Secrets Bahía Real Resort & Spa (adults only, category C 21-29K points) 5-star resort located on the beachfront in Fuerteventura, Spain. The resort features two outdoor pools, seven restaurants, four bars and a 3000-square-metre Secrets Spa (gym, hot tub and sauna). The on-site restaurants serve a range of international à la carte or buffet-style cuisine and guests can dine on the restaurant’s terraces with sea views.
Our trip from Lanzarote to Fuerteventura
We first traveled to Lanzarote (ACE) from Tenerife and rented a car from Hertz. This particular Hertz location requires a valid international driving permit (link) to rent a car. We spent a few nights exploring Lanzarote and later traveled in a return car ferry from Lanzarote to Fuerteventura which costed around $140 USD. It is also easy to book nonstop flights from several European locations to Fuerteventura (FUE).
Award Booking Flights to Fuerteventura (FUE)
Iberia flights in mixed business (US to Madrid) & economy (MAD to FUE) can be booked with Avios if you plan 11 months ahead of time (see image below).
Cash flights to Fuerteventura
If you book 8-10 months in advance, it is also easy to find cheap roundtrip economy flights (Google Flights) to the Canary islands (see image below).
Hyatt Points Booking
There is only a single option to book “Junior Suite Pool View” when wanting to use Hyatt points for the booking. You cannot use Hyatt category 1-4 certificates toward all-inclusive collection, but CAT 1-7 certificates can be used by calling the Globalist Concierge (not possible for online booking or by calling the Globalist line).
Soon after I booked the Junior Suite Pool View room, I got a confirmation email from Hyatt and the room description mentioned “Junior Suite Deluxe Fontal Ocean View” which looked like an automatic upgrade.
If no room upgrade is offered at the time of booking or check-in, it may not be possible to use Hyatt suite upgrade certificates due to restrictions from AMR properties.
Cash Booking
As usual with Canary islands all-inclusive resorts, prices are very reasonable at this resort.
Hotel Lobby & Check-in
The overall hotel design is striking, with a grand lobby and unobstructed ocean views. You must see the expansive ocean views with volcanic mountains to believe it since pictures won’t do much justice.
Globalist Recognition
The front desk staff confirmed that we got upgraded from Junior Suite Pool View to Junior Suite Frontal Ocean View. Globalist status also gave us access to the Preferred Club with added benefits.
Is the Preferred Club upgrade worth it for the money?
Preferred Club gives you 4-hour access to Balibeds in Sugar Reef (cabanas over the ocean deck).
Club Level Ocean View Suites are the most expensive to book in the hotel (see image below). The exclusive Preferred Club seating at breakfast & dinner buffet is not special and very useful.
Club Lounge
The club lounge (image below) is too small and the doors were wide open without the need for room key access.
Rendezvous Bar
Preferred Club upgrade gives you access to the bar next to the lounge where you can get free drinks between 9AM to 6PM. As expected, the customer service is wonderful in this bar.
Junior Suite Frontal Ocean View
The ocean-view from the patio was amazing and we left the sliding door open to enjoy the sound of waves and sunrise.
Wi-Fi Speed
Spa
Fitness Center
This is one of the best oceanfront fitness centers I have ever seen. The room has glass windows with unobstructed ocean views and Technogym equipment. I enjoyed working out every day during my stay.
Indoor Swimming Pool
Breakfast & Dining
Secrets Bahía Real Resort & Spa requires you to wear decent upper body clothing (collared half-sleeve shirts or full-sleeve T-shirts), pants (hiking pants allowed) and shoes (sneakers are allowed) for dinner at all their restaurants. Wearing shorts, T-shirts and slippers is fine for breakfast and lunch. For dinner, I was able to get away with a full-sleeve Adidas Own The Run Long Sleeve Tee, Prana’s hiking pants and Altra trail-runner shoes. I would have been better prepared if the hotel sent an email about the dress code.
Not all the restaurants are open everyday and the hotel gives you the calendar when you check-in.
Market Cafe Breakfast & Dinner Buffet
Breakfast has an amazing variety of different foods everyday along with two omelet stations and does not feel congested at all.
Seaside Grill
This ocean-view restaurant (fixed menu) is open for extended lunch hours (12-5PM) and we enjoyed eating there after we checked into the hotel around 3pm. If the menu was different from day to day, it would have been perfect during our 5-day stay.
Himitsu Habachi
This restaurant is available by reservation only, which can be requested via the AMR app.
Secrets Bahía Real Resort & Spa Car Parking
There is some street level parking and the resort also has free underground private parking and the entrance is on a one-way street just before the hotel entrance. The entrance metal gates open with the room key from outside and you have to wave in front of a sensor near them to open from inside. I recommend to first open the gates, then get into the car and drive out since they open toward inside of garage. There are around 40 spots for parking and the hotel sometimes offers valet parking for an additional fee (depending on the occupancy).
Best hikes in Fuerteventura
We did the top three hikes listed on Alltrails.com (link) and all of them had unique volcano rim views and rock formations.
Arco de las Peñitas Hike
This was an hour drive from the resort (Google Maps) and is one of the best hikes in Spain.
Conclusion
The Secrets Bahía Real Resort & Spa is one of the best 5-star all-inclusive adult-only Hyatt properties in the Canary Islands and must be experienced during a trip. I highly recommend this resort over several other overpriced Mexican all-inclusive Hyatt options. The experience here was night and day when compared to the 4-star all-inclusive option from Tenerife (link). The Secrets Bahía Real Resort & Spa sets the bar high for all-inclusive resorts and I will compare all my future all-inclusive stays with this one.