I'm embarrassed to admit, I have lived here for over a decade now and haven't done nearly as much exploring of this beautiful state as I should have. I spent so much time jetting off to tropical islands and not enough time appreciating the paradise I call home. So when clients ask which resorts in Florida I recommend for a vacation, I've never been able to offer feedback based on personal experience.

Until now... Enter my first ever real staycation. 

After doing some research, I came across Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa located in Bonita Springs, FL. It was a three hours drive from us, which was far enough to feel like a getaway but close enough that we didn't spend the whole day in the car getting there. This was also the first real vacation we'd be taking with our son who was just shy of two at the time (November 2021), another reason we wanted to stick close to home as this was a trial run for future vacations we planned to take.

Why Hyatt Regency Coconut Point?

I had three must-haves to meet for a potential staycation resort:

• Must be on or have access to a beach
• Must have a fun resort pool geared toward children (like a lazy river and/or toddler pool)
• Must have great food options on resort and nearby

It's crazy how hard those basic things are to find together at a resort in Florida, but Hyatt Regency Coconut Point checked off all three of them.

Check-in Process

We're Hyatt Rewards members and try to stay at Hyatt properties when we travel and need a hotel, so we're familiar with the check-in process and how easy it normally is. I personally love that I get app alerts when my room is ready. We were able to complete the online check-in process before we left our house and by the time we pulled up we got the notification that our room was ready, and now with the ability to use the App as a room key, we easily bypassed the front desk and went straight to our room. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to not have to stand in a line at the front desk with our energetic toddler who had a lot of pent up energy from being stuck in the car for three hours.

TIP: The only downside to using the App for a room key was that it didn't work for the parking lot. So if you plan to drive and park at the resort, make sure you ask the front desk (at some point) for a physical card key so you can scan that to get in and out of the parking area.

The Room

It was very easy to pull the sleeper sofa out and put it back again. So easy I was able to do it with one hand while recording a walk-through video (see video included below). Once the couch was stowed away, there was plenty of space for our son to play with the toys we brought him.

The coffee bar was typical of the other Hyatts we've stayed at. It is k-cup compatible so you can always bring your own favorite flavors. Their brand was basic at best.

The other issue I had with the room was the bathroom. I'm not sure why hotels have stopped including fans in the bathrooms but it makes circulation poor.

View A Video Walkthrough Of Our Room Here:

The Restaurants

For a couple who is used to the all-inclusive lifestyle, the biggest shock from this trip was the food. We've eaten at hotels and resorts, but the pricing of some of the food here was astronomical. I understand prices are going up around the world for basic food items, and that is likely contributing but some dishes at the Tarpon Bay restaurant were $50 per person for things I pay a quarter of that for "back home" in the same state, along the same Gulf of Mexico.

We opted out of dining at the Corkscrew, the poolside grill, because we went off resort to try local places to eat instead (more on that below).

On the second night, we dined at Tanglewood. We opted to sit outdoors so we could overlook the pool area and listen to the waterfalls. Unfortunately, halfway through my delicious $26 chicken and risotto dish, I looked down and realized a dozen or so tiny flies had landed in my risotto. Apparently, per the waitress, the flies are a problem out on the patio, but nobody thought to warn us when seating us out there.

I nearly cried having to toss out half of that delicious meal, but there were far too many bugs to pick out. Every time I'd find one or two, more would land.

We also ordered the mozzarella sticks, because my toddler loves those, but unfortunately he wouldn't eat them because they were cooked (somehow) with the marinara sauce inside of the breading. I wasn't a huge fan of them, either.

My husband had a seafood pasta dish and it was excellent. 

We loved our dishes so much we came back the next night (and ate indoors of course). That was a much more enjoyable experience. There was a guitarist playing and singing in the lobby area between the restaurant and the bar, so we sat at a table overlooking that so our son could enjoy the music.

My husband and I both ordered the same dishes we'd had the night before, and I finally got to finish that delicious chicken and risotto (and wanted to lick the plate clean it was so good).  We also got a personal sized pizza to all share and chicken tenders for our son. 

