Atlanta, Georgia
2017-10-02
Excellent service from the heart
We absolutely loved our stay at the Hyatt Ziva Cancun and would go back in a heartbeat. I always appreciate the more detailed reviews when doing my research, so here are some thoughts on our trip:Service: The service was exceptional. We were always acknowledged us with a smile and a friendly "Hola" and the service at the restaurants and bars was efficient and attentive. Before our trip I emailed the concierge about an upgrade, and he asked if we were celebrating anything special. I mentioned my birthday, and when we arrived there was a banner on the door, balloons, a decadent slice of cake and a bottle of wine. Room: As Hyatt Discoverist members we were upgraded to an oceanview room which had an amazing direct ocean view. We loved sitting on the good-sized balcony and listening to the waves crashing, so soothing. The room itself was clean and well-appointed. It wasn't huge, but it worked for the three of us as we didn't spend much time there except to shower, change and sleep. The large shower had good water pressure, with both a rainshower head and a detachable shower head. The sofa bed was small and hard, but our kid didn't seem to have any issues sleeping on it. The bed was pretty comfortable although the pillows were a bit flat for my taste, but I still slept fine. Wifi worked well. Kids Club: This was an absolute godsend! Our preschooler LOVED the kids club and wanted to spend the entire day there. He literally woke up asking if he could go to the kids club. I'd like to give a special shout out to Caro, Maria, Valentina, Karen and Karla who cared so wonderfully for our kid, allowing us to actually have some adult time and relax. In addition to the mini-water park and kiddie pool, they have a full schedule of activities (see attached), take the kids on "field trips" around the resort (including stops at the irresistible dessert shop), and will feed the kids lunch and dinner if you like. Open 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m, it's perfect for younger kids (age 4+ for drop off, although they have "family time" hours for all ages where you can accompany your kid). Food: We thought the food overall was pretty good, and we liked that reservations were not required. I believe all of the restaurants except the Mexican place on the beach are air-conditioned, so it was nice not to have to worry about bugs or melting while eating. Our favorite was the Mercado buffet, which had enough options to satisfy all but the pickiest of eaters. Every night had a different theme (Brazillian, Mayan, Asian, etc.) so it wasn't too repetitive. We liked Tradewinds for breakfast, but our dinner experience was mixed (hubby liked his steak, but the lobster bisque and octopus were decidedly not good). We tried the Asian restaurant for apps and sushi (not the hibachi) and it was fine -- not spectacular, but not bad. I actually thought the sushi at the buffet for Asian night was better than the Asian restaurant. We liked the Mexican beach restaurant - the octopus was so good we had two servings. The cafe and the dessert shop were also great. We also appreciated the 24 hour restaurant which offered a small assortment of cold and hot foods, bread, fresh fruit, desserts, etc. around the clock. It also had a self-serve beverage station with soft drinks and alcohol. We were glad to see that the buffets appeared to be well-attended, with the hot foods staying hot and the cold foods staying cold. We did not try Chevys or the Italian and French restaurants. Pool/Beach: We spent a decent amount of time at both the pool and the beach. Thankfully we did not have to play the stupid get-up-at-the-break-of-dawn chair reservation game as there were always plenty of loungers and shade available at both the beach and pool. The main pool was clean and gorgeous, with multiple levels and sections so it never felt crowded, even with those of us who brought pool floats. We didn't spend any time at the pool on the opposite side of the resort, but we walked through once and it looked pretty chill. The main beach was lovely and private, with soft, white sand and relatively calm water. The first day the water was crystal clear. However, we had some storms after that which churned the water up some -- but it was still warm and calm enough for swimming/lounging. The resort offers a big water trampoline, a water climbing structure, a few hammocks in the water, and free kayaks, paddle boards, boogie boards etc. They were all fun to use and it was cool to try stand up paddle boarding for the first time (it is definitely harder than it looks, btw!). We never had any problems getting drink service at the pool and the beach, and the wifi worked well enough at both to Facetime family back home. Activities: In addition to the pool and beach, we checked out the gym a few times and also took some of the fitness classes. The gym, which never seemed crowded, was nice and clean with updated equipment, towels, water bottles and a shower in the locker room. Another shout out to Astoreth who led the pool spin class and the yoga class overlooking the ocean -- both were very enjoyable. Every night at 8:30 p.m. they had shows in the theater area outside of the main lobby. We saw part of the circus show (think Cirque du Soleil style) which was pretty cool, but it ran past our kid's bedtime so we had to leave early. The other nights the shows got rained out. As we have a young kid, the lack of nightly entertainment didn't really bother us, but something to keep in mind for those seeking more lively nightlife. There were several bars and multiple lounge/seating areas around the resort, so we could always find a nice spot to chill or just take a break.
