Have you ever dreamed of a vacation that could give you everything you craved for? Hyatt Ziva Cancun did that for us! Enjoy its beach, pools with bars, and an excellent set of international cuisines. Best of all, everything is already paid for when you check in so you don’t have to worry about spending another dime for the rest of your vacation (except, of course, for tips which are optional). This all-inclusive resort is a vacation of luxury and one that you must try at least once!
Pre-Check In
Prior to our arrival, the concierge reached out to us through email and introduced their new preference program. We were asked if we had any food allergies and if we had any preferences or special requests for our stay. They also sent us a menu for pillows to choose from and aromatherapy for our room. We picked the memory foam and extra smooth hypoallergenic pillows and the relaxing, lavender scent for our in-room aromatherapy. We haven’t checked in yet and we already felt that we’re going to be fully pampered in this vacation.
Resort
It’s hard not to be overwhelmed once you arrive at the lobby of Hyatt Ziva Cancun. Its open space layout showcases some of its gorgeous pools and beach. They looked really inviting! Palm trees, cabanas, huts and lounge chairs surrounded the grounds. We wanted to explore every store and corner as soon as we arrived!
During check-in, we received a booklet or a “passport” which included a map of the resort and a list of its restaurants, bars, and activities. This came in handy when we needed to know which restaurants were already open and the dress requirement.
Since it’s all-inclusive, everything is already paid for except for the spa, premium alcoholic drinks and food like lobster tail. The only thing we had to worry about was how to make the most out of this vacation. If only we could spend each minute awake, right?!
Our Room
We were very happy with the room assigned to us. It was lovely and very spacious. The walls were painted in bright blue and orange. Unique artworks were hung on the walls, giving it a lively vibe. Our room had two floors, both with balconies, and a beautiful ocean view. The whole room smelled really nice too. At each level, there were bottles of our chosen aromatherapy with incense sticks dipped in them.
The first floor included the living area, dining area, minibar, closet and a bathroom. The living area had a comfortable sofa bed, TV and coffee table. It was the perfect spot to rest after a day at the beach and pools. Here, we chilled and ate the food we ordered from room service. Of course, we got to try the free 24/7 room service. Nothing exceptional but the convenience of having food delivered to our room at unusual hours is amazing!
The balcony at the first floor had a sofa bed too. At nights, we would lounge there and enjoy the tranquil moment. It felt relaxing to breathe the fresh ocean breeze. Everything is quiet except for the waves crashing onto the shore.
The second floor was comprised of the king-size bed, another closet, a larger bathroom with bath tub and two sinks, and a balcony with an outdoor Jacuzzi.
We were excited to try the pillows we’ve chosen but we realized later on the first night that we didn’t get the special pillows they asked us to choose. We weren’t sure if we should request for it the next day at the concierge but still we gave it a try. The concierge was kind enough to track the note for our preference and apologized for the inconvenience. When we returned to our room later that day, the pillows were already set on the bed.
When you are at your hotel room, do you also get the feeling that you just want to grab the treats and drinks at your minibar? It’s all beautifully presented before you and yet you think twice before consuming them because you know that these are charged more than usual. Part of Hyatt Ziva Cancun’s all-inclusive amenities is the minibar. Here, everything in the minibar is free for consumption and if your supply runs out, you can call room service anytime to have it refilled! How fun is that?!
Pools
There are several pools in Hyatt Ziva Cancun. Pools at the main lobby could get crowded. If you are looking for a more quiet and relaxed pool, check the pools near the Zen Spa. There are also a couple of hot tubs for those chilly nights.
There are bars by the pool and the beach. Hence, the name of the bar Dips & Sips.
If you get hungry, you can easily grab something to eat at the food truck by the pool or the grilling station by the other pool.
Beach
The beach is beautiful with the different shades of blue. During our trip, we only saw one fish and the water wasn’t as clear as we hoped it would be so I couldn’t say that it’s a great location for snorkeling. It’s an excellent place, however, to chill and float around. Perfect for the idyllic mood!
There’s also a lighthouse at the side of the beach. Check it out!
Activities
It’s hard to keep up with the excitement! If you still have time and energy, there are many fun activities available in the resort such as Pilates, Spanish lessons, water volley, water cycling, water fitness and more.
