Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana

We came to the Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana , one of the best-rated all-inclusive resorts in the whole Caribbean.

And we came for a very clear reason: we wanted to check what a hotel that, on paper, shows up as one of the best resorts in the Caribbean is really like.

It has awards, it has very high ratings and it belongs to Hyatt , a very well-known international hotel brand. On top of that, Zilara is one of their high-end lines within the all-inclusive world.

So far we’ve stayed in a lot of resorts in Punta Cana and the Caribbean. Some cost us $400 or $500 a night , others a bit less, others more, and yes, we’ve seen differences between tiers. Better rooms, better facilities, better food… but we’ve rarely felt that brutal difference of going: “okay, this really is on another level”.

So we wanted to know whether the Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana really deserves the reputation it has.

We paid more than $600 a night, per room , in summer, which here counts as low season. In high season it can cost double or even triple.

So the question is clear: is it worth paying what this hotel costs? Is it really that good? Or are you just paying for the brand?

And I’ll tell you this up front: it’s probably the best hotel we’ve stayed in to date.

In this review we’re going to show you what it’s like inside, what’s included, what the rooms are like, the food, the beach, the pools, the staff, the restaurants, and whether we really agree with the very high ratings it has.

The moment you arrive, the feeling is already different.

The hotel is in Cap Cana , a more exclusive area of Punta Cana, and it’s also very close to the airport. By car it can take you around 5 or 10 minutes , more or less.

That’s already a convenient point, because after a long flight the last thing you want is to sit through an hour of transfer.

The lobby is pretty impressive.

It’s huge, open, very elegant, with very careful decor and a feeling of arriving at a tropical palace.

Everything is very clean, very spacious and smells great.

In fact, one of the things that caught our attention the most is the smell of the hotel . The common areas have a very fresh, very pleasant air freshener, and that smell repeats in several areas of the resort.

They’re small details, but when you arrive at a hotel of this level, that’s exactly what you expect: that everything is looked after from the very first minute.

The check-in is also well above the usual.

If you book a Club category or you have access through the Hyatt loyalty programme, you check in in a lounge-type area, where you can sit down quietly, have a drink, grab a snack or a croissant and go through the process without standing in a queue.

If you don’t have Club category, you also get a pretty comfortable check-in, sitting on sofas, without that feeling of waiting in an airport line.

And if you’re travelling in a large group, they also have a specific process to make it quicker.

In general, the check-in was fast, comfortable and pleasant.

And that’s very welcome, because in a lot of hotels it feels like your holiday starts when the check-in ends. Here, on the other hand, the experience starts the moment you walk through the door.

One important thing you should know is that the Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana is right next to the Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana .

The Zilara is the adults-only part. The Ziva is the family part.

If you stay at the Zilara, you can also get into a lot of areas of the Ziva: some restaurants, bars, common areas and activities.

This is a very positive point because it widens the offer enormously.

You get the quiet of being in an adults-only hotel, but at the same time you can move over to the family side if you feel like trying other restaurants, having a drink or using one of the facilities.

That said, if you’re coming with kids, you’d obviously have to stay at the Ziva, not at the Zilara.

We stayed in a Master Suite , which is a considerably bigger room than the standard one.

But they also let us film a standard room so you can clearly see the differences.

And here I have to say it clearly: even the standard room is spectacular.

All the rooms have a similar look, very well cared for, with colourful but elegant decor, Caribbean touches, a large bathroom, an enormous shower, a terrace and views towards the centre of the resort: pools, gardens or sea.

Here you don’t get the typical room that looks out onto an ugly part of the hotel.

Even booking a standard room, you’re going to have pleasant views.

Then there are also swim-up rooms , with access to a semi-private pool shared between several rooms. And some of them are in areas closer to the sea.

The Master Suite is enormous.

It has a bedroom area, an integrated living-room area, a very large terrace, an outdoor jacuzzi, a huge bathroom, a very big shower, a capsule coffee machine, a full minibar, sofas, a spectacular king size bed and a huge number of details.

It’s a room where you actually want to spend time.

It’s not just a room to sleep in. You can sit on the terrace, get in the jacuzzi, order room service, have a drink, rest in the living area or just enjoy the space.

The decor is very well looked after and everything was impeccable.

The bed is one of the best we’ve tried.

Very comfortable, very wide and with that luxury-hotel-bed feeling where you lie down and go: “okay, you sleep well here”.

