Our Experience at Hyatt Zilara- Cap Cana, Dominican Republic
Sharing our experience at the beautiful Hyatt Zilara in Cap Cana, Dominican Republic. My parents treated us to an incredible family vacation this past May. There were 8 adults in our party, ages ranging from 25-63. This trip was a true treat and I am so thankful for my parents and the fun family memories that were made.
Our trip consisted of 4 nights and 5 days, which felt like the perfect amount of time. Our family prioritized time at the resort and fully enjoyed relaxing at the beach and pools. For those wanting activities there's plenty of fitness classes, excursions, crafts, and spa services available.
Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva
Hyatt Zilara is the adults only resort, and Hyatt Ziva is the family friendly side. Those who book at Zilara have access to the restaurants, spa, waterpark, and pools on the Ziva side. Guests staying on the Ziva side do not have access to the Zilara side.
Day 1
We flew out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The flight is about 3.5 hours with no time change. It took roughly 30 minutes to get everyone through customs. We then walked to baggage claim, where we waited in another short line to exit baggage claim.
This trip was booked through Costco travel services. We were able to easily find the correct desk for our rental van by finding the Costco travel sign. A guide walked us to a specific spot outside and told us to wait for our van. This part was chaotic. Probably 400 other people are waiting on their rides, vans are speeding through the pickup lanes, there's lots of honking, and everything is very fast paced.
Once our driver was able to get to us, the drive over to Cap Cana was very smooth. It took 25 minutes to get from the airport to the front gate for Hyatt Zilara/Ziva.
Checking-In
We arrived around 5PM. We were immediately greeted by the friendly resort staff. Our bags were held in the lobby, while we were escorted to the Club level lounge, Bongos. The check-in process was very easy. We signed a waiver release form and a rules sheet. We were also told about the perks of being a Club Level guest. To confirm if you are a Club Level guest the restaurants and pool staff will ask for your room number. You will also need to use your room key to enter Bongos after checking in.
After check-in, we all went up to our separate rooms. We each had beach view rooms on the fifth floor. I'll never forget being so excited to see the turquoise blue water from our room! The rooms were very spacious and clean. I was really impressed with the size of the bathroom with a large shower, double vanities, and extra counter space. The outdoor balcony had a comfortable loveseat and bistro table and chairs. There was plenty of closet space and drawers to get unpacked and settle in.
We quickly changed and met in the lobby for drinks at 7pm. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset and then walked over to Waves for Dinner. Waves is the steakhouse located on the Zilara side. There's no reservations for the restaurants, it's first come first serve. We put our name on the waiting list and were told it would be an hour. We waited outside and listened to the live performance on the main steps. Our party was seated around 8pm.
Gluten Free - Allergy Accommodations
I was VERY impressed with how accommodating the entire resort was for food allergies. I am gluten free and every restaurant would ask us while we were putting our name on the waiting list if there was any allergies. Once seated, the waiter would ask if there were any allergies, and after raising my hand they would say "I'll take care of you" or "you are safe with me". The menus were well labeled with common allergies, and the staff seemed knowledgeable with what was gluten free or what substitutions would be made to make a meal gluten free. Overall, it was a fantastic experience and I felt like I had so many options the entire trip.
Morning views at Hyatt Zilara and Ziva
One of my highlights from the trip was how peaceful the mornings were. I am naturally an early riser and I really enjoyed walking around the resort each morning. There was hardly anyone else around in the mornings, but it still felt very safe. I took lots of pictures and just admired the stunning views. I will never get over how beautiful this place is!
Day 2
After my morning walk, all 8 of us met up at Shutters Beachclub for breakfast. This restaurant is only open to Club Level guests for Breakfast and Lunch. We were able to get a table overlooking the beach right away. Here we were given a paper print out of the "Z news" which lists the daily activities, but this can also be found digitally.
