When I heard this past weekend’s blizzard forecast, I immediately booked a last-minute escape to Cancun with the family. We just returned back from a great “short, but sweet” trip to Cancun, including 2-nights at the brand new Hyatt Ziva Cancun.
We booked an evening flight on Friday that arrived in Cancun close to midnight, so to save 25,000 Hyatt points, we spend the night at the Aloft Cancun (across the street) for only 4,000 Starpoints. The next morning, we walked over to the Ziva and were able to check-in at 8 am, allowing us to enjoy breakfast and a full day at the resort.
View of the Ziva Cancun from the beach
Rather than a standard review of my own, in this post you’ll find a condensed trip report with some tips I think you’ll find useful if you’re planning to take a a trip to the Hyatt Ziva Cancun soon with your family.
Free Nights Are Possible
While there’s some great introductory offers, including 55% off and 5th night free, it still can be a pricey experience (rooms are in the $300-$500 range with the sale). With that being said, you can take a deep breath knowing that free nights are possible. A sensible option is to use the two free night certificates from the Hyatt Credit card, but another option is to redeem 25,000 Hyatt points per night.
To book a free night at Hyatt Zilara or Hyatt Ziva, you’ll need to call 1-800-228-3360.
The 25,000 points per night cover up to two adults per room (and children under 3) for an all-inclusive stay, which is an incredible value. You can add additional guests to the room for 10,000 points per night. Hyatt points can be acquired via 1:1 transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards programs. Ultimate Rewards points can be accumulated via one of my favorite credit cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Visa. Right now the sign-up bonus is 50,000 points after you spend $4,000 on the card within 3 months. That sign up bonus alone will get you 2 free nights.
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Getting There
There are several options to get from CUN international airport to the Hyatt Ziva Cancun. Of course, the first option (and most expensive) was booking through the hotel itself. The Hyatt Ziva Cancun offers airport transfers in a fancy and shiny Suburban for $110 round trip for 1-5 passengers.
I personally booked a round-trip airport transfer with a tour company called Discovery Mundo for ~$70. We had a nice and shiny private SUV that was easy to locate when we arrived (via a sign with my name), and they were also on time at the hotel to take us to the airport to go home. I used this service last year when I visited the Hyatt Zilara Cancun, and I will continuously use and recommend them because of price savings and professionalism.
The Property is REALLY Nice
Entrance of the Hyatt Ziva Cancun
My first impressions of the Hyatt Ziva Cancun was “WOW”. If you remember my post from last year, I was extremely impressed with the grounds of the Zilara Cancun, but the grounds and rooms here are actually nicer. Everything is brand-spanking new and the room had an “Andaz-meets-Park Hyatt” feel. The pools, common areas, and restaurants are all immaculately kept, and the ocean-front views are breath-taking.
Gorgeous beach and pool view from my room.
The lobby
When we arrived at 8 am, we were immediately escorted to the Club Tower where we had a private-check in right inside the club lounge. We were given delicious muddled-strawberry welcome drinks. The club lounge was always stocked with small plates, snacks, and drinks during breakfast, lunch, and dinner hours. The selections changed daily and they were genuinely good offerings.
Club lounge in Club Tower
Private check-in in Club Tower
We were given a king room (or Club Suite?) on the 6th floor with amazing views of the ocean. The room was spacious, with a very large bathroom and balcony. Our room was serviced twice per day, and the bed was incredibly amazing. I really enjoyed the large bath products and the fact that we were also given lip balm and foot cream in addition to all of the standard products offered at a hotel.
I had no complaints other than the lack of a Diamond Amenity. To be fair, there was a bottle of sparkling wine on the table, but it was sitting in warm water and the card next to it was addressed to “Mr. Chan” from the day before.
Welcome amenity for the guest from the day before.
I kindly told the front desk, and they simply sent up a new bottle of sparkling wine instead of redoing the amenity all together (I read somewhere that the Hyatt Diamond amenity at this property includes truffles, chocolate covered strawberries, and other sinful desserts – which I would have loved). No biggie, maybe it’s a blessing in disguise because I gained serious weight on this trip as it is, but welcome amenities are that small personalized touch I often look forward to when staying at a hotel.
Room 603 in the Club Tower
Couch
Minibar
Large bathroom
KenetMD bath products (large size)
Foot lotion, after sun gel, and lip balm
Really beautiful fitness center
I did not try the spa, but I wish I have!
