W are staying at the Hyatt Hacienda Del Mar. I have read a few messages that the place looks old an the service is not good. Has anyone had any recent experiences they could share? We are going in March 05.

Thank you for any input. This is our first time to PR.

I am an owner at HDM. There have been some reviews on the Hyatt Dorado that the place looks older but HDM is a completely separate resort. I have stayed at many 5 star timeshare condo resorts (most recently Aruba Marriott Ocean Club) and none of them reaches the level of HDM. By the way, we also love the Hyatt Dorado, it is an old-style country club resort, very quiet and peaceful. You won't get Four Seasons level service but I have never had any complaints, and you can't beat the access to all the facilities - water slide, river pool, casino, four golf courses, numerous restaurants. I am picky and have never had a complaint. HDM is only five years old.

Thanks for your reply Eileen. We have our units with the Marriott, so I was trying to find out how they stood up. Would you recommend renting a car in SJ or at the Hyatt.

Definitely rent a car in SJ if you are not nervous about driving there. Otherwise it will cost you about $45 pp roundtrip to get from the airport to the resort. The two times we have been there we have not rented a car but we definitely will the next time we go back. I think the Marriott and Hyatt resorts are comparable regarding amenities, service, facilities, etc. I just did not love the Aruba Marriott Ocean Club the way I love HDM. One reason being -- there is still construction going on at the Marriott and the advertised river pool/water slide is not complete (kids were disappointed)Another reason is that the Marriott has crowded hundreds of rooms into a very small piece of land. Hyatt has much more room (the grounds are expansive) so is much less crowded and more peaceful, more of a resort feel if you know what I mean. Make sure you take the trolley to Hyatt Dorado (beach there is nicer, larger) and also walk or bike along the golf course paths, it will give you a real feel for the size and personality of the resort. Also, dinner at Su Casa is not to be missed, request a table outside overlooking the water. We also like the Asian restaurant at the Cerramar. It's funny about Hyatt Dorado, people either seem to love it or hate it, the ones who hate it seem to be the folks who are looking for nightlife and an extremely high level of service. If you can do without those two things, you will most likely enjoy it.

Golf- we just returned from HDM and had an amazing time!! The pools are fantastic and its very very quiet. We were there during one of the busiest weeks and it still felt as if the place was only half full. (except for the fact that there never seemed to be enough beach towels available)
Also plan to spend some time at the Hyatt Dorado Beach Hotel (easily accessable via a free trolley) they have beautiful beaches w/ calmer water and better restaurants. Make sure to ask the front desk if you can order authentic puerto rican food from Dorado Cafe for lunch one day. (the staff places an order every morning before 10:30 and the food is delivered around 12:30)
This was also our first time to PR, but we'll be back! Make sure you give yourself time to see other parts of the island as well, its easily accessable via car from Dorado. If you can't rent a car at SJU, try Vias, they're a great rental company in Dorado.