• Reviews
    • Airlines
    • Trips
    • Hotels
  • Credit Cards
    • Personal Cards
    • Business Cards
  • About Miles/Contact
  • Disclosures/Privacy

Monkey Miles

  • Reviews
    • Airlines
    • Trips
    • Hotels
  • Credit Cards
    • Personal Cards
    • Business Cards
  • About Miles/Contact
  • Disclosures/Privacy
Home » Reviews » Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta Review: Club Ocean Front Hot tub King
Reviews

Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta Review: Club Ocean Front Hot tub King

Miles June 12, 2016 Hyatt 9 Comments

We may receive a commission when you use our links. Monkey Miles has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Monkey Miles and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Monkey Miles is also a Senior Advisor to Bilt Rewards Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. We appreciate you using our links!!!


It’s ALLLLLL-Inclusive

This is exactly why we chose to come down to the Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta. We wanted to check-in to luxury and check out of worry, responsibility, and most importantly tracking our expenses. Vacation is supposed to be exactly that: a HOLIDAY! Far too many times, I end up on a vacay, and I’m looking at every single line item worrying about that check out bill. I log in to the account summary on the tv, or keep every single receipt so I know exactly what the damage will be. Not here.

The Deets:

  • When – May 2016
  • How much – $306+ Tax for 2 people (55% off regular rate)
  • Category Room – Club Ocean Front Hot Tub King ( double upgrade from Ocean view club King)
  • Other benefits – Diamond Suite upgrade + club tower

The ZIVA pampers, indulges, and keeps your belly full and your thirst quenched…on the house.

Ok, technically, you are pre-paying for all this indulgence so it’s not ‘on the house’, but when all you do is check in and everything just keeps coming and it’s very tasty and the drinks are delicious – you feel like you’re beating the house at their own game.

It’s worth noting that ZIVA is the family friend version of Hyatt’s all-inclusive brand. Zilara is the adults only version. In all honesty, the resort had kids, and it was certainly family friendly, but it didn’t create a disruptive adult experience. I would say that the resort was maybe 3/4 adults, and 1/4 families with kids. Had the resort  had a different consistency it may have planted a seed to seek out a Zilara property, but it wasn’t an issue for us at all.

Getting there

The hotel offers roundtrip transport to the hotel for $125. Actually scheduling this transport was a bit tricky and was one of the only parts of the the trip that was frustrating. The ZIVA operates portal for the Puerto Vallarta location where you can reserve transport, excursions, spa treatments, etc prior to arrival. I had reached out a couple weeks prior to arrival and heard nothing. So I called the Hyatt Diamond line to make sure we had a reservation. No luck. Using the elite phone line tends to be much more productive in getting things done, in my experience. The rep contacted the hotel and set up a group email for the transport. Once that was set up I thought everything would be ok, but never got a confirmation number.

It’s worth noting that the transport is outsourced to a company Bestours. I think the issue was potentially on their end, but everything got sorted and there was a rep waiting for us when we arrived at the airport. We had a very nice driver and arrived in roughly 30 minutes.

Arrival

After clearing the security gate, which takes your name both entering and exiting, we were swiftly brought to the hotel

IMG_1557
main reception

Welcome home

Is the greeting everyone gives you upon arrival. It is MAGICAL!!!!!

The weather is so outstanding and everything in the hotel caters to an open-air environment centered around the weather. There are porters waiting to take your bags and assist you so you don’t have to lift a finger.

There was a little hiccup up with my diamond status. I think they were a little overwhelmed with check-outs and didn’t realize I was a diamond, at first. Not really a big thing as we were really chilled out and in no rush. We were initially escorted to the main check-in, which is straight ahead and to the right in the picture, and as soon as we started our check-in the desk rep made a quick motion to the porter and had us immediately moved over to the club tower for our EXCLUSIVE check-in. Honestly, it made no difference, but little things like that need to be tightened up as the price goes back up to their normal prices. Which, for our trip, would have been over $550 for an entry level room.

Screen Shot 2016-05-15 at 3.46.54 PM

At this above price level, one expects every. single. thing. to be right and tight.

But our rate was over half off, the staff super nice, and we knew that the resort was still kinda getting its ducks in a row. We didn’t really mind a small minor inconvenience, and once we were whisked over to the club tower – things went great.

IMG_1711
club tower reception

The Club Lounge

IMG_1554 IMG_1553 IMG_1552 IMG_1551

UPGRADE ON UPGRADE

We were informed that we had been given an additional upgrade to an Club Ocean Front Hot Tub King. FANTASTIC!!!! We were also given a delicious Don Julio Reposado Margarita. And a shot. A nap wasn’t far off.

