All Kinds of Reasons to Go
You’re in the right place, so why not give that name badge and lanyard a rest? Because there’s nothing like taking a tropical swim before a day of business sessions, Puerto Rico’s largest hotel conference space is also a sprawling beachside resort. And why not bring the family along, because the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico knows everybody will appreciate that “doing nothing means everything,” while your business meetings get underway.
Perched on a private and protected peninsula of palm trees, lush gardens and its own beach, the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico covers 72 acres. It’s simple to get a free ride whenever you need one from golf cart drivers that take you wherever you’d like to go. hyatt.com/hyatt-regency/en-US/sjurc-hyatt-regency-grand-reserve-puerto-rico
Mixing Business and Leisure
An unexpected personal experience showed me that guests in bathing suits and business suits happily coexist at this resort.
To avoid a “Home Alone” nightmare concerning the children, our frequent-flying family keeps a spreadsheet of who is traveling where and when. Checking it for updates, by sheer coincidence I saw that my daughter and I were scheduled to be in Puerto Rico over the same dates for entirely different reasons. Imagine our surprise to discover we’d both be at the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve (she was the one with a conference lanyard).
Of course, there are lots more reasons to go. The resort is home to four pools including Puerto Rico’s largest lagoon-style pool surrounded by cozy cabanas. Take a treatment in the Rainforest Spa and do the rounds of 11 indoor and outdoor places to eat including the island’s only interactive sports bar. The hotel kitchen can prepare a picnic for two, including s’mores, to enjoy sunset beside a fire pit.
There are tennis, pickle ball, and basketball courts, a fitness center, kids activity center, secluded beaches with beach volleyball, paddle boards and kayaks, plus two 18-hole championship golf courses with ocean views. Best on the island, this is home to the Puerto Rico Open of the PGA Golf Tour since 2008.
Stay awhile! Super-sized rooms and suites at Villas en la Reserva feel more like home than a hotel. Each one has a garden or ocean view from a terrace or balcony, a work area, plus mini kitchen and a dining area. This upgraded part of the resort has its own swimming pool, bar, and coffee shop, too.
Only 23 miles from San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, the resort is even closer to El Yunque National Forest, a must-see exotic rainforest operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. From sunset to dawn, you can’t miss hearing the competing mating song (“Ko-Kee, Ko-Kee”) of tiny native coquí tree frogs, known to be the loudest amphibian, which is beloved as the unofficial mascot of Puerto Rico. fs.usda.gov/main/elyunque
No Passport Needed
Although Puerto Rico is more than 1,000 miles from Miami, meeting planners and travel agents wisely remind clients that this tropical island is the unofficial 51st state. As an unincorporated U.S. territory, it’s considered a domestic trip, and therefore, doesn’t require a passport for citizens of the United States. Travel to this Caribbean destination is made even easier and faster without the need for currency exchange or customs and immigration procedures, while both English and Spanish are spoken widely throughout Puerto Rico. discoverpuertorico.com
Try the local PRadise Bliss Lager, a Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve exclusive signature beer created in partnership with a craft brewery in nearby Caguas. Or, get it as a frozen popsicle from a poolside food truck.
Photos: By author and/or courtesy of Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico