Hyatt Zilara Cancun Amenities and Activities

A review of an all-inclusive resort, like the Hyatt Zilara Cancun, isn’t complete without looking at the activities and amenities offered. While some people will choose to venture outside the bounds of the all-inclusive resort to see what else is in the region, many (probably most) won’t. When paying for an all-inclusive, there is something nice about enjoying on-property activities at the resort. For one, it’s easy. You don’t have to go anywhere, and the activities are brought to you. Second, it’s generally included in the price you paid to come to the resort. Almost no activity is as enticing as a free activity. For more information on the Hyatt Zilara Cancun, see the following posts:

1. Hyatt Zilara Cancun – Hotel Overview & Room Review
2. Hyatt Zilara Cancun – Restaurants
3. Hyatt Zilara Cancun – Bars
4. Hyatt Zilara Cancun – Amenities & Activities (this post)

With that introduction out of the way, this will be a review of the activities and amenities offered at the Hyatt Zilara Cancun during my recent visit in December 2022.

Beach

If you are coming to this resort, you are probably coming (at least in part) for the tropical location. With any tropical location, you have to have a good beach. The beach at the Hyatt Zilara Cancun is very nice with soft, white sand. It’s fairly wide and has quite a lot of seating located in front of the resort. While it’s nowhere as large as a beach at the Hyatt Ziva and Zilara Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic, it’s a very walkable beach. Those who enjoy walking beach boardwalks or the Gulf beaches of the United States will feel at home. Additionally, the ocean was a gorgeous blue with generous waves during our visit.

Mexico secures the Hotel Zone beach area very well. While beach resorts in other areas require their own security, the hotel zone police keep this area safe. Therefore, everyone should feel comfortable walking along the beach in this zone. With that being said, the beaches in Mexico are federal property and are not private property. This allows for travelers and locals to walk along the beach, but it also means vendors will be walking as well. A few times a day, vendors will approach the seating areas of the Hyatt Zilara Cancun resort. They were never pushy or bothersome so they weren’t a big nuisance to me. However, they may annoy others so I wanted to mention it here.

Beach Seating and Cabanas

The Hyatt Zilara Cancun provides both beach recliners and cabanas as seating options on the beach. There are actually quite a lot of cabanas on the beach which can be rare at many resorts. Because there were so many cabanas, we didn’t have an issue getting one each morning. With that being said, if you want an ocean front cabana, I suggest waking up early to claim one. However, if you are alright with a second or third row cabana, there should be several available all day.

Alternatively, there are a large number of cabanas available for reservation from the resort. At the time of our stay, beach cabanas were going for about $50 per day. Each cabana had a limit of 4 people. The resort displays cabana pricing on the televisions throughout the resort and on the in-room tablet. When we accidently sat at a reserved cabana without realizing it, one of the beach staff asked if we wanted to rent the cabana. When we said no and indicated that we would move to one of the free cabanas, they offered a reduced rate of $39. If you really want a cabana and free options are taken, this strategy might work to get a few dollars off the price.

The cabanas provided some privacy and some sun protection depending on the time of day. The sides of the cabanas contained curtains that could be closed. However, the effectiveness of the curtains could be debated. Often there were large gaps between the curtains letting the sun it. When the curtains were closed, guests battled the wind to keep them closed. If you were successful in keeping the curtains down, the lack of breeze meant the cabanas started to warm up. The cabanas were still the best options for enjoying the beach but be prepared to shift around and work at keeping the curtains closed. It’s also important to note that the beach recliners did not come with shade such as an umbrella. The only shade with a beach recliner was provided naturally by surrounding palm trees at certain times of the day.

Two final notes on the beach:

• Mexican law forbids placing hotel furniture on the public parts of the beach. This means that all the chairs and cabanas are pretty far back from the ocean. You can still enjoy the oceans views and hear the crashing waves. Just don’t expect to pull your lounger down into the tide.
• Seaweed wasn’t an issue while we were there. They seemed to do a good job controlling it and collecting any that washed up from the beach.

Pool

If you didn’t come for the beach, then you probably came for the pools. This resort has one large pool that meanders along the length of the property near the beach. The pool turns, narrows, and opens into wide portions creating the illusion of many different pools. Each section tries to cater to a different guest.

One portion of the pool hosts the entertainment crew. This “party” section of the pool is located at the north end of the resort (left side of the pool when facing the beach). There was always music playing in this part of the pool. The middle of this pool also had a water volleyball net. There were plenty of free pool cabanas around this area.

The middle section of the pool is an infinity pool overlooking the beach. This part of the pool also has the swim-up bar. This is the perfect spot to grab a drink, enjoy the views, and chat as a group in the pool. The infinity pool is by far the largest area and allows groups to spread out.

The final portion of the pool is much smaller and meandering. This section caters more to a quiet atmosphere. There are a few hot tubs near this section of the pool. Cabanas and lounges line this part of the pool as well. If you want to get away from the music, activities, and the bar, this section is for you.

The pool is 5 feet in depth or less. As with most of these resorts, the pool design encourages lounging not exercising or swimming. Pool staff move around the pool throughout the day taking orders. Guests can order drinks but will need to go to Habaneros snack bar or one of the Hyatt Zilara Cancun restaurants for food.

Gym

The Hyatt Zilara Cancun (like most Ziva/Zilara resorts) has a nice gym with lots of new equipment. The gym holds a large number of cardio and weight training equipment. With about two of each type of weight equipment and over 18 exercise bikes/treadmills guests shouldn’t have to wait their turn. The weight training equipment included dumbbells up to 50 lbs., several adjustable benches, a smith machine, a cable tower, and several specialized machines targeting muscles like abs or glutes. Just about everyone should be able to complete their workout of choice in the gym.

The fitness class schedule includes both gym classes and beachside classes. An example of the classes offered include:

• 7:30 AM – Abs Workout (Beach Gazebo)
• 8:00 AM – Yoga Flow (Beach Gazebo)
• 9:15 AM – Pilates Reformer (Sky Gym)
• 11:00 AM – Aquacycle (Pool)
• 2:00 PM – Pilates Reformer (Sky Gym)

Gym Pool

A unique part of the Sky Gym was the lap pool that overlooks the bay side of the Hotel Zone. This pool is very nice for those who want to swim for exercise or enjoy a dip in the pool after completing a workout. Very few people come to this pool so guests will often be alone. While the view isn’t as nice as the one overlooking the ocean, it is still a great place to relax for a little peace and quiet. The pool area has several lounge chairs in the shade. Beach towels are also provided in the area for each lounge chair.

Spa

While I will be the first to admit that I am not a big spa person, the spa did look fairly nice at this resort. The spa has its own inside and outside spa pools, numerous treatment rooms, and a terrace lounge. The Zen Spa offers numerous massage treatments, aromatherapy, body wraps, couples’ treatments, facials, manicures, pedicures, nail polish, hair care, and waxing services.

The spa prices are in line with most resorts. While the prices are not listed online, they do provide a spa menu upon check-in. The in-room tablet also provides spa package pricing and the ability to make a reservation. The following is a few examples of the spa prices as of December 2022:

• Deep Tissue Massage (50 minutes) – $157
• Microgreens Detox Facial (80 minutes) – $173
• Manicure – $73
• Womens Haircut & Style – $53

Nightly Entertainment

Each night the resort puts on a show or activity. Most nights it is a dance show, musician, or something similar. The shows always occur in the hotel lobby. The main show typically begins at 9 PM. Many (but not all) nights there is additional small entertainment prior to the main show. Some examples of the shows during our trip included:

• An International Show
• Mexican Night
• Burlesque Show

The lobby of the hotel of big, but it begins to fill up as the start of the nightly entertainment approaches. Many will want to come a little early to stake out some tables and chairs. Since there is a bar and café in the lobby, it’s a fairly nice time to wait for the show to start.

The acts that they bring in are not Broadway, but they are still pretty good. They tend to be varied and high energy so it’s a fun experience in the evenings. I would check out the entertainment offered each night as there isn’t much else going on at the resort at that time. Plus, it’s already included in your price so it doesn’t cost anything extra to experience it.

Food and Beverage Activities

In addition to the nightly shows mentioned above, there is often a special food and beverage activity earlier in the evening. These are typically a food and beverage pairing/tasting. However, on one occasion, it was a demonstration on the preparation of a tomahawk steak.

While we were there, we attended the tequila and mole tasting. This was well-done with about twenty people present. Someone with knowledge about the liquor walked the group through a tasting of several different tequilas. These were often more expensive tequilas that were not stocked in the free selection at the resort. Along the way, we were also educated on the history of tequila and the local laws governing its production in Mexico. The food was a nice complement to the tasting as well.

I would highly recommend that you partake in some of these activities/classes while you are at the Hyatt Zilara Cancun. As with most other activities at the resort, they are free. So, you really don’t have a reason not to try them. The classes are held in The Den around 6 or 7 PM.

To participate in these events, a reservation is required due to the small size they can accommodate. I recommend stopping by The Den as soon as you arrive to get reservations for any activities that you are interested in during your stay. Similarly, if you want specialty dining, do those reservations at the same time. If I went back, I would probably reach out ahead of time to get a reservation as several days were full when we arrived.

Activities Calendar

The final thing that I want to mention is the activities calendar. Many activities/amenities such as nightly entertainment, food and beverage activities, and daily activities operate on a rotation based on the day. The Hyatt Zilara Cancun publishes this calendar on two large TV screens located in the main lobby and in the in-room tablets. This makes it very easy to determine what is going on that day and plan what you want to do. One downside is that the calendar only covers the current day. Therefore, if you want to plan multiple days in advance, you won’t have that information without asking someone at the front desk. I think this is a small complaint since most of the information is readily available in your room.

Wrap-Up

The Hyatt Zilara Cancun has some good activities and amenities on property including beaches, pools, and various daily events. They have enough to keep you busy for up to a week’s stay at the resort. The amenities lived up to the Ziva/Zilara standard that I am used to. The activities staff did not appear as active as some other resorts (but I tend to prefer that). I encourage all guests to immerse themselves in the resort by taking advantage of the nightly entertainment, food/beverage classes, fitness classes, etc. They truly add to the overall experience without contributing any additional cost. If you’re thinking about staying at the Hyatt Zilara Cancun and have any questions about the activities or amenities, leave your questions below.