Introduction
The Hyatt Residence Club (HRC) Coconut Plantation is located in Bonita Springs on Florida’s Gulf Coast. It is one of sixteen timeshare properties in the HRC portfolio, including one of five in Florida. Earlier this year I was solicited by HRC for a three-night stay at the Coconut Plantation wherein we would pay $262 including taxes and receive three nights in a one bedroom condominium and either a $100 resort credit or 10,000 World of Hyatt Points in exchange for sitting through a 90 minute timeshare sales presentation. My wife and I took advantage of this offer for our anniversary and just returned.from an extremely relaxing few days in paradise, just two hours south of our home. Details regarding the timeshare offer can be found in this post.
HRC Coconut Plantation location, approximately 20 minutes north of Naples
Property Details
- Category 5 (20,000 points/night)
- 72 residential-style condominiums, including studio (up to four guests), one bedroom (up to six guests), and two bedroom (up to eight guests)
- Private, screened-in balconies on all units
- One- and two-bedroom units include a washer and dryer, master suite with en suite bathroom including a jetted tub, and a fully stocked kitchen with dishwasher, refrigerator, and oven with four-burner stove top.
- Five pools, including a 1,000 ft lazy river
- Two outdoor bars
- Basketball, beach volleyball, and shuffleboard courts
- Nine TV video game room with local area network support. Consoles include X-Box, Playstation, and Wii.
- Camp Manatee children’s program
- Fire pit and barbecue area
- Fitness center, steam room and sauna
- On-property “provision” company for t-shirts, hats, sunglasses, wine, ice cream, etc.
- Easy access to the Raptor Bay Golf Course
Patrons of the HRC also receive full access to the amenities at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, located approximately half-a-mile south of the HRC and accessible via a shuttle that runs regularly between the two properties. Additional amenities at the Hyatt Regency include:
- Three adult water slides and two smaller water slides for kids
- Five pools, including a lazy river
- Five restaurants and bars
- Access to Hyatt’s private Big Hickory Island Beach, an idyllic Florida white-sand beach, via free water shuttle (15-minutes)
- Dolphin watch and eco-tours
- Rock climbing wall
- Tennis court
- Stillwater European Spa
Arrival and Check-In
Entrance to the HRC Coconut Plantation.
Driveway to the lobby; aka the “Clubhouse”
“Clubhouse” entrance
Beautiful lobby with lots of natural lighting, hardwood floors, and plenty of ceiling fans.
The Room – One King Bed Condo
The timeshare deal we took advantage of put us in an approximately 1,000 square foot, one king bed “residential style” condo. The rooms were tasteful albeit a little bit dated, with British West Indies decor that is very popular in Key West and throughout the Caribbean. Boy was the room spacious! Anyone who has spent time in Florida knows mosquitoes can be bad, so the porches being screened in adds a ton of value to the usability of the space.
Living room with screened in porch off the back of the unit. The units are decorated in a British West Indies decor, which is very popular in Florida.
Coffee table
Screened-in back porch
Screened-in back porch
Fully stocked kitchen including granite counter tops, a full size oven with four burner stove top, microwave, and dishwasher.
Kitchen
Bedroom with king bed.
Bedroom with attached screened-in porch off the front of the unit.
Enormous bathroom with jetted soaking tub. Shower on the left of the tub, toilet on the right.
His and her’s vanity.
The Coconut Plantation
We stayed in Building 52, unit 5260L, as shown on the map below. Buildings 51, 52, and 53 are approximately 17 years old and completely owned by timeshare investors. Building 54 was completed approximately one year ago and includes rooms designed in a modern decor. HRC plans to expand to the north with construction of an additional 25 to 50 units. Expansion was also planned to the east, however proximity to the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve has led to issues with permitting.
Site Map (we stayed in Building 52, Condo 5260L)
West Paradise Pool
East Paradise Pool
Adult Lap Pool
Kiddie Pool
“Alligator Alley,” the Lazy River
Grab a tube and relax as you float along the lazy river!
Just floating…
Sipping on a drink from Coconuts while turning laps in the lazy river.
View looking up from the lazy river
Hot tub; there is also an indoor sauna behind the waterfall.
Tiki Huts; this is where we spent most of our time during the day when not in the lazy river.
Coconuts Bar and Cafe. Many frozen drinks were had at Coconuts.
Outdoor ping pong and pool tables at Coconuts.
The Veranda Bar and Grill
Menu at The Veranda
Menu at The Veranda. You can order at the restaurant or pool side through one of the attendants. I only tried the Plantation Club, which was very good.
Paradise pool fire pit
Game room with nine TVs and local area network support for Xbox, Playstation, and Wii.
Fitness Center, including a Spin bike and free weights (not pictured).
Shuffleboard, basketball, and beach volleyball courts
Plantation Provision Company, located in the Clubhouse. You can get basics from sunscreen to wine and ice cream.
Plantation Provision Company
Lake at the north end of the property
Sunrise over the adjacent and public Raptor Bay Golf Club.
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point
Patrons of the HRC are able to access the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point via a free shuttle that runs between the properties every 20 to 30 minutes. You must get a wristband from the HRC front desk in order to access the other property.
Shuttle between the Hyatt Regency and Hyatt Residency Club.
Hyatt Regency; more of a traditional hotel resort than the HRC.
Fountains leading down to the pool area
Three adult water slides. You can tube down the white slide, which ejects you directly into the lazy river pool.
Tubing down the water slide
Lazy river at the Hyatt Regency.
Kiddie pool with two water slides for kids.
Adult lap pool at the Hyatt Regency.
Adult pool at the Hyatt Regency.
The Towel Depot at the Hyatt Regency. You can book excursions including private boat charters, jet skis, and dolphin tours.
Walkway from the Hyatt Regency to the marina, where guests can pick up the free water shuttle to Big Hickory Island.
Water shuttle to Big Hickory Island.
Big Hickory Island. Hyatt provides complimentary umbrellas, coolers, and beach chairs on the island. Unfortunately I forgot my camera, so these photos are stock (photo credit: Shutterstock)
Aerial photo of the setup at Big Hickory Island. Umbrellas and beach chairs are visible in rows. There is no charge to visit the island(photo credit: fineartamerica.com)
Idyllic Florida sunset
Rock climbing wall at the Hyatt Regency
Golf Club located between the two Hyatt properties.
Summary
The four days and three nights we stayed at the HRC Coconut Plantation were extremely fun and relaxing. The property is well maintained with a tremendous amount of lush vegetation. While the decor of the guestrooms was a bit dated, the amenities within each room more than made up for it. We only used the outdoor amenities at the Hyatt Regency, but I can say the Regency felt trendier than the HRC, with European club music blasting from a number of portable speakers by the pool. There are also over 400 rooms at the Regency, compared to 72 rooms at the HRC. In my opinion, I will take similar amenities and a bigger room with less people any time, especially since we could shuttle down to ride the water slides or catch the ferry to Big Hickory Island.
In summary, we had a fantastic anniversary at the Coconut Plantation. I could really see this property appealing to families, as there really is something for everyone. The supermarket is only a short drive away as well, which combined with the fully stocked kitchen was perfect for people like us who don’t like to eat out for breakfast or lunch. All in all, I think 20,000 points per night is about right for this property.
Have you stayed at a Hyatt Residence Club? Do you find the value to be better or worse than a traditional hotel? Let us know in the comments!