Hyatt Ziva Cancun - REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
Sep 9, 2019, 10:17 am
#436
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Dreamland
Posts: 927
This is really smart... I hadn't thought about this... flights/hotel already booked for our 3rd visit in January... but for the next time!!
Sep 9, 2019, 10:56 am
#437
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
I love the hotel for what I use it for - a long weekend escape from the cold. I usually do the Aloft (for like 89/night) the first night of arrival in cancun, then arrive first thing in the AM to the Ziva and enjoy the facilities until a slightly late check out and a late afternoon flight back to NYC.
I do not like this resort and I do not recommend. Move on and be over with it.
Enjoy your stay....
Sep 9, 2019, 11:05 am
#438
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,161
Everyone is welcome to an opinion, but as the old saying goes "Your entitled to your own opinion BUT not your own facts" - and your review included numerous factual errors. I'm still curious how you derived your opinion about the rooftop pool since, by your own statement, you did not have access to that facility....
Sep 9, 2019, 11:13 am
#439
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,161
I'm always curious about Elite Benefits outside all inclusives. Outside of a room upgrade, what other perks would you expect?
For me, they've always upgraded me... Club room with club access, Swim up room (my personal favorite) and Turquoize tower. Have never gotten a standard room and I always use my Cat 1-7 coupon + points for the stay. I've usually managed 1 or 2pm checkout, but have never gotten 4pm. I've appreciated they've extended that due to being a globalist. And they've always claimed to give priority to getting the room ready... have never waited past 1/2pm for my room.
I love the hotel for what I use it for - a long weekend escape from the cold. I usually do the Aloft (for like 89/night) the first night of arrival in cancun, then arrive first thing in the AM to the Ziva and enjoy the facilities until a slightly late check out and a late afternoon flight back to NYC.
One thing I'll agree with on your review - the food will get old after 4/5 days. But that's why I usually do a shorter trip... and just eat as much at Habaneros as possible
Also, can you correct your review to 25k points/night... unless there was a discount you got to 20k... if so, please spill the beans on how to do that!
For me, they've always upgraded me... Club room with club access, Swim up room (my personal favorite) and Turquoize tower. Have never gotten a standard room and I always use my Cat 1-7 coupon + points for the stay. I've usually managed 1 or 2pm checkout, but have never gotten 4pm. I've appreciated they've extended that due to being a globalist. And they've always claimed to give priority to getting the room ready... have never waited past 1/2pm for my room.
I love the hotel for what I use it for - a long weekend escape from the cold. I usually do the Aloft (for like 89/night) the first night of arrival in cancun, then arrive first thing in the AM to the Ziva and enjoy the facilities until a slightly late check out and a late afternoon flight back to NYC.
One thing I'll agree with on your review - the food will get old after 4/5 days. But that's why I usually do a shorter trip... and just eat as much at Habaneros as possible
Also, can you correct your review to 25k points/night... unless there was a discount you got to 20k... if so, please spill the beans on how to do that!
Honestly I can't imagine staying there for more than 2-3 nights at a time as it would get old, but staying there for 2-3 nights every 2-3 months is wonderful.....
Sep 9, 2019, 11:13 am
#440
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
Also, as we both agree that the food is the main killer of al-inclusive resort model. We normally do not stay at all-inclusive properties. But I convinced family to stay at Ziva to try it. So I booked it at the end of our trip and it was a short stay. It is a very wise decision. We would have had to pack bag if this were the start of a 7-night stay.
The room is not important at all. Folks should stay outside to enjoy the sun, pool and all the activities.
Only I enjoyed the drinks and the evening shows at Ziva. It is just hard to imagine to offer fine dinning experience (steaks and seafood) at an all-inclusive resort with that many guests. It is just impossible. This is why they use dress code to rid of people.
The room is not important at all. Folks should stay outside to enjoy the sun, pool and all the activities.
Only I enjoyed the drinks and the evening shows at Ziva. It is just hard to imagine to offer fine dinning experience (steaks and seafood) at an all-inclusive resort with that many guests. It is just impossible. This is why they use dress code to rid of people.
