Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana – Stunning Service & Amazing Property
My wife and I like to go away on our own at least once a year. The break helps us reconnect with each other and be better parents. We like to find a nice resort, where we can relax and recharge. The Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana did not disappoint. It is an amazing all-inclusive property with some of the most stunning service I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
I booked this property before the recent Hyatt points devaluation. We stayed for a total of 5 nights for 117,000 points, an average of 23,400 points per night. This property had been on my radar for a while, so once I learned about impending rate changes, I decided to jump. As a Globalist, I made a points advance reservation, so that I could earn the points at my own pace. Rates have since increased to the 40k-45k range. Cash rates for the time of my stay were in the $800-900 range per night, so I considered this an excellent value.
Arrival Adventure
This property is located in the Dominican Republic in the Cap Cana section of Punta Cana. We flew via American Airlines from Las Vegas to O’Hare to Punta Cana. Service is also available through Miami.
There are VIP fast track services at the airport that allow you to wait in a lounge while your luggage is retrieved and immigration services are processed. Depending on the time of your arrival, lines for immigration can be long. We arrived at 2 pm and had no wait. We splurged on first class awards, so we were first off the plane. There were no other flights in the queue for immigration, and we were processed quickly.
We arranged transportation through the hotel. They reached out a few months before the stay to offer their services. It is quite the circus when you get out into the taxi area. There are numerous companies and drivers trying to get your attention. This is sort of common in the Caribbean. While you can save a bit of money making your own arrangements in the airport, I opted to just have the ride secured by the property, at a cost of $40 each way.
It took a while to connect with our ride. The company was called Playa Transportation in their email correspondence. The driver texted his name and plate number. However, the actual desk I needed was a company called Transekur, something no one bothered to mention. It took some questioning in a crowded and loud area to sort it out. An employee had communicated with our driver and offered to take our bags to his waiting car. Being the skeptic I am, I politely declined to give him our bags, even though his offer was completely above board. I would definitely suggest keeping your attention focused during this portion of your transit, just as a precaution.
We connected with our driver, who was very friendly. It was around a twenty minute ride to the property. The car had wi-fi available, which was nice. I always use a Google Fi SIM when traveling abroad, but it’s worth remembering you need to have a plan for cell service if you need it.
Pleasant Check-In Experience
The property is absolutely stunning from the moment you see it. The service was some of the best I’ve ever experienced, from the moment we arrived to the moment we left.
Upon arrival, we were greeted and thanked for our loyalty as Globalists. We were escorted to a private check-in lounge, which also serves as the Club lounge bar, called Bongos. While we waited, we were given delicious welcome drinks. Our room wasn’t quite ready, so an employee escorted us to the buffet so we could have lunch instead of waiting.
Globalist Benefits
After finishing, we went back to the Club lounge to complete check-in. We were given a map of the property, along with an explanation of the Globalist benefits we could utilize. We were experiencing the private check-in area already. There were other exclusive Club areas – two restaurants (Shutters & Chinola) and a pool. We didn’t use the restaurants, as their menus didn’t look very appealing, but we did use the Club pool and swim-up bar for long periods each day.
Discounts included 30% for the following: spa, room upgrades, cabana rentals, wines/spirits, and romantic dinner packages. There is also at 20% discount at the gift shop.
Globalists and certain club level room types also receive complimentary butler service. We didn’t end up meeting ours until the second day. He arranged for a charcuterie and wine to be in the room when we arrived. He also arranged for some extra treats, wine, and a cake in the room for my birthday later in the week.
While reservations aren’t taken or required at the restaurants on property, they are able to make reservations so that you don’t have to wait upon arrival. We would let him know where we wanted to eat in the morning, and he took care of the rest. He was very nice, and was very eager to assist us with anything. I actually felt bad that I didn’t have more for him to do for us, as we usually are fairly self-sufficient. You communicate with the property via WhatsApp. It can take a bit to actually connect with your butler, so that’s why we did most things on our own.
Picturesque Views
I used a suite upgrade award on the stay, which put us in a Junior Suite Ocean View King room. We were also upgraded to a part of the property which gave us a great view of both the beach and the property. The view was spectacular. We had a spacious balcony with a table and two-seat couch. There are rooms that were similar to ours that have a private pool. We were offered the chance to pay for that upgrade, but opted not to.
Our king bed was very comfortable. We had another couch and table. The minibar was stocked with drinks and snacks, which were all complimentary. The bathroom had a big shower and two sinks. We weren’t in the room too much, but it definitely was more than adequate to suit our needs. It also had robes and slippers, which is always the first thing I look for.
The humidity can be a lot at times. The door windows would fog up in the morning, as would my glasses. It’s the Caribbean after all, and it’s a humid place, although not unbearably so by any means.
A Word of Caution
One potential pitfall is the drinking water. Before the trip, my wife read many reports of people having stomach issues as a result of the tap water, from something as small as accidentally ingesting water in the shower. It was even recommended to use bottled water to brush your teeth with. I wasn’t sure it would be an issue, but decided to go along with it. It seems like it was a good idea, as the room always had a bottle of water next to each sink. Bottled water is plentiful throughout the property, so there really isn’t any reason to leave it to chance.
Stunning Service
The service was like nothing I had ever experienced. It was amazing from literally the second we arrived until the second our butler personally wished us well at the front gate when we left.
Every employee would touch their hand to their heart and give a slight bow and greeting when they saw us, no matter what department they worked for. Truly a sight to see. If you asked where something was, they would drop what they were doing and escort you personally. Our butler was willing to do anything we needed. Bartenders and waiters had showmanship and great personalities. The lady who would check people’s room numbers at the club pool couldn’t have been any sweeter. The maintenance person who didn’t speak English very well called the front desk while speaking to me in the room so he could get the translation correct.
