Hyatt Zilara Riviera Maya

We had an outstanding one-night stay at Hyatt Zilara Riviera Maya. From the moment we arrived until we checked out, every aspect of our experience exceeded our expectations. The staff was genuinely welcoming and attentive, the resort was spotless and beautifully maintained, and the food, drinks, and amenities were all excellent. The atmosphere was relaxing, and it was the perfect place to unwind. Our only disappointment was that we only had one night to enjoy everything the resort has to offer. We will absolutely be back for a longer stay in the future and would highly recommend this property to anyone looking for a first-class all-inclusive experience. Five stars!

Excellent Atmosphere, with very clean rooms, very professional/friendly/ helpful staff and food was out of the world. Will definitely recommend this resort for couples and groups!

Hotel: 8/10 - main facilities slightly outdated - No ac in common spaces like hallways, lobby, some restaurants - AC in bedroom was decent and kept room cool even on very hot days - Staff kept everything very clean and tidy - Always stocked on towels - Only one pool which was close to the beach, so a constant breeze coming through. It was nice in the August heat, but probably not ideal in the winter months - Offer a free service that takes you on a sail boat ride to a nearby natural pool, paddle boarding, and kayaking Staff 10/10 - some of the best service we have ever encountered. We find there’s always 1 or 2 people you encounter that go above and beyond at a resort, where here it seemed like almost everyone. Some names that really stood out are: - Luis: by far our favourite staff member. He’s one of the waiters that service the pool loungers. He made sure we never had an empty glass and always had a cold water nearby. When we told him that the mojitos were disappointing and that they are usually our favourite drink, he went and made us custom mojitos that hit the spot. He was such a pleasure to deal with and so happy we got to meet him. - Carlos: Carlos, the pool concierge is one of the most dedicated staff members we ever met. He was always moving. If he saw a towel untucked or a corner of a sun bed not covered by the umbrella, he would rush over to straighten it out. He really took his job seriously and made us feel special - Miguel: runs the service that takes you on a sale boat to the natural pool. He was full of joy, singing and a great tour guide. He showed us a jumping rock that led into the natural pool which was a great time. - Guadalupe: We left a ball that our daughter let us take with us at the pool one night. She made it her mission to find it where other staff members had already written it off. I’m sure there were others behind the scenes that contributed to the rescue, but she made it happen. - Honourable mentions: Luis the waiter at Lola’s beach restaurant Augustine the bartender at the swim up bar Food 8/10 The food overall was very good. I found they offer very basic options, but have a lot of variety when it comes to spice and dressings. the tacos literally come with nothing on them, but if requested, you can add sides to dress it the way you like it: pico de Giao, guacamole, jalepeno, peppers, habanero sauce and more. As long as you ask for options and get creative with the order, the food is good. Options ARE limited so if you're staying long, it will become repetitive. We were only there for 3 nights so it was perfect for us. Lola’s beach lunch 9/10 ^tacos were really good Lola’s restaurant lunch 8/10 ^fajitas were good but lacked flavour Steakhouse restaurant dinner 8/10 ^steak was better than expected Italian restaurant dinner 10/10 ^ the lasagne was really good, the make your own pasta with Alfredo was great Asian restaurant dinner 8/10 ^ sushi was ok but not up to Canadian standards. The fried rice was amazing.