The pillows are spectacular too.

They’re feather pillows , soft, with good consistency, and you get that feeling of resting your head on something very comfortable, almost like cotton.

I don’t know if a 10 out of 10 bed exists, but this one gets very close.

The bathroom is also at a very high level.

It’s very spacious, with an enormous shower, good design, good materials, bathrobes, slippers, quality amenities and everything you expect in a hotel of this category.

The amenities brand is C.O. Bigelow , a New York brand, and the feeling is pretty premium.

The only small thing that could be improved is that in some showers a bit of water can come out depending on how the jet falls, but we’re talking about a tiny detail inside an almost perfect bathroom.

In general, the bathroom, the cleanliness and the space are at a very high level.

Here I want to clarify something.

We paid for the stay out of our own pocket.

The hotel did not invite us.

And this matters because our aim is for the trips to be funded by your trust: if you book a hotel you like through our links, we can get a commission and keep paying for stays so we can make honest reviews.

We don’t want the hotel to pay us to say nice things. We want to be free to tell you the good and the bad.

Now let’s get to one of the most important parts: the food.

The Zilara buffet looked spectacular to us.

It’s decorated like a kind of market or goods warehouse next to the dock, with a huge number of details: cheeses, hanging hams, food stations, sweets, waffles, omelettes, eggs, toast, smoothies and a lot of variety.

But the curious thing is that, even though it’s a buffet, you don’t take the food yourself.

You go around the different stations, ask for what you want and they serve it to you.

That makes everything look much cleaner, more orderly and better looked after.

At breakfast you have sweet options, savoury options, healthy options, eggs how you want them, omelettes, waffles, toast, fruit, smoothies and very high quality products.

In fact, this is probably the first breakfast we’d give a 10 .

Because it has practically everything you can expect from a luxury hotel breakfast: variety, quality, order, good service and attention to detail.

The buffet at lunchtime is also at a very high level.

Every day seems to have different options, with lots of stations, lots of variety and very high product quality.

This isn’t the typical feeling of a huge buffet where there are a lot of things but few of them are really good.

Here most things are well prepared, they look good and they taste good.

It’s a buffet where you can eat very well without needing to go to an à la carte restaurant.

And that isn’t that common.

On the adults-only side you have several à la carte restaurants.

And something very convenient is that you don’t need to book at most of them.

In other hotels, when there’s no booking system, it’s usually chaos: queues, endless waits or full restaurants.

Not here.

They have it very well organised.

During our stay we didn’t have to wait at any restaurant, and we saw free tables.

It’s possible that in really high season, with the hotel full, you’d have to wait a bit at some particular restaurant, but it doesn’t feel like it’s going to be a serious problem.

On top of that, with so many options to eat between the Zilara and the Ziva, people spread out very well.

At midday you have several options.

You can go to the buffet, but you can also go to the à la carte restaurants.

The steakhouse , for example, doesn’t work as a proper steakhouse at midday, but as a restaurant with a different menu for lunch.

There’s also a Club-type restaurant , available to people who have Club category or rooms that include that access, with Mediterranean food and sea views.

This helps a lot so there are no crowds either at the buffet or at the restaurants.

And it also lets you choose each day whether you want something quick, something quieter or a more special meal.

One of the restaurants we tried was the Indian restaurant .

And we thought it was exceptional.

The decor is incredible, full of details, with a very carefully done atmosphere.

You can even have dinner in an area decorated like a kind of train travelling across India, and the menu is laid out as if it were the stations on that journey.

The food was spectacular.

We tried several starters and main courses: lamb chops, butter chicken, lamb dishes, garlic naan bread and several typical preparations.

On top of that, the chef is from India , and you notice it in the flavour and in how authentic the dishes are.

I also tried several cocktails with gin and red fruits that were very good.

The dessert was maybe the least remarkable part, but the restaurant as a whole felt like luxury to us.

It’s one of those places you could find in a city and pay for a good dinner without feeling like you’re being ripped off.

We also tried the French restaurant , which is more romantic, with dim light, good decor and a more modern kitchen.

Here the dishes are more elaborate, with smaller portions, sauces, sweet touches, fruit and finer presentation.

We ordered several starters, and if you come here, I recommend you order the foie . It was one of the best foies I’ve tried.

We also tried two kinds of salads that really weren’t normal “salads”, but small, very worked-on dishes with lots of flavours and textures.

