We visited Hacienda Del Mar in May, 2005. Even though it was cloudy and rained over the first 4 days of the trip, we had a good vacation. The resort is next to the Hyatt Cerromar which is currently closed (and at some point we understand will be renovated and made into timeshare units). The Hacienda has a small number of units (maybe 150) but Hyatt continues to operate and maintain the grounds of the Cerromar, including the river pool, casino, 2 restaurants and a bar. In short, a small number of guests have the full run of the Cerromar and Hacienda properties. The resort was very empty. At night it was even a bit strange to walk through the grounds since it seemed as if you were alone. The accomodations were functional and each room had a nice balcony and view of the ocean. If you are on a lower floor your view could be obstructed by trees. The accomodations are starting to show signs of age (furniture and some appliances needed to be replaced, etc) and should be freshened up. The main issue that we had (other than the weather) was finding food for our children to eat. The only food on the grounds was a Johnny Rockets (there is only so much of that you can eat) and an asian restaurant (which was good and you can order take out). If you want other options you need to take a shuttle to the Hyatt Dorado Beach or pay for transportation to the town of Dorado where you can find a supermarket and some restaurants. The Hyatt Dorado Beach has a number of chioces but none were very kid friendly. The shuttle was also difficult to deal with (it was about a 30 minute loop and only came twice an hour). In the end, we made a number of trips to the supermarket and some restaurants in town. We would recommend getting a car at the airport, or if you are uncomfortable driving from the airport to the Hacienda, renting a car when you arrive at Dorado. There is an Avis in the Hyatt Dorado Beach. All the above said, we had a good vacation and we would do it again.

My husband and I traveled to Puetro Rico with my parents and brother. We stayed at the Hacienda Del Mar and had an excellent time. Before leaving I had read some of the reviews and was a little nervous about what I would find. We were all pleasantly suprised. The hotel is beautiful, rooms are spacious, clean and have a wonderful view of the pools and ocean, and the kitchen is a bonus when traveling in a group. We stayed in a two bedroom unit and found that there was pleanty of space and amenities. Time at the pool and the beach were relaxing. They have several pools availible so if you don't want to sit by while kids are cannonballing into the water, you can sit at the lap pool. Or, if you do have children, there are two wading pools for little ones--wth shade--and a great pool for older kids with a big water slide. The lazy river is both fun and beautiful. I am 28 and do not have children but I had a great time, it would be a child's dream come true. The hotel has a casino it's planning to enlarge and we had fun playing the slots and tables, there are also two wonderful resturants on site--Zen Garden and Su Casa. The staff was also very helpful in suggesting other places to eat and providing driving directions to all destinations in Puerto Rico. In essence, we did not find that the Cerramar being closed was a disadvantage at all. The place was bustling with people yet it was quiet and relaxing. It rained nearly the entire time that we were there yet we enjoyed the pools and beach. For the price, we thought this was a jem of a find and though we prefer to travel to new destinations, we all said that we would go back to Puerto Rico and stay at the Hacienda del Mar. It's a fabulous place!

We really enjoyed our time at the Hyatt's Hacienda Del Mar in Dorado Puerto Rico. We were travelling for the first time with our 14 month old toddler and were nervous about how things would turn out. We got a two bedroom, two bathroom unit off of Expedia.com and found it PERFECT for travelling with a little one. There is a grocery store on the premises where we stocked up on essentials like milk, eggs, water, fruit, bread, cheese and even wine. Diapers, sunscreen, swimmers and all the frills are available should you forget anything. There is also a grocery store close by if you want more selection. The resort provided us with a small crib and high chair upon our request and since we had a washer/dryer and dishwasher in our condo we were able to keep up with the little one's laundry and bottles and dishes. I did bring some babyproofing supplies (outlet plugs) that helped and the door handles were high up so he could not reach them. There are DVD players in the room and Disney channel is right in the room. The pools and beach were wonderful and although there are some stairs at the resort it is quite stroller friendly and we took many walks with the baby. There was a beach shack for lunch and drinks and a Johnny Rockets for breakfast lunch and dinner. There is also a "nicer" Zen Garden hibachi restauant that opens after 6 for dinner. There are trolleys that go twice an hour to the Hyatt Dorado beach resort where there is more dining, another beach, pool and a more "formal" atmosphere. Some GREAT places to eat there but tough with a baby that likes to go to sleep early. That would be my only complaint, more choices for eating at the Hacienda del Mar and opening earlier for dinner with the other choices. Really great place to stay with a family! There were tons of kids there in all age ranges and a wonderful time seems to have been had by all.