The pizza was okay, but definitely wouldn't get it again. The sauce had an odd flavor too it, too sweet for our tastes. Pizza is normally our son's favorite, but even he took a bite and didn't want anymore. The chicken fingers and fries were toddler approved.

Other than that, we didn't dine anywhere else on property, or order room service. We did try to make reservations one evening for Tarpon Bay, but the first available reservation was at 8:30pm the night before we checked-out. It was that booked up. There was no way our son would stay up that late to eat, so we passed on dining there.

Restaurants Off Resort

Having our car with us was a blessing on this trip. It allowed us to explore the surrounding area. It also let us try different dining options. I researched our favorite types of food in the area before leaving and read up on reviews. I even received some recommendations from people on where we just had to eat while in the area.

One of those places was Coconut Jack's which is on the waterway heading to Bonita Beach. It ended up being the first place we ate the evening we arrived. It was hard to find at first because you're coming down a slight hill and then you have to turn into an oddly angled parking lot. They also make you use the valet service, which is a little stressful when you've got to get your toddler out of the car and know all your luggage is in the trunk. But the valet team was patient with us, thankfully.

Of course, I opted for a vacation drink to set the trip off right. The moment I saw the Key Lime Colada with rim coated in crushed Graham Cracker, I knew I had to try it. It definitely did not disappoint.

The fact I got to enjoy it with a view of the water made it that much sweeter.

It was definitely a cute little place with some indoor seating, a little ice cream shop, a small store, covered seating under their "tiki deck" and then a back deck where the boats pulled up to dock and some tables to eat at there, too. And it was very pretty all dressed up for the holiday season. We opted to sit on the tiki deck overlooking the water.

The waiter gave my toddler a bag of oyster crackers to feed the catfish with. We stood on the dock and threw them in one by one and watched the fish jump up and grab them. Lots of fun for a little one who is impatient for the check to be paid.

I went for the grouper stuffed with crab cake that the waiter talked me into. To be honest, it was good but it wasn't great. I was kicking myself for not trying their "world famous" Mahi tacos.

My son went with the chicken tenders, and they were typical chicken tenders.

My husband ordered the grouper, shrimp and scallop plate on a bed of rice. He was not happy. He said the rice lacked flavor which threw the whole meal off.

We were told by the person who recommended us that we had to get the key lime pie here. But by the time we finished eating we were stuffed, exhausted, and wanted to go explore the resort. So we opted to order it to go. We ended up eating it later that evening, in bed, and it was okay. Honestly, the resort had better key lime pie.

All-in-all we felt we'd skip it next time we were in town. If we weren't used to good authentic Gulf seafood fresh off the boat, we'd probably have enjoyed it more. But next time we'd try to check out some other options. We gave it ★★★☆☆.

The next morning we tried out Mel's Dinner for breakfast. In my search I'd found an old-school New Jersey style dinner just down the main highway from the resort. Being a Jersey Girl born and raised, and missing dinner food more than I care to admit, I put it on our list of places we had to try. We ended up going twice during our stay and by the end we wished we'd dined there at least once for dinner. 

Upon pulling into the parking lot we could see they spared no expense making sure this dinner looked authentic. Even the interior decor was on point. It felt like stepping back in time as soon as you walked in the front door and we loved it.

My husband had the turkey breakfast sandwich with a side of potatoes. 

Our son had bacon and strawberries.

When we looked at the menu ahead of the trip, I saw my go-to dinner meal, the shaved turkey club with fries. I was salivating thinking of it for two weeks before we arrived. When we sat down and I didn't even look over the menu because I knew what I wanted. I gave my order and the waitress informed me that the lunch menu didn't start until 11am, and it was only 10am. I was so bummed. So I picked up the menu and scanned for back-up options, but I guess she saw the look of disappointment on my face and told me she'd go check with the chef anyway. I gave her my back-up order, just in case, and nearly cried tears of joy when she came out with the sandwich. I tipped her very well and left some extra for the chef, too. I am not one to ask for special consideration on things, but the fact she went above and beyond to even ask meant a lot to me. That sandwich was the best turkey club I've had since moving down here, and was well worth it.

