Hyatt Zilara Cancun REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
Dec 29, 2013, 12:41 pm
#31
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 88
That is a bit annoying since its the same room, just a higher floor. There was no regular rooms available to downgrade the chase nights into so we would avoid the room change.
Jan 1, 2014, 7:55 pm
#33
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 25
I have a surprise anniversary trip planned for June here for my wife, so I've been watching the reviews and comments from guests.
I noticed that the GM has started responding to reviews on trip advisor so hopefully that's a good sign.
Seems like the food quality is one of the biggest issues since the change. Hopefully they get it straightened out soon. Nice to see the manager responding to comments. Hopefully they actually take action on peoples comments and it's not just a bunch of fluff.
I noticed that the GM has started responding to reviews on trip advisor so hopefully that's a good sign.
Seems like the food quality is one of the biggest issues since the change. Hopefully they get it straightened out soon. Nice to see the manager responding to comments. Hopefully they actually take action on peoples comments and it's not just a bunch of fluff.
Jan 18, 2014, 5:49 pm
#34
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA EXP & AAirpass, Hyatt Courtesy Card, SPG Platinum
Posts: 991
Terrific addition to the Hyatt portfolio
We just returned from a 10 day trip to Cancun. This was our first trip to this area and so we decided to try out a few hotels: The Westin Resort, the Hyatt Regency, and also the Hyatt Zilara. Based on the negative reviews on TripAdvisor we decided to try out the Zilara for only one night between our stays at the Westin and the Hyatt Regency. Bottom line: We liked the Zilara so much that we cut our stay at the Regency short and returned for another 3 nights 
This was my first ever all-inclusive stay, so my comparisons are based on frequent stays at other upscale Hyatt resorts. Others with more AI experience can probably add more perspective.
Overall:
This is an amazing property with excellent service and luxurious suites. F&B is not phenomenal, but decent--and they seem to be actively working on improving it further.
Service:
Nothing short of phenomenal. We place particular emphasis on good service and are not always easy to please, but we didn't have any complaints here. Everyone was exceedingly friendly and remembered preferences/anticipated wishes. It is very clear that this guest-focused culture starts at the top with senior management and is executed beautifully by most staff. This seemed to be extended to every guest. We would rate service close to Park Hyatt level and it easily excelled service at other Hyatt resorts such as Aruba. The only exception was the front desk, where service seemed lacking and somewhat robotic.
Suites:
As someone else noted, the basic suites are over 650 sqf. They all have double jacuzzis and balconies with an ocean view. Finishes seem very high end and luxurious. Premium Ocean Front Junior Suites and above have Bulgari amenities (the rest seem to have KennetMD). Premium Ocean Front Deluxe Suites and above come with a pre-reserved cabana right on the beach (which alone is probably worth the extra charge), a steam shower, and butler service. We loved the iPod mini that came preloaded with music: the 80s playlist was amazing. Mind you, we received very generous upgrades during both of our stays thanks to Courtesy Card.
Property:
Very upscale. It could easily be converted into a Park Hyatt/Four Seasons. The pools were heated, which was a nice touch when temperatures dipped below 70 one day. The spa had two nice hot tubs, sauna, lockers rooms etc. There was a hint of resemblance to the Club on the Park at the PHT. Please note that smoking seems to be allowed in most areas of the resort, which we found regrettable.
Gym:
A little on the small side. Four treadmills and various other equipment.
Internet:
Relatively slow, which was a bit of a nuisance as sadly I had to work during this trip.
Other resort guests:
We wouldn't usually include this in a review and it is a little bit awkward to say this, but there is an unusual variety of guests at this property, many of whom one wouldn't often see at other Hyatt properties. Quite a few seemed to be perfect ambassadors of the "ugly American" stereotype. This may be a transition issue from Royal to Hyatt Zilara. It didn't particularly bother us and may come with the all-inclusive territory, but seemed at odds with the otherwise upscale nature of the property.