Food is Hit or Miss
There are a total of 17 bars and restaurants at the Hyatt Ziva Cancun, with tastes to suit everyone. With only 2-days and 3-nights at the resort, I tried my best to experience them all (yes, I did gain 5+ lbs). I do want to express that I found the food to be a bit of a hit or miss, and you’ll be surprised when I reveal my favorites and the restaurants I thought were a flop.
To start with the basics, when traveling with young ones, we had this idea to hit up the buffet at least once per day since it’s easy to just grab whatever food the kids ask for on demand. At the moment, my almost-2-year old is on a pasta kick, and I found it quite bizarre that the buffet did not have any pasta offerings during lunch or dinner on any of the days. I asked the chef if he could prepare a small plate of pasta for my kids, and he looked at me like I had three heads before realizing I was serious.
Mercado Buffet
I’ve been to plenty of Caribbean all-inclusives and a pasta station seems to have always been a staple at the buffet. I’ll also add that I found that there were rather weird food combos at the buffet to begin with, and there really wasn’t much flow or rhyme or reason to the selections. I wouldn’t recommend the buffet for any meal other than breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, we really enjoyed Tradewinds. It’s a sit down restaurant with a limited buffet, and the food is actually delicious. I personally LOVED the french toast and cappuccino.
Table at Tradewinds
Delicious French Toast
Speaking of breakfast and cappuccino, I really loved that they had a full-service coffee shop at the resort.
And… a dangerous restaurant entirely dedicated to desserts. I did some major damage here.
Like a little kid in a candy shop…
Now back to the food… I also thought the Asian fusion/hibachi restaurant, Moonshine, was also miss. Unlike the Zilara, where hibachi experience was fun and tasty, the hibachi experience at the Ziva sure can use some major improvements from a taste perspective, presentation perspective, and even a sanitary perspective (didn’t seem like safe food handling/cleanliness of the grill was enforced here).
Hibachi grill at moonshine
Fried Ice Cream at Moonshine was the only thing decent.
Habernos is a beachside ceviche/taco joint and it was just “ok”. The octopus was pretty good and so were the fish tacos. Everything else we tried (tuna tartar, fish ceviche & mushroom ceviche) was nothing to write home about at this restaurant.
Octopus at Habernos
Fish tacos
I was pleasantly surprised by the food at Lorenzo’s. As an Italian food-snob, I expected sub-par food at most, but the dishes were delicious (though the pizza looked questionable)! I personally loved the gnocchi and the fried mixed seafood. The rustic-Italian ambiance is also really nice.
Inside Lorenzo’s
Lorenzo’s
Fried seafood appetizer at Lorenzo’s
4 cheese gnocchi at Lorenzo’s
Chevy’s Diner is a 50s diner that we popped in for lunch on our last day at the resort. Food is what you would expect from this type of place (burgers, sandwiches, fries, etc), but it was “fun” for the kids. My son liked sitting in the car booth.
Car booth at Chevy’s
We didn’t have a chance to try the French restaurant (reviews say it’s great) and the sports bar (not really interested in pub food/beer), but we did order room service for one of the nights while the kids were getting ready for bed, and the food was great.
Room service is also included.
There’s Beach Everywhere… and the Pools are SO WARM.
The Hyatt Ziva Cancun is geographically located on Punta Cancun (a peninsula), which means there is BEACH EVERYWHERE! I loved seeing the ocean every time I turned my head. The water is warm, calm, and super blue. The sand is soft and kid-friendly. There’s also beautiful piers and a picturesque lighthouse. Your Instagram followers will love you.
Little piggies running straight to the water.
Pelican on the beach.
Serene beach in the morning
Piers and lighthouse.
One of the many pools
Swim-up suites
Gorgeous pool
Get Photos Taken
Speaking of picturesque, be sure to book your free professional photo session. I dislike selfie sticks and expensive family photo sessions, so when I travel, I always make it a point to get some nice family photos done. There’s no obligation to purchase any of the shots, but if you chose to do so, it’s only $20 per photo (for print out and digital use). Here are a couple from our shoot (pictures of pictures because who has a CD-rom drive these days?).
Family photo.
Me and my mini.
