Park Hyatt St. Kitts Review
The Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour is the first Park Hyatt in the Caribbean, capturing the attention of Hyatt fans looking for luxury in the sand and sun. I had been looking forward to visiting this resort for a couple of years and was excited to finally get to do so. But as I explain in this Park Hyatt St. Kitts review, the resort was nice but not particularly impressive or noteworthy.
Location
The Park Hyatt St. Kitts is at the southern tip of St. Kitts, about a 25-minute drive from the airport and the capital city of Basseterre. The area around the resort is not very developed, but there is one restaurant next door (Spice Mill) that is about a 10-minute walk.
The resort faces the island of Nevis, located just two miles away. You can book a ferry to visit Nevis for the day at $60 round-trip per person. The resort will also arrange for a driver/tour guide. The staff mentioned that some guests take the ferry over to Nevis to have dinner at the Four Seasons located on that island, which isn't far from the ferry dock.
Park Hyatt St. Kitts: Typical Booking Cost
The Park Hyatt St. Kitts is a Category 7 in the World of Hyatt program. Here are the award costs for each room type (as of September 2023):
Standard Room
- 25,000 points off peak
- 30,000 points standard
- 35,000 points peak
Standard Suite
- 43,000 points off peak
- 48,000 points standard
- 53,000 points peak
Premium Suite
- 50,000 points off peak
- 60,000 points standard
- 70,000 points peak
The hotel has 124 rooms and 47 suites. The cash prices for the resort during my stay were around $800 per night for a standard room. I booked 4 nights for a total of 105,000 Hyatt points transferred from Chase (3 nights at 25,000 points per night off-peak, and one night at the standard rate of 30,000 points).
Check-In
Check-in was messy and unknowingly set the tone for service throughout our stay. The bellhop led us into the check-in area but no one walked up to greet us. A large family was already checking in but they were only interacting with one staff member. Three other staff members were watching that interaction without acknowledging our arrival. After a few minutes, I managed to make eye contact with one of the staff members and asked if anyone could please check us in.
The staff member greeted us and was very friendly and polite. While checking us in, she thanked me for being a World of Hyatt Globalist member. She also said that “we upgraded you” to an Ocean View Suite, but that was not quite right. I used a suite night upgrade, which was confirmed at the time of booking. This was not a complimentary upgrade on the hotel's part.
I asked whether any of the higher level suites were available. The rep said they charge for upgrading to premium suites. This was consistent with recent data points I had heard, but I'm also aware of others receiving complimentary upgrades to premium suites at this hotel.
I noticed the other guests enjoying a welcome drink, but we had not been offered anything. It was only when my wife asked for a bottle of water for our child that the staff member helping us asked if we would like a welcome drink.
Once we were checked in, the staff member led us back outside to be driven to our room in a golf cart.
Overall, the check-in experience was sloppy and nothing like I had ever experienced at a Park Hyatt before, or even at a Grand Hyatt or Hyatt Regency.
Park Hyatt St. Kitts Ocean View Suite
I applied a suite upgrade award to stay in an Ocean View Suite. The suite was spacious, but the decoration was quite austere. This was the first property I have ever stayed in where the bedroom did not have a single piece of decoration anywhere, whether on a wall, shelf, or side table. Still, the suite was comfortable and well laid out.
The bedroom was simple but comfortable. The king-sized bed was flocked by two side tables with chargers and light controls on each side. The bedroom shares a wall with the living room, with sliding doors on both sides of the wall. Curiously, the sliding door closest to the balcony did not reach all the way to the glass window. This left an opening of more than one foot between the bedroom and the living room. Perhaps the goal here was to make sure the bedroom still had access to the balcony. Whatever the reason, it's worth noting that the bedroom cannot be closed off completely.
The living room offered lots of space and seating, with a large couch, a reading chair, and a dining table with two chairs. The room led to the large balcony that included a couch and a pair of wooden adirondack chairs with a table. Our balcony had a nice view of the ocean and both pools.
