With an opening slated for May 1st, it looks like Hyatt will have to push the opening of their Bahamas property, Grand Hyatt Baha Mar. There is currently no updated time frame for when the property will open for guests, though a quick check showed that the booking engine at Hyatt.com was not accepting any reservations until at least July 1st.
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****Grand Hyatt Baha Mar has subsequently opened, link to review above.****
Over-Exuberance or Bad Luck
I have made it no secret that I am a Hyatt fan (here is a post from today about one of my favorite Hyatt properties in Hong Kong). I have Diamond Status and love staying in their properties. My one gripe with the chain is that there are too few hotels in key cities or complete absences and an overabundance in others (no properties in Barcelona, Rome, Madrid, Lima, Manchester, Mumbai, but 6 in Pittsburgh, 19 in Chicago, 9 in NYC, but only one in Bangkok).
The good news is that Hyatt has decided to open lots more properties, and has several in development including some in the cities above. Closer to home, the new additions included a pair of new all-inclusive Cancun properties (under the Ziva and Zilara brands), as well as Cabo, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Cozumel, but several have been delayed.
I am unsure whether Hyatt and their partners on these projects were simply too exuberant with their proposed completion dates or if it is a case of bad luck. Rose Hall (the Montego Bay, Jamaica property) was delayed, and this is the second such delay for Baha Mar which was last slated to open in the winter and had been delayed until May 1st. Two more months has to cost the company loads and after setbacks in Cabo from the Hurricane, as well as these two properties I am starting to think this is probably an issue with their contractors and local infrastructure which had previously been cited as an issue.
Call to Make Changes
I am sure many disappointed people will be moved to other very nice properties in the Bahamas, but you should call in as soon as possible to make changes to your reservation if you are in the affected time period (May 1st-June 30th).
I am sure Hyatt will open a beautiful and successful resort in the Bahamas soon, but it’s cutting it awfully close (just three weeks) to inform customers that they will not be staying at their property.
Have you stayed at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar? How was your experience?
Ever since I stayed at the Ziva MBJ two weeks after they opened, I told myself I would NEVER make a reservation at a new property until a year after they actually open.
@Jim, they are usually really good but some of these Caribbean properties have had some trouble. I suspect it’s just a bit rushed, but I hope I don’t have to wait a year before I see this one.
Just a correction:
Hyatt Regency Mumbai does exist:
http://www.mumbai.regency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html
Also, it is important to note that Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar is a hotel that’s part of a bigger project. Baha Mar Hotel and Casino have a huge role in the opening as well. Grand Hyatt/Hyatt Corp are stuck in limbo as a result. The delay in the Bahamas definitely has to do with the contractors (http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Article/15526/Baha-Mar-faces-major-challenges-high-stakes) but then again, they may be scapegoats in this whole thing…