Originally Posted by
Stgermainparis
I’ve been looking at the Ziva Riviera Cancun for a family member bc it’s only 29k and I’d like to gift it to them. The lowest room category seems to be Tropical View Junior Suite King. At least all year that is the cheapest pay rate room and I can’t see anything “more base”. But spot checking all year and not a single award available. Not for anything at all for 2 people. The rate says “Sun, Sand, and Savings”. All year. Never says “standard rate” or “member rate”. Is this how the property is avoiding offering award stays? Anything to be done?
You can call Hyatt customer service and ask what is the standard room category at this property. There's a few things you can try to find an award stay (or a standard rate that you can follow the advice on this thread on how to book with points). That said, I poked around a bit to check the resort's availability (September for hurricane season and Jan 2025 since those dates just opened), and I only see two rate types available - member rate and "Best Year Yet!" It's strange that the hotel isn't offering a standard (or any other) rate for any room type, but that could also explain the lack of awards.
For finding awards, have you tried different variations of 1) stay duration and/or 2) day of the week check-in?
Lots of hotels have minimum stay requirements, and I have also found (anecdotally) that it's somewhat easier to find award stays for check-in on a Sunday (though this is likely driven more by available inventory than anything else). Some resorts dis-encourage people from checking in on a Saturday, and at least in the Bay Area, the Hyatt resorts (Ventana, Carmel Valley Ranch, etc.) often don't allow a one-day stay checking in on a Saturday even for paid rates.