Hôtel Martinez: A Quick Review

As an avid Hyatt loyalist, I always seek out their properties wherever I travel. So, when I arrived in the South of France, it was no surprise that I found myself at a Hyatt hotel in an enviable location – directly across from the dazzling beaches of Cannes.

Thanks to my elite Globalist status, I was delighted to discover that I had been upgraded to a massive suite. The room had a spacious outdoor terrace with breathtaking views and a large bedroom for ultimate comfort.

One of the highlights for me was having full control over the air-conditioning – a blessing for someone like myself who easily overheats. With no restrictions, I could cool the room to my heart's content.

To our pleasant surprise, the hotel was also hosting a lavish July 4th celebration on their penthouse rooftop. While not specifically for the American holiday, the event coincided with a dazzling fireworks competition that takes place every few weeks during the summer season.

However, our only negative experience at this property was with reserving beach loungers. It proved to be a frustrating and overpriced endeavor, with cabanas costing nearly $1000 per day. Despite this setback, we couldn't resist indulging in the splurge and would do so gladly, even if it did leave a sting in our wallets.

Grand Hyatt Baha Mar & Nassau

Over time, I've come to really appreciate solo travel. For the July 4th weekend this year, I decided to head to Nassau to mostly get some time off from the last few weeks of work insanity. Being a traveler who likes to utilize miles and points as currency, I looked to see which hotels could be booked with points. The solution: The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar. 

First and foremost - the property is massive! It feels more like a resort in Las Vegas than anything else. A lot of the look and feel is also similar to the Bellagio on the strip. However, the hospitality is entirely different - everything is on island time and extremely relaxed. 

Despite boasting a massive casino – one of the largest – the casino was largely empty. And in fact, so were most of the pools and activity areas. The Baha Mar is a brand new resort and is still going through some initial growth pains. 

The hotel was passing out photocopied room service menus upon request, a few of the staff were still uninformed as to where some of the amenities were - I was sent into a construction zone / floor / boiler room before I could find the gym - and some of the room finishing is already falling apart – my sliding bathroom door didn't work because one of the major screws fell off. 

Regardless, it's an amazing property and I would highly suggest a visit if you're ever looking for options in Nassau. 

I also spent a few hours checking out the Nassau cruise port terminal. I'm not a huge fan of city tourism, but the town is definitely charming – colorful, lively and safe. I would absolutely love to visit some of the other parts of The Bahamas. However, this weekend had a single goal - sleep as much as humanly possible and relax without stressing out about work. That's for Wednesday.