Reviews are always subjective. We just spent the last week enjoying this property. It’s been 11 months since my last visit. We had a very relaxing and fun week. We met so many incredible humans - guests and the hotel employees. My reviews are always a bit long and I organize them into sections. Scroll to the parts that interest you. Our overall impression was that the hotel is beautiful. The size of it is absolutely our preference. It still has a low key, none party resort vibe. I think that’s the charm that keeps people coming back. Lots of day drinking in the sun and a somewhat low key evening vibe. We heard many people talk about how this was unexpected. You will have a great time, just don’t expect a party scene (unless you make one yourself) or big nighttime shows. The team does their best to offer a wide variety of things during the day and in the evening. Make sure to check the app for the events, activities and fitness. Beach: Soft fluffy sand. Beautiful views. The ocean was unfortunately riddled with sargassum. We knew this coming that we would likely not want to swim (though people did try to get past it to swim). We booked a week on Isla Mujeres for that prior to coming. I did spend some time enjoying the beach, the breeze and the view. We could tell that everyone was working so hard to clean, back hoe and remove as much of it as they could. It must be incredibly frustrating. Carlos - the beach waiter - was so kind, fun and friendly. He would sometimes be at the pool or just see me and would bring a coconut rum and sprite. Thank you buddy. The smell can be bad at times. Again, we were expecting it. Some days you can smell it when you are in pool/inside room/walkways etc but it wasn’t all day nor did it ruin our trip. I think this whole coast is struggling with it right now. The Cenote is close by (you can walk to it). It was a lot of people’s highlights. Talk to the lifeguard or beach attendants for more information if that interests you. Pool: We spent a lot of time swimming as it was so hot. There is some shade at different times at the bar and under bridges. The staff around the pool will move umbrellas and took really good care of the patrons. The bar and wait staff worked so hard. This resort is a daytime party. Lots of yummy cocktails and pretty fast service. At times, we could see them struggle to keep up as there were only a few bartenders. Huge shoutout to everyone here. You’re doing a great job. The pool was refreshed daily and was kept clean. The only downfall was the bottom of the pool. It was pretty rough. A few injuries and lots of cut up toes and feet. It’s normal ware and tare but I’m sure the bottom could use a refresh. Some patrons brought water shoes. I would recommend something. Food: This is probably the most talked about thing at this resort. By no means is this a staff or service issue. Management and a team makes decisions to change menus based on probably a lot of factors. It can’t be easy. But this was the biggest change I noticed since my last visit 11 months ago. We noticed a lot of inconsistencies in the food at the buffet, Lola’s and the Italian. The only improvement we saw was the Tempest - we noticed a big elevated experience change. Patrons expect food to be timely, similar quality/taste and consistent between day to day and guest to guest experience. Buffet - only open for breakfast. What was an exceptional brunch experience - was very inconsistent. It was a get in and get out scenario. Last summer - it was super high quality and something we enjoyed greatly. Lola’s - bring back the coconut shrimp and more elevated lunch options. Lunch sometimes would be over an hour to almost two hours for a few items. Though there was other options - it’s got the best potential for a really fun lunch. And you have some of the best/friendliest staff working. Lola’s/Sabor Gaucho dinner These two restaurants flip flop. They have different menus. What we did notice was that not all staff had experienced the menu - this was noticed by many. We think more opportunities for the team to try the food would be helpful. This works for patrons as we rely on advice since most restaurants- guests only visit once. Food was decent. Staff work very hard and are extremely kind. Italian - the menu has been paired down. Though we had a great salmon dish and loved the cheese wheel - we missed out on some fun menu items (steak/seafood etc). The team here did their best to ensure a good experience. Tempest. There are three experiences here. The Teppeniaki experience is always fun. Pretty standard and you get to meet other guests. We had a lovely experience. The à la carte - basically a sit down, pick some really good items. We liked the surf and Turf stir fry. The Sushi Bar - now this is where you want to go! We had it three times and it was our absolute favourite. We had Carlos - the main chef work his magic. Our first night - we basically said we wanted his best options and gave him our full attention. It was so good. Our second and third night - kept getting better. Our last night - he put a whole show on for us and some of our friends. It was a culinary experience. Pro tip- be flexible - ask questions and be honest with what you like and don’t like. Carlos - thank you. You have some very solid leadership and your team loves you (so do the guests) - time and time again, we had the same conversation with other guests about how they felt leaving dinner. It was all praise. Thank you. Sports Bar: We had such an excellent time at the Sports Bar pre/post dinner. The bartenders took such great care of us. At times, just bringing over some drinks they knew we liked. Very attentive to detail and honestly, we’re a huge highlight to our trip. Thanks guys for the talks, the kindness and for how much you went out of your way for not only us, but for everyone who visits. Coffee shop: What a gem! Coffees, treats, snacks. Beautiful team of people working here as well as some pretty awesome Caramel and Vanilla iced lattes! Room: Our room was beautiful - 203 Ocean View King. We looked over the pool and had a beautiful ocean view. Quite spacious and clean. The bed was super comfortable and the bathroom was very large. The shower has a lovely rain shower head and a ton of room. We had a minor water leak from the vent. The team took quick action to fix it and when we came back from dinner, they had done an excellent job cleaning our room and providing us with extra towels. We had zero issues with the leak for the remaining time of our stay. I would say the only downfall was the Coates that roam around, especially on balconies. We had lots of hair on our chairs and they smelt quite bad. Didn’t really want to sit out that much. We had one camp out on our balcony and it did not want to move - so we let it be. Nature will go where nature wants. I did like the privacy of the Tropical room I had last year vs this one that faced the pools. Entertainment: We did not partake in the evening entertainment - however, many people enjoyed it. It’s not a party hotel nor does it have a nightlife. It works for some people and doesn’t for others. We look for small resorts and we are not always looking to be up all night. You will need to make your own fun - should you wish to party. Overall, it was a lovely time. We met so many great people. Loved the staff. We will continue trying other Hyatt Properties and await some news of more positive food changes over the next year.

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the Pool team who made our stay so amazing. Carlos, Pablo, Julio and Michelle were amazing and so accommodating. They were the best. They made our days there extra special every single day. I would def go back to see them and make more memories with them. Also Erick who everyday played volley in the pool made it so fun. Housekeeping and also the guys that brought out food were amazing. Very respectful and so polite. I can’t remember their names but they were amazing. We would def co back. Finally an extra shout out to Michelle for surprising us with the decor in our cabana For our 25 year anniversary. It was so sweet of her. Just amazing stay overall. Thank you, Joan and David Ortiz