Food:
With the exception of the steak dishes at Pelicanos, we didn't have a single bad meal. In general, one would be well advised to expect meals to be good, but not up to typical Hyatt F&B excellence. However, all dishes were beautifully presented and had an upscale look. Spice, which is located right off the lobby, offers fairly dependable buffet fare, and excels especially at breakfast. Pelicanos, which is right by the main pool, offers nice ocean views and generally good fare, especially seafood. They also serve a nice a la carte breakfast (these two restaurants and room service are the only options for breakfast). Pelicanos is where we had most of our meals.
The remaining restaurants are located in two separate buildings adjacent to the main lobby. The Chef's Plate is an intimate chef's table with a 6-course menu that seats 18 and has a menu that changes daily. They offer two seatings: one at 6PM and another at 9PM. Reservations are required. Access is limited to guests in Premium Ocean Front suites and above. Given the limited number of covers, reservations are a little hard to come by. We went once and enjoyed our meal. Asiana is a good Asian restaurant with dishes like maki sushi, tempura, and various noodle dishes. Tapas and Pintxos is in an awkward little corner behind the hostess stand of another restaurant (Maria Marie) and serves tapas. They were somewhat mediocre and most of our cold tapas were actually served warm. Per our waiter they had recently decided to try that but hadn't updated the menus yet. Our hot tapas were mostly hot, thank god. We didn't visit Maria Marie as there was a 30 minute wait despite a half empty restaurant, even though we had been told earlier that reservations were not necessary and we would be seated within a few minutes.
It was our impression that the hotel is improving restaurant offerings in response to guest feedback (see TripAdvisor for some vocal feedback).
Beverage:
First of the good news: They were serving premium liquor (Absolut vodka, Bombay Sapphire gin, Cointreau etc.) and had Grey Goose and other super premium spirits available upon request, if not out in plain sight--and free of charge. We really enjoy gin&tonics and for reasons we can't quite understand at least half of the time our g&ts tasted really off. We don't know whether it was the tonic (bottled Mexican tonic btw), the lime, or the ice. But something was off and we didn't experience that at the Regency or Westin earlier during the trip. The mixed drinks were overly sweet and we didn't really care for them. The house wines were nothing to write home about, except for the sparkling wine which we found quite nice. The red wine, a cabernet sauvignon?, reminded us of Canvas and was drinkable. The white we did not find palatable. There were additional paid wine selections by the bottle, but it seemed like they were charging a healthy markup on those.
This was my first ever all-inclusive stay, so my comparisons are based on frequent stays at other upscale Hyatt resorts. Others with more AI experience can probably add more perspective.
Overall:
This is an amazing property with excellent service and luxurious suites. F&B is not phenomenal, but decent--and they seem to be actively working on improving it further.
Service:
Nothing short of phenomenal. We place particular emphasis on good service and are not always easy to please, but we didn't have any complaints here. Everyone was exceedingly friendly and remembered preferences/anticipated wishes. It is very clear that this guest-focused culture starts at the top with senior management and is executed beautifully by most staff. This seemed to be extended to every guest. We would rate service close to Park Hyatt level and it easily excelled service at other Hyatt resorts such as Aruba. The only exception was the front desk, where service seemed lacking and somewhat robotic.
Suites:
As someone else noted, the basic suites are over 650 sqf. They all have double jacuzzis and balconies with an ocean view. Finishes seem very high end and luxurious. Premium Ocean Front Junior Suites and above have Bulgari amenities (the rest seem to have KennetMD). Premium Ocean Front Deluxe Suites and above come with a pre-reserved cabana right on the beach (which alone is probably worth the extra charge), a steam shower, and butler service. We loved the iPod mini that came preloaded with music: the 80s playlist was amazing. Mind you, we received very generous upgrades during both of our stays thanks to Courtesy Card.
Property:
Very upscale. It could easily be converted into a Park Hyatt/Four Seasons. The pools were heated, which was a nice touch when temperatures dipped below 70 one day. The spa had two nice hot tubs, sauna, lockers rooms etc. There was a hint of resemblance to the Club on the Park at the PHT. Please note that smoking seems to be allowed in most areas of the resort, which we found regrettable.
Gym:
A little on the small side. Four treadmills and various other equipment.
Internet:
Relatively slow, which was a bit of a nuisance as sadly I had to work during this trip.
