Hyatt Zilara Riviera Maya

This was by far our worst experience in 7 trips to Mexico. The ac was one thing. We upgraded to an ocean view suite only to have construction next door that made the balcony unenjoyable due to the noise not to mention the smoking section right below us. The food was not great, sometimes you couldn't even get certain things. Along those lines, on our last day the buffet breakfast was closed so only option was room service which was always slow and again was out of things. I usually had to go get ice myself for the room unless I wanted wait 1-2 hours. Sometimes there was hot water and sometimes there wasn't for showers that was horrible. Trying to get reservations at the restaurants was difficult so buffet becomes your only options. We did not pay for upgrades and all inclusive to eat at a buffet that had limited options. Communications with staff was difficult as they speak limited English so we often gave up trying. When the room was cleaned things were not restocked like coffee and wash rags / towels etc so we had to call and get them to come back several times. I could go on but I think you get the picture.

As usual, there was good and bad. But the bad out weighed the good. They try to hard sell you on the Hyatt membership program from the start. Hyatt should want to make your experience at the facility so good that you ask more about the membership rather than being in your face every time you get near the lobby. Good Stuff - Food and drinks were decent overall. The restaurants were not always open. For example, the website shows a menu for the sports bar, but they didn't serve any food during our visit. The food at the other restaurants was average to above average, definitely not great. Portions are generally small but that is to be expected. One bad experience was when we had to wait almost 2 hours one night for room service for dinner. There were only two of us and we were able to get in to eat without reservations. The bars/drinks were good. The staff was typically responsive and helpful. These were probably the highlight of the experience. The room we generally very clean and the bedding was great. The pool/beach towels were plentiful and nice. The staff doing the activities by the pool during the day were great. Very engaging and fun (for the most part...). Bad Stuff - Our first room had a leak in the bath slowly flooding the area. We reported it but it took over 8 hours for anyone to do anything. They finally moved us to another room. The shower in the new room didn't drain. I heard they are doing a complete renovation on the hotel soon and you can tell they are letting deferred maintenance go. Tipping is not mandatory but if you don't, service can be slow or weak drinks. There is regularly someone trying to sell you something such as Hyatt membership, cabana (extra fee), hats, spa, clothes, jewelry, drugs, etc. Some of it is sanctioned by Hyatt, some not. It is not constant but every hour or so which makes trying to relax by the pool/beach tougher. There was no notification on the events planned for dinner. They were doing some special cook-out type things for the holidays and not serving at the buffet. But they didn't effectively communicate that. The app that showed the activities didn't explain what they involved. It was just a time and name. We would have participated more if we know what they included. You have to put a towel on a chair by the pool or beach by 8:15 am to get one of the prime spaces. And you need to get one by 10 am or you won't get one at all. Overall, I would rate our experience as just so-so. Some good things, some bad things. Really nothing that wowed us and several things that were very disappointing. And for the cost of the trip, that is just not good enough. All businesses generally have one time to impress a potential return customer. Hyatt did not do that here. We will not be going back to any Hyatt facilities.

It was our family's first time - mom, sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew- spent the holidays in a warm climate (and not our usual tradition). It was fun and didn't disappoint. The service was top-notch, attentive, and friendly. The restaurants were consistently good - especially the Capri Grille and Lolas. They serve a tasty, spicy bloody mary! Here are a few items to note as far as rooms: Room Thermostat | The room was too cold - we couldn't adjust the thermostat (maintenance had to change it), My mom and I stayed in a tropical view double queen) were freezing, and you couldn't adjust the thermostat. My nephew said their room was too cold - to the point of discomfort. Overhead Fan - cannot adjust speed | The overhead fan was nice, but it was on the highest setting and couldn't be adjusted. Having the option to adjust the fan speeds for our comfort would have been nice. Balcony - no screen | There are no screens on the sliding doors to the balcony. We didn't want to keep the sliding door open very often due to the Coati (a raccoon-family critter who can open the doors and get into your room - they roam around the resort). -------- Note about Pool and Beach Chairs: You will want to snag your pool or beach chairs first thing in the morning - whether with beach towel clips on the chairs and/or beach towels (they say they open at 9:00 am, but I would swing by the beach towel desk around 7:45 am and many times someone would be there). Are you a runner? One concern I had was safely running outside each morning. I found it fine and very nice to run down and back on the road to the front gate, then head south on the beach. You can go either south or north, but heading south is the best if you want to go for a longer run (out and back). You'll go past several other resorts, many people, and security. -------- This is a smaller resort, but being my first time at an all-inclusive resort, I found it welcoming, fun, and relaxing.

Great experience! Amazing location and outstanding, professional, friendly and well trained team! The services were heavenly, the hotel took care of every little detail and need. Amazing idea with the app, making everything sooo easy!

We loved the variety of fresh foods every day. All of our dining experiences were great! The personal attention from servers was fantastic. As first timers to an all-inclusive resort, it checked all the boxes for our whole family, including me, my husband, our two adult children, my sister, and my mother. The more smaller resort size was perfect for a relaxing week in the sun!