The rest of the morning was spent on the Beach! This time of year (we went over Memorial Day weekend) there was sargassum on the shoreline. The resort had people raking this up throughout the day. I had read prior to the trip that this might have an unpleasant odor. Luckily this wasn't the case, and we were happy sitting on the beach chairs looking at the ocean. We even ventured into the ocean once. It took about two steps of walking through seaweed, and then it was crystal clear water.
Later that afternoon we moved over to the club pool. Half of our party had been at the pool and reserved chairs for our group that morning. Chairs are reserved by asking the pool staff for a seat. These are held by you physically being in the chair or with your belongings on the chair. We didn't have any issues getting a seat the entire trip.
The club level pool was a lot less crowded and calmer compared to the other pool. The swim up bar also has higher quality liquor. Our group learned that it's important to specify which type of liquor you would like in your drinks, the staff doesn't automatically serve the higher quality, but will do so upon request.
Manuel - Activities Personnel
Manuel is the life of the party at Hyatt Zilara! Our group got pulled into some of the activities that took place on the beach/pool. We competed in the "Olympics", water aerobics, and darts on the beach. This was a little (A LOT) out of my comfort zone, but it made for a lot of laughs and fun memories.
After a full day in the sun it was time to get ready for dinner. We met up at The One-Eyed Cat, the Martini Bar, for pre dinner drinks. This place was so fun, and had really good mocktails. We put our name in for a table at Tempest Table, located on the Ziva side. While we were waiting we walked from the Martini bar over to the Ziva. We sat at a hibachi style table. The entire meal was cooked with gluten free soy sauce due to my allergy. My husband said this was his favorite meal from the trip.
Day 3
While walking this morning, I discovered a smoothie bar right across from the Tempest Tavern - during the day this is considered the Rum Bar - but from 8-11am they make made to order smoothies. I ordered the strawberry, banana, and pineapple smoothie.
We rented two private cabanas at the Club pool this day. The Cabana was so comfortable and provided a ton of shade. In between the two cabanas is two lounge chairs, these are separate from the rental, but the pool staff let us reserve these seats. We had plenty of space and it really felt like we were at a private pool!
My husband and I ordered pizza from Presto for lunch. I didn't see this explicitly listed on the menu, but they do have a gluten free pizza crust available. This was the perfect poolside lunch!
Dinner this night was at Brandos which is right across from The One Eyed Cat. We met at the Martini bar and then walked across the hall to the restaurant. There was no wait and we were immediately seated. This felt like the fanciest restaurant we ate at - the decor is very Alice in Wonderland meets Hogwarts. The walls are painted a black color with fun umbrellas and floating candles are suspended throughout. It was a very unique dining experience with the dark walls and mood lighting.
Dress Code
Restaurant dress codes vary from Smart Casual and Casual Formal. Jackets are not required.
Day 4
I started today with another morning walk and a smoothie. Eventually we made it to the beach and then moved over to the pool. The weather started getting overcast and the forecast showed rain, so our group decided to try Shutters for lunch. We were able to get a table right away. This menu was the most challenging for our group since it had lots of raw fish options. The majority of the group got the chicken kabobs which were really good.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing and soaking up our last full day.
Our last dinner was at Noodle and Thread, the Italian spot on the Ziva side. We gathered in the sports bar before dinner. There were pool tables and lots of TVs with sports games on. The Braves were playing so we got to catch a couple innings before the buzzer went off telling us our table was ready. The food was fabulous, and there were gluten free bread, pasta, and pizza options.
After dinner we went to the silent disco for some dancing. This was so much fun! If you've never done a silent disco, I highly recommend. This was inside one of the Zilara conference rooms located on the third floor.
Day 5
I spent one more morning sitting on the beach before the rental van picked us up at 11. This place is a true paradise!
The last activity we did was the batting cages. My husband is a huge baseball fan, so we had to give this a try. The staff was so nice to us during this activity. My swing needed some help, but they were really impressed by my husband's swing!
It was the perfect last morning!
Closing Remarks
All thoughts and opinions shared are my own. We truly had an incredible time and would recommend this trip to others. The accommodations, dining options, views, and staff were incredible and I would love to come back here again!
Comments