Puerto Rico´s Hyatt Dorado Beach Resort to Shut Down May 31

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.”

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.

The resort is Hyatt´s 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 Hyatt´s 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 hotel´s closure, “we are committed to regaining our presence on this island as soon as the opportunity arises,” Floyd said.