Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa: Still an Excellent Value on Points

It’s hard to believe, but last week has been our first stay in Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa in almost five years. Between the Covid pandemic, a death in the family and several hurricanes, our plans were derailed quite a few times. Fortunately, each time I was able to cancel without penalty thanks to using points. But just recently we finally made it back to one of our favorite resorts in the world. The best part? It’s only 1.5 hours from our house, no plane tickets needed.

Nancy and I have reviewed this resort several times (here and here), but like I said, it’s been awhile. Not a whole lot has changed, and that’s actually a good thing. Rooms have been recently remodeled, though. Parking is now $25 per night unless you are Globalist.

Since my SIL and her new husband (who live in Michigan) were planning to come down to Florida for a week, I’ve decided to treat them and book a 2-night stay in a room for a total of 40k Hyatt points. My family+MIL would share a suite, which I booked for 64k points for two nights.

I’m normally quite stingy with Hyatt points, and consider them my “splurge” currency. However, the ability to book a $1,700 suite for just 32k points is something I can definitely justify. Especially when it can comfortably fit five people. One nice advantage of this arrangement is that it has two full bathrooms, a rarity in most resorts. The  suite  is quite  popular on points, so you will have to book way ahead, especially during holidays.

Obviously, I would never in a million years pay that amount in cash. But I would probably book it if I saw it for $400 all-in per night. That’s the approximate value I assign to 32k Hyatt points. If you travel during low season, you can pay as little as 29k points.

Keep in mind that due to hurricane damage, the ferry to the private island is not running at the moment. They were supposed to fix it by the end of 2023, but that didn’t happen. Update: the resort website says the island is now open.

I was a bit disappointed, but decided to keep the reservation. The biggest selling point of the resort is the amazing waterpark with slides and a lazy river. That said, my daughter loves going to the private island, so I went ahead and made another suite reservation for the end of 2024.

The front desk guy couldn’t give me an estimate of when exactly this amenity will be available again, so you may want to reach out to the resort well ahead of your stay. Fortunately, there is a Bonita Springs public beach only 18 minutes from the hotel, and we drove there for the sunset.

Not a bad view

This was our first family vacation with my new BIL, and he had a blast. That Hyatt resort is an overall safe bet, and you have to be a serious Grinch not to like it. I think it’s a good option for families as well as couple’s getaways, which is quite rare.

Photos of  our giant suite

The suite has a room that connects to a living area. You can lock it if you want some privacy, which is something my husband and I took advantage of. My son complained that he was not able to enter the room in the middle of the night. That was by design, my dude.

The room has its own separate bathroom:

Fortunately, my MIL has no problem with keeping the kids, so it worked out.

I offered to pay extra for a rollaway, but she said the sofa bed was comfortable enough. I asked for extra sheets and blankets, and my daughter used the loveseat as a bed and found it acceptable. My son refuses to sleep on an air mattress these days, so we brought him a foldable memory foam bed  that I bought on Amazon. He was happy with it for the most part.

There is a large dining area, and we used the table one morning for our UberEats breakfast from IHOP.

I love the fact that you are guaranteed a bay view, another perk of redeeming points on a suite.

In my travel reviews I always try to be balanced, which is why I will now mention the negatives. While the suite was very clean overall, when we converted the sofa to a bed, we found a bunch of candy and cookie crumbs on the sheets. It’s not a huge thing, but they obviously don’t check behind the cushions. It didn’t really upset me, though it probably would if I paid $1,700 per night. Anyway, just manage your expectations. Also, the bathroom lock in the living room didn’t work, a minor detail, but still.

Another negative is there by design. There is no fridge, and nor microwave either. It would have been nice to be able to heat up that IHOP breakfast, alas…

Also, there is a chiller instead of a fridge, so don’t bother buying sandwiches in Publix before check-in. For those who need to refrigerate medications this will be a very big problem. You will likely have to use an ice bucket to make do. I called the front desk and they said they don’t have any mini-fridges to loan.

Fortunately, we brought some shelf-stable milk for kids

Obviously, the intent is to force you to spend money on dining within the resort’s perimeter. I get it, but it’s still a bit annoying. It goes without saying that it will cost you. One shocking example for you. I asked my MIL to get a few pastries and snacks for next morning breakfast, and she ended up spending $77. That’s some croissants and fruit cups, no drinks whatsoever. I miss the time when the resort had a club lounge that we could access via Explorist status. Those were the days.

Anyway, it is what it is. Buy a few snacks before you check in, use UberEats and make peace with the fact that you will still end up spending a boatload of money. We sure did.

Since my husband and BIL love a good breakfast, we’ve decided to splurge one morning on the buffet for the three of us. The cost is a hefty $30 per person, and it includes omelet station and  unlimited drinks.   The food was delicious, no complaints. They even had cheese blintzes, like my mom used to make us on the weekends in Belarus. Delish! But it will likely be a one-time splurge for us. We wanted to treat our BIL, so it was a good excuse. If any of our Globalist readers feels generous enough to use a Guest of Honor for our next reservation, I will be super grateful.

Staying as a Globalist (or via GOH) here pays off big time, no question about it. You can get breakfast buffet for two adults and two kids, and that’s nothing to sneeze at. Is it worth doing a bunch of mattress runs? For me the answer is a resounding NO. But if you can achieve this status mostly via organic stays, it can save you a ton of money at these type of resorts and make your vacation much more relaxing. Just make sure the juice is worth the squeeze. Literally.

A plethora of fun amenities for families

As I’ve mentioned earlier, the island is currently not accessible. In fact, they even closed off the boardwalk to the marina. That’s too bad, as I love walking there in the mornings. Hopefully next time.

You do still have access to the waterpark, a big hit with my kids. My son was so happy that he got his arm cast off in time to enjoy the water. The only thing he wasn’t allowed to do is go down the slides, for obvious reasons.

There is a poolside food service, which is very convenient despite high cost. It allows you to relax and enjoy your day,  so  I generally don’t  mind  paying extra to take advantage of it.

Make sure to get there around 10 AM or earlier, as the chairs do fill up as the day progresses.

The private cabanas can be reserved in advance and cost $550, not something I would consider paying

The resort had several complimentary activities scheduled during our weekend (like magic show), but we didn’t get a chance to attend any of them. We were mostly here for the waterpark and to enjoy the beautiful grounds.Many lawn games available

Final thoughts

It’s always a treat for us to visit this Hyatt resort in Bonita Springs. It’s not cheap, and there are tons of condos in Florida where we could potentially stay for just $135 per night (when buying Wyndham points and redeeming them on Vacasa rentals). But that’s like comparing apples and oranges. At Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa you are not just paying for a nice suite, but access to tons of amenities you can’t get at a regular condominium. That’s why I consider it a great value when using Hyatt or Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Book this one before they will inevitably bump it to a Category 6.

A reminder: Chase Ink Business Preferred (our affiliate link) still has an increased sign-up bonus of 100k points after spending $8k in three months. That’s an incredible deal that can  cover three nights in a suite at this Hyatt property (when transferred from Chase 1:1), as well as many other resorts.