Mr. O and I booked a last-minute trip to Cancun for the 4th of July holiday. This was our first trip since Covid. We decided to stay at the Hyatt Ziva to try something new. Normally we stay at the Hyatt Zilara and love it. We love Hyatt all-inclusive properties because it’s one of the few vacations where we don’t have to leave the property. We booked our stay with World of Hyatt points and used our Southwest Companion pass for the flight. This vacation cost us $655 which included flight taxes, activities, food, and lodging. In this post, I’ll review the Hyatt Ziva Cancun and explain how you can book the same luxury vacation for cheap. All Hyatt Ziva properties cater to families. Their sister property, Hyatt Zilara is adult only.
Cost
A base-level room with a king bed or two double beds is 25,000 World of Hyatt points a night for two people. This property also features the Turquoise Tower, which is the adults-only area. We decided to pay to upgrade to this tower and it was money well spent. Not only were the rooms newer, but there is a separate rooftop pool. The highlight was having a personal butler.
You have a few options to stay here on points.
You can obtain Hyatt points by transferring from Chase Ultimate Reward points. World of Hyatt is a transfer partner of Chase. This means if you have Chase points from any of the below credit cards, you can transfer to increase your Hyatt balance for a free night.
Current Credit Card Offers as of December 2020
Chase Sapphire Preferred- 60,000 Ultimate Reward points after $4,000 spend in 3 months
Chase Sapphire Reserve- 50,000 Ultimate Reward points after $4,000 spend in 3 months
Chase Ink Business Preferred- 100,000 Ultimate Reward points after $15,000 spend in 3 months
World of Hyatt Card- 50,000 World Hyatt Points after $3,000 spend in 3 months
Another easy way to earn Hyatt points is through the American Airline and Hyatt promotion. As a Hyatt member, you can earn one point per dollar spent at American Airlines with the AAdvantage – World of Hyatt promotion (link accounts here).
Currently the room rates are lower due to low occupancy. I personally like to keep my out of pocket cost as low as possible. I don't mind paying 25,000 points per night, considering your food and drinks are included. Also by using points, you won’t pay any resort fees or taxes.
So for an extended weekend stay, you’ll pay 75,000 Hyatt points versus $936 for lodging, food, and drinks for (2) people.
Check-in
Upon arrival at the Hyatt Ziva, we were greeted by several of the hotel staff members to sanitize our luggage, hands, and shoes. Only if you are staying at the Turquoize Tower will you be escorted to their private check-in area. You’ll be offered fresh towels and champagne as they discuss the property layout and services. During check-in, you’ll be asked to make reservations for their most popular restaurants. Because of the low occupancy, this wasn't necessary.
Room
We were offered a free upgrade to an oceanfront suite. We booked the basic king room. If you aren’t offered a free upgrade it’s fine. All of the rooms are suites and provide an open airy feel with a view.
There was a minibar that included snacks, beer, and soft drinks. The suite includes a nice size walk-in shower and a Jacuzzi tub outside.
Dining
This massive property has 17 restaurants. During Covid not all restaurants were open and the ones that were had limited hours. Our favorite restaurant was the casual Habaneros where they mainly served tacos. Dining with our toes in the sand brought us back multiple times.
Throughout the day we looked forward to the food carts coming poolside to serve us fresh seafood options.
Activities
Because this was a kid friendly hotel, there were lots of entertainment poolside throughout the day. In the evening, they had live dance performances. Another unique feature about this property is being able to swim with dolphins. This activity isn't included in the all-inclusive package.
Spa
If you have Diamond status with Hyatt, you'll have access to the spa for free. This included a hydrotherapy circuit that offered a polar pool, whirlpool bath, and herbal steam room. Basically, you jump in the hot tub and then take a dip in the icy cold pool right after to invigorate your blood. We also booked a couples massage. Unfortunately, I couldn't enjoy my massage as much because Mr. O fell asleep and started snoring.
Overall
Overall, the service at the hotel was first class. Due to Covid, the hotel was at 12% occupancy. All the staff members wore gloves and a mask around the property. Most guests only wore masks inside restaurants. We felt like the common areas and our room was thoroughly cleaned. I would highly recommend staying at this property for a kid-friendly, Covid free vacation.
Have you stayed at any of the all-inclusive Hyatt properties?