I wrote a complete review of Park Hyatt St. Kitts last year, so I won’t do so again. Those who read the review might be surprised that I returned, but I asked my six year old daughter the places she wanted to go. The first one was St. Kitts because she loved the kids club so much. And the kids club there is great. This hotel is very family-friendly, lots of kids to play with, and the kids club has activities and a playground. When the hotel opened they charged for it, now it’s free for guests. And she wanted to go back.
For the summer she suggested Venice to ride boats in the canals and Egypt to see the pyramids. I told
her that summer might not be the best time for Egypt, but that we could stop into Venice.
The Park Hyatt St. Kitts beach is not good, though the pool is nice and the view of Nevis gorgeous. Rooms are nice, but that service is not good would be a genuine understatement even for the Caribbean and even ignoring expectations for a Park Hyatt.
Rooms could use a bit of maintenance, at least my room could have. It had creaky floors and a broken lamp beside the bed. TVs came on randomly throughout the stay on their own.
I had a deluxe pool suite again, which is magnificent, but the pool is not heated and gets quite cold. With a suite, beautiful view, and your own pool you want to stay around the room a bit and order room service but orders consistently come wrong.
Still, service was better at Fisherman’s Village than when we there last year. Room service was actually better than it was the prior year. And while not a beautiful, pristine beach it was an option, along with the pool, and we had a great time.
The Park Hyatt St. Kitts is an award category 7. Base rooms in season can go for over $1,300 per night, An ocean view suite you can confirm into for $1,700 and rooftop plunge pool suite for $2,242, deluxe which is a bit larger even more. You’d think service and attention to detail would be better at the price point, but everyone was certainly friendly and running a high end hotel in this spot is darned tough.
If I were running the property I’d have more staff doing more service checks and running interference when there are problems, expediting solutions. I’d restructure the beach area a bit if I were permitted to do so, bring in white sand, and replenish it. I’d vary the menu more to make it more attractive for guests to remain on property. I’d do in-room check-in and check-out, and utilize the front desk are differently since it’s not a spot you really return to for any other reason.
I enjoyed my stay, even a bit more this time. This property has so much potential. Though I imagine that while rates are high, there are too many periods of low occupancy and this isn’t helped by how limited air service is to St. Kitts. If the hotel were easier to get to – if I didn’t need to take a pre-6 a.m. flight or overnight on the way, and if return flights didn’t get me home at midnight – I’d visit more often.
Park Hyatt St. Kitts Check-In
Deluxe Plunge Pool Suite
Main Pool
Adult Pool
Beach
Breakfast
Park Hyatt St. Kitts Grounds
Kids Club
Are people really enduring all the inconvenience of traveling to this remote island to spend $2,000 a night for a poor experience? What’s the point? Just to say “Look at me, I vacationed at St. Kitts…” (Ooo la la! Very fancy!) We certainly are in a period of decadence.
Oh my god, look at those breakfast prices!!!
This hotel is in an isolated part of the island.
Once you’re here, they got you.
There is nothing to do around there, you may as well be anywhere else in the world, you wont even know what island you’re on
I agree with your review.
I am also a Globalist member.
Only one restaurant was open when we went.
Service was the worst of any awesome hotels I have stayed in Caribbean.
We did a day trip to Four Seasons, that was nice.
Pools are very nice at Park Hyatt.
Also hotel is in middle of no where.
I would stay at the Marriott in town, if I go back.
Great photos and comments, Gary! I presume you’re dealing with flights to/from Austin, so you really do have to take at least one-stop to get there. When I lived in FL, the nonstop from MIA with American was ideal, reasonable times, relatively reliable, etc. But, if I had a domestic connect through there, yeah, that’s not fun. Super stressful if there’s a delay, even with Global Entry, CLEAR, catching another flight within 2 hours it cutting it close, then yes, ending up at home super late. Eek.
Honestly, the best thing about this place is points redemptions and the views of Nevis Peak in the distance. While the higher-end guests may prefer the Four Seasons at Nevis, I kind of liked that you did not have to take a boat transfer after arriving at SKB airport. We opted to rent a car from a local company, which is not always ‘great’ on Caribbean islands, but it worked out for us, and we got to explore more of the island, instead of just staying at the resort the entire time. The drive from the airport to the resort is actually really cool. That Timothy Hill Overlook is epic.
Used points, got an upgrade to third floor with private pool–that was epic. During our stay, though, there was so much Sargassum (seaweed) that we really did not even try to snorkel or swim in the ocean–the team there do try their best to ‘clean it up,’ but you really cannot win against Mother Nature sometimes. The food was decent–we like fish, so we mostly had seafood at each meal (other than breakfast–like, we’re not Japanese).