There Aren’t Any Wristbands… or Distinguished Diamond Benefits
All-inclusive resorts are often characterized by wristbands that let the staff identify who is a guest at the property. When you check into the Hyatt Ziva Cancun, are NOT given a wristband, which I found odd because the sister property, Hyatt Zilara Cancun uses wristbands (and they are color-coordinated according to your status).
It’s easy to assume that your status level with Hyatt has an impact on the service you receive at the resort, but we didn’t notice any special treatment at all. The service overall was pretty outstanding to say the least.
It’s Not As Tot Friendly As I Expected. Except For One Thing…
With two young ones in tow, we were especially excited about visiting the water park and Kids Club. The Kids Club is designated for children ages 4-12, and we knew that ahead of time; however, most resorts allow younger kids to use the kids’ areas with parent supervision (We did so at the Andaz Papagayo among many others). At the Hyatt Ziva Cancun, it was strictly forbidden for us to take our kids play at all. I was bummed to tell my 2-year old that he couldn’t play in the kiddie water park under our supervision.
Another observation about the resort was that they did not have any highchairs, just booster seats. My 9-month old daughter is obviously too small for a booster seat, so I had to keep her on my lap during all meals. It would make sense for a family-friendly resort to be well-stocked with highchairs, especially since there were a TON of babies and young ones at the resort.
In light of all that, the hotel offers on-site babysitting. My husband and I craved some alone time after the kids went to bed at 7:30, so we inquired about the service. To our surprise, the rate was super reasonable – $15 an hour + a $20 taxi charge for the nanny. We opted for 4 hours a night to have dinner and unwind alone while the kids were peacefully asleep.
Of course I was super nervous about the idea of having a stranger in my room with my children, but when I met Daniela, I was immediately put at ease. She was SUPER professional, on time, caring, and kept in constant communication with me on Whatsapp. She even had a walkie talkie that connected directly to hotel security, and she came with a first aid/CPR kit in case of an emergency. I would recommend her to anyone and I would definitely use her if we travel to Cancun as a family again.
They Do All-Inclusive Right
I know by now I’ve written a novel, but I just want to leave this post off on one note – I am truly impressed with Hyatt’s move into the all-inclusive market. I’ve been to A LOT of all-inclusive properties all around the Caribbean throughout my years and this was simply the best experience I’ve ever had.
I couldn’t have asked for a better vacation (and I’ve even become a “travel snob†to some, hehe).
Have you had a chance to visit the Hyatt Zilara Cancun or any of the other Ziva or Zilara properties yet? If so, what did you think?
I can’t wait to try others – next up will be the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos.
I tried multiple (not popular dates) to book a room for my wife and 2 kids. They refused to find a room to fit us all (kids are 7 and 5) yet when I j went to book a regular rate site was flowing with options.
Might need two rooms w/ a connector door. Shouldn’t be difficult for them to preblock you into these rooms.
i just got back as well and i think i recall seeing you and your family there! i agree with you on every point, especially the water park and kids club. my 2 year old was very upset he couldnt play in the waterpark. i also noticed that the same dish at the same restaurant can be hit or miss depending on the day, i found that very odd but i guess we can chalk that up to the resort being so new.
Thanks for the review — will be there for my b’day in June.
One minor nit to pick: it is not hibachi but rather teppanyaki …
Thanks for the review. We have done the Zilara Cancun, Ziva Puerto Vallarta, and Ziva Rose Hall. My wife and I are heading back to the Zilara Cancun next week. We are excited about jogging to the Ziva and checking it out. We think that the Zilara Cancun is amazing, so we can’t wait to see the Ziva since you said that the grounds are even nicer.
I spent a week there on our Honeymoon when it was still Dreams Cancun, 9 years ago.. and loved every minute of it.
I’m excited that I can stay on Hyatt points now, but with 2 kids, 1 night is 45k points or somewhere in the neighborhood of $700 per night… that’s a lot. Plus I don’t remember us paying $500/night when we were just the two of us. I guess inflation?
Angelina,
I read the Zilaria report a while back. Even though you liked this place, we’re still going to the Zilaria later in the winter. Thanks for the report(s).
Angelina, did u just have 1 child in the room with you? I am considering visiting but unsure if they would allow 3 adults & 1 infant in a single room?
I had 2 adults and 2 kids under 2. I think you should be fine with 3 adults and an infant.
