70-day Trip Update: Cancun

by Zac Hood | Dec 03, 2022 | Member Success Stories
70-day Trip Update_ Cancun

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(This is a continued series from Travel Freely Member Adam’s 70 Days on Points and Miles around the world. Read his introduction here and see links to more posts at the bottom.)

After the Amalfi Coast, we had our plans change quite a bit. The original itinerary included some time in Israel and Japan before returning to the States. However, due to travel restrictions that persisted in Japan longer than anticipated, our flights got canceled, and we had to make a return trip to Cleveland after the Amalfi Coast. This wasn’t all bad, though, since we could make it back to Dakota’s family vacation on Lake Michigan as an excellent substitute! But the entire summer of points travel was not yet over… we had one last stop – Cancun!

View of a tropical paradise with palm trees and a clear blue sky. A swimming pool is surrounded by lounge chairs and a white balustrade in the foreground. The ocean and a pier are visible in the background.

A beachfront pool area with white canopy beds lines the edge. Palm trees are scattered around, and people are walking and lounging. The ocean is visible in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Due to scrambling flights around a bit, we chose to buy a cheap flight option to Cancun from Cleveland rather than use points (not many good deals were available). Most tickets were absurdly expensive ($500s), but we used Kiwi.com to get direct roundtrip tickets for only $149. Now to be fair, we flew with Frontier – and many people have had bad experiences with the airline – so we took a small risk! But it panned out for us. A 30-minute delay is all we had to put up with!

A young man and woman take a selfie inside an airplane. They are seated with empty seats visible behind them, and several passengers are standing in the aisle further back. The interior of the plane is well-lit.

We met my brother Ben and his fiancee Taylor at the airport before departing to our destination for the five full days we spent in Cancun. Our resort? The Hyatt Zilara Cancun!
We were able to capitalize on some big benefits on my Capital One Venture X card for this trip: $112 in food at Bar Symon in Cleveland (meals before we left and after we returned to the CLE airport!), lounge access right next to our gate in Cancun, and access for Ben and Taylor to the brand new DFW CapOne Lounge!

A woman in a patterned tank top sits smiling at a red table in a modern restaurant. In front of her are two drinks: a cocktail and a reddish beverage in a tall glass. The background features a TV and various decor.

Back to the Hyatt Zilara Cancun… what a phenomenal resort! Admittedly, this was our first time at an all-inclusive, but we were simply blown away. This Hyatt resort is an adult-only location, in contrast to its family-oriented counterpart Hyatt Ziva.

A nighttime view of a beachside resort with illuminated pools and cabanas. The ocean is visible in the background, and palm trees and a lit bar area add to the serene atmosphere.

I had originally planned to get one room for the four of us, but unfortunately, if booking with points, you can only have two adults per room, so we had to go for two rooms for the five-day stretch. We booked each room for 25k World of Hyatt points per night that we transferred from Chase! Thanks to Zac’s Globalist Status and usage of the ‘Guest of Honor’ perk, we also reaped some awesome Globalist perks! Unfortunately, the resort did not have any suites available for upgrade. Still, we did get to experience private check-in (with welcome champagne!), a private concierge service (VERY helpful), late check-out, and a 2 for 1 deal at one of the special dining events that saved us around $200! Thanks, Zac!!

Three people stand smiling in an elegant hallway, holding drinks. The man on the left wears a black shirt and cap, while the two women on the right wear casual tops and pants. The background features glass doors and a bright interior.

The rooms were simple but comfortable double full-size bed set-ups, fitted with regal architecture, and even a hot tub in each room! The real kicker was the balcony view, though. Waking up every morning to an ocean view was a treat! (all rooms have an ocean view, to my understanding)

Four people smiling on a balcony overlooking a resort pool and ocean. The scene features lounge chairs, palm trees, and a bright blue sky, creating a tropical, vacation-like atmosphere.

Hyatt Zilara Cancun really stood out in a few ways – but the most memorable was certainly the food. The resort had six restaurants, five of which are free and only one is paid – we opted for it one night due to the Globalist benefit mentioned before, and it was definitely worth the fine dining experience! The other five restaurants were all impeccable. Casa del Cafe is more of a bakery and coffee shop, and I probably saw most of us since I ordered at least 5 smoothies or mochas a day… the workers got used to me after only a couple of days!

A person holds a cup of cappuccino in the foreground. In the background, a man in a pink shirt plays at a pool table. The setting is indoors, with architectural columns and ambient lighting.

Asiana is, you guessed it, Zilara’s gourmet Asian cuisine restaurant. We ate here three different times, once for a hibachi steakhouse experience and twice for the sushi. Let me tell you – the sushi was top-tier. The four of us downed over 15 rolls in one sitting… all-you-can-eat can be dangerous.