The prices were so much better here than at the resort or at Coconut Jack's and the food was excellent. We decided to come back here again on the day we left and grabbed breakfast. This time I got the steak and eggs poached and my husband got the breakfast sandwich again. The steak was probably the best breakfast IHOP the day before. Service was excellent both times. We gave it a full ★★★★★. We'll definitely be back again in the future.

We did try the local IHOP for a quick breakfast on day three, and we wouldn't bother with that again. It's good food if you like IHOP but with other great breakfast options in the area, we'd spend our money elsewhere next time. 

One afternoon we needed a quick lunch meal and didn't want to venture too far, so we took a quick drive to Pollo Tropical which you can get to via back roads without needing to go on the highway (US41/Tamiami Trail). That was good for quick service, and there are a few other dining options in that little plaza.

There are tons of dining options in the area, many not even listed online. We passed every fast food chain imaginable in the state of Florida, including Panera and Chipotle. Plenty of options for everyone. There was a Hibachi steakhouse (Tokyo Bay), Mexican restaurant (Iguana Mia), and a pizza place (Carini’s), and more.

The Resort

The resort grounds are beautiful. The staff does a wonderful job keeping everything pristine. 

I loved that as soon as you walked outside you could hear the waterfalls and see the perfectly aligned palm trees. 

There are a few fire pits for the evenings and you can buy (or bring) stuff to roast marshmallows with and make s'mores by the fire pits.

Tip: bring your own or buy off property because a s'more kit is around $25 at the resort!

Walking around the resort at night is romantic, even with kids in tow. The way the palm trees are lit up, and the sound of the water, and the dancing fire pits. There was someone playing live music in the lobby that we could hear on our walk. 

It brought me back to nights at our favorite Caribbean resorts. I definitely give this resort 5 stars for their property. I had moments where I completely forgot we were in Florida at a Hyatt hotel and thought we were back in the islands.

Tip: Bring bug spray because you are in the tropical climates where mosquitos and noseeums can be a pest, especially after dark. 

The Pools

This is probably one of my favorite features of the resort. From the moment you step outside into the resort grounds you see and hear water all around you. The resort itself is set far enough back from the main roads but even if it wasn't, fountains and waterfalls would drown out the noise of every day. 

Our first walk around was in the evening, after getting settled in our room and our son into his pajamas, he was just too excited to lay down and relax. Immediately upon seeing all the water, he wanted to get in. We knew the next day was going to have to be a pool day, just for him.

One thing that drew me to this property was the zero-entry pool which gave ample space for little kids to play in the water that was only up to their waist. While our toddler is ISR swim trained, he had the best time playing in the water without having to worry about needing to swim/self rescue.

We also loved the lazy river. Of course, this Momma could have spent hours floating around there, but with a high energy little boy he got bored quickly and we had to move on. We brought a float for him which allowed us to relax a little while we held onto the side. It was fun to have him float along with us and he thought it was cool that the water was carrying us. He liked to stop and watch the big kids go down the water slides.

Unfortunately,  he was too small for the big water slides, and we were too busy keeping up with him that we didn't get to try them, but they looked like a lot of fun.

There was also a toddler slide, which our son LOVED. He wasn't so sure at first but my husband took him to the top and I waited at the bottom and after the first time down he was hooked. He probably would have spent all day there if he could.

 

The one and only downside to the pools is while they are technically heated, they were still too cold for us. Our son would get very chilly fast and his lips would start to get blue so we'd have to take breaks to take him out and wrap him in towels and let the sun warm him up for a while before letting him play again. We went in the late Fall (November) so even though it was in the 80's during the day, the evenings were slightly chilly (low 60's) and it cooled the pools down considerably. Next time we'd visit in the late Spring or late Summer when the kids are in school and the resorts aren't so packed but the weather is warm again.

