PLEASE NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS INTENDED TO PROMOTE SALES AS A TRAVEL ADVISOR, I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS IF YOU DECIDE THIS VACATION IS FOR YOU.

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Grand Re-opening of the Hyatt Ziva Cancun.  This property used to be Dreams Cancun and I stayed about 5 years ago under the Dreams brand and though I am a fan of "Dreams" resorts in general, this property was not up to Dreams standards and I believe I even mentioned in my review that Dreams had bought the property from another company vs. building the hotel from the ground up and some of the short-comings couldn't be helped because of that.   Well, fast forward to 2016 and bring in Hyatt and Playa Resorts and over a year of construction and this property is AMAZING!

When I first arrived at the Hyatt Ziva, the change was immediately obvious.  First, the large new tower building of rooms which made me doubt "was that there before?" and then the new uphill driveway to the entrance of the resort which was never there before.  The Grand, Open Lobby area that looks right out to the beach and over looks the new main pool area - everything was different.  Saying that this property has been improved upon is an understatement!    Other than some structures that can't be changed like the Pyramid shaped Building- this resort has overgone a complete transformation and it's STUNNING!

My favorite word while walking around the resort was "WOW", I just could not believe my eyes.  It got to a point that I actually doubted my memory of what used to be Dreams, the changes were that drastic!   Firepits where there used to be a restaurant,  a huge main pool area with swim up bar that used to be a poor excuse for a pool area that did not function well.

Many more restaurants from when it was Dreams and though we didn't get to try them all, what we did try we liked.  La Bastille (French)- we didn't try,  El Mercado (buffet)- we had lunch there once,  The Moongate (Asian Fusion) was amazing- with the most unique Teppanyaki set up so that you did not have to wait for a table to fill up, Tradewinds (day grill and classic steakhouse at night) we ate dinner here one night and it was excellent, (24 hours)- as the name implies a place to stop and pick up snacks with a few tables and also a TV, lounge area and foozball table, Lorenzos (Italian)- delicious and it was fun to hear Italian Music playing in the background while in Mexico, Habeneros (Ceviche & Tacos)- we had dinner there our first night- very good, Chevy's (American Classic, fun Environment)-the food here was so-so, but the atmostphere was fun, Pasteles (DESSERTS) -yes a venue dedicated to candy, cookies, cupcakes, cotton candy that you can custom make, ice cream, Casa del Cafe (Coffee house) with all the specialty coffees....and best yet- ALL of these dining options are INCLUDED!   Can't forget 24 hour Room Service as well!

Bars - lots of those as well...Saasil (Lobby Bar) where I've heard they make the best Manhattans,  Juana Margarita (yep- Tequila featured here),  Tres Cervezas (Sports Bar) and they also have their own craft beer created by their master brewer,  Punta Vista (Rooftop Bar)- one of our favorite daytime places, the service by the rooftop pool was excellent- we made fast friends with Peter & Oscar,  Dips & Sips (Main Pool Bar),  Bar del Mar (Relaxing Pool Bar).

Pools & Beaches - as I mentioned somewhat already, there are 3 pool areas at this resort.....the main pool which is huge and very well laid out, plenty of deck chairs and the beautiful ocean view.  There is the rooftop pool, which was  my favorite spot and the pool was very warm (which on a windy, rainy day was welcomed), great view of the lighthouse and the crystal clear Caribbean waters.  Finally, on the other side of the property there is the Relaxing pool- a good size pool and the atmosphere is a little more quiet than the main pool, it's also located near the new tower of rooms which is the Premier Access Tower for Adults Only.  So even though this resort is family friendly, they accept all travelers.  The resort has access to two beach areas as well.

Other Amenities:  Fabulous Fitness Center with loads of brand new equipment (I did visit twice),  Beautiful Spa and Salon- it's now located on the complete other side of the property from before (basically under the new tower of rooms),  Several shops, a Tour office for any local Excursion booking assistance, Tennis Courts, Kids Clubs and the Dolphin Area.  When we were visiting, our room faced out towards the Dolphin pools, but the Dolphins had not been brought back yet.  Once they have returned though, there will be opportunities to have the Swim with the Dolphin experience.

Activities offered by the resort include:  Yoga, Spanish Lessons, Ziva Games, Scuba Diving, Stretching Class, Handcrafts, Pilates, Aquaaerobics, Cooking Classes, Boccee ball, Horse-shoes, pool games/activites and beach volleyball.

The rooms are tastefully done with very comfortable beds, spacious bathrooms with double sinks and I will say having two brand new remodeled bathrooms at home, this shower came about as close to my own than any other.  I'm very spoiled with my shower at home and have been disappointed at many hotels that the showers have not lived up to the awesomeness of my own, this was close.  Large safe, my laptop fit- barely, but that's always an A+ for me if the safe will accommodate my laptop.  They have also added some of the swimout rooms where you have your own plunge pool right outside of your balcony.  I think these are very cool, especially if you want to be secluded and alone.  I personally like to interact with the staff and meet the workers at resorts, so although the concept is great, I'd miss the interactions with the bar staff!

The Staff...much like the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos...FABULOUS!  Service from the heart.  We made friends all around the resort and had such a great experience at this place.  I can very easily become a creature of habit and return back to the same resort over and over again and this is definitely a resort that has won my heart.  Of course, in my business, I need to try to stay at different places for more experience!

All in all, I highly recommend this property for all travelers!  Great for singles, great for families, great for couples and honeymoons, great for groups of friends.  We had a few days of inclement weather, but we found a spot to set up our "Mexican Train" game and played for hours- seriously we started at 2pm and stayed there until 1am...we had a blast.  I was traveling with a girlfriend on this trip and she was very impressed with the resort as well and is interested in trying out other Hyatt Ziva properties, so it's always nice to get that reassurance from someone who is not in the travel business!

You can view the rest of the pictures that I took here:

Hyatt Ziva Cancun Pictures January 2016

And read more about what this amazing resort has to offer here:

Hyatt Ziva Cancun/Playa Resorts Website