Stayed there in May 2022, still sort-of pandemic-era, fully-vaccinated and boosted, still had to do tests before arrival, and in order to return home (to the USA), which was a little frustrating, because they lifted the requirements to return soon after (June 2022). It was so ridiculous to pay hundreds of dollars to have a cotton swab rammed up your nose, then have the intimidation of possibly having the expense and inconvenience of an indefinite quarantine.
It could be worse, Gary, you could have been at the de-flagged Renaissance Carambola on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In all seriousness, I find the service in the English-speaking islands Caribbean to be awful. Mexico, the Dominican Republic and even Puerto Rico are better. Aruba too. And don’t forget: Saint Kitts and Nevis is a COMMUNIST country. While they still have the British king, the regime is fully in bed with Cuba and Beijing.
What I don’t understand is why this is a Park Hyatt. Why is there a Park Hyatt on Saint Kitts? And yet there isn’t a Park Hyatt in Denver, Dallas, Houston, Orlando, Miami, Naples, etc.
Nick Thomas: Your comment is probably one of the most stupid I have read in ages. St Kitts is one of the dozen or so countries that does not recognize (supposedly) Communist China but rather Capitalist Republic of China. Your government in either the US or UK is however in bed with Beijing. So stop lecturing the World about who they should be acquainted with, and educate yourself.
Gary, what instrument did you use to upgrade? Just status?
@Nick Thomas — I’m with @Minos in saying your comment was ‘beyond the pale.’ If countries could sue for defamation, you likely just libeled Saint Kitts and Nevis, though I hope you meant it in-jest, like as an ‘insult,’ not a serious or literal charge. Nevertheless, such a statement can be harmful, especially against individuals, since we (in the USA, at least) still have laws on the books (from the 1950s) outlawing communists and affiliated parties in our country. Just be careful with such a (often false) accusation against anyone or anything, is all I’m saying.
Some facts for you and others: Since its independence in 1983, Saint Kitts and Nevis is a sovereign, democratic, and federal state. It is a Commonwealth realm, a constitutional monarchy with the King of Saint Christopher and Nevis, Charles III, as its head of state. The King is represented in the country by a Governor-General, who acts on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party of the House, and the cabinet conducts affairs of state.
Having visited the country, I found nothing ‘communist’ about it, other than the occasional example of poverty, which is more a ‘human’ problem (wealth inequality) than a ‘communist’ thing. Comparatively, I have visited three of the five official ‘communist’ countries in the world: China, Vietnam, and Laos. Based on my experiences, I found that even they are ‘communist’ in-name only as there is ample private ownership, wealth, and greed in all those places, too. So, rest assured, thanks to globalization, capitalism thrives everywhere, even there. Yup. We did it. We defeated ‘communism’! The real issue was not economics, it was that we opposed totalitarian authoritarian dictatorships, which unfortunately, many ‘communist’ countries became. Lest we forget the lessons of history, that could happen anywhere, even here (in the US). Take care!
I misspoke. Saint Kitts is fully in bed with communist Cuba. I was thinking of Grenada. Their prime minister is a communist who went recently to the CCP “museum” in Beijing and actually bragged about visiting that “museum.” But China is buying up all the Caribbean islands. It’s only a matter of time before Saint Kitts flips its recognition of Taiwan to Beijing.
And for what it’s worth, the Saint Kitts prime minister is from the socialist Labour Party.
Thanks for the report and pictures Gary. This is why I started reading your blog. The hotel looks very nice to me, much better than the La Quinta I’m staying in tonight in Denton. But I do get a free breakfast tomorrow and so does my dog.
Gary, thank you very much for the review.
I generally agree with you. It’s a stunning property but not without its flaws. I’m also a Globalist and visited this property twice – once in March 2023 for 6 nights with my wife and kid and the second time in June 2024 with my parents and immediate family for 7 nights. I had brought my parents to the hotel in 2024 because we had such a wonderful time in 2023 (particularly, the breakfast buffet), but the experience was not the same during low season in 2024. We stayed at the Deluxe Pool Suite in 2023 (though we initially started at a standard suite, but because a variety of hardware issues – the front door wouldn’t lock and housekeeping left our doors open on more than one occasion and there were quite a few late night noise issues due to hard-partying guests upstairs) and one beachside suite and an ocean view suite in 2024, both with points and suite upgrade certificates. By the way, I’m sorry you missed out on the welcome gift (but you didn’t miss much in 2024). In 2023, it was a legit hand-woven straw/rattan hotel-branded beach bag, but in 2024 it was a mass-produced straw-like hotel-branded beach bag.