The best example is when it rained abruptly during the evening show in the outdoor pavilion one night. Most people scattered, but I knew it would be over fairly quickly and wasn’t bad, so we stayed in our seats, since our butts were still dry and covering the seat. Ushers had been passing towels around before the show to dry the seats. One of them came over and held one over my wife and I while we watched the show. Really amazing.
You definitely want to make sure you bring some cash to tip employees. They never once asked or insinuated that I should leave a tip, but I was happy to tip everyone for exceptional service. They did push leaving a good review on TripAdvisor, taking pictures with us that they hinted might be good to post. It was all in good fun and was something was I happy to do anyway.
Amenities- Two Properties For the Price of One
When staying at Zilara, you also have access to all the facilities at the adjacent Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana. Zilara is adults-only. There are security posted at the area where the properties connect to keep the kids out of that side. It definitely makes the property not feel crowded in the slightest. I didn’t feel cramped anywhere I went on that side. The only time it felt busy at all was at dinner at couple of the Ziva spots, the outdoor pavilion for the evening show, and at The One-Eyed Cat lounge. It was very relaxing on that side, a major plus.
The Zilara has the club lounge pool, although employees only checked room numbers a couple of days. Attendants often walked around with various snacks and drink concoctions. It was never an issue finding a place to sit there. It also had complimentary sunscreen, which I found to be a major help. There was also a large infinity pool with live music for most of the day. Both pools had swim-up bars. The beachfront also had plentiful seating.
Another highly discussed topic was the amount of seaweed washing up on the shore. It’s one of the things people complain about. It wasn’t much of an issue for us. Every morning, we saw workers cleaning out and disposing as much as possible. There were also nets deployed further out in the water to block a large amount from getting to the shoreline. It definitely is present, but was managed well compared to some of the adjacent properties. If that bothers you, then perhaps stick to the pools. The water was calm and you could walk out fairly far.
A major highlight of the trip was our visit to the Larimar Spa. Globalists gets 30% off services, which made this fairly decently priced. You arrive an hour before your scheduled service, where the staff escorts you through hydrotherapy session. Featuring relaxation stops in a salt room and steam room, you go through multiple showers and pools from hot tubs to cold plunges. It is really rejuvenating and refreshing, and I highly recommend it if you’ve never done it. The massage was exceptional. The facilities are carved out of a rock formation, providing an unmatched level of tranquility. We went on our first full day, and it set the tone for our entire trip.
There is also a water park on the Ziva side. It featured 4 water slides of varying degrees of thrill, pools for adults, water play areas for young children, food trucks, and a lazy river. We went a couple times for about an hour. There isn’t much of a wait for anything there, and it was a really fun way to spend part of the day when we didn’t feel like lying around.
Other activities and amenities include a well-stocked gym, daily water fitness classes, beach yoga, paddle boards, kayaks, snorkeling equipment, and nightly entertainment offerings. The entertainment lineup resembled what you would experience on a cruise ship. Some of the shows were very enjoyable. There was a daily calendar of activities available, also featuring activities that would occur in the event of rain.
A Step Above All-Inclusive
It’s an all-inclusive property, but the food was definitely a step above typical all-inclusive fare. There are a ton of restaurants serving all sorts of different cuisine. There are also numerous quick service cafes and bars located throughout the property.
We enjoyed the buffet breakfast every morning at The Pier at the Zilara. This was by far our favorite place. The selections were plentiful, the food was delicious, and as usual, the service was on point. There is also the El Mercado buffet at the Ziva. Breakfast was served until 11, which we appreciated while adjusting to the eastern time zone. We would then stop at Deja Brew coffee shop for an alcoholic coffee on our way to the club pool. All their drinks and pastries hit the spot.
The other restaurants at Zilara and what they specialize in are as follows: Brando’s (French/Polynesian), Journeys (Indian), Shutters (club level for breakfast/lunch, open to all for dinner- Caribbean), Waves (steakhouse), Presto (pizza- lunch only).
At the Ziva you’ll find: Tempest (Asian), Noodle & Thread (Italian), Chinola (club level for breakfast/lunch, open to all for dinner- healthier fare), Navigator (Caribbean), and Prontoz (lunch only- standard fare). The highlight for us was the hibachi table service at Tempest, which our butler helped secure.
There were also food trucks and special foodie fest-type events throughout the week, offering different dishes and drinks freshly prepared on the beachfront area. Room service was available 24 hours a day, although we didn’t use it.
As for drinks, you can get premium drinks at the club pool and lounge. Wine and the highest end spirits did cost money at the restaurants. We opted to have most of our drinks at the club pool, and then usually would order a drink with dinner.
While there are many bars and lounges, my favorite by far was The One-Eyed Cat. It had an old-school lounge vibe, with lounge music and entertainment every night. The drinks were a show all their own. I ordered the popular smoked old-fashioned. They cover the drink with a smoke bubble and then put it in a smoke filled jar. They pop it after serving, and it makes for quite a show. This is one of my favorite parts of an all-inclusive place. Drinks like that cost a small fortune in other places, but not a cent here.
All in all, we were well-fed and had plenty of yummy drinks to enjoy. We never had to go far for anything. There were so many options that we weren’t able to try everything, definitely a plus in my book.
Definitely Worth It
I can’t recommend this place highly enough. The atmosphere was relaxing. The service was some of the best I’ve ever seen. The food and drink costs are basically non-existent. It was a great way to reconnect with my wife after a stressful year. I left feeling refreshed and appreciated by everyone there. I would gladly visit again in the future, even at the higher price point.
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