This post is sponsored by Hyatt. As always, all opinions and views are my own. (previously published in February 2020)
There comes a time when you get older and friendships are harder to sustain. Of course, I totally get it. People get married, have kids, move to all corners of the earth, and have their own stuff to deal with. But why does it have to change from the younger days? We automatically make time for wedding showers, save up for bachelorette trips, and meticulously plan the best spring break destinations. After moving to Charlotte, I decided I wanted to make traveling with my closest friends a priority. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to work with Hyatt to experience their newest property in the Dominican Republic: Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana!
Once the details were finalized, I immediately went through my list of who I could bring, and of course, I picked one of my best friends, Libby. We were fast friends in college, roommates our final 2 years, and bridesmaids in each other’s weddings! In fact, I hadn’t gotten the chance to see her since my wedding and was desperately in need of a reunion. We packed our bags for 5 days and set out to Punta Cana!
[SHOP OUR OUTFITS AND PACKING LIST IN THIS BLOG POST]
Punta Cana is a direct, 2.5-hour flight from Charlotte! Libby flew up from Orlando (only an hour-ish flight) so we could fly in together. The best part about the hotel’s location in the DR is that it’s literally a 10-15 minute drive from the airport. SO perfect, right? There’s nothing worse than a long travel day followed by an even longer car ride to your hotel. Situated right on the pristine Juanillo Beach, Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana offers some pretty jaw-dropping views right when you pull up. There are two separate properties that conjoin together – Hyatt Ziva, which is family-friendly, and Hyatt Zilara, which is catered to adults-only.
There are a lot of options to choose from, but we stayed in the junior suite with two king beds. Perfect amount of room for two adults! We were on the corner of the highest level, but the views weren’t limited to just us. Each room has a balcony so everyone has a great view. Another suggestion would be to decide if the swim-up pool rooms are for you as you can’t go wrong with easy pool access.
I’ve stayed in two other all-inclusive resorts with my husband and my biggest complaint” is the lack of food choices. They usually stick you with 3-4 similar restaurants and call it a day. You should’ve seen Will’s face when I told him we had TWELVE restaurants and EIGHT bars to choose from! LOL. He might’ve been just a little bit jealous. Each side of the property has 6 restaurants that you’re free to dine in as a guest. The food ranges from Indian, Italian, Mongolian, French, Caribbean, Seafood, and everything in between so you’ll never get bored.
Every meal we had was better than the last and I was sad I didn’t get a chance to try them all! My favorite had to be the last dinner of our vacation at the beachside restaurant- Shutters! The restaurant, which is on the Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana side, is a bit more upscale and offers amazing Peruvian cuisine. It’s for Hyatt club members only, which you can pay for while at the resort, so if you get the chance to dine there it was to die for. The yuca chip appetizers alone were enough to deserve a 10/10 rating. One of the major differences between this resort and a hotel in the states is that they didn’t allow food on the beach. When you realize there aren’t any birds or critters pestering you as you relax, you might just forget about those beachside fries. Thankfully, there are plenty of options within close walking distance if you needed to grab a midday snack!
As you can probably tell by the photos, this place is huge. The list of activities and amenities is just as long to match! Each club room is granted a personal “butler” who you can text 24/7 with questions about the property, booking excursions, etc. Libby and I took full advantage of all they had to offer. From their enormous gym to beachfront yoga and massages, we were very well taken care of! One of my favorite activities was taking a “Hobie Cat” out on the ocean and seeing the beach from the other side! If I wasn’t so scared of getting my phone wet, I would’ve taken more photos because the water is GORG. We also enjoyed a day at the water park on the Hyatt Ziva side! I’m totally a water park > roller coasters kind of person so this 25-year old was ecstatic.
Let’s be real. It’s a luxurious, all-inclusive resort. But it’s by no means reserved for millionaires and you get so much for the value. I honestly enjoy all-inclusive so much because of the peace of mind they offer. I’m willing to pay a little more than average for over-the-top service, complimentary alcohol, and on-site excursions. The rate definitely depends on the # of guests, type of room, etc. When the weather is tolerable (aka the high season of December- April) it’s a little bit more expensive, too. You can plan out your stay here to get a good idea of what it will cost.
The Hyatt portfolio has branded hotels called Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva. Hyatt Zilara properties are adult-only resorts versus Hyatt Ziva resorts that are more family-friendly. Like I mentioned above, you get the chance to walk over to either property to enjoy all of the amenities. If you’re planning a bachelorette party or a BFF reunion, I definitely recommend Hyatt Zilara for your trip.
When they say all-inclusive, they really mean it. It’s amazing how freeing it is to not worry about bringing your wallet everywhere! Libby liked to describe it as a land cruise LOL. But I think it’s an even better bargain because of the whole lack of seasickness/stuck at sea thing. The food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, gym, Wi-Fi, water activities, and more are included. Y’all. Even the MINI-BAR is included. Everything is taken care of! If you’re a wine drinker, wine by the glass is also included but bottles are available for purchase at dinner, I was perfectly happy with a mixed drink instead.
Libby and I couldn’t get over how attentive staff members were! And I’m not just saying the personal butlers. Each team member makes an effort to remember your names and put a smile on your face. By the end of the trip, we made sure to say bye to at least 4-5 specific staffers because they made our trip so unforgettable.
In any country, you need to be on your guard or with a group. In the states, I walk attentively when exiting a store at night to my car, or walk with a group of friends. The Dominican Republic is no different. One of the huge selling points for me is that Cap Cana is a guarded and gated neighborhood in Punta Cana that houses a few different resorts. It really gave an extra sense of security! They also have multiple security team members strolling the property at all times, so I never felt in danger. I think it was more to avoid guests from other hotels trying to come to check out the fun we were having! ;)
The Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana opened in November 2019 while the Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana was a bit afterward. Both properties are still working on a few details before they’re truly “done.” A few floors of the rooms are still being completed, but I wouldn’t even know that if it weren’t for the occasional construction worker walking past. However, I am sad that I missed the opening of the 2-story health and wellness spa, but do know that it is open now so I will definitely need to make a trip back to check it out. The beach massages were a great option to hold me over until my next trip, but I’m a sucker for zen music and a good facial. Once they’re both completely done in a few months, I’m sure future guests will struggle with what to change, too.
In the end, I think the food options and on-site excursions were my favorites since there was a variety to choose from! Also, it was interesting to see the Hyatt Zilara resort being mostly millennial-older couples. I couldn’t think of an easier way to spend time with just a group of friends! The short plane ride and location couldn’t have been better either. Libby and I had the best time de-stressing and catching up on old memories. We are already plotting our next vacation back to Hyatt Zilara with the old college gang so everyone can experience it! And of course, the husbands are begging to come along, too. While I was ultimately just thankful for the quality time we had, I’m happy we got to spend it at a resort as beautiful as this.
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