The pros of this hotel are the vistas, the kind and friendly staff (which haven’t been tainted by tourists), the lush gardens, the breakfast buffet (when it’s available), the value pricing of the food and beverages (more on that later), the massive zero entry infinity pool, and the secluded adults-only pool, the free use of water sports equipment (kayak, paddle board, scuba gear) and, for those who have children under 9, the kids club. The restaurants, bar and room service are all very reasonably priced (even Stone Barn, and the ice cream/smoothie shack is downright inexpensive, cheaper than the equivalent smoothie at Joe & the Juice or ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery). F&B is probably priced that way to keep you captive. The one exception is the market that offers grab & go food, drinks and sells souvenirs and trinkets. Nothing there was reasonably priced. Last but not least, the proximity to Cockleshell beach and the otherwise remote location makes this place all the more peaceful and relaxing.
Below are the drawbacks (albeit in narrative form).
While it was disappointing that Stone Barn was not open at all during our stay in June, it was gut wrenching that there was no breakfast buffet at the Great House. One of the main reasons we returned and managed to convince my parents to come was the breakfast buffet (because breakfast is still the most important meal to them), so this was totally unexpected. Never did the hotel mention that to us or that Stone Barn would be closed beforehand. When I spoke to the manager on the last day of my stay when he asked about our return experience and I noted the lack of communication about the limited dining options, he gave us 20,000 points or something in that range for the inconvenience. One of the knock-on effects of a la carte only breakfast at the Great House was that we had to suffer very slow service every day. Despite it being low season and the restaurant not being fully occupied, because the hotel was staffed very leanly, just having more than a couple of tables meant service would be very slow. We took that into account beginning with the second day by showing up first to the restaurant, but it always felt like they were harvesting the vegetables and picking the fruit and then cooking it for us.
The hotel front desk and concierge were also inconsistent as to Stone Barn’s opening hours – one said it would open on certain days during our stay, whereas the other said it would be closed throughout our stay. The latter was right. Because the food at Fisherman’s Wharf, particularly the seafood, was mediocre and because we had tried everything on the menu at the Great House, we really were looking forward to dining at Stone Barn (which we very much enjoyed in 2023) for the sake of variety. Room service food tasted fine, but they always missed an item or two or got the order wrong. Turn-down service showed up on some days, but not others. When they showed up, they alternated between Park Hyatt St Kitts branded milk chocolate and white chocolate (I preferred the latter).
This time, while our room was fine, my parents’ room had water leaking from the ceiling. Fortunately, it wasn’t significant enough to cause damage, but it took hotel staff a couple of attempts and days to address it. There was no remuneration for it.
We did a hotel arranged a private tour of Nevis in 2023 (which I highly recommend) and had lunch at the Four Seasons in Nevis during the lunch break. The grounds are beautiful, but the rooms are too dated, which is why we chose to stay at the Park Hyatt in both instances. The sunset on the pier that we observed while waiting for the boat ride back to St. Kitts was majestic. The shocking thing to me was that one of the staff members at the pier came out to observe the sunset. I had asked her if this wasn’t something that she saw everyday, to which she said, “It is, but just because it’s a daily occurrence, it doesn’t make it any less special.” That unassuming attitude that doesn’t take things for granted is what I loved about the people of the St Kitts and Nevis and the hotel staff.
We also did a catamaran tour in 2023 through Viator, which included a stop at a snorkeling spot. The water was clear, but not nearly as clear as Bermuda or the Bahamas. In 2024, we did a private tour of St Kitts through Viator, which was also very good. In both visits, we spent a day at Cockleshell beach, which is a 15-minute walk from the hotel and arguably the prettiest beaches on St. Kitts. The water is substantially clearer and the sands are largely free of seaweed. The bars there offer decent food at about 1/3 or 1/2 of what it would cost at the hotel and on Fridays there’s a lobster fest at Reggae Beach Bar that is very inexpensive, with live music. The cab drivers and tour guides always recommend lobster fest, but to my chagrin I missed it both times. Maybe next time.
This was so helpful!
I know the pools are unheated, but have been desperately trying to figure out how cold they really are. I have a trip booked for December in a Deluxe Plunge Pool Suite. We usually go to the Andaz Mayakoba but it just closed down. There, the balcony plunge pools are closer to hot tubs and they even have a full size very heated kids pool.
I personally like the pool warm, and can’t understand how the Park Hyatt St Kitts charges over $1,000 a night ($2,000 during peak season) and don’t heat the pools?!
Can you give me a sense of how cold they really are? And would it be any different in December than March, when you visited?