Trip motivation: Spring Break 2022
In March 2022, we celebrated Carter’s Spring break by heading to Puerto Rico! Our kids were 4 and 7 on this trip. We picked Puerto Rico because it was a new and exciting destination that felt international but would still count as a domestic US trip so we wouldn’t be required to quarantine. In addition to wanting to explore Old San Juan and the El Yunque Rainforest, I also wanted to go to a beach resort where we could drink piña coladas poolside and relax. This trip was a perfect combo! This post highlights info on our second half free hotel stay at the Hyatt Grand Reserve.
See additional posts on this trip at the following links: Flights and Itinerary, Old San Juan, and El Yunque Rainforest.
Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico
For the second half of our trip, we stayed at the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico. This hotel is on the northeast side of the main island, about 40 minutes from the airport. This hotel is not cheap. Prices were going for $650 a night when we stayed. Don’t forget to include the resort fee and taxes when looking at the cash rates. But we didn’t pay that price. We used points! Hotel nights at this hotel cost 15k-21k/night depending on the dates. We used 2 free nights that we earn yearly from having a credit card and points that were earned from previous Hyatt stays. You can earn Hyatt points from Hyatt stays, the Hyatt credit card and chase points which can be transferred to Hyatt. Learn more about points here.
In addition to having the room rate be free due to points, we have Hyatt globalist status which gives us some cool perks. The hotel was gorgeous. There was a beach on property and giant pool areas that we spent hours relaxing in.
Room
The rooms are spread out across several 2 story-buildings. When you check-in, take a look at the map provided to see if you can be in a building closer to the action, or you’ll spend a lot of time walking back and forth. Note that their deluxe room doesn’t have space for a pull-out couch and we had to downgraded to have enough room for us all. For more on sleeping on vacations, see this post here. We’re definitely not looking forward to future days when we have to pay for 2 hotel rooms.
Hotel Pool
We spent most of our time playing at the hotel pool. The pool was shaped like a giant fidget spinner with the “island” in the middle a shelf-height that let the kids be in the middle of the pool but also be perfectly safe to stand. Our kids are really good at swimming and Ben and I often use some of the pool time to switch off one parent lazy-supervising while the other gets alone time.
The hotel also had a kid’s club that was a little inconsistent when we went (March 2022). On one day, they had activities from 10a-5p that you could drop off your kids at (Age 5+ no supervision, Under, parents stay with child, but we just stayed nearby) Carter and Ellie loved playing with the other kids and doing activities such as fetching ducks, painting, and sports and lawn games. However, on another day, staff shortages meant no activities. Hopefully post-covid, there will be more consistency and Ellie will be old enough to be left on her own.
Hyatt Regency Club
This is a perk that is offered to those who book rooms with club access or those with globalist status. There is a lounge with a patio that offers a place to work or relax. And most importantly, it came with free food. From 1-7pm, they had unlimited soft drinks and snacks (cookies, granola bars, chips, fruit), and hosted an hors douvres bar in the evening. (sandwiches, cheese plates, empanadas, chicken). We would stop by multiple times a day to grab some drinks and snacks to take to the pool. This is definitely a huge benefit. If you’re paying for an upgrade, you’d have to calculate if it was worth it but note that we probably saved at least $50 a day grabbing drinks and snacks.
Food and Drinks
Due to our status, we had a free buffet breakfast. The kids loved the French toast, omelet bar, and bacon. There were also plantains and guava cheese empanadas. yum!
Like many resorts, the prices are high and part of being a captive audience. If you’re going soon (2022), note that the restaurant reservation system was a bit of a mess and you will absolutely need advance reservations if you have any plans to eat at the Sushi or Steak restaurant. Entrees were about $40-$60/person. For lunches, we enjoyed grabbing food from the pool bars
I would highly recommend a car for off-site activities and restaurants. Close options near the resort include bakeries and restaurants near El Yunque Rainforest and a drive out to the Luquillo beach with food kiosks.
Final Thoughts
It’s always hard to judge if a hotel is worth the money if we didn’t spend the money. (We stayed on points) It was definitely worth the points we spent and we loved it. Something I would suggest is to mix up your stay with a cheaper accommodation closer to the West action on days when you’ll be adventuring around and then spend just a few days at the Hyatt really enjoying the pools and resort life.
See additional posts on this trip at the following links: Flights and Itinerary, Old San Juan, and El Yunque Rainforest.