Sep 9, 2019, 11:39 am
#441
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Platinum, AA Plat Pro, Bonvoy Lifetime Platinum, JetBlue Mosaic 3, Amtrak Select
Posts: 966
This started when I would do Cancun to qualify for SPG 25 stays... would do the Aloft, then the westin, then the Aloft. Once I switched over to Hyatt and got my first Cat 1-7 night, it evolved into the Aloft then Ziva, then Westin... now it's just Aloft, then Ziva. I've been delayed too many times coming to Cancun that I no longer want to stress about not fully maximizing the all inclusive
Sep 9, 2019, 11:41 am
#442
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Platinum, AA Plat Pro, Bonvoy Lifetime Platinum, JetBlue Mosaic 3, Amtrak Select
Posts: 966
I like that you have a a different opinion and wanted to offer an alternative opinion to offer debate to help others come up with a conclusion.. I agree with you that the food gets annoying after 2-3 days, which is why for others reading this thread, I wanted to let them know it's good for 2-3 day quick getaway (in my opinion, which is all i've ever done), which a lot of others have replied that they agree with.And hopefully others wanting to come here for 7 days can read these two opinions/thoughts and form their own conclusions
One thing tho - can you tell us if you got it for 20k, or was that a typo in the review? I'd love to get a discount on points here.
Sep 9, 2019, 11:51 am
#443
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
This started when I would do Cancun to qualify for SPG 25 stays... would do the Aloft, then the westin, then the Aloft. Once I switched over to Hyatt and got my first Cat 1-7 night, it evolved into the Aloft then Ziva, then Westin... now it's just Aloft, then Ziva. I've been delayed too many times coming to Cancun that I no longer want to stress about not fully maximizing the all inclusive
Also local culture and local cuisine are the must-haves for us. We only go to Mexico or Bahamas when we are under time constrains and can't take two days off to travel. I still get a long bucket list to cross off the targets.
Sep 10, 2019, 7:42 pm
#444
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: United 1K, Marriott Lifetime Platinum; Hyatt Diamond/GLOB
Posts: 738
All three kids and two of the adults are relatively picky eaters, and by picky, I mean non-adventurous. My wife views food as something she needs to survive, but she is just an odd person who never really gets excited by food. She'll indulge me and go along to great restaurants, but she'd prefer something simple.
When traveling, the kids are generally happy with pancakes, waffles, and cereal for breakfast with pasta, pizza, hot dogs, and chicken the rest of the day. Other than Chevy's closing at 5pm (maybe it was 6pm), Ziva fits that pretty well. The two picky adults were always able to find something.
Having the option of room service (which was surprisingly fast) was good for the couple of evenings when the kids did not eat dinner prior to Chevy's shutting down (we were often the last group in Chevy's as it was closing).
Between the Italian place, Asian place, room service, and the buffets, I never had the same dinner twice. None of the food would be described as spectacular, but I wasn't expecting spectacular, and I never went hungry.
One of the reasons we chose Ziva over Mayakoba was that I didn't think the kids and picky adults would find much to eat without making a special request at every meal at Mayakoba. I would undoubtedly have liked the food better in Mayakoba, but sometimes plain and simple works better. .
Before kids, I'd happily build trips around great places to eat, but with three relatively young kids, I'm happy to get through meals with the least amount of effort, and Ziva handles that just fine.
Sep 12, 2019, 6:29 am
#445
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 779
Sep 12, 2019, 1:02 pm
#446
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 343
[email protected] Response time seems to be pretty darn slow though! I tend to follow up my initial email after 3-4 days and than finally get a response.
Sep 13, 2019, 9:17 am
#448
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: DL, WoH
Posts: 1,253
FYI I just found an old email from awhile back that I sent to for an upgrade asking pricing. It still works!
[email protected]
[email protected]
Sep 13, 2019, 12:45 pm
#449
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Programs: AC SE100K, F9 100k, NK Gold, UA *S, Hyatt Glob, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 5,193
anyone have experience cutting down the minimum stay?
shows sold out of the night we want unless we increase it to 3 nights. but then suddenly available at a good cash rate or even standard award rooms @ 25k or cat 7 voucher are available.
If it was a stay way in the future I could have a workaround but this is for LAST minute travel and the site says immediately will charge all 3 nights in full, regardless of the rate code/plan picked.
shows sold out of the night we want unless we increase it to 3 nights. but then suddenly available at a good cash rate or even standard award rooms @ 25k or cat 7 voucher are available.
If it was a stay way in the future I could have a workaround but this is for LAST minute travel and the site says immediately will charge all 3 nights in full, regardless of the rate code/plan picked.
Sep 13, 2019, 2:40 pm
#450
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 779
Standard room to Club Ocean Front Corner Suite: $330/night (negotiable)
Teen age children: 220 pppn. It seems to be a bit much. From the recent reports here, the price is $110 pppn.
This is for a stay in mid 02/2020.
Last edited by asdfghjk; Sep 13, 2019 at 2:51 pm