Other resort guests:
We wouldn't usually include this in a review and it is a little bit awkward to say this, but there is an unusual variety of guests at this property, many of whom one wouldn't often see at other Hyatt properties. Quite a few seemed to be perfect ambassadors of the "ugly American" stereotype. This may be a transition issue from Royal to Hyatt Zilara. It didn't particularly bother us and may come with the all-inclusive territory, but seemed at odds with the otherwise upscale nature of the property.
Food:
With the exception of the steak dishes at Pelicanos, we didn't have a single bad meal. In general, one would be well advised to expect meals to be good, but not up to typical Hyatt F&B excellence. However, all dishes were beautifully presented and had an upscale look. Spice, which is located right off the lobby, offers fairly dependable buffet fare, and excels especially at breakfast. Pelicanos, which is right by the main pool, offers nice ocean views and generally good fare, especially seafood. They also serve a nice a la carte breakfast (these two restaurants and room service are the only options for breakfast). Pelicanos is where we had most of our meals.
The remaining restaurants are located in two separate buildings adjacent to the main lobby. The Chef's Plate is an intimate chef's table with a 6-course menu that seats 18 and has a menu that changes daily. They offer two seatings: one at 6PM and another at 9PM. Reservations are required. Access is limited to guests in Premium Ocean Front suites and above. Given the limited number of covers, reservations are a little hard to come by. We went once and enjoyed our meal. Asiana is a good Asian restaurant with dishes like maki sushi, tempura, and various noodle dishes. Tapas and Pintxos is in an awkward little corner behind the hostess stand of another restaurant (Maria Marie) and serves tapas. They were somewhat mediocre and most of our cold tapas were actually served warm. Per our waiter they had recently decided to try that but hadn't updated the menus yet. Our hot tapas were mostly hot, thank god. We didn't visit Maria Marie as there was a 30 minute wait despite a half empty restaurant, even though we had been told earlier that reservations were not necessary and we would be seated within a few minutes.
It was our impression that the hotel is improving restaurant offerings in response to guest feedback (see TripAdvisor for some vocal feedback).
Beverage:
First of the good news: They were serving premium liquor (Absolut vodka, Bombay Sapphire gin, Cointreau etc.) and had Grey Goose and other super premium spirits available upon request, if not out in plain sight--and free of charge. We really enjoy gin&tonics and for reasons we can't quite understand at least half of the time our g&ts tasted really off. We don't know whether it was the tonic (bottled Mexican tonic btw), the lime, or the ice. But something was off and we didn't experience that at the Regency or Westin earlier during the trip. The mixed drinks were overly sweet and we didn't really care for them. The house wines were nothing to write home about, except for the sparkling wine which we found quite nice. The red wine, a cabernet sauvignon?, reminded us of Canvas and was drinkable. The white we did not find palatable. There were additional paid wine selections by the bottle, but it seemed like they were charging a healthy markup on those.
Last edited by sensei; Jan 19, 2014 at 11:40 am Reason: added detail
Jan 20, 2014, 10:43 am
#35
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 88
Thanks for the review! My wife and I are going next week and are very excited!
We had a few questions if you don't mind quickly answering.
How do you get from Airport to hotel? Do we have to arrange for a taxi in advance?
What are are appropriate tips there? (Amount and what we tip for).
Thanks!
We had a few questions if you don't mind quickly answering.
How do you get from Airport to hotel? Do we have to arrange for a taxi in advance?
What are are appropriate tips there? (Amount and what we tip for).
Thanks!
Jan 20, 2014, 3:39 pm
#36
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Mpls, MN USA
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Priority Club Platinum, Hilton, Southwest "A" and "CP" Hertz 5*
Posts: 86
Thanks for the review. I will be there on the 6th! for 7 nights. hopefully I can add a bit of information for everyone as well.
(I hope they get their Gin and Tonic's fixed by then!)
(I hope they get their Gin and Tonic's fixed by then!)
