and margaritas!
Street Bird
This is a Caribbean style food truck where you can get wings, chicken sandwiches, and conch fritters.
Pizza Lab
They serve slices, whole pies, pasta, other Italian favorites, and even gelato! They are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
25 North
This is a lunch spot right by the beach! I recommend the empanadas and fish tacos!
Cleo Mediterráneo
This was one of our favorite restaurants. They serve Mediterranean small plates. Everything was so good!
Costa
This is their Mexican restaurant at the Rosewood. I loved the lobster enchiladas!
Marcus at Baha Mar Fish + Chop House
This restaurant is located right by the beach that has amazing seafood!
Cinko
This restaurant is an Asian Latin grill that serves Latin cuisine with bold Asian flavors.
Scoops
This stand is right near the beach where they serve hard and soft serve ice cream with tons of toppings, ice pops, ice cream bars, and iced coffee.
Cafe Madeleine
This is a cute Parisian cafe that serves pastries, coffee, and breakfast.
If you are looking to plan a trip to Nassau, I highly recommend this hotel! I hope you enjoyed reading my Grand Hyatt Baha Mar resort review.
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Your post was really helpful and a great read! My husband and I are currently planning a trip to Baha Mar for my 30th birthday in a few months, but are torn between staying at Grand Hyatt or SLS. I know you mentioned that you can’t utilize Rosewood’s pools if you aren’t staying at that hotel. Can you visit the SLS pools if you are staying at the Grand Hyatt? And vice-versa? Thanks in advance!
That’s so exciting you are planning a birthday trip to the Bahamas! If you are not staying at SLS, you won’t be able to use their pool :/ but if you stay at SLS you have access to all the pools at the Grand Hyatt.
We stayed at Hyatt and they let us use the SLS pool the staff don’t really care. Also we stayed at west tower white room with separate shower and beautiful big bathtub.
There’s also someone did vlog that they stayed in East tower and they had white room.
That’s great to know! Thank you so much for sharing!