One of the benefits of being in the club tower is that you have access to a club lounge which provides top shelf booze and different snacks throughout the day. As a Diamond member we would have had access to this tower no matter the room we ultimately had been assigned. I’m not sure, however, that if I were paying for the extra bennies that would have. The normal margaritas and drinks are outstanding and we actually frequented bars serving well drinks far more often than the club lounge. That being said, the Julio margaritas were the best.

The ROOM: 1656

IMG_1501
View upon entering

IMG_1510
balcony view

IMG_1504
Alt view

IMG_1503
hot tub

IMG_1494
lounge area –  MARGS!

IMG_1493
reverse view of the room

IMG_1509
Nice little added touch

IMG_1508
mini bar replenished daily

IMG_1507
more mini bar

IMG_1506
ate all the snacks everyday

IMG_1505
very comfy robes

IMG_1500
dual head shower ( rain here )

IMG_1499
great shower

IMG_1498
the products could be upgraded honestly, but they were fine

IMG_1497
loved the dual vanity sink as one single

IMG_1496
bathroom

IMG_1495
huge tub that we never used

The room was amazing. In fact, we toured a 2 story plunge pool suite as a potential paid upgrade option it actually wasn’t worth it. The way the 2 story suites are partitioned with external support actually erode some of the view. If the 2 story suites had more vertical space ( and maybe they do in the main tower ) it could be worth the extra cash, but the one we toured didn’t really add anything to the experience.

The Ocean View was unbelievable. In fact, we watched several beach weddings while we were there. In face, we actually slept with the door open. The room is so high up that I was concerned maybe you wouldn’t be able to hear the ocean, but that’s just not the case.

The Ocean reverberates in an Echo Chamber that Ben Rhodes would approve 😉

HAHA, joking aside, It really does echo right up to the room. I usually sleep with a fan on, or on a trip a fan app, and didn’t need one because the Ocean provided so much natural white noise. After a few hours at the beach, lots of guacamole, umbrella drinks , and total relaxation, I must confess that many a nap was taken to the peaceful rhythm of the ocean.

The Food:

There are 5 restaurants and 1 Deli/Cafe. And room service of course – which is 24/7 and included.

  1. BlaZe – great spot for lunch and dinner with eclectic menu. Grab a table overlooking the water
  2. VivaZ Buffet – eat here for breakfast and lunch buffet. Absolutely outstanding and rivals some of the best Vegas has to offer.                           Truly delicious
  3. PureZA – Asian food and skip it. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just not that great.
  4. MelaZane – A very solid Italian restaurant with great pizza. Go here for lunch or if you’d had one too many and need some                          carbs. Didn’t have dinner, but can imagine it’s great.
  5. Casa Grande – traditional mexican food. Best guac on the resort. In fact, a little trick is to go there and just get guac and salsa to go. It’s fantastic. Margaritas aren’t as good as the club lounge, but still pretty solid.
  6. Deli – Only had coffee and sweets here. Solid coffee, pastries need a little bit of help, but still quite good

I didn’t want to bombard you with photos from all the restaurants but here is the buffet.

IMG_1728 IMG_1727 IMG_1726 IMG_1725 IMG_1724 IMG_1723 IMG_1722

IMG_1704 IMG_1703 IMG_1702 IMG_1701 IMG_1700

The Spa: VitaMar and Gym facilities

IMG_1712 IMG_1716 IMG_1715 IMG_1714

Other views of the resort: Also that’s where I found out I was joining BoardingArea. WOOT WOOT!!!!!!!

IMG_1536
the official BoardingArea Palapa

Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta
hello club tower

IMG_1537
hello room!

IMG_1708IMG_1709

The Verdict:

Plain and simple…we both debated staying longer. It is a FANTASTIC place. The private beach and close proximity to downtown really give the best of both worlds: You are secluded with an incredible beach and close to downtown should you want to experience the culture of Puerto Vallarta – which I would highly recommend. We actually had dinner off site a couple times at Pipi’s and walked the Melancon multiple times. I would come back here in a heartbeat.

*A little side note – I’m not sure it’s worth using a Diamond Suite upgrade here. I have an inkling that we would have been upgraded to the hot tub suite anyways, and the club tower/club amenities are a Hyatt Diamond privilege.

Affiliate Disclosure

Monkey Miles has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Monkey Miles and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.


Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Increased 80k BONUS!!! Ends 6/1/22

A Monkey Miles favorite for beginners and point pros alike – a staple of our wallet that earns Premium transferrable Ultimate Rewards. $95 annual fee

♥ Earn 80k Bonus Points after $4k Spend in 3 months

♥Points are transferrable to over dozen partners, or redeemable for 1.25c in Chase travel

♥5x on travel purchased via Chase Travel and 2x everywhere else

♥3x on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out

♥3x on select streaming

♥ 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs 

♥ $50 Annual Credit on hotel stays purchased via Ultimate Rewards. *New cardmembers can get this credit immediately – existing cardmembers get it after anniversary

♥ 10% Anniversary Point Bonus. Spend $10k in a year, get 1k bonus points.

 Learn more


 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

Related

Previous Article Quick Tips for getting an agent on the phone faster
Next Article A Tip & my experience with AA A321T upgrade as Platinum Elite

About Author

Miles

This Monkey didn't get the name Miles for nothing. I might look like an innocent little furball, but I am a Points and Awards BEAST!! Follow me around the world to see how I fly in lie flat seats and sleep in 5* suites for pennies on the dollar.

Related Posts

  • Terrific Tesla Turo Trip – say that 5 times fast

    April 30, 2022
  • Culver City Cool – The Shay is LA’s best Hyatt property by far

    April 28, 2022
  • Review: Hyatt Centric New Orleans

    April 27, 2022
  • Is Marriott’s Edition New York worth $800 a night? We review it and find out.

    April 12, 2022
  • Review: Intercontinental Barclay New York City

    March 30, 2022

9 Comments

  1. Trina Reply
    February 26, 2017 at 4:44 pm

    what zone is this hotel in? I am trying to arrage private transport from the airport, but i need to know what zone? GREAT REVIEW ARTICLE!!!!!

    • Miles Reply
      February 26, 2017 at 9:16 pm

      Hey Trina – thanks for reading. I believe the hotel is in zone 2

  2. tom Reply
    December 30, 2016 at 10:08 am

    What is the Difference between the Ocean Front Club King Room and the Swim up Ocean Front non club room?

    • Miles Reply
      December 30, 2016 at 10:25 am

      Hey Tom – The ocean front club is in a separate tower that has a small club lounge with high end booze and some food whereas swim up rooms are in an entirely different building on the first floor. If you want a great view and better booze go with club…if you want a small pool to chill in and more direct beach access go with swim up.

      • Tom Reply
        December 30, 2016 at 12:12 pm

        Cool Thanks!

        Sounds like its worth spending a little money for the Club Tower, The price difference isn’t that much.

  3. Carlos Reply
    August 30, 2016 at 5:46 pm

    Im actually staying at the same hotel and the same room next week. I had a couple questions,

    Did you guys ever leave the hotel and walk thru the city? and if you did what was some of the best places to eat?

    And how did you know you were going to get upgraded? I kind of want to upgrade me and my fiancé to the plunge pool because we just got engaged. and how much would of it been if you did upgrade to the plunge pool?

    The article was amazing, thank you for writing this it definitely got me excited to see this hotel

    • Miles Reply
      August 30, 2016 at 7:31 pm

      Hey Carlos! So we used a diamond suite upgrade to get the hot tub room in the club tower. If I were you I’d ask at check in if there were any upgrades and to see the rooms – we looked at the plunge pool and actually preferred the hot tub. If memory serves they also wanted $200 a night – not worth it to us. The penthouse is incred tho. Also get drinks with Julio in the club tower as they’re the best.

      We did go off site – we loved pipis for great Tex mex. right on the Melancon there is a good Italian spot name dolce vita. Mandela is a fun club for dancing as well.

      Thanks for reading and have an awesome time!!

  4. Pingback: Chase World of Hyatt Business Card - Monkey Miles
  5. Pingback: Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta Review - Part 1 - Point Me to the Plane

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Popular Posts

  • Ending soon! Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card 80k Offer May 19, 2022
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Chase Sapphire Reserve May 2, 2022
  • Don’t forget American Express statement credits expire this month May 15, 2022

Recent Posts

  • Beginner's Guide
    Beginner’s Guide: Citi Application Rules May 27, 2022
  • Amex Offers: Spend $1000 get $300 back with Amex Travel International Airline Program May 26, 2022
  • The latest Hilton Honors Amex card offers May 25, 2022

Social Media

Archives

Editorial Disclosure The editorial content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone.

Comments Disclosure Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered

Monkey Miles is owned by BABA BOY, INC. This site is for entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.
 

Loading Comments...