Last edited by SKIEL; Jan 20, 2014 at 3:51 pm
Jan 22, 2014, 7:22 am
#38
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 123
Chase Free Nights
Does Hyatt open additional award inventory if rooms are available closer to the stay date? I am planning a weekend trip to Cancun at the end of next month and wanted to do 3 nights at Zilara -- 2 free Chase nights and one paid night, but there is no award availability. Any chance this will happen?
Alternatively, how is the Regency Cancun? If not worth it, I might hop over to one of the SPG properties for this trip.
Alternatively, how is the Regency Cancun? If not worth it, I might hop over to one of the SPG properties for this trip.
Jan 22, 2014, 7:54 am
#39
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 50
Booker T. I stayed at the HR Cancun a year ago. It is an older property, but my husband was Diamond at the time and they treated us very well. The Regency Club was small but they had great staff and offerings. The beach there is spectacular, probably the best beach in Cancun. For a paid stay, you can't beat it! I wouldn't burn my free night stays there as it is only a level 2 property, but a lovely one at that!
Jan 22, 2014, 8:16 am
#40
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 123
Booker T. I stayed at the HR Cancun a year ago. It is an older property, but my husband was Diamond at the time and they treated us very well. The Regency Club was small but they had great staff and offerings. The beach there is spectacular, probably the best beach in Cancun. For a paid stay, you can't beat it! I wouldn't burn my free night stays there as it is only a level 2 property, but a lovely one at that!
Jan 24, 2014, 1:37 pm
#41
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: San Juan, PR
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 145
Booker T. I stayed at the HR Cancun a year ago. It is an older property, but my husband was Diamond at the time and they treated us very well. The Regency Club was small but they had great staff and offerings. The beach there is spectacular, probably the best beach in Cancun. For a paid stay, you can't beat it! I wouldn't burn my free night stays there as it is only a level 2 property, but a lovely one at that!
Last edited by eddieflyer; Jan 24, 2014 at 1:55 pm
Jan 24, 2014, 2:20 pm
#42
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA EXP & AAirpass, Hyatt Courtesy Card, SPG Platinum
Posts: 991
Headed to the Regency this weekend. I'm only a platinum and am trying to decide if the club level at Cancun Regency is worth it at the post-devaluation price of 12,000 miles. Any advice? Seems like breakfast would be nice, but I'd guess that at about $50 to go a long way for two people willing to leave the hotel. No? Anything to tip the scales you think?
on property dining fairly inexpensive.
Jan 24, 2014, 3:20 pm
#43
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 88
Does Hyatt open additional award inventory if rooms are available closer to the stay date? I am planning a weekend trip to Cancun at the end of next month and wanted to do 3 nights at Zilara -- 2 free Chase nights and one paid night, but there is no award availability. Any chance this will happen?
Jan 25, 2014, 5:43 am
#44
Join Date: May 2004
Location: PWM
Programs: Marriott Platinum Hyatt Diamond Hilton Gold SPG Gold National Executive Avis Preferred Hertz Gold
Posts: 633
The double F&B credit at the HR is great--however be aware that gratuities are not included. They have to be paid separately and not part of your credit.
Feb 4, 2014, 3:17 pm
#45
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Michigan
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 503
Switch last night to Regency?
My wife and I are staying 4 nights at the end of March at this property - very excited for it! However, I’ve never felt that staying the last night at an all-inclusive is really worth it, when you're taking off so early the next morning, and our departure for the airport will be at 5AM. Up until today, I never realized that there was a Cat. 2 Hyatt only 4 minutes away! However, because our stay is only for 4 nights, I wouldn’t want to switch our last night to the Regency unless I knew that we could stay at the Zilara past check-out and into the evening, and then head over to the Regency overnight for our early morning departure.
Does anyone know what Hyatt Zilara's policy is for guests after their noon check-out? Most all-inclusives I've encountered have no problem with guests enjoying the property after check-out, up until the time they have to depart, but I wouldn't want to make this change unless I knew for sure how they deal with this. Thanks in advance!
Does anyone know what Hyatt Zilara's policy is for guests after their noon check-out? Most all-inclusives I've encountered have no problem with guests enjoying the property after check-out, up until the time they have to depart, but I wouldn't want to make this change unless I knew for sure how they deal with this. Thanks in advance!