The bathroom featured a double vanity with the usual amenities one would expect at a Park Hyatt, and a large soaking tub. The rain shower had ample room but the water pressure left something to be desired. The sinks were not well designed as the faucets were very short, causing me to rub my hands against the sink every time I washed them. Nonetheless, the bathroom as a whole was elegant and functional.
Overall, the room was nice but not impressive. Nothing in the room felt luxurious, even for a beach resort. Consistent with the rest of the resort, the room was perfectly nice but was nothing special.
Park Hyatt St. Kitts Review: Property/Amenities
The Park Hyatt St. Kitts has two pools, a beach, spa, gym, and a number of other common areas. Overall, the common areas were elegant, sleek, and well-appointed while still evoking a relaxed, beachside vibe. The landscaping and flora throughout the resort were well-maintained, though the sound of lawnmowers and leaf blowers were rather common in the mornings.
Park Hyatt St. Kitts Pools
Both of the resort's pools were enjoyable and offered something for everyone. The adults-only pool is secluded from the family pool, offering a tranquil space for those looking to enjoy the pool with less noise. The stone structures are a nod to the once ubiquitous old sugar mills found throughout the island. This pool has many lounge chairs and umbrellas, as well as a water/towel station that also offers complimentary sunscreen. The downside of the adults-only pool is that it is also farther away from the pool bar. This could be inconvenient if the resort is not offering pool-side service, as was the case during our stay. But other ToP team members have stayed at the Park Hyatt St. Kitts and mentioned receiving poolside service daily at the adults-only pool.
The massive family pool offers distinct areas for guests to enjoy. First, there is a zero-entry portion with some sand to mimic the beach. This is a great spot for little ones to play without being in too deep or for adults to just lounge while laying in shallow water. The deep end of the pool is an infinity pool facing the beach. This can be a nice spot to stand in the water with a cocktail overlooking the beach with a nice view of Nevis. Lastly, there is another part of the pool more geared towards kids, with a basketball hoop on the edge. All sections of the family pool have ample seating nearby and water/towel stations.
A handful of private cabanas are located between the adults-only and the family pools. These cabanas can be rented for $300 per day and includes sodas and water, two cocktails, a fruit plate, afternoon tea, and a 10-minute massage for two.
Park Hyatt St. Kitts Beach
If you are looking for powder white sand and crystal-clear water, the Park Hyatt St. Kitts is not for you. The sand is quite dark and the shore is rocky for the entire length of the beach. There are a few entry points without rocks, and once you're in, the water is swimmable and quite pleasant. Seaweed was another problem (at least during our stay), where each morning, the staff would scoop and remove it by the truckloads.
The resort has lounge chairs and umbrellas on the sand, as well as a couple of hammocks on the grass just before the sand. Nearby is the aquatics center, which offers complimentary paddle boarding, kayaking, and snorkeling.
Restaurants
The Park Hyatt St. Kitts has three restaurants: the Great House, Fisherman's Village, and the Stone Barn. The resort also has a pool bar that serves snacks and lighter fare. The food was consistently great everywhere we tried. Service at each restaurant was friendly but quite inefficient, even when factoring in “island time” (more on service later).
Generally, prices were pretty high, which is not surprising for a remote luxury resort. Drinks averaged around $25 and entrees started at around $35. Even entrees from the kids menu were steep at around $20, and we were better off ordering sides for our toddler, averaging around $10.
The Great House is the resort's main restaurant. Located at the center of the property, the Great House serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For breakfast, guests have the option of a buffet or a la carte service. Globalists receive complimentary breakfast and can opt for either or both.
The buffet consisted of many different breads and pastries, cold cuts and cheeses, an omelet station, and a variety of hot dishes that rotated daily. The hot dishes included local options like johnny cakes and different fish dishes. Everything from the buffet tasted fresh.
The ocean-front Fisherman's Village focuses on freshly caught seafood. The restaurant's design and layout replicates the fishermen huts that used to line the shores of the island and makes for a lovely setting on the water. Fisherman's Village has its own bar and the drink menu was different from that of the Great House bar. As elsewhere, the food was quite tasty.
