SLS Baha Mar

Our stay at SLS started off rocky with check-in being subpar. No assistance to show or explain the resort, even to offer a resort map. We didn't even get assistance to bring up our luggage. However, employees were polite and answered basic questions but did not go out their way to do more. We had an ocean view room, with views of the waterpark and the ocean. The rooms were beautifully decorated but small, especially the bathroom. Not enough vanity space. No fridge in the room for personal drinks and food. I heard you can request but didn't see the need to. The only fridge in the room was for the minibar, which is weight sensitive. However, our room was cleaned daily with fresh towels - housekeeping was excellent. They brought up extra towels and a blow dryer (one in the room was broken). They give 2 complementary canned bottles of water per day. Buy extra at the airport before going to the resort, which is only $2, versus $8 to $12, depending on the size, at the resort. We love the pool at SLS. To us, it was the most calm and easiest to find chairs. Grand Hyatt can get overcrowded and can be overtaken with strollers. Mixed customer service by the SLS pool, some assisted with putting the towels on the chairs (girl worker - didn't catch her name, so nice) while the others just handed you the towels to do yourself. Another instance of not going above. The food was good. We mostly got Starbucks to go for breakfast since the kids were eager to go to the pool or waterpark. We tried Cafe Madeline at the Grand Hyatt, which was good. They had plenty of seating (mostly outside). For lunch, we ate poolside. There are plenty of options, including 4 food trucks and a poke bowl shop. We also ordered lunch at SLS, which they had tables by the pool. My husband loved the food truck and ordered there multiple times. They also had food for kids like chicken tenders and fries. The poke shop was just okay. I had better. There are also plenty of options for dinner, but make your reservation ahead of time, which I did. Some without reservations were given a 930 seating time. We tried Pizza Lab, Katsuya, Sugar Factory and Filia. The food at Pizza Lab and Sugar Factory was okay. I wished we tried Cleo. We loved Katsuya. I highly recommend the salmon taco and octopus. Filia was also good. We also loved the grilled octopus here and the Branzino entree was great. Prices are like NYC resturants. You are looking to spend a minimum of $200 per restaurant. We had a family of 4. We think the food justified the price. We have been to other Caribbean Islands with similar pricing so we didn't think the food/drink prices were too high as some pointed out. They also have gaming area (for a fee to play of course) to entertain the kids after dinner and a nightly fountain show. The waterpark was great. Hardly any lines ! The kids enjoyed every minute and plenty of chairs or loungers to rest or keep your belongings. They do offer lockers for a fee to store important items. Towels were provided. The beach can get crowded, so go there early for seats. They help set up umbrellas and have beach food/drink service. We didn't spend so much time at the beach since the kids have been to plenty of beaches and only cared about the waterpark. Service charge and VAT tax is including in everything you buy, even for a bottle of water. Everywhere was cashless, except for Starbucks, which took cash/dollars. Overall, our stay was great. Had to take off 1 star due to mixed customer service. Everything was at the resort, no need to leave. I saw a few reviews about plenty of walking, but I felt SLS distance to the pools, beach, and Waterpark was just right. This may not be the case for Grand Hyatt since that resort is huge ! IMO, SLS is a great choice if you are looking between SLS or Grand Hyatt. Grand Hyatt was loud and the casino covered almost every inch of their 1st floor lobby which seemed like Alantic City or Vegas vibes to me. Regardless, if you are going with kids, they will have a great time! Read less

My stay at SLS was absolutely amazing. The courteous staff made my stay top notch. Ms. Sara at the concierge desk went above and beyond to make my experience like non other. Because of her will definitely visit again. The room was very clean and inviting. The bed was soft and comfortable. The pillows were the fluffiest felt like I was sleeping on clouds. The night life and entertainment was everything I expected and more. I must not forget Teron in photography at Grand Hyatt. He made sure I captured memories of this amazing trip. A photo session is a must! Also shout out to Miguel and Mikey the bellmen that took extra great care of my luggage. Read less