A woman plays a saxophone in a restaurant with green walls and modern decor. White chairs are arranged around tables, and diners are seated, some conversing and others listening. Soft lighting adds to the cozy ambiance.

Maria Marie is their Mexican restaurant with delicious options and an upscale feel. We ate here on our first night and absolutely loved the atmosphere! It was a wonderful way to ease into the resort’s vibe for our first dinner. We ordered a couple of the same enchilada entrees, but we opted to get one of each dessert so we could mix and match. Every bite was incredible!

Three plates of gourmet food on a table. Two plates have enchiladas with green sauce, sour cream, and garnish. The third plate has a dish containing seared meat, vegetables, and garnish. A person, partially visible, is seated at the table.

Spice is the buffet-style dining area where you can grab and go as you wish. We only ate here for lunch on our first day since we preferred some other options, but this is a fantastic place, especially if you have outings planned outside of the resort and need a quick bite!

Chef’s Plate was the only dining experience that cost us any money. The price was $169 for the four of us with Zac’s Globalist benefit. The price included a fine dining experience consisting of six different courses prepared by Zilara’s executive chef in an intimate restaurant location. There was an event host who described our dishes to us as we went, as well as recommended different wines to accompany each dish. Some of the highlights were popcorn soup, an incredibly prepared wahoo, a special-recipe risotto, and a filet mignon dish. I’ve never eaten fish before (don’t judge me too harshly), so the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed the wahoo is saying something!

A man and a woman sitting at a dining table with multiple wine glasses and water. In the foreground, a bowl of soup with a drizzle of sauce and a dish of popcorn are displayed on a placemat. Brick wall in the background.

Last but not least, however, is the Punta Vista Restaurant with an open patio that overlooks the ocean. This was our favorite restaurant, and since they have different menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we frequented this location the most!

Four people toast with drinks at a beachside table. The ocean and cloudy sky are in the background. The table has menus, green napkins, and a bowl of snacks.

A woman in a red dress sits at a table outdoors, cutting into her meal. The table has plates of grilled meat, vegetables, and a bowl of salad. Drinks include a glass of wine and a soft drink. Palm trees and a cloudy sky are visible in the background.

Now the food was phenomenal. But the stay in its entirety was impressive. I think five days was the perfect amount, and the resort could potentially get a bit stuffy if you stayed longer than that. However, for our five-day stay, we were entirely entertained and thrilled with what the resort offered! They had an awesome event staff that we became solid friends with and loved seeing every day. This staff put on daily events like water volleyball games, ping pong tournaments, raffles, and a ton more. Every night they also had special events in the main lobby, like opera night, incredible rollerblading shows, and even a casino royale. More than anything, the pleasantness of the workers and their genuine enjoyment of their jobs made the stay great. Shout out to our friend and Zilara staff member Tommy Corzo for the exceptional work!

A lively pool party with numerous people enjoying the water, some holding foam noodles. People are laughing and engaging with each other amidst floating foam. A large hotel with balconies and palm trees is visible in the background.

A woman smiling and holding sunglasses lies on a beach bed under a wooden canopy, against a backdrop of white sand and turquoise ocean. A person in the distance is near the water, under a blue sky with scattered clouds.

We loved swimming in the ocean, exploring the different portions of the extensive pool system, napping on the cabanas on the beach or poolside, and competing in couples billiards games. I am proud to say Dakota, and I came out on top of the billiard games over the course of our stay. We even ended up finding a bit of an isolated rooftop pool that had an incredible view of the bay.

Two people playing pool indoors. One person is aiming the cue, while the other racks the balls. They are near large windows overlooking a beach with palm trees and blue sky. The person standing wears a hat and light clothing.

A person in swimwear sits at the edge of a long, narrow pool with clear blue water. The pool is next to a building with white arches and columns. Lounge chairs are under a covered area beside the pool. The sky is partly cloudy.

Would I recommend the Hyatt Zilara Cancun for your stay with points? Ab – so – lute – ly. In fact, I am arranging for my parents to take a trip down to the resort for their anniversary, we enjoyed it that much! As I mentioned before, more than a few days might require some venturing beyond the resort to stay stimulated, but we were so enthralled during our stay we never felt bored for even a moment. One important thing to remember during your stay is that, although you don’t have to pay for nearly anything, tips are appreciated greatly by the staff! Make sure to bring some cash to be able to tip your servers and other staff members.

Two people stand indoors in a grand hallway with elegant arched architecture and a stained glass ceiling. They wear white shirts, black pants, and white sneakers. They are smiling and standing close together on a polished floor.

View from a covered terrace featuring ornate columns, overlooking an infinity pool that blends with the distant lake or ocean. The skyline of a city is visible across the water under a cloudy sky. Palm trees are seen on the left side.

That is a wrap on our summer of travel… but watch out, next year will be even crazier. Don’t believe me? STAY TUNED!

More from Adam’s 70 Days on Points and Miles: