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Have you visited Hyatt Hacienda del Mar (formerly Dorado Beach)? We'd love to know what you think...
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 This place is awesome. Visited: February 2005 |
| Posted by martyss42 |
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My favorite things to do here are have breakfast at Hyatt Dorado Beach and take a swim in the lagoon! |
| 7 users found this review helpful. 5 found this review unhelpful. |
| This is a wonderful and relaxing resort for family with young kids Visited: December 2004 |
| Posted by kozmo |
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We were looking for a relaxing resort that was beautiful, family-friendly, but not too touristy, and the Hyatt at Dorado surpassed our expectations.
My husband and I took our three-year-old son and our five-month-old baby with us, and we had a great time. We would definitely go back.
We stayed in a beachfront lower room and were only steps from the ocean. In my opinion, the Buildings 11, 13 and 15 were the best located buildings on the property because these buildings were the closest to the beach. These buildings were a bit farther from the main building, but if you don't want to walk, you just call the valet desk and a golf cart will come to your door in two minutes to give you a ride anywhere on the property.
The view from our room was incredible, we often felt like we were the only people around. The place was very quiet, we went the last week before the high season began, and the occupancy was low. A land crab took up residence on our back door, I had never seen a domesticated crab before - we enjoyed feeding him bananas, crackers and even sandwiches every day.
We rented a car at the airport and kept it the entire week, so we did not eat any meals at the hotel except for breakfast several mornings. We enjoyed several of the area restaurants. After we arrived, we requested a refrigerator for our room, and the hotel staff brought one right away. We used the car to go to the nearby grocery store and get drinks and snacks for our room.
We used the Hyatt Kids Camp for our three-year-old whenever we wanted to spend time alone, leaving our five-month-old in our room with a babysitter the Hyatt conceirge obtained for us. We used the same babysitter every night, she was a grandmother of nine and great with our baby.
Our three-year-old loved the kids club and often stayed until it closed at 10:00 pm because he did not want to leave. The pools were nice, but we did not use them much because it was hard to beat having the ocean only 50 feet from your back door.
We visited the sister property twice using the convenient trolley service, once to use the river pool (water was very cold) and a second time to take our older son to play miniture golf.
The rooms were very nice, although the beds were small, I think they were doubles, not queens. The sheets were not 100% cotton I noticed. The property seemed a bit older and somewhat worn, but this wear and tear did not matter to us because the natural beauty of the property overall was great.
The staff was very nice and accommodating to our every request. There was no night life and the TV in the room had few channels. We stayed at the Hyatt for eight days, and at the end of our stay we wished we had stayed for 10. |
| 23 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. |
| This place was amazing, we can't wait to go back! Visited: June 2004 |
| Posted by lauralea007 |
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I always rely on the reviews written on this website to help me plan my vacation, so I absolutely had to submit a review as soon as my fiance and I returned from the Hyatt Dorado.
I cannot rave enough about the quality of the beaches at this resort. I have traveled to many wonderful beaches and the unspoiled beauty we found at the Hyatt Dorado topped my list.
The beaches were very calm and extremely family friendly. This was due to a man-made breakwater installed on the east and west beaches. The lovely thing about the beaches was that the crescents of sand seemed to stretch on forever, and staking out your own private area was no problem.
Privacy ruled at the Hyatt Dorado! There were two afternoons where I saw only ten other vacationers - max. We did not even explore the pools because the beach was so perfect. I will say however, that the pool by Su Casa seemed much nicer than the main pool.
As far as accommodations went, we were upgraded upon arrival to a beachfront upper room (hint - join the Hyatt Gold Club for free upgrades). The room was decorated tastefully in a Spanish hacienda style and the view was amazing. The beach was only 25-30 feet away. Suprisingly, even though we were so close to the beach we were never disturbed by any beach traffic.
Dining options at the Dorado were a bit limited. We dined at Su Casa - beautiful location, overpriced for not so great service. We also ate at the Hacienda del Mar, again lovely location, much better service.