For a main I ordered a duck magret with a fruit sauce and a bed of finely chopped papaya or mango.

It was incredible.

We also tried a sea bass fillet with a spectacular flavour.

Honestly, I don’t remember eating a sea bass like that in an all-inclusive resort.

This restaurant is on another level.

There’s also a steakhouse with a lot of cuts of meat, but we couldn’t try it because we only stayed one night and there wasn’t time for everything.

On the Ziva side you have more restaurants, like the Italian one, Navigator with seafood, and other spaces.

The Italian restaurant specialises in pizzas, and for kids they even run workshops sometimes to make their own pizzas.

We couldn’t try them all because we’d need several days to do it properly.

But the important thing is that, staying at the Zilara, you have a huge number of options.

There’s also a special restaurant that isn’t included in the standard price: The Blind Butcher .

It has an extra cost, around $145 per person .

The entrance is impressive on its own because it’s decorated like a butcher’s shop, and inside the decor is very striking, with things hanging, animals, sound effects, lighting and a pretty immersive experience.

They explained to us that the story is based on a chef who lost his sight during an inspirational trip around Latin America and learned to cook by guiding himself with his senses.

We didn’t try it because we only stayed one night, but they recommended it to us a lot.

And seeing the level of the rest of the restaurants, if you have the budget, it’s probably an experience worth having.

As well as the restaurants, you have snack bars, a coffee shop, a sports bar, pool bars, a lobby bar and more options.

There’s a fast-food snack bar with pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and things you can take to your room or to the common areas.

There’s also a grill area between the pools where they make hot dogs, tacos, burgers and quicker food on the spot.

We also really liked the coffee shop at the entrance.

The coffee is very good , something that doesn’t always happen in Punta Cana resorts.

They have things like a coconut frappuccino, speciality coffees, sweets and savoury options.

If you’re a coffee person, it’s very welcome to find a hotel where the coffee is genuinely good.

The cocktails are also at a very good level.

In a lot of hotels, if you order a cocktail that isn’t on the menu, they tell you they can’t make it.

Not here.

At the sports bar we ordered a cocktail we knew from a cocktail bar in Madrid, with triple sec, passion fruit and amaretto , and they made it for us with no problem.

That shows there are real bartenders here, not just people serving basic drinks.

The sports bar is also very well decorated: screens, projectors, sofas, sports details, baseball gloves, decorative punching bags and a food menu.

It’s one of those sports bars where you actually want to sit down, watch something, have a cocktail or eat something.

They also have a martini bar inspired by James Bond , specialising in martinis, although we couldn’t try it.

Room service is included at no extra cost .

They bring it to your room in about 30 or 45 minutes, and the food is pretty tasty.

It’s more fast-food type food, but with more quality than typical basic fast food.

If you want to stay in your room, have a quiet dinner or order something late, it’s an extra that adds quite a lot.

The pools are beautiful.

It isn’t a resort with twenty different pools, but the ones it has are very well designed.

There’s an enormous infinity pool facing the beach, with a swim-up bar, shaded areas, sun loungers, Balinese beds, hot jacuzzis and sea views.

One thing we liked a lot is that the swim-up bar has shade.

In a lot of resorts you have bars inside the pool where you’re roasting in the sun while you order a drink. Here you can sit in the water, order something and not get burnt alive.

The main pool also has two large jacuzzis with hot water at each end, facing the sea.

There’s also a quieter, more private Club pool .

This area is for people with Club access.

It has Balinese beds in the water, lots of shaded areas, sun loungers, another swim-up bar and a very relaxed atmosphere.

Here you can even order fresh coconuts, included , something a lot of hotels charge you extra for.

The service in this area also seemed very good to us.

There was a waitress offering cocktails, collecting glasses and keeping everything clean constantly.

In general, the pools are very clean, very well looked after and very well staffed.

The beach is another of the strong points.

It’s at Playa Juanillo , in Cap Cana, and it seemed to us one of the best beaches we’ve seen in Punta Cana.

The sand is very white, very fine and it doesn’t burn.

There are loads of sun loungers, loads of space, and the water is a beautiful blue.

We came in July , which isn’t the best time of year because of the sargassum, and even so I swam and enjoyed it.

There was some seaweed, yes, but it didn’t give the feeling of dirty or unpleasant water.