We recently returned from our family vacation at Hyatt Dorado Beach. (My husband, myself and our children ages 7 & 9)
We had to book two rooms near the pool because there supposedly are no adjoining rooms on the water. Upon our arrival to our 455/room per night
we tried relaxing by the beach with some drinks. The kids had hotdogs. A couple of drinks and hotdogs added up to $61.00. Then we were told there were no casual dining facilities near our room, so we ordered room service.
If the staff seemed put out with guests like us, I blame it on Hyatt management, assuming the staff makes a small percentage of resort profits.
The food was a big let down, but over all the facilities, which included bus trips down to Cerramar's pools (fabulous) were quite beautiful. It's a golfer's heaven.
The Wednesday night outdoor buffet with music was a delicious highlight.

We just returned from a 1 week stay at the Hacienda Del Mar and we were very pleased! There were 2 families traveling--my husband and myself with our 3 boys (ages 2 1/2, 6 and 8) and another couple with a 4 year old and a 7 year old. We both had a 2 bedroom condo that was larger than I expected with a great kitchen. I also loved that there was a washer and dryer--anyone with kids can appreciate this!
First let me say that we have traveled extensively throughout the carribean. I have been on 3 cruises (2 with Royal Carribean) that traveled to Bermuda, Bahamas, Antigua, Barbados, St Thomas, Martinique, and St Martins. We also went to the Sandals in St Lucia for our honeymoon and went to Grand Bahama Island last year and stayed at the Sheraton Our Lucaya. I have to say that the Hacienda Del Mar (HDM) was definetly one of my favorites!
If you are a single traveler or a young couple looking for lots of nightlife, i would say to look somewhere else. If you are family who loves playing in the water (pool or ocean), then this is the place for you! My 3 boys absolutely loved the waterpark with the winding lazy river and tons of waterslides of different speeds. My husband loved the swim-up bar :)

The reason I didn't give this resort 5 stars is because of the food choices being limited. I really do prefer an all-inclusive, but I have to say that I really don't think that we spent any more $ this trip simply because it wasn't AI. The problem is that there are only a few restaurants between this property and the other Hyatt (Dorado Golf and Country Club) and it is either fast food type (Johnny Rockets) or $25-$35 meals at the other upscale restaurants (Su Casa being one of them). The reason this is the case is that there is a hotel next to the HDM that used to be called the Cerromar. This is now closed and will open again in about 3 years as timeshares after extensive remodeling. When the Cerromar closed, a few restaurants closed along with it. These were probably the middle-of-the-road restaurants that are needed here. The Johnny Rockets and the casino (which was much nicer and bigger than I thought it would be) are housed in the bottom of the closed Cerromar hotel and are still open. My husband is an avid gambler who visits Vegas a few times a year (supposedly for business LOL) and he was very pleased with the casino (he sticks with balck jack and poker).

We rented a car near the airport (a mini van from Thrifty) and were very glad we did so. The only change I would have made is to go with a rental car company (like Hertz) where you can leave your car off at the airport when you leave (we had to take ours back to the rental car place and then take a bus to the airport but this did save us a few hundred dollars). Taxis are VERY expensive in Dorado and they will charge you at least $85 to get to and from the airport! We drove to the grocery store (Grande) that is a few miles from the resort and got lots of breakfast, lunch foods, snacks and drinks (especially bottled water--the tap water there tasted really bad and almost salty). That way we were really only eating dinner out. This saved us a ton of $ since we have 3 growing boys to feed! I also don't mind making breakfast (sometimes cereal) and lunch, but I do enjoy eating dinner out when I am on vacation. I did eat at the pool side bar several times for lunch while my husband had the boys up at the condo making their lunch and I fell in love with the Mahi Mahi sandwhich (called the Sardinera). I highly recommend this! The burgers were great too... a true cheeseburger in paradise! The service at the pool bar was also VERY fast! I was expecting to be on "island time" but this was not the case. We also ate at a seafood/steak restaurant a few miles from the HDM called La Terraza and it was very good (about $20 per meal). There are lots of other places to eat off the property that came highly recommended--we just didn't get around to visiting them.