Note to partiers - the Dorado's nightlife was basically non-existent. This was perfect for us, but if you are looking for action, the Dorado would not be for you.
The best tip I have to offer is to arrange transportation into town to the local grocery store and stock up on essentials, like water, to avoid paying overpaying on these items at the resort. The trip to the grocery store only cost $16 and was well worth it.
If you are a spa queen, don't waste your time at the spa at the Hyatt - it was not worth the money. I enjoyed my massage, but the facilities left much to be desired.
Hyatt's sister property was a five-minute trolley ride away.
In summary, the Dorado was a wonderful place to visit and we cannot wait to return. In fact, we are planning our wedding there! If you are looking for a romantic, secluded, getaway, this is the place for you! |
| 15 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. |
 Beautiful but.... Visited: July 2003 |
| Posted by mnewtz |
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The Hyatt Dorado Beach and Country Club is a beautiful paradise but the hotel maid service and the high prices of food, drink and Dorado tour services easily dimmed the over all enjoyment. The staff was super friendly with the exception of the Front Desk. Not happy people in my opinion.
Maid service was pitiful. They would come very late in the afternoon. It took us three days and several phone calls to get new washclothes and an ashtray.
The food and drink prices were ridiculous. $9 for a hotdog! $5 for a bottle of water. Even if I was a millionaire, I would still be insulted by those prices!
The Dorado Tour Services cost $25 per person to bring you to the hotel from the Airport and another $25 each to take you back to the airport. It was also $8 per person to take you to the grocery store in Dorado--about a 5 minute trip (2 person min). Our driver Roland was the best though! I guess as I look back meeting Roland was worth the cost! He made us feel like family! But I suggest renting a car--it's an easy drive, affordable and a great way to explore the many beautiful sites especially Old San Juan. Shop til you drop. Otherwise, request Roland as your driver on the Dorado Tours shuttle. He can take you to Old San Juan roundtrip for $25 each.
I preferred Dorado Beach to Cerromar Beach. Calm, relaxing and we snorkeled with pelicans diving in the water near us to catch fish. Awesome.
My suggestions for the Hyatt are:
lower food and drink prices at all the restaurants
offer a great variety of food
stock your towels and washclothes
lower Dorado Tour shuttle prices
put a smile on your Front Desk employees
lower the local call fees--$5--Come on!
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| 9 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. |
| Privacy and peace are offered in this beautiful spot. Visited: May 2003 |
| Posted by carabrae |
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I have traveled a lot in the Caribbean and this is one of the nicest places I have stayed. I was looking for a quiet, non-touristy and peaceful place to relax and do nothing, and this was the perfect choice.
The grounds were beautiful with several beaches to choose from. There were two beautiful, quiet, sandy covelike beaches protected by a rock wall for gentle lolling and a more energetic wavelike area by the windsurfing side. Hammocks were everywhere and my days were spent trying out many of them and falling asleep with a book to the sound of the ocean and the quiet of the resort.
There were many days of seeing ten or less people on the beach. There were two pools, the one on the ocean side was empty most of the time and was like a private pool. Bikes were available for free for three hours at a time, and the bike trails were great - secenic and relatively flat.
The rooms were beautiful and we did like most people in these reviews suggested and slept with the screen doors and overhead fan on to hear the sound of the ocean. We stayed in the su casa buildings which were beautiful and a little further away from the mainhouse, but very private and an easy walk to the tennis courts, pool and su Casa restaurant.
On the weekend, a convention came in and it got a little noisier. I imagine the beachfront rooms bear the brunt of any beach traffic. Since we stayed in the oceanfront su casa rooms, we were spared any noise the day the beach got a little active (40 people).
The only negatives were the cost of food and bar. It was $18 for a buffet breakfast, $8 for a rum punch and $5 for a one-liter bottle of water. That was a little frustrating. But we rented a car and picked up some staples at the local grocery store down the road. Food in general was fairly good, but pricy.
As far as restaurants went - Su Casa and the Zen place at the Cerremar were both good. The golf place was okay, Pee Wee's in town had good ribs, El Malecon was okay, the Italian restaurant next to A la Brassa was overpriced and just okay.
