10.25.23
Hyatt has been expanding their footprint recently through various acquisitions and partnerships. That is especially true in the All Inclusive space, notably with Apple Leisure Group coming into the fold in 2021. Apple includes such brands as Secrets and Dreams, well known All Inclusive luxury resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico. Hyatt has thus added Apple's brands to their already strong Ziva and Zilara AI property portfolio. Ziva is a family collection of resorts while Zilara is the adults-only version in the following locations:
Cancun
Puerto Vallarta- Ziva only
Riviera Cancun/Maya
Los Cabos- Ziva only
Montego Bay (Jamaica)
Cap Cana (Dominican Republic)
The property at Cap Cana opened in late 2019 and as a staunch Hyatt advocate, I have had my eye on it ever since. Three years of cancelled reservations due to Covid, hurricanes, and other circumstances later, I was finally able to take my family for a trip. And it did not disappoint.
Getting There
Hyatt Ziva is an All Inclusive resort about 20 minutes from Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), nestled in the gated Cap Cana community. Ziva and Zilara are right next to each other, both with 375 rooms on a 40 acre property plush with amenities. The property is truly an oasis, an escape from the every day busyness of life. I recommend Dominican Airport Transfers to get from the airport to the property. They were very friendly and reliable.
Booking
Booking rooms with a family at Ziva may take some creativity. The standard rates, whether using cash or points, are for 2 people. Any additional people will require more cost; because it is an all inclusive resort, the person count matters. As a family of 5, it is even a bit more tricky. I booked this resort before the Hyatt points required went up, so I paid as follows for 3 nights:
One room- 2 people- 79K World of Hyatt points
One room- 2 adults,1 child- $1800
The reason I opted to do one room in cash is because an award room gets you only 2 people; I would have to pay cash anyway for the 3rd person. Ziva was charging $150 for the added child, so my options for room 2 were either $1800 OR 79K points + $450 for 3 nights. In that scenario, I would be getting 1.7 cents/point (1800-450/79000points) value. That value isn't bad, but in this case I decided to just do cash instead.
Plus, I earned 22K points on the cash stay (due to Globalist status/bonuses/Hyatt credit card), so that was enough to cover one of my award nights.
Having said all that, you will need to play around a bit with the booking options and perhaps contact Ziva directly to inquire about the cash price for adding children to a points room (It may vary by age, but reports are generally in the $150/child/night range).
Hyatt recently ravaged (er adjusted) their award charts for All inclusive resorts, so now Ziva Cap Cana is a category E property, ranging from 35-45K points/night.
An example 3 night booking for a family of 4 on Sept 8-11, 2024 gives you the following options in a Junior Suite Double room:
$2690
262k points (Hyatt does offer this option to pay for additional people over 2 with points-it's not a great value compared to the cash option below.)
130K points plus cash option (Let's assume $900 here- 2 children x $150/night x 3 nights)
260K points for 2 rooms (130K per room)
As you can see, the extra points for over 2 people make it more affordable to just book 2 rooms on points. This gives you more space for less points. So do your homework, weighing the multiple options at your disposal to see what works for your family. There are rooms that allow 5 per room but they may get quite cramped. In my example above, for 5 people it is $3050. There is no points only option unless checking with the resort as to the added cost for 3 kids on top on the 130K points rate.
I did all this math as I mentioned above and the 2 room option (one with points, one with cash) seemed best in my case.
Globalist Benefits
World of Hyatt Globalist members will be upgraded to a Club Room and get the following benefits at the resort:
The Room
With 3 kids (2 teens) the 2 room set up worked best. We had a Junior suite King and Double next to each other. The rooms are moderately sized. Along one wall is ample closest and dresser space as well as a TV, coffee maker, fridge stocked with beverages and snacks like Pringles and M&M's plus a small desk. The opposite wall had 2 double beds and a small pull out couch. The bathroom had a double vanity with ample counter space and dark wood accents. The large shower has a rain head and handheld attachment. There is a decent sized balcony with lounge chair and small table with chairs.
