It’s been too long since my last travel adventure (to San Antonio and Austin, Texas in April to be exact – yikes!) that I was absolutely over the moon to spend this past Christmas with my fiancé, Joseph, in Cancun, Mexico’s Hyatt Zilara, an all-inclusive adults-only resort, for five nights. This was my first time being in an all-inclusive resort, and let me just say, it was pure bliss.
We arrived in Cancun around 12:30 am on a Thursday night and arrived at Hyatt Zilara at 1 am. Both of us were groggy from our flight. As our taxi approached the hotel driveway, I couldn’t help but be in awe of the entrance to the hotel – there were no doors leading in and out, just an open archway leading to a lobby with a stunning glass mosaic ceiling.
We were immediately greeted by the bellboy and led to the front desk where the bellboy also offered us cold water and neatly rolled cold hand towels. Let the pampering begin!
OCEAN FRONT VIEW JUNIOR SUITE
We were led to our room on their highest floor, the eighth, and was welcomed by balloons and stringers, and a slice of birthday cake with wine because well, it was my birthday that weekend! Goodbye 25 year old me. Helloooo, more mature 26-year-old Deasy!
Not pictured is an in-room 2 people hot tub just to the right of the table that is included in all the rooms in this resort, as well as an amazing shower with two shower heads and body jets.
As per all-inclusive, all the rooms included a mini bar stocked with soft drinks, water, and alcohol that is free and is constantly restocked. There is also a ‘magic door’ cubby where your room service food will get delivered without having to disturb you.
THE BALCONY
Our favorite part of the room was definitely the balcony. It was small, but it included a wonderful hammock that Joseph and I just enjoyed swinging in, reading a magazine or gazing at the vibrant blue and green hues afar while we listened to the waves and felt the breeze of the Atlantic Ocean.
Hyatt Zilara is also a quiet resort. I don’t know if it’s because it’s an adult-only resort, or because it’s a luxury hotel, but the clientele seemed to be more geared toward couples or folks looking for a relaxing getaway versus a bunch of rowdy college kids during spring vacation. I say this because when we spent time on our balcony, we weren’t driven back inside by loud obnoxious music or the hooting and hollering of people in the pool, and we really appreciated that.
CABANAS ARE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE
In a world where pool cabanas can be very expensive to reserve, it’s great to come to a place that graciously offers them to their clients for free. In my opinion, it’s one of the best things about this hotel! However, cabanas are on a first come-first serve basis. There are plenty of them, but the ones with the best view go VERY fast.
On my last day, I was determined to get a prime cabana. I set my alarm for the wee hours of 6:30 am and headed downstairs wearing the comfy hotel robe. Groggily, I put down a towel that represented reservation at a poolside cabana at 6:45 am, and even then, the majority of good cabanas were taken. Many people get up super early, put a towel on a cabana, and head back up to their room to sleep.
Strangely enough, this fight for a prime cabana was just the kind of motivation that made me wake up early enough to see an amazing sunrise.
Away from the pool and on the beach are rows and rows of reserved cabanas that are included in higher-category rooms. No need to get up in the early morning to reserve one!
The soft white sands that fill the beaches of the gulf of Mexico is something that is just beautiful. Beautiful to see, beautiful to feel under your toes. It’s so much different than California beaches.
THE POOLS
One of the biggest positive about this resort is its pool and the view. I was pleasantly surprised to find that their pool is heated. Aaaahh, it made lounging in the pool SO much more enjoyable, and I found myself just swimming for hours and hours without getting bored. There was ample space for us to enjoy as well as the majority of the time, the pool only had a handful of people. Even during its busiest time, you can always find a ledge to cling to and admire the beautiful ocean view.
Cheers to cabana butlers, swim up bars, and unlimited free drinks!
Constant rounds of Miami Vice (sans alcohol) in a heated infinity pool while overlooking Cancun’s white sand and colorful ocean. I could seriously get used to this.
THE FOOD
As an all-inclusive, all the food at this resort is free. This includes all the food from their seven restaurants that range from an international buffet, gourmet Mexican food, Asian cuisine with teppanyaki cooking show, a cantina, and an intimate gourmet dinner with a 7-course meal.
I can’t help but say how awesome it is to order whatever you want on the menu without worrying about the price. I was able to try so many food (the majority of them was delicious) and so many types of drinks, it felt like the highest form of indulgence to me.
Our favorite dining experience by far was Chef’s Plate. It was Christmas, my birthday, and we were able to get seats to a 12-person gourmet restaurant, with a 7 course set menu. Everyone was seated at a long dining table and we were served by two great waiters while the chef made our meals in an open windowed kitchen. We sat near a family of four, and three couples, and just chatted away with everyone nearby while being served decadent dishes. Aaah.
However, when it comes to their room service food, the options were lackluster. We ordered from room service a couple of times during desperate situations (like when we got settled in our hotel room for the first night at 1:30am), and the experience was just okay. The menu was limiting, they didn’t use the ‘magic box’ and knocked on the door instead, and we ended up not finishing our meals, which is a sign that the food was subpar.
THE SPA
To indulge even further, we treated ourselves to a couple of spa treatment. This is not included in the all-inclusive price, and would be an additional fee. The spa is what you would expect anywhere, i.e. nothing to write home about. We got indoors couples massage, which was nice and relaxing. We also got body treatments, mine being a body mask and banana leaf treatment that includes a short massage, and Joseph’s being a chocolate and honey body mask with a short massage as well.
The atmosphere was tranquil, the facilities clean and orderly. There is a sauna, steamer, and a jacuzzi in the spa where all hotel guests (not only spa clients) can use.
THE SERVICE
I was amazed at the level of service from all the employees at Hyatt Zilara. Everyone greeted you with a smile, and just a level of pleasantry that really made our vacation such a memorable one. I honestly cannot recall having a bad interaction with a staff member. A couple of times, we visited the same restaurant and had the same waiters, and they were so personable and welcoming! There were plenty of staff as well so it felt like each guest had a great amount of attention. I know I did. Man, did those drinks keep on coming!
All in all, I am highly impressed by Hyatt Zilara, and would love to visit again. It’s apparent that five nights weren’t enough, haha.