The staff at the hotel was very nice. The Cerramar (the sister hotel two miles down the road) is now going timeshare, so I don't know whether you will be able to use both resorts. Currently, there is a shuttle that goes back and forth, or you can bike it, or it's a two-mile scenic walk.
The Cerremar had a much different clientele - noisier, crowded, and the locals used the place on the weekends. The beach there was nice as well - a more traditional wavy beach with some snorkeling. There was some snorkeling also at the Dorado.
I highly recommend the Dorado for anyone looking for a peaceful, non-touristy, relaxing vacation. |
| 6 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
 The Hyatt was peaceful and relaxing! Visited: January 2003 |
| Posted by brandy13 |
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I stayed here as part of a family trip. If you are looking for a quiet, peaceful resort, this is it. They had a beautiful, empty beach that actually had some decent snorkeling (watch out for the sea urchins). They also offered very nice golf at the Dorado, but the courses at the Cerromar were pretty beat up. You could always take the shuttle to the Cerromar if you are looking for some more action.
We were on the MAP plan, so we tried the four nicer restaurants at the hotel. Su Casa was very good, with the Surf Room and Zen Garden were also good. The Steak Company was fine, but nothing great. If you are on the food plan, the restaurants are good, but they would be a little pricy if you were not on the plan.
The only negative was that the bar and restaurant staff were not overly friendly. Since it was such a quiet property, the bars were usually empty and it would have been nice to have a bartender who would talk to you.
If you are just looking for a tranquil getaway with or without kids, I would highly recommend this property.
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| 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| A beautiful and quiet paradise. Visited: November 2002 |
| Posted by kholmes1 |
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We stayed at the Dorado because of the reviews we read on this site - and were not disappointed. It was truly beautiful. The beach was protected by a rock barrier wall built out in the water. Consequently, the water was usually calm enough to simply stand out in it and relax. The beach was very quiet with few people.
The entire staff was very helpful. We only ate breakfast at the hotel. The buffet was included in our price, and was very filling. There was a plethora of good restaurants right in town for dinner (A La Brassa was fantastic and Pee Wees had the best margaritas).
We highly recommend the hotel and would definitely go back (just need to find a good excuse). |
| 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| A gorgeous beach by a quiet hotel. Visited: August 2002 |
| Posted by katieedwards |
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We spent a great two nights at this hotel. Since it was the slow season, we were upgraded from a golf view room to a second floor room with a balcony that looked right over the beach...it was fabulous! The upper rooms had king size beds and the lower rooms had two doubles. The room was really nice and the view was the highlight. The beach was great and very quiet, and it was fun to lay in a hammock and read and relax.
The breakast buffet was included in the price of the room, making it an even better deal, and the buffet was great; and even included custom-made omelets. We didn't need lunch after that! We also had coupons for two free drinks. We didn't eat at the hotel except for breakfast. Instead, we drove into town. We found a good place called El Malecon that served good Puerto Rican food in a nice atmosphere.
We had fun over at Cerromar with the river pool and water slide. One point that may be helpful...we had a rental car, and were told we could park at Cerromar if we wanted to with our parking pass. However, when we got there it was paid parking. We would have taken the shuttle if we'd known we had to pay to park.
The one negative thing that happened, was that the day we were leaving, they started doing some repair work on our building's roof, right over our room. We had wanted to stay until check-out time and enjoy the room, but it was so loud that we couldn't stand it and checked out early. Other than that, we had a great time and I'd go back in a heartbeat. |
| 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| A fantastic accommodation! Visited: August 2002 |
| Posted by dedwards |
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The Hyatt Dorado Beach was simply beautiful.
The water was so clear you could see the fish swimming! We loved the lagoon. Our room was first-rate -- 10 steps to the beach and we could sleep with the windows open!
The downside -- watch out for Dorado Tours, the transfer agent. They were a major rip-off. They will overcharge you if you let them. If you have prepaid transfers and they tell you there must a certain number of people or you have to pay more, stand your ground and say no.
