A couple of years ago, Alex and I went to Cancun on a mission. We wanted to compare the Hyatt Zilara and the Hyatt Ziva for our readers. The Hyatt Ziva was our favorite. Last year we made a return trip to Hyatt Ziva Cancun on points. We knew it was the perfect place to bring Alex’s boys, so we couldn’t wait to make it happen. My husband and I went to Maui with all of them last year, so he got invited to come, too. He’s the boys’ best playmate anyways, so that makes it fun for them, too! If you want to hear more about traveling to Mexico on points and miles, listen to this episode of our PODCAST!

 

 

Flights to Cancun

Alex used her Southwest Companion Pass for two people (she and Mitch each have one right now) and paid 43K Southwest points/person for three other seats. Her youngest was a lap child. She spent $34/person going there in taxes and fees and $57/person to return. 

We usually fly United with miles from one of our United credit cards. It is non-stop for us, and because we both have elite status with United, our economy class seats get upgraded to economy plus every time. This makes it a very comfortable 3-hour flight.

 

We redeemed 28.2K United miles and paid $93.72 in taxes and fees for each ticket. Those pesky taxes and fees run a little higher in Mexico. Breakfast at the airport was free as we used our Platinum Card® from American Express to enter the Centurion Lounge in Denver.

 

Hyatt Ziva Cancun

[When we booked it, the Ziva Cancun was 25K Hyatt points/night for two people. It has since doubled and is now 50K points/night for two people!]

The star of the trip was this all-inclusive resort. Additional people were 12.5K points/night [now 25K points/night]. Alex needed two rooms because there were six of them. She paid 50K points/ night for four people in two rooms. Her youngest was under three so he was free, and she paid $110 daily for her 6-year-old. She booked one room for three (including the baby, so she was charged for two) and the other room for two. Then at check-in, she paid $550 for her 6-year-old. She could have used points, but her 12.5K points are worth more than $110, so she opted to pay cash. 

My husband and I used 25K Hyatt points/night for our 5-night stay. We transferred those points to Hyatt from our favorite credit card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. 

Sometimes people write to us about having trouble finding award availability at this property. If you run into that issue, one trick is to not put a whole week in at a time. There may be one night of no availability, and it is kicking it all out. Check out one night at a time. You will find the offending night and can then adjust around that night. Being flexible with your dates increases your chances of finding award availability, as does booking ahead of time. We booked about 9 months out and had no problems. 

Our Stay

Food

We all agreed—the food was really good at the Hyatt Ziva Cancun, and there were many options. There are three places you can have breakfast, but we opted for the buffet every single day so we could all get our favorites. I loved the omelet station and crepe station. One grandson loves tacos and guacamole for breakfast. My husband loves all the fresh fruit options and the rib roast or ham carving station. Chilaquiles? You can find them there. Smoothies? Of course! Seriously, they have a HUGE variety of food available for breakfast there. Love churros? They make them fresh every day from a little stand!

Some of our favorite lunch and dinner places were:

• Lorenzo’s
• Tres Cervezas
• Tradewinds
• Chevy’s
• Habaneros

 

We didn’t even make it to Moongate or La Bastille, and we heard they are both really good. Additionally, for lunch, they had pop-up restaurants around the pools serving burgers, salads, fruit, fresh fish, nachos, tacos, and so much more.

 

 

Our absolute favorite “restaurant” was Pasteles—so many sweet treats! The grandsons were in heaven grabbing ice cream, popcorn, gummy worms, etc., several times a day. I must admit that I found my way there a couple of times a day, too! Getting all the food and beverages you want is one of our favorite parts of the trip! 

 

 

Rooms

Each room comes with a minibar full of drinks and some snacks, too (all of which are included and restocked daily). You can also order room service any time of day for free. We got a few pizzas, guac, and chips a couple of times when the kids were hungry.

 

 

 

Service

The service is impeccable at this resort. They are so willing to help you in any way possible and are beyond kind. Tipping isn’t expected, but we tipped, and they were always so appreciative.

 

Entertainment

Nightly entertainment near the main pool is definitely geared toward families, and the children loved it. There was a Disney Night, Acrobats, 80’s Neon Night, etc. We also enjoyed sax-playing by the pool and singing groups during the day. One day they had a bunch of childrens’ games set out in one of the main hallways for the kids to play. “Swimming with the dolphins” is also available for an additional fee.

 

Bottom Line

Would I make a third trip to Hyatt Ziva Cancun on points? Without a doubt! Of course, my grandsons would have a fit if they couldn’t come. There are many Hyatt All-Inclusive resorts, though, and I want to try a few of them. I need to start earning more Ultimate Rewards to transfer to Hyatt for sure!