The Property
Although I will only review the Ziva, the Zilara next door is very similar, and anyone 18+ has access to all the amenities at Zilara, even if staying at Ziva. The Ziva is setup in a horseshoe shape, with the pools in the middle of all the buildings.
You arrive into a large, open-aired area on the third floor that has check in desks as well as the coffee shop. As you walk through, you stand elevated admiring the middle of the property and the water is the distance. There are fun design elements throughout the resort. A grand staircase leads from the third floor down to the pool area where there is also lounge areas with fire pits lit at night.
Pools
There is a long pool down the center of the property that opens up to a large infinity edge pool with hot tub. There is also a smaller pool for Club guests only, which includes anyone who booked a Club room as well as a perk for Globalist members. Both pools have swim up bars. On our October trip, the resort seemed generally empty and especially at the pools it never felt crowded and there were plenty of chairs available. There are cabanas available to rent at additional cost.
Beach
There is a nice stretch of beach with beautiful aqua water in front of the resort with plenty of chairs. You can walk out quite a ways without much depth (there is a break wall a couple hundred yards out) and the seafloor is sandy with only patches of seaweed. I've read the seaweed can get bad on shore but it was minimal during our time here.
Gym
There is a 14,000 sq ft. gym area with all the machines and weights you would ever need as well as organized classes.
Water park
The large water park on property is open 10-5 and has:
3 body slides, tube slide and racer slides (48" height)
Lazy River
Small kids area with slides
Food trucks
Activities
If you want to lounge at the beach or pool, this is the perfect resort for you. But if you want to stay active, there is plenty to choose from:
Water toys- kayak, stand up paddleboard, hobbie cats
Ping-pong, chess, shuffleboard, corn hole
Kids club- Ages 5-12
Teen Club- Ages 13-17 with game systems, pool table, air hockey
Daily organized activities such as black jack, volleyball, corn hole, darts, etc.
Fitness classes such as yoga
Basketball, pickleball court
Live entertainment every evening at the Marquis theater
Full service spa (additional cost) with a hydrotherapy circuit and an outdoor oasis lagoon.
The resort can help with booking off-property excursions.
Dining
There is an eclectic mix of sit down and quick bite restaurants on property.
El Mercado- Extensive buffet, 3 meals, with dinner themed buffet changing daily.
Noodle & Thread- Italian themed dinner restaurant.
Tempest Table- Japanese cuisine with hibachi tables.
Chinola- Beachside restaurant open for breakfast and lunch for Club/Globalists and dinner for all.
Navigator Grill- Open air restaurant by the pool for Caribbean style dinners.
Coffee Republic- Coffee, Ice cream, quick bites.
Prontoz- Quick bites by the pool
Moments- Sports Lounge by the theater.
Room service- You can order for to your room 24 hours a day with varying menu options.
Besides these restaurants, there are several bars spread around the property to grab a drink. We found the food generally OK. Our sit down meals at Noodle & Thread and Tempest were good, while the buffet food was only average. There is a good selection of foods and our kids were able to find food they enjoyed. The restaurants have kids menus also.
Service
Ziva shined in this area. No matter where we were, the staff was very friendly and attentive to our needs. From the staff running the kids clubs and activities to the wait staff and beyond. We were greeted with, "Welcome home family" when we arrived and truly felt that way throughout our stay.
Tips
A few things to note and that we learned.
Tips (pun intended) are included but we brought some cash to give to wait/bar staff.
You can bring pool floaties and have them pumped up when you get there.
Bring an insulted tumbler to keep drinks cold
Bring lots of sunscreen
Dress is casual, even for dinners pants aren't a necessity.
Join Hyatt Ziva & Zilara Cap Cana Fans Facebook page for lots of good info
Conclusion
Ziva Cap Cana is truly an idyllic family getaway. Because everything is included, you can just relax and let go. The property is immaculate and the varied activities will appeal to all ages. The downside is it can be quite expensive, especially during peak times, and the increase in points required certainly make it a less appealing travel option than in the past. Nevertheless, you should definitely give Ziva Cap Cana a strong look for your stress-free island vacation.
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