After almost 50 years of business, the
Hyatt Dorado Beach Resort & Country Club will cease operations
and close on May 31.
The 262-room
property, set on 1,000 beachfront acres in Dorado, about 20 miles
west of San Juan, opened in 1958; Hyatt Hotels Corp. has managed
the property since 1985.
The Dorado Beach Hotel Corp., which
owns the resort, said that it would terminate its management
contract with Hyatt on the same date, citing the expense of 
renovations and upkeep -- a
consequence of the shortcomings of a facility designed 50 years
ago, according to Richard Schulze, president of DBHC.
The facilities no
longer fulfill the expectations and requirements of our guests,
Schulze said. Todays travelers have more choices and alternatives,
which include state-of-the-art accommodations.
The nearby Hyatt
Hacienda del Mar Vacation Club Resort (the former Hyatt Regency
Cerromar Beach Resort) is a separate operation, which will not be
affected by the resorts closure. In addition, the golf club and the
four 18-hole courses will continue to operate.
The Puerto Rico
Tourism Co. is hopeful that a new owner will come forward so that
the Hyatt Dorado Beach can remain a tourist destination.
Chuck Floyd, COO
and executive vice president of Hyatt Hotels Corp., said Hyatt will
do all in our power to assist our loyal employees who have served
this property for so long.
The resort is
Hyatts sole hotel property in Puerto Rico and currently, one of
just three Hyatt facilities in the Caribbean (not including the
vacation club property). The others are Hyatts 360-room resort in
Aruba and its 289-room Grand Cayman facility, which has been closed
since Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, except for the 53
beachfront suites in a separate location across the road from the
main hotel.
Although Hyatt has
not announced its plans for Puerto Rico following the hotels
closure, we are committed to regaining our presence on this island
as soon as the opportunity arises, Floyd said.
To contact
reporter Gay Nagle Myers, send e-mail to [email protected].