Hi Angelina, do you have to pay for your kids?
My wife and I were at Cancun Zilara in December for the first time and loved it. We are hoping to go back this year. For a couple looking to get away for a few nights, how would you compare the 2 and which would you pick? We’d love to take the kids sometime, but that’s a lot of points for 2 adults and 3 kids.
Thank you for the thorough review! We’re heading to the Hyatt Zilhara Cancun next month so hopefully can also swing by to check out Ziva.
Side question: Are there any all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean that you would recommend? We’re looking at a December trip.
Thanks!
I’ve been waiting for your report because I wasn’t sure which Cancun Hyatt to choose. Are both 25K per night? You didn’t mention the cash & points option. A 25K Hyatt would be 12.5K + $150 per night. That is probably the route I will take to stretch points and also be able to use a Diamond suite upgrade. Your suppose to get a one BR w/ an upgrade I believe. I’m leaning towards the Zilara.
DavidNJ – I don’t think any of the hyatt all-inclusives allow cash and points. Someone else can correct me if things have changed.
Chris G > you are right! I just did a search and the pts & $ are not an option. That being said, I’m now leaning towards the Hyatt @ Playa del Carmen. 10K pts + $125 and using a Diamond upgrade.
That sounds like a great idea. I am looking to burn my last couple DSUs in the next month, but I couldn’t pass up the Zilara. My wife and I had such a good time there last year, I am going to burn the 25k/night. I am actually paying for an upgrade to the presidential suite. I hate paying for an upgrade as a diamond, but you can’t use a DSU for an upgrade to the presidential anyway. I would love to try out the grand hyatt at PDC. Hope you enjoy it!
How did you like the Cancun Aloft? I’m sure it’s the least asked question, but I am staying there and wanted to hear your thoughts on that property as I couldn’t secure a reservation at the Hyatt. Appreciate any input. Thanks!
Great review Angelina. We went to Cancun and stayed on Isla Mujeras over Labor Day. We weren’t impressed and wished that we had stayed on the mainland.
You didn’t mention it, so I assume it wasn’t a problem. When we stayed on Isla Mujeras, the mosquitos were TERRIBLE! I’m hoping that the mainland won’t have those types of issues.
We’ve stayed at the Hyatt Ziva Cabo 18 months ago and it was really good, but it wasn’t as nice as what you’ve described here in Cancun. Cabo’s property is smaller, the ocean was much rougher with a strong undertow, and doesn’t have the expansive views of the beach and ocean that are shown in your pictures. It was previously a Barcelo resort until about 2 years ago.
Have fun on your next trip!
Thanks for sharing your experience…we’ll be going there in August. I wasn’t happy to know about the last part though…I hope they change their policy about allowing toddlers with parent supervision. I have a 10 and a 2 year old, I’m pretty sure my 2 yr old would LOVE to play in that water park,
This is a great write-up. I’ve never stayed at Zilara, but I stayed at Ziva (club level as well) the first time I went to Cancun in February and I loved it so much that I am going back next weekend for my birthday. I’ve stayed at a lot of nice hotels and have come to expect a certain level of service and aesthetic, but where Ziva really shines is in their personal service. I thought they got all the “little things” right — from the arrival (cool towels to greet you, private check in with a beverage of choice), to the presentation of the room (patio door open, ocean breeze coming through the curtains, tv on playing the Enya song, champagne on ice on the table), to the customer service of the staff (so polite and bent over backwards to accommodate)… I thought this was one of the best hotel/resort experiences I’ve had (and we’re known for our resorts here in Scottsdale, AZ!)
Great insights Angelina, thank you! We are travelling to Hyatt Ziva with our 14 month old in 2 weeks. We are going for a wedding and looking for someone to watch our daughter for portions of the time we are there. Seems like you had a great experience Daniella, would you please email me her contact information if you have it available?
Hello Everyone,
After doing extensive research and armed with knowledge, I called Hyatt to book a two night stay using my two newly awarded certificates at the Hyatt Ziva/Zilara. The first time I called, the representative was short, didn’t seem like she knew what she was doing. She stated that only “standard” rooms were available for award nights and upon checking for my dates, there were no standard rooms available. I asked her about point redemption, and she stated that It would not be available to book with points either.