I can't say enough wonderful things about the pool/beach area! The only thing I was a little dissapointed about was the ocean water. The waves can get a bit rough (2-4 feet) and because of this, the water at the edge is not as blue as I have seen in places like the Bahamas or Antigua. Snorkeling is pretty much out of the question because of this. To be honest though--I spent most of my time near the gorgeous pool area (and that's saying something since I am a huge beach buff!). The lazy river was very large and went all the way from the closed down Cerromar to the HDM. It culminates into the large pool where the amusement park-like water slide sits. That was a blast! My husband even went down many times. The water in the lazy river and large main pool was a bit chilly, but I need it after all the 85 degeree days we had. There is also a large pool next to the main pool that has swimming lanes and is definetly warmer. Closer to the hotel sits a baby pool (1-2 ft) with a hot tub sitting right next to it. Smart planning!

The staff were nothing but helpful and nice to us! The first night there I called down to let them know that our dryer was missing the lint trap. A man arrived within 5 minutes, took a look at it and told me he would be right back with the needed piece...and he was (all with a smile too!). The third night we were there, I had my husband call down to get 3 more blankets (this was at 9:00pm). They were delivered to our door within 5 minutes too! I am not one of those travelers who expects to be totally pampered while on vacation and I do believe you get what you give when it comes to hospitality. We never experienced anything but great service here!

There was never a problem with needing to reserve chairs or floats by the pool. As a matter of fact, almost everyone who has seen our pictures comments on how it looks like we had the place to ourselves (and this was high season in the second week of Feb). I'm sure this will change in a few years when the Cerromar opens back up, but this place is so large and so well layed out that I don't forsee it being a problem.

We enjoyed ourselves so much that we are seriously considering purchasing 2 weeks of a timeshare here. It was just so perfect and is only a 3 1/2 hour straight flight from Baltimore (great with kids). I took a ton of pictures so please feel free to e-mail me if you would like to see them or if you have any questions that I could answer for you.

I am so surprised at the review I read about the Hyatt Cerramar. We've been there 4 times in the past 5 years and loved it so much after the first trip, we bought time share at the Hacienda del Mar. We couldn't have been happier with the staff, the food, the service and all that there is to do. We've gone back three times with other families and are returning in March 2005 with 4 more families. We hope to have as great a time then as we've had in the past. I hope things haven't changed THAT much since the hotel closed. I'm looking forward to the hotel becoming a time share property.

Since this is a former large hotel, it has excellent facilities for a timeshare--much more than you would expect. Big beach, big pools, Tennis courts, golf courses, lots of activities. So, if you go, go for the facilities.

HOWEVER, the staff is the worst I've ever seen. My wife and I own 4 timeshares and have traded all over the world. Never have I seen a staff as incompetent and disinterested as this one. In a week there, I never saw a single staff member smile at any guest, did not hear a single "Buenos Dias" when a guest was passed, nothing. I sat in the lobby for an hour one day and watched to make certain it wasn't just me. Everytime anyone went to the front desk to ask a question, they were met with the "I could care less about your silly little problem" look and answered in monosylables. If you asked for directions, they gave you a piece of paperwith directions. No words were exchanged, just "here's your paper, now get out of my face!" I THOUGHT I WAS IN FRANCE!

I have traveled enough to know that there are lots of personalities in hotels--some very good, some, not so good. However, somehow in this one, they have collected the worst of the worst.

So, go to enjoy the beach, the golf and tennis. But don't expect any help, a smile or even common courtesy.

My wife and I are not one's to write reviews of different vacation locations, but I felt compelled to write one about Hacienda.
We found the staff to be some of the most helpful we have ever seen(we travel alot) and check-in went very fast even at our late arrival. We found the rooms clean and spacious enough. The walls were thin but better than a motel. I read one comment about no carpeting on the floor, most tropical condos do not have carpeting because of the humidity.
One talked about no wave runners and bannana boats, we have been in Aruba and stayed at the Marriott Timeshares, you could not get a umbrella close to the water and they charged for them. You were scared to get in the water because of all the wave runners and boats. Yes I agree there is not alot of resturants right now because of the hotel shut down but that will not be long term. You are in a condo, go buy some local sea food and prepare it yourself, it is eay and good and alot less costly.
We have been here twice this year and am booked to go back in November. We took two of our grandkids and they thought it was great, a big waterslide they could go down time after time and kids club everyday and a big lazy river to use.
I do recommend getting a vehicle to travel and go out to dinner but rent locally they can help you at the front desk.
If you want rest, relaxation this is a great place, if you want alot of resturants and wave runners go to almost anywhere in the U.S..
P.S. If you want snorkeling, ask at the front desk there is a great public beach not 5 mins from the resort.
P.S.S. My wife and I are very energetic middle aged people, not old retired people. Go to this location it is a great place.

