Spent a week at the Hacienda Del Mar- just my husband and I. We chose this hotel having read many reviews and realizing that part of the resort is closed. We liked this because we did not want the crowds that seemed to be at the other resorts on the island. In general, we were not disappointed. It was nice having the kitchen to make meals and fix drinks to bring to the beach/pool. Not sure if you could do that at some of the other resorts on the island. Did not have to fight for chairs or beach space. It was not crowded at all. My husband snorkeled off the beach and had a good time. Make sure you put on some strong sunscreen though and apply often as the waves were a little rough and he ended up getting pretty burned. The front desk girls were a great help with directions and restaurants. I would definately go back.

That having been said, a few things to know. First, make sure you do not lose your bracelets that they give you as you will be charged $15 if they are not returned. They are the same type of rubber bracelets that you can pay $3 to "Livestrong". I'm guessing they are reusing these, which is kind of gross. Also, when you get beach towels you must have them back by 6:00 and get your room slip or they will charge you $25.

This was our first trip to Puerto Rico. I was really surprised by the traffic. It is awful- and I live in Atlanta so that is saying a lot. People drive anyway and anywhere they want. We saw several ambulances with flashing lights and no one pulled over. Just a warning to be aware of the drivers and expect people to drive in between lanes and along the shoulder. If you want to go to the east side of the island -Fajardo, El Yunque - it will take you a good hour and 45 to get there. We were not anticipating this. Traffic around San Juan is bad at all times. We were planning on taking the ferry to Culebra one day and the girls at the front desk told us that we should plan on leaving at 4:00 am in order to make sure that we get there in time to get ferry tickets. Needless to say, we didn't go. It is very easy to get to Old San Juan, however, by taking the ferry over. That was a lot of fun. All and all, we had a great time and would recommend it.

We recently stayed at the Hacienda Del Mar in Puerto Rico. Beware that the lazy river and water slide are closed and have been closed since approximately January 2008! We were looking forward to using this ammenity as our two children are the perfect age. We had heard from family that travelled there last year how fun it was. We were aware that the hotel next door was closed. In spite of making our reservation in November, Hyatt did not have the courtesy to contact us and let us know about this closing. Beware that there is now an imposing chain link fence surrounding the empty lazy river pool and slide. This fence comes right up next to the pool/cabana area and is a big part of your view to the ocean. The beach is beautiful, the condos are nice, but Hyatt not being truthful put a damper on our vacation.

The staff at the Hacienda Del Mar were terrific. Be careful of the rooms. They are very clean but our original room on the second floor had no view. The window was blocked by overgrowth.

The website continues to promote the lazy river and pool with slides. These features were apparently closed in February to make way for reconstruction of the hotel next door. In its place, you get to enjoy the view of a 6' high chain link fence, empty pool and deserted hotel. The Hyatt failed to inform any of its members of the pool closure.

The remaining lap pool is very nice but too deep for children under 10. The only restaurant is the pool bar with very limited menu. There are nice restaurants within a 5-10 minute drive but you should have a automobile for freedom. The hotel store has very limited selection of foods and snacks.

This place was a ghost town. The property was in decent shape but not up to Hyatt standards. The restaurants, snack bar, and most other amenities have been shut down.

If you are looking for a quiet getaway with adults, this is worthy of consideration. If you are traveling with young children, I would recommend avoiding until construction of the adjacent hotel is completed in 2010/2011.

We just spent a week at the Hyatt Hacienda del Mar in Dorado, Puerto Rico. We have been to the location five times before over the past 23 years and have always enjoyed it. Our first visit was in 1985 at the end of our honeymoon, then in 1989 with our then 2 year old, again in 1992 with our then 5 year old (leaving an infant at home) and then in 2001 with our 14, 9 & 6 year olds. My husband bought this week in a 2 bedroom timeshare at a school auction, overbidding significantly with memories of all those wonderful vacations past. Then we started to read the reviews...the adjacent Hyatt hotels on the property were closed, the river pool closed and we started to really worry. Were we off to some abandoned hotel site??? When we arrived we were very disappointed to see the 9 foot chain link fencing and the empty, abandoned river pool. Not only was it spooky but it was very sad, with all our memories! Since this was potentially our last big family vacation now that our kids are 20, 15, & 12 we swallowed hard and decided to make the best of it. So we went ahead and despite all the negatives we had a great week. First of all our two bedroom unit on the fifth floor was all recently renovated, new appliances, new sofa bed, very clean and with a beautiful view of the ocean (although also a view of the abandoned hotel). The one remaining pool that was open was nice and the beach was very pleasant. I did prefer the pool and the lagoon at the adjacent Dorado Beach Club (the former Hyatt Dorado Beach which is also closed) which guests at the Hacienda del mar are also allowed to use. While we were there the surf was very rough for 2-3 days due to a storm out at sea so the beach was closed for swimming. The waves however were amazing!!! The food at both locations was significantly limited, really only the beach bohios at each location. The burgers at the Dorado Beach club were fantastic although expensive $11. We bought groceries and beer as well as cases of water at the "Amigo" so we did have breakfast and snacks in our unit. During the week we ate dinner at the Hacienda del Sol (which was way overpriced and not very good), the Trattoria de Nanda (twice which was pretty good), Applebees and La Terraza, all in Dorado. The best thing about the resort is the golf courses. My husband and two sons played both the Plantation course and the famous Dorado East 6 of 7 days and again although expensive they had an awesome time! In the end it was a great vacation and we are considering buying into this timeshare resort since it has so many memories for us. One very important factor, you must rent a car since the cabs are way overpriced and you do have to drive to restaurants, to the grocery store, to the golf course (which is adjacent but the clubhouse is at least a mile away) not to mention to the airport. Overall we had a great vacatiion despite some pretty significant obstacles.