Rent a car from Payless -- really cheap (no sales tax) and drive to San Juan. We rented a Jeep Wrangler for $34/day. Taxi fare was $75 one-way. The outlets in San Juan were great - Dooney and Coach were the best.
Service at the Hyatt, especially at breakfast, was not that great - but everything else made up for it. The front desk man, Budda, was the best! He was so helpful! I would stay here again and I highly recommend it. |
| 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| I received the best and friendliest service in 20 years of global travel. Visited: August 2002 |
| Posted by sheilabethbuxton |
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All the employees went out of their way to ensure absolute comfort and enjoyment. My husband required medical assistance for a medical condition, and they had expert medical staff available within seconds and ambulance to hospital within minutes. Also, the Hyatt driver was at the hospital to return us to hotel before he was even released! He also followed up.
We are still drooling over the culinary delights . This hotel and staff deserve more than 5 stars. The concierge was supreme, and promptly effectuated every desire! They had a beautiful pool area, the essence of true nature was everywhere on the grounds. They offered an awesome golf course, and had very polite casino personnel! And the view....well, there are no words to describe it!
It was the best place and the best HYATT we have stayed at in 20 years. We applaude our experience with this hotel and staff. Their performance was excellent - almost Heaven. We would recommend this hotel for anyone who really, really wants to relax and get away from it all. |
| 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. |
| What a spectacular place! Visited: April 2002 |
| Posted by cookiery |
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I just adored the resort. It was like living in a dream. i
It was gorgeous with wonderful veiws of the ocean. They had a spectacular pool fountain. I could have stayed here for eternity.
I recommend only considering a stay at the Hyatt Dorado Beach and Country Club! |
| 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. |
| The Hyatt Dorado Beach was a romantic splurge! Visited: April 2002 |
| Posted by sunshinecircle |
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My husband and I spent two nights at this beautiful resort before our cruise. It was everything we expected after reading the other reviews. It was peaceful and relaxing, and we felt very safe leaving the balcony doors open at night while we slept.
Listening to the waves crashing and the rain falling without dealing with mosquitoes was such a peaceful way to fall asleep. The only downfall was the price. They charged very high prices for the food and rooms. They even charged for in-room coffee, which was rather ridiculous considering most less expensive hotels give complimentary coffee and continental breakfasts.
The staff was quite friendly and helpful. We definitely recommend it to couples who can afford to splurge a little on a romantic Caribbean getaway. |
| 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. |
| Total relaxation. Visited: November 2001 |
| Posted by jlett |
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If you're looking for a peaceful vacation, the Dorado is the place to go! The grounds are beautiful and lush. Most rooms are no more than 15 feet from the beach and the buildings no taller than 2 floors. You can spend every night with your sliding glass doors open and fall asleep to the sound of coqui frogs and the ocean. We spent the day on the almost always empty beach or laying in one of the many hammocks overlooking the surf. There's also watersports and tours to choose from. At night we would visit one of the restaurants at the Dorado or take the free shuttle over to the Hyatt Cerromar.
This place is truly a paradise. The only downfall to this resort is the price of the food and drinks. Plan on spending per person, $9 for breakfast and lunch each, $7 a drink no matter what you order, and $30 a dinner entree (that's a la carte!). The food was good but not necessarily worth the prices they're charging, however, the atmosphere and service more than make up for it.
I would not hesitate to recommend this resort to anyone looking for a relaxing vacation. I would not recommend it however if you're traveling with children. Check out the Hyatt’s Cerromar for a more family-oriented resort.
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| 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. |
| I have been visiting Dorado since I was six months old. Visited: September 2001 |
| Posted by Nicolerqpr |
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We go to Dorado Beach about 3 to 4 times a year. The hotel is extremely peaceful and quiet - perfect to get some time off to relax and disconnect.
From the convenient beach bars to the fine restaurants, you can delight your palate with everything from Caribbean to International plates. The service is great and the people are very friendly, always willing to please you.