In the good season, roughly from November to April, this beach has to be spectacular.

For me, it’s a beach far above most of the beaches we’ve seen in this area.

The hotel also has activities included.

We did archery with Manuel and his assistant, and we liked it quite a lot.

Manuel was very nice, explained everything very well and he also has a great sense of humour. If you go, you can tell him you come on behalf of Descubriendo Viajes, he’ll definitely remember.

There are also activities like baseball, kayaking, paddle surfing and snorkelling.

We did the kayaking and it was fun, although it was a bit windy and it was hard work to row.

You can also book water activities like small catamarans, kayaking or paddle surfing depending on availability.

On top of that, sharing the complex with the Ziva, you get access to more areas and activities, even water slides on the family side, which we couldn’t try on this trip, but which looked pretty good from the outside.

The hotel has a very nice, very complete gym .

Everything looks new, very clean and well looked after.

There are separate areas for cardio, free weights, machines, stretching, yoga and even an area with a punching bag.

It also has a spa , although they didn’t let us film it because they’re pretty restrictive, even when there are no guests.

From the photos it looks very nice, like a kind of cave, but we can’t give much more information because we couldn’t film it or try it.

There’s also a ping-pong table, giant chess and different spaces to relax.

The staff is probably the best we’ve seen in Punta Cana.

And not only in Punta Cana. I’d say they’re among the best teams we’ve seen in any hotel.

They’re friendly, attentive, good at solving things, professional, and they also come across as people who enjoy their job.

It isn’t the typical forced friendliness.

Some of the staff are funnier, others more formal, but they all have a smile and an excellent attitude.

In the restaurants they’re attentive without being annoying. They refill your water, ask if everything is fine, take plates away, anticipate what you might need and look after details like allergies or preferences.

That kind of service is what you expect when you book a luxury hotel.

And here they deliver it.

In fact, sometimes the treatment is so good that you even feel a bit strange, like you have to say thank you the whole time.

But that says very good things about the level of service.

Let’s go point by point.

• Cleanliness — 10. Everything was impeccable. We didn’t see a single important detail of dirt.
• Bed and pillows — 9.5. One of the best beds we’ve tried. Very comfortable feather pillows.
• Bathroom — 9.5. Spacious, nice, quality amenities and very complete. Just a small detail with the shower.
• Room size — 9. The standard room is already big and comfortable. The Master Suite is simply spectacular.
• Breakfast — 10. Probably the best breakfast we’ve rated so far. Variety, quality, service and attention to detail.
• Buffet food — 9.5. Huge quality, lots of options and everything very well prepared.
• À la carte lunch — 9. Very good, with quality options both at the Zilara and in the Club areas.
• À la carte dinners — 9.5. Very high-level restaurants. The Indian and the French ones seemed spectacular to us.
• All-inclusive — 9.5. Food, drinks, coffees, room service, snacks, activities, kayaking, paddle surfing and a lot of quality in general.
• Pools — 9. Very pretty, clean, well designed, with jacuzzis, a swim-up bar, Balinese beds and shaded areas.
• Facilities for adults — 9.5. Gym, spa, bars, restaurants, activities, beach, pools and a luxury atmosphere.
• Beach — 9. Playa Juanillo is one of the best beach areas we’ve seen in Punta Cana, even in July with some sargassum.
• Staff — 9.5. The best staff we’ve seen in Punta Cana. Excellent, attentive and very professional service.

Our average score comes out at roughly 9.4 .

Yes. Absolutely yes.

If you have the budget, for me it’s the best hotel we’ve stayed in to date.

Impeccable rooms, spectacular beds, very high quality food, luxury restaurants, very good cocktails, good coffee, a beautiful beach, very well looked after pools and a staff that is clearly above average.

I’d recommend it especially for couples, honeymoons, special celebrations or groups of friends who aren’t after a party, but after an experience of luxury, quiet, good food, good service and a high-level holiday.

It’s not a cheap hotel.

In low season it already costs quite a lot, and in high season it can cost a lot more.

But for the first time on this trip we’ve felt that the price difference really does show.

It’s not just paying for the brand.

Here you’re paying for a much better overall experience.

If you’re looking for a party, this isn’t your hotel.

If you’re looking for a cheap hotel, it isn’t either.

But if you’re looking for a luxury all-inclusive experience in Punta Cana and you have the budget, the Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana is a very safe bet.