My family of four recently returned from a four-night stay at the incredibly beautiful Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in Nassau, Bahamas. Oh, what fun! This trip felt equal parts luxury resort and island adventure, and it was the perfect place for a memorable spring break for us this year. Our plan for all four days was simple:
beach, pool, water park, repeat!
beach, pool, water park, repeat!
I always try to share our trips in real-time over on Instagram, and I got more questions about this particular stay than any before. I thought it would be helpful to share few main takeaways from our 4-night getaway in paradise:
First, this resort is HUGE! We walked a lot, and had lots of options on what to do and where to go. We could lounge by the beach or pool, visit animals at various locations on-property, eat at a food truck or a sit-down restaurant, get ice cream, enjoy the water park, and more at any given time. We didn't have to leave the resort once, which was honestly amazing. It has a huge casino just beyond the check-in area, as well, but the closest we got to it was when we walked through to go outside.
Second, you can spend a lot of money here without realizing it. Having been here once before, I was not surprised by the prices and was able to prepare our vacation budget accordingly. We didn't purchase any souvenirs (typical for us) and we only ate one "fancy" (again, for us) dinner, and that helped a lot. I earned and applied a Guest of Honor award to our stay which was a huge blessing; we received a free (and delicious) buffet breakfast every morning and 2 drink coupons per day to use at certain bars (we used ours while at the pool). If you are not used to resort prices, this could be a big shock! But if you know your limits and what to expect, you can spend less than what you read about on travel blogs.
Third, this really is a kids' paradise! There are pools everywhere that even include a swim-up aquarium (!!) and cliff-jumping (!!), and a massive waterpark that is 100% fun for ALL ages. Baha Mar has a kids' club for an extra cost with rave reviews, but we didn't experience it for ourselves because kids clubs aren't typically our style. The flamingos and tortoises, however, *were* our style and we visited them often!
And finally, the water and beach here is just *chef's kiss.* I’m so glad I know the Bahamas as more than just a cruise port now. I underestimated this beautiful island until a few years ago, probably because it was so familiar to me living on the east coast. But this was my second extended stay (at this resort, specifically) in two years, and I hope it’s not my last. We are suckers for blue water, and this resort delivers magically.
Second, you can spend a lot of money here without realizing it. Having been here once before, I was not surprised by the prices and was able to prepare our vacation budget accordingly. We didn't purchase any souvenirs (typical for us) and we only ate one "fancy" (again, for us) dinner, and that helped a lot. I earned and applied a Guest of Honor award to our stay which was a huge blessing; we received a free (and delicious) buffet breakfast every morning and 2 drink coupons per day to use at certain bars (we used ours while at the pool). If you are not used to resort prices, this could be a big shock! But if you know your limits and what to expect, you can spend less than what you read about on travel blogs.
And finally, the water and beach here is just *chef's kiss.* I’m so glad I know the Bahamas as more than just a cruise port now. I underestimated this beautiful island until a few years ago, probably because it was so familiar to me living on the east coast. But this was my second extended stay (at this resort, specifically) in two years, and I hope it’s not my last. We are suckers for blue water, and this resort delivers magically.
Our four nights here were easy-going, memory-filled, and a good mix of fun and rest. We instantly fell into a rhythm of playing, relaxing, and eating, which was all we could have hoped for. When reflecting on our time in paradise, I had to stop and think about when the last trip we took that didn’t require me to make a day-by-day itinerary before this one was. I love every adventure we get to take, of course, but this one really felt like a true vacation, and I am so grateful for that element, too!
Our kids were never bored, and TJ and I had plenty of time to recharge, too. That's a win-win in our book!
For inquiring minds — our consistent points and miles strategy made this $8k trip possible for only $1,500 out of pocket. We transferred points from this card to my World of Hyatt account to book our hotel stay, and we used American Airlines miles we earned for our roundtrip flights. Our only spending was for flight taxes and food/activities at the resort. I’m in awe of the possibilities once again!
Yes to more memories like this please!
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