Dorado closing?
 

Came accross a press release earlier this week indicating that Hyatt Dorado was closing end of May. Anyone else hear anything? We will be at the Hacienda Del Mar time share next door near the former Cerromar in early May and I just hope that the service will not go down the tubes by then. Wonder what they will do with the property and how it will imopact owners at the time shares next door.

Where did you find this info? This will absolutely break my heart! We are timeshare owners at Hyatt Hacienda Del Mar and a large part of the appeal is the overall resort and the Dorado. There was not any indication about this at the annual meeting last November. They are turning Cerramar into timeshares and also building new condos on the new golf course so I find this hard to believe, the development seems to be really thriving down there and the golf courses are world-renowned. Hyatt Dorado is one of our favorite resorts!

I saw it on marketwire.com. We are still planning on going down in May to stay at the time share while dorado will still be open but now I will be concerned about service at the dorado and the restaurants. Is there construction at cerromar?

There wasn't in November and it seemed like a while before it would start (they were still getting approvals). Most everything at Cerramar is open - restaurants, casino, river pool,water slide, etc., it is just the hotel rooms that are not in use. Nothing is boarded up or anything.

Okay, I read the press release which doesn't say much. My guess is that the owners are going to develop it into a condo resort. It says the hotel is closing but does not say anything about the golf and tennis club which has many private members. I expect as an owner at HDM I will be getting a letter shortly. I'll post an update if I do.

Thanks Eileen. One last question. We are not renting a car. Do you know if the gorcery on site sells beer and/or liquors?

He Hyatt Dorado is closing at the end of May. There is no new owner, and Hyatt will probably sell rather than redevelop it. However, the plan is for Hyatt to keep the Hacienda del Mar and its facilities open. They just don't want to invest in what it would take to update the Dorado resort. That's all I really know right now.

I just received an e-mail response from Hacienda Del Mar. All four golf courses as well as the Dorado and Plantation Clubhouse will remain operational. All Hacienda Del Mar and Cerramar facilities currently operational will stay open with the exception of the Casino, as the gaming license was held by the owners. The trolleys will cease operating but Hyatt and the golf course owners are currently working on a solution and they will need to provide some type of shuttle transportation to get guests to the golf courses and the restaurants in the clubhouses. Plans to develop Cerramar into timeshares are moving forward and they hope to begin construction before the end of the year. That's it at this point.

My wife and I stayed at the Dorado Beach two weekends ago and enoyed our time there immensely. While we encountered a few minor inconveniences, the staff and management were always quick to be helpful. The Dorado Beach grounds and beach are exceptional.

We are sorry to hear this news, which seems somewhat odd to me. I suspect we will hear more about the reasons behind this move. For example, I had heard there were some union issues in the past and wonder whether this may have contributed.

I would find it hard to believe that this property will not be back in business in the not too distant future.

If you have a chance to stay there before Memorial Day weekend, it might very well be worth the trip. We were just about to give the Hyatt Dorado our highest recommendation in the forthcoming edition of our guide to Puerto Rico. But Hyatt says the property is showing its age and isn't worth their investment, a sad and puzzling response given how much people seem to like the resort.