At night, you could watch performances at the stadium. During Sundays, make sure to watch the amazing acrobats!
Food and Drinks
Here comes another amazing part of the all-inclusive resort! Unlimited food and drinks! This is actually the best part for us. 🙂 Forget about diet during this trip. If you feel strongly in maintaining your physique, it’s best to allot some time at the gym but don’t skip on the food and drinks!
1. Ceviches and Tacos at Habaneros
At the farthest end of Hyatt Ziva Cancun is an al fresco restaurant. Habaneros is located by the sea so aside from the great food, you get an exceptional dining view.
It also has a bar close to the beach. So if you’re hanging out by the beach, you might want to grab some drinks at the Habaneros!
2. French Cuisine at La Bastille
Whenever we travel, we usually prioritize and prefer eating local dishes but Hyatt Ziva Cancun is an exception! La Bastille is an adults-only, fine dining restaurant that serves delectable French cuisine.
For starters, we had beef steak tartare and French onion soup. The steak tartare was delicious and well-seasoned. The idea of raw beef may seem unsettling but it was actually appetizing.
For main course, we had a medium-rare beef loin fillet and a rack of lamb. *As Globalist members, we received vouchers from the resort which allowed us to avail two lobster tails at any restaurant. We used these vouchers at La Bastille. The meals were very satisfying! Both meat were cooked perfectly. They were soft and very succulent. The grilled lobster tail was delicious, as always, and the mashed potato that came with it was tasty.
We finished our meal with crème brûlée and chocolate soufflé. Both desserts were amazing! The chocolate soufflé was moist and decadent. I absolutely enjoyed it.
3. Italian Cuisine at Lorenzo’s
Another excellent dining location and one of our favorites is Lorenzo’s. They serve excellent wood-fired oven pizza and pasta.
For starters, we had breaded mozzarella and, Mr. C’s favorite appetizer, fried calamari with marinara sauce. Yum!!
For the main course, we had the marinara pizza and four-cheese pizza. Its thin crust was light and crispy while the pizza was loaded with flavorful toppings. The marinara pizza was a combination of shrimps, calamari and pesto while the four-cheese was a mix of mozzarella, gorgonzola, goat and parmesan cheese. It was amazingly delicious! You could have the pizza split in two different flavors so that you can try more flavors and dishes.
We also ordered pasta – shrimp-stuffed cannelloni with four-cheese and fish fillet with parmesan cheese risotto. Clearly, we love everything with cheese! Both dishes were mouthwatering. The fish fillet was fresh and well-seasoned while the four cheese sauce of the cannelloni was heavy and creamy. Every bite of the shrimp-stuffed cannelloni was fulfilling.
We loved their thin-crust pizzas so much, we came back the next day! On our next visit, we had the same flavors for the pizza and tried their meat lasagna and stewed beef ravioli in creamy pesto sauce. We enjoyed the lasagna but if you have to choose, their shrimp-stuffed cannelloni is a must-try!
4. Asian Fusion at The Moongate
You can choose between the regular dining experience or be entertained by one of their chefs for a teppanyaki dinner. We chose the interactive teppanyaki dinner for a unique experience. Luckily, there wasn’t any line when we arrived. We made it to the last group for the teppanyaki dinner. The next set would only be available after 30 minutes.
We were seated at a long table with other groups of diners. There were around 6-8 guests per chef. Our server asked us for our meat and seafood preference. Once our orders were complete, our chef started to cook our meal in front of us. He had impressive skills! Our full-course meal included dumplings, miso soup, beef teppanyaki, shrimp teppanyaki, vegetables, and fried rice. It was so delicious but we found the serving to be small. It would have been better if the beef teppanyaki was served in a larger portion.
5. Buffet at El Mercado
If you prefer buffet dining, you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner at El Mercado. Mr. C and I prefer the specialty dishes of the non-buffet restaurants but since breakfast is only served at El Mercado and Tradewinds, we tried El Mercado’s breakfast buffet.
We were surprised to find that a line was already building up when we arrived at around 10:30 am. Tradewinds still had many available seats left but the food and drinks in El Mercado were better. It has an endless variety of international dishes, not to mention, they have great assortment of fresh juice!