The room service and housekeeping are excellent, and the rooms are kept immaculately clean. I consider it the best beach in Puerto Rico, and one of the best places to catch a sunset.
At nightime you can enjoy the sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks which are at a certain distance from the beach. And if you desire, you can sleep to the sound of them in a tranquil and safe environment, due to the flawless security.
I'm only 12 years old, and I hope that when I'm a grown-up I can afford to take my children, just as my parents take me. |
| 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. |
| This is paradise revisited. Visited: August 2001 |
| Posted by MARTHYWD |
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Of all the places I have visited so far, Dorado ranks among the top three.
The ambiance, hospitality, food, gaming, service and activities were all exceptional. The drinks were too overpriced, though! |
| 0 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. |
| A true tropical paradise! Visited: September 2000 |
| Posted by thepinkshell |
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We just returned from spending five days at this beautiful resort. It was truly a tropical paradise. The room was spacious and very nice with a beautiful wood-posted bed. The view from the balcony was spectacular, overlooking palms, hammocks, and of course, the ocean. We were on the second floor, (of two floors) which had a double bed, while the first floor had twin beds. I thought they should have some double beds on the floor level for couples who had trouble climbing the 14 steps and walking around the buildings to get to the beach.
The beach was very clean and the pool was large and very pleasant. There were hardly any people around and the pool felt very secluded.
Restaurants were pricey, so we drove to town to eat at the local places with the islanders. Everyone was very pleasant and helpful. The hotel grounds had splendid views from every angle and a two-mile walking path to the Hyatt Cerromar Hotel, which was also very enjoyable. At night, the sound of crashing waves was very therapeutic.
I would recommend this hotel to anyone. |
| 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| Peaceful seclusion Visited: March 2000 |
| Posted by paegis |
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We visited the Hyatt Dorado Beach in March of 2000 and had a wonderful time. We had an oceanfront room on the top floor, but would recommend getting the bottom floor if you can...the rooms are bigger and you can step right off your large patio to the lawn and swing in a hammock, or mosey a few steps further to the (almost always empty) beach.
The casino at Dorado was closed when we were here, but we took the shuttle every night to the Cerromar, and visited the casino there. The Steak Place at Cerromar was the best food we had, although Su Casa came a close second.
Of course, don't miss the river pool at Cerromar; it's worth it. The views from everywhere are fantastic! Don't miss out on the waverunner rental at Dorado.
The only downside was that if you get a room near the end of the complex, you have to do a lot of walking; but you can always call the front desk for a porter to pick you up in a golf cart and drive you wherever you want to go. A beautiful place that I |
| 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| Nice and Quiet! Visited: March 1999 |
| Posted by Cybertuth |
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Stayed here in March '99. The Hyatt was one of the quietest hotels on the island that we could find. Beach is small, but hardly anyone is on it at any one time. If you want to "get away from it all" this is the place to go.
We stayed in one of the upper oceanside rooms, right on the beach. Would definately recommend it! Nice small casino on the premises. Ate at Su Casa. Very nice atmosphere and food.
Sister hotel Hyatt Ceramar, is the place to go for activity (i.e. river pool). Would like to be able to visit again. |
| 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| Very relaxing. Visited: November 1999 |
| Posted by regina_russo |
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Beautiful property and grounds. We were given an Oceanfront room, only a few steps from the beach. The rooms are set up in small two story buildings about eight rooms to a building and each block of buildings (about four) have their own beach. We mostly ate in the Ocean Terrace. The breakfast buffet is the best value. We ate one night at Su Casa, it was the best meal there.
It is also worthwile to go over to the sister property, the Cerromar and enjoy the restaurants and the River pool at least for a day. |
| 1 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. |
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Dorado Area Map
Dorado Area Travel Guide
Test your Luck at the Island's Largest Casino at this Oceanfront Luxury Puerto Rico Hotel.
El San Juan provides the Perfect Venue to Enjoy Puerto Rico's Beautiful Beaches by Day, and Vibrant Social Scene at Nigh
Enjoy Spectacular Ocean Views at this Puerto Rican Paradise.