Decided to HUCA. Another rep stated something similar. I figured maybe the standard room availability was booked for my dates so I asked her to look thorugh December. Still nothing. Then Januarary, February, March…etc. Nothing for all of next year. This seems so silly. What is the point of award nights if you can’t even use them.
I’ve seen others on other forums successfully use their award night for Hyatt Ziva/Zilara. Is there something I am missing? Do I need to talk to a different department than I have been? These award nights seem useless to me at this point.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks for this! I. Going in April for my nieces spring break and can’t wait
Hi,
The photo session option you mentioned… is that available through the hotel? Is that a service they offer? I am going to be heading there for a short vacation. Never been to Cancun and Im a bit nervous about looking for transportation to and from the airport so thank you for the recommendation. Have you tried any other transportation services? thanks so much for their feedback.
Hi Al! Thanks for stopping by. Yes, the photo session is at the hotel and free. Photographers walk around and will offer the session for free. No obligation to buy pics. I am headed to the Ziva Cancun again in a few weeks and will be using Discovery Mundo again – the service I recommended. Hundreds of readers have also used them and had no problems. Haven’t tried any others yet, sorry. Enjoy your trip!
http://www.cancuntransfers.com/
$55 R/T from airport to hotel. Used them 1/2 dozen times in the last two years. Will be staying @ the Ziva last week of February and will use this service. When leaving the Cancun airport for transportation, you will be harassed by many people trying to sell you tours, transport, etc.. Do not stop, say no thank you & just keep walking. They will try to make like they are there to help you get your ride to the hotel.
100% agree with David about the hustling that goes on at the airport. PS – hopefully we can cross paths during our stay!
Hi Angelina,
I was told that checkin time is 4pm. I was wondering how did you get an early checkin at 8 am? Is it just based on availability? Thanks!
We have a stay from 02/22 thru 02/26. I have Diamond status and asked for early check-in @ 12:00. Was told it is based on availability. Also have stay @ Intercontinental from 02/18 thru 02/22 and have Spire Ambassador so late checkout is not a problem. Wanted to get to the Ziva ASAP to enjoy the afternoon.
Anvi and David – In my case, we simply got the early check in because the resort was at low occupancy. Not sure if my diamond status helped. Maybe it did who knows. But either way I’m sure they will let you use the resort right away while the room is being prepared. I’m headed there feb 26 :)
Thanks both! I don’t have any status so wish me lucks :)
Hi There, thanks for all the tips. We’re planning a family trip there around new years and will have two one year olds with us. I noticed they don’t offer cribs, what kind of sleeping arrangement did you have for your little one? Thank you!
We slept comfortably by co sleeping. Some rooms offer a rollaway or a pull out couch. Maybe try calling the hotel to ask for a crib? I’m 99% sure we had one when we stayed there in jan 2016 when my daughter was still using one. :)
do you have buses to pick us at airport？
Had an 8 night stay booked for Hyatt Zilara last week of March, 2018 but cancelled last night. Read an article that in the last 30 days there have been 30 murders in Cancun. The drug cartels are to blame and tourist are becoming victims. Re-booked the Hyatt Regency Cartagena, Club level for less than 1/2 the points (12K per night). Not all-inclusive but get breakfast & evening food & drinks.
I have a wedding in October at the Hyatt Ziva and things have just been tight this year financially and it’s going to end up costing us over 3 grand on the room alone (we want to make a vacation out of it and stay more days) and that’s not even including airfare. I was looking around and I found this app called HomeToGo – very much like airB&B but they have BEAUTIFULLL villas available; million dollar home villas and I was wondering if you knew where on the island Hyatt Ziva was or if you knew what spots were near Ziva so when I look on a map I dan find a villa extremely close so we can still be with the wedding party most of the time (did i mention I was a bridesmaid in the wedding!) Lol any other help or tips would be greatly appreciated too!
Hey Jaime! A great way to book the Ziva is with points if thats an option. On the map, the Ziva is at the far north corner of the peninsula. You can input it on google maps and then see where it is relative to the villa you had in mind.
I’m going there in December and would love to book a photographer – how did you find one you liked or book it ahead of time? Thanks much!
Hi Carson, the photographer we booked was from the resort.
Hi there! I am going in May for a wedding, just curious on security measures at this resort. Did you feel completely safe the whole time? I’ve been a little nervous after hearing all these crazy stories about Mexico!
Xoxo,
Kelsey