The Beach

This may have been the only downside to our trip (aside from high pricing of food). We did miss having a beach within walking distance and while the boat ride over to the private island was fun we would have liked a resort with all that Hyatt had to offer but right directly on the beach. 

To get to the beach you first have to make a reservation online with the boat company. That was a pain because it meant you really had to plan it out, and they don't go for sunset so if you're hoping to see the sunset from the beach you'll have to take a drive to a local beach to do it. 

We made the boat shuttle reservation for one day for the 4pm slot, since the other times were booked for that day. It was good to get over there and see the beach and experience it all, but the last boat shuttle back was an hour later so we didn't have much time to spend. We really only went to check it out.

The walk from the resort to the boat docks is about 10 minutes and it's all on a boardwalk over the mangroves. We got bit up a lot by the little flies while walking, so put the bug spray on early when you go. 

There is a little waiting area there if you get there early, and you can always walk over there to sit and watch the sun set, too.

The boat ride over is very nice and about 15 minutes long, each way. It's nice to be on the water and we got to see dolphins swimming in the wake from the boat, which the captain said is a usual occurrence so it's likely you'll see them on your trip.

Once there you'll see the Hyatt area where guests wait for the return shuttle.

The beach itself is nice but small. There were plenty of chairs and umbrellas for everyone. 

There is a pavilion with bathrooms and a place where they have drinks for sale (credit card only, no cash).

Beach toys are provided for kids. People leave them and they get put into a large wooden box next to the pavilion when you enter the beach area. Everyone is welcome to use the toys and return them to the box when you leave. This makes it easier on families so they don't have to pack a bunch of beach toys. We brought our own since we live in Florida and have them already for our beach days, but if you do bring them consider leaving some in the box for other families to enjoy if you don't want to pack sandy toys to bring home.

The beach itself is pretty, but we went at a time when the sun was behind the clouds already so the water wasn't as clear as we like it. It was calm though. Perfect for our toddler to play in the surf. It would be nice to go back when it was earlier in the day but we just didn't have the time on this trip.

We were lucky to have a car with us the whole time, so we did get to explore the other beach in the area. We drove out to Bonita Beach which was about 20 minutes away. We had to pay to park but it was a beautiful little beach and we absolutely would come back and explore it more next time. Gorgeous crystal clear water and soft sand and barely anyone in sight when we went.

Check-Out Process

Like check-in, our check-out experience was just as simple. I did it all from my Hyatt App while we were having breakfast. Check-out is at 11am, and by 9am we were hungry and already packed up. But we weren't sure if we'd need the room one last time before we left the area, so we went to breakfast at Mel's Dinner down the road and waited until we were sure we were leaving the area before we went on the app and checked-out. It took all of one minute and the bill was emailed to me. No returning keys or waiting on line for a paper bill.

Things to know:

Parking is a charge. We got comped because it was my husbands birthday. If you don't want to pay for valet, then skip pulling up to the lobby area and turn right into the parking area.

There is a playground next door and we learned about it too late. Our son love going to the park and playing on the slides so we felt awful that we didn't explore it. The shuttle between the main resort and the vacation club area (the "Residence") was not working when we went (due to lingering COVID restructions) but we found out later we could have driven over and explored that property. The playground at the time took reservations, so we would have had to coordinate with the front desk at the Residence properties, but given how quiet it was when we went, I'm sure we wouldn't have had an issue getting in.

Download the Hyatt app. I can't stress this enough. It makes life so much easier for check-in/check-out and for making requests, sending feedback, etc.

If you see the Estero fire department and your kid loves firetrucks, make sure to say hi to them. You may get a surprise gift. We saw one parked by the boat area my husband walked over to show our son one up close. The firefighter ended up giving him his own (plastic) fireman's hat. It was the highlight of his entire trip and made this Momma cry. Our son was in absolute awe and cried when the firetruck drove away.

At the end of the day we had a fabulous trip and will definitely be coming back again in the future. In the meantime, if you have any questions or would like to book your next stay here or anywhere else through me at no extra charge- you can reach me at myparadiseplanner.com/help.