The poolside bar is near the family pool and a short distance from the adults-only pool. The bar has some stool seating, a few small tables for drinks, and a few larger tables for four people with enough space for a meal. The bar was pretty active in the afternoons during our stay.
We did not get a chance to visit the Stone Bar, which is the adults-only steakhouse.
Gym and Sugar Mill Spa
The gym is located towards the back of the property, up the hill from the pools and the main areas of the resort. The spacious gym offered plenty of weights, equipment, and treadmills, and lots of space for yoga.
The gym had a small fridge with a few bottles of water, which were never replenished during our stay, even after the last one was taken. There was also a water dispenser with some paper cups. This suggests the resort might be moving away from bottled water, at least in certain places.
The spa is located next to the gym, at the back of the resort. Access to the spa's sauna, steam room, and plunge pool are complimentary. Treatments offered and pricing is consistent with that of other higher end resorts.
Service at the Park Hyatt St. Kitts
As with any other luxury property, good service is to be expected of a resort like this one. But this is the area where the Park Hyatt St. Kitts really fell short.
The only part of the team that really excelled were the bellhops throughout the property. From the moment we arrived, they were helpful in offering help with luggage and giving rides throughout the property on their golf carts.
Service at the resort's restaurants was rather lackluster. Multiple times we arrived at the Great House restaurant for breakfast or dinner and the hosts would be congregated at the podium without making eye contact or acknowledging we were there. And on one night, the restaurant was simply closed. There was no sign or any communication during the day, or even during breakfast, letting guests know that the restaurant would not be open that night.
The servers at the restaurants were all very friendly but not very attentive or efficient. I noticed other guests having similar frustrations trying to track down servers to place an order or request another beverage.
Service in the pool areas was non-existent. Throughout our stay, I did not see any server through the pool areas offering guests menus and asking if they would like to place any orders. Instead, guests had to walk to the pool bar to pick up a menu and place their orders. I also noticed that towels were not replenished at the various towel stands throughout the pool areas. Towards the afternoon, guests looking for a towel had to search throughout the pool areas or request one at the pool bar.
The lack of poolside service was truly puzzling at a resort of this caliber. But two members of the ToP team had just visited the Park Hyatt St. Kitts a few weeks prior and said they received poolside service with no issues. This could mean that the lack of poolside service during our visit was a one-off aberration, or it's simply hit or miss depending on when you visit.
Park Hyatt St. Kitts Review: Hyatt Elite Perks & Status Recognition
Elite status recognition at the resort was solid, as expected from a Park Hyatt property. We received complimentary breakfast daily, complimentary bottles of water in our room, and late check-out.
A complimentary bottle of sparkling wine was in our room when we first arrived, and we received a couple of sweet treats during our stay. My World of Hyatt concierge mentioned that we were celebrating my birthday during our stay. One day, we received a coconut cake in our room with a handwritten note from my concierge.
At check-in, the staff gave us a pair of drink vouchers, also on account of my birthday. These vouchers ended up being challenging to redeem. They were valid only at the main restaurant's bar between 4 and 6 pm. But the bar was not open during these hours for any of the days of our stay! To the resort's credit, when I mentioned this in passing to a staff member, the manager at one of the restaurants redeemed our vouchers on the spot for two of our drinks that evening.
Park Hyatt St. Kitts Review: ToP Thoughts
The Park Hyatt St. Kitts is a perfectly decent resort, whether for families or for adults only. The food and the pools were the biggest highlights for us, while the service was the lowest point. But across the board, nothing at the resort was impressive or out of the ordinary. Without the Park Hyatt logo emblazoned throughout the resort, this could have easily been mistaken for a Grand Hyatt or even a Hyatt Regency. Based on our stay, this property should not be classified as a category 7 property.
The dearth of non-stop flights from the US to St. Kitts and Nevis makes visiting this resort a significant commitment. Given how much easier it is to reach other islands in the Caribbean with cheaper resorts offering comparable quality, returning to the Park Hyatt St. Kitts will not be a priority for me.
I will also say that a few members of the ToP team had similar feelings after their visit. It is a beautiful shell of a resort.