Check in was not easy. Our unit was not ready, and the staff wasn't either helpful or sympathetic - even at 5 pm. As a matter of fact, the staff in general were disinterested in the clients (other than the young woman who ran the children's events - wonderful). there were times I went to the front desk and waited and waited, though there were 4 people in the back who could clearly see me.

The room was beautiful, albeit a little small. We had a 2 bedroom, 2 bath. My favorite part was the incredible view of the ocean - be sure to get at least 5th floor. We were on the top floor. There was a great whirlpool in the master bedroom which we really enjoyed. We had 5 kids with us. The boys slept in the lock-off. There was a bed and a pull out couch - plus they had their own balcony. The girls used the pull out in the living room. The only complaint is that the walls were VERY thin, thus difficult for privacy. The resort is not new - and it's clear that it isn't a brand new, perfect unit - but it was, in my opinion, just fine.

The pool area was great. The lazy river was so much fun. The kids loved going down the slides and landing at the swim up bar, where the ordered pina coladas (no alchohol). The only problem - it's very difficult to get the tubes. You must get them by 10 or they will be gone. Most of the guests were very nice about sharing, however. We'd just ask if we could borrow and return. You can rent one for the day at 5 dollars for the day. There's a huge waterslide which was a lot of fun for the kids, too. There were plenty of chairs - no need to reserve them early. The place was pretty empty.The beach was beautiful, but very small (that is - thin). The water was slightly rough, and there were rocks in many areas. we spent more time by the pool. We did go over to Dorado (the hotel) and preferred the beach there.

There was little snorkeling or many activities. This was our main complaint. No banana boats, no snorkeling off the beach. You could do a catamaran snorkel trip - 2 and a half hours for 70 per person. We thought that was outrageous, so we didn't go. There were jetrunners for 65 for half hour which we did - fun, but expensive. There was ping pong, but they only had one ball! The casino was small, but pleasant. But the food was bad. My husband and I really enjoy good restaurants, and we couldn't find one. We did not have a car (bad idea). The hotel will drive you - but they charge a FORTUNE. If you decide you want to go out regularly - definitely rent a car.

We ate at Johnny Rockets at the resort (basic greasy food) and the Chinese place which was very good and very expensive. If we ever return, we'd probably just get take out rice from there and cook chicken or something in the room. Oh - the lock out is a double bed - not queen, if that makes a difference to you. Su Casa - the fanciest restaurant - requires long pants and closed shoes - so be sure to bring them if you care to go. We didn't.

All in all, the resort is lovely if you just enjoy lying around and playing in the pool. If you prefer great food and adventure - go to Aruba.

just returned from a week at the hacienda del mar (hyatt vacation club property) in dorado beach; we were there over the 4th of july week. the lazy river is on the vacation club property and is fully functional . . . tubes are available and the lazy river current is turned off @ 5pm. they have a variety of other pools (no diving), a giant water slide (also closes @ 5pm), and 3 hot tubs . . . one of the hot tubs is in a grotto that can be accessed from the lazy river or from steps located behind the johnny rockets restaurant. there is not a lot to do on the property except swim and relax in the sun, or use the spa (which is only open on wednesdays). there is no food or drink service on the beach in the evening. we noticed a variey of watersports advertised online by lisa penfield, who runs the watersports for hyatt, and we attempted to line up some watersports before arriving, and after we arrived -- to no avail. there is a watersports "representative" at the hacienda del mar site, and we were told "no reservations" were needed for jets skis and some other watersports activities. however,when we went all the way over to the hyatt dorado beach (the adjoining hotel) we found no one there and their hut completely shut and locked. (disappointing for my 14-year old niece, since that was the only thing she really wanted to do on site). we returned to the hacienda and asked the management to contact the watersports managers, but the watersports people didn't even give us the courtesy of a return call with an explanation as to why we were misled about the availability of jet skis. we highly recommend the el yunque rainforest, which is part of the us park system. it's about a 40-minute drive from dorado. if you can get a guided tour by a ranger (information at the el portal welcome center), this will be a highlight of your trip to puerto rico!!