6. Grill at Tradewinds
Although we didn’t eat at Tradewinds for breakfast, we ate there for dinner. As Globalist members, we were given a voucher that lets us avail any dish that regularly comes with extra charges for free. We used this voucher at Tradewinds and we were asked to choose between a Tomahawk steak or a regular steak with a side of lobster tail. Since our appetites at that time were not ready for a Tomahawk steak, we chose the regular steak with a side of lobster tail.
The medium-rare steak was grilled perfectly. It was fatty, juicy and well-seasoned! The side sauce and puree were excellent too. The grilled lobster tail was fresh and tender.
7. Classic American Dishes at Chevy’s Diner
Step inside for a fun experience in a diner setting – complete with the vintage car and jukebox! Since Chevy’s Diner is an all-American restaurant, they serve burgers, chicken tenders, fish and chips, and fried chicken. Desserts include oreo cheesecake, banana split and apple cobbler!
8. Desserts at Pasteles
Pasteles lit me up like a kid on a Christmas morning! It has a beautiful arrangement of assorted desserts. It has marshmallows, French macarons, donuts, cupcakes, chocolate and white chocolate fondue, cookies, strawberries, meringue, pralines, cakes, chocolate barks, cotton candy, rainbow-colored bagels, eclairs, and many more.
Every time we craved for some desserts, we just dropped by this magical store and picked any sweet treat we wanted!
9. Coffee and Pastries at Casa del Café
Coffee-lovers, here’s one for you! From 6 AM to 11 PM, you could get your daily caffeine fix at Casa del Café. They serve espresso, frappe, and cold brew coffee. They have pastries and smoothies too!
10. Sports Bar at Tres Cervezas Brew House
Enjoy the rest of the night at the Tres Cervezas Brew House where they serve draft beers and pub food. Or, you can play billiards! Like your usual sports bar, they have multiple TVs that air sports shows. You wouldn’t miss any game during your vacation.
11. Dips & Sips
Dip in the pool while sipping some cocktails!
Other Bars
Hyatt Ziva Cancun has several bars that can be found all over Hyatt Ziva Cancun. It’s very convenient to order drinks wherever you go in the resort.
12. 24 Hours
All bars, cafes and restaurants in Hyatt Ziva Cancun have a closing time except for 24 Hours. In case, you need a drink or a snack in the middle of the night you could go to 24 Hours! They also have fusball and air hockey in case you have extra time and energy.
Customer Service and Overall Experience at Hyatt Ziva Cancun
Given our great experiences in our previous stays at several Hyatt hotels and resorts, it’s difficult for us not to set a high expectation for Hyatt Ziva Cancun. Suffice to say, we enjoyed our vacation to the fullest! Customer service is excellent. Concierge, bellhop, housekeeping and restaurant and bar employees were warm and amazing!
The concierge explained everything we needed to know about the resort which helped us feel less overwhelmed. He enumerated the bars and restaurants in Hyatt Ziva Cancun and explained their specialties and unique features. He also helped us out with the map of the huge resort, essentially, everything we needed to enjoy our stay. After checking in, the bellhop helped us with our luggage. He was very kind to tour us around the resort as we made our way to the room.
Tips for your Hyatt Ziva Cancun Experience
1. Tips are optional but it goes a long way
Aside from spreading happiness, it keeps the drinks and food coming!
2. If you run out of small bills or currency, you could have it changed at the lobby
3. There’s a special promo for the spa on Sundays
If there’s one thing to worry about in this vacation, it’s figuring out how to leave this resort and go back to reality.
4. Breakfast is only served at El Mercado and Tradewinds
Personally, we found the breakfast buffet at El Mercado better than Tradewinds. The options at El Mercado was at least twice as much!
5. Reservations are not accepted at any of the restaurants
It’s first-come first-serve seating for all restaurants. We didn’t encounter any problem such as full occupancy or long lines except for the one time we had breakfast buffet at El Mercado.
6. Must-try restaurants
If you really have to choose among the restaurants, we highly suggest La Bastille, The Moongate (Teppanyaki), and Lorenzo’s.
For more details about Hyatt Ziva Cancun, click here.
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