{"id":318,"date":"2021-10-06T13:35:15","date_gmt":"2021-10-06T13:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moneywithkatie.com\/my-favorite-free-vacation-hyatt-zilara-properties-in-cancn-and-punta-cana\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T16:54:30","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T16:54:30","slug":"my-favorite-free-vacation-hyatt-zilara-properties-in-cancn-and-punta-cana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moneywithkatie.com\/my-favorite-free-vacation-hyatt-zilara-properties-in-cancn-and-punta-cana\/","title":{"rendered":"My Favorite Free Vacation: Hyatt Zilara Properties in Canc\u00fan and Punta Cana"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"sqs-html-content\" data-sqsp-text-block-content>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"><em>Last updated Oct. 2021<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"sqsrte-large\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/milevalue.com\/creditcards\/chase-sapphire-preferred\/?aff=mwk\" target=\"_blank\">Check out the Sapphire Preferred card here<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"sqsrte-small\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"><strong><em>Disclosure<\/em><\/strong>: <em>This content is <\/em><strong><em>not <\/em><\/strong><em>sponsored or endorsed by any of the card brands described here and is accurate as of the posting date, but some of the offers mentioned may have expired. Money with Katie is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as MileValue.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on my site, and this site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<div class=\"sqs-html-content\" data-sqsp-text-block-content>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">My friends, allow me to introduce you to \u2013 without hyperbole \u2013&nbsp;the greatest discovery of my twenties: The Hyatt Zilara properties. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">I\u2019ve been to the Canc\u00fan location four times (confessions of a #Texan) and the Punta Cana location once, for my honeymoon. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Allow me to grace you with the high points:<\/p>\n<ul data-rte-list=\"default\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">They\u2019re five-star, all-inclusive resorts, and not the kind of all-inclusive where you can tell the kitchen threw 47 DiGiorno pizzas in the oven for poolside lunch: The kind of all-inclusive resort where they\u2019ll custom-make eggs Benedict with so much care and concern that you\u2019d think their life depended on the perfection of the poached egg. These are <em>nice<\/em> all-inclusive resorts with great drinks, beautiful facilities, and friendly staff.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">They have three locations: Canc\u00fan, Punta Cana, and Rose Hall (in Jamaica) \u2013&nbsp;but I can only speak to Mexico and Punta Cana, as those are the two I\u2019ve been to. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">There\u2019s a sister property that you\u2019ll have access to, the Hyatt Ziva. Hyatt Zilara is adults only, while Ziva allows children. They have distinctly different vibes, but having access to both (especially in Punta Cana) is great. You can book at either, but know that if you have kids, you won\u2019t be able to bring them to Zilara \u2013 but if you can pawn them off on a well-meaning patron of the resort, you and bae can head next door. This is why I\u2019m not a parent.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">I consider this the best discovery of my twenties because of how cheap it is \u2013&nbsp;but not cheap <em>dollars-wise<\/em>, cheap <em>points-wise: <\/em>I just ran a search for November (a great time to check out Canc\u00fan) and the cost is $663 per night:<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.squarespace-cdn.com\/content\/v1\/5e94adbc25a0ae61d843b475\/1632233761697-YWNFIS9UJW9VMXAH0LFK\/hyatt-zilara-cancun?format=original\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"sqs-html-content\" data-sqsp-text-block-content>\n<ul data-rte-list=\"default\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">But if you were to book with Hyatt points, you\u2019d only pay 25,000 points per night! How does one get 25,000 Hyatt points, you ask? Easy. You sign up for the <a href=\"https:\/\/milevalue.com\/creditcards\/chase-sapphire-preferred\/?aff=mwk\" target=\"_blank\">Chase Sapphire Preferred card (at 60,000 points)<\/a> and transfer them to Hyatt. Bada-bing, bada-boom \u2013&nbsp;you\u2019ve got 2.25 free nights.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">(For an article fully dedicated to <em>how<\/em> to transfer your points to Hyatt, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.moneywithkatie.com\/blog\/how-to-transfer-your-chase-points-to-a-high-value-partner-hyatt\" target=\"_blank\">check this out<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">The only thing I\u2019ll note: You need to be flexible with your dates. For some time periods, the cost is 40,000 points per night, so you\u2019ll need to click around the calendar and find a date range where every night is 25,000 points. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">But if you assume the average cost is $600 per night, 2 x $600 = $1,200 value for your 60,000 points!<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Other considerations<\/h2>\n<ul data-rte-list=\"default\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"><strong>Transportation: <\/strong>I recommend booking your transportation through the resort as well. They have two options (a van and an SUV) and while they\u2019re expensive (I believe it\u2019s $150 roundtrip), having safe, reliable transportation is priceless in other countries. The Canc\u00fan airport is a bit of a feeding frenzy and we\u2019ve had drivers pretend to be ours before, so try not to engage with the drivers who flag you down as you\u2019re exiting \u2013 look for the Zilara employee with your name on a sign, and <em>only<\/em> go with him. (Trust me \u2013&nbsp;the schemes and scams are extreme.)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"><strong>Tips: <\/strong>Bring cash for tips. I know, I know \u2013 I said it was a free trip \u2013 but the staff are amazing, and you\u2019ll want to tip them generously. We usually tip $5-$10 per meal (depending on how much we ate and drank) and $1 per drink, so you can extrapolate from there. $30 per day is probably fine, but bring cash ahead of time and <em>don\u2019t<\/em> plan on relying on the ATM in the lobby or cash advances unless you love paying extra fees (I assume you don\u2019t).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"><strong>Vibe<\/strong>: This is definitely a place to go and relax. The Punta Cana resort has a literal waterpark with crazy slides (which is super fun), but it\u2019s (generally speaking) a laidback vacation. If you\u2019re interested in eating and drinking delicious food and beverages and lounging by an infinity pool, this is the trip for you. If you\u2019re trying to go on crazy hikes and see the sites, maybe not.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"><strong>Spas<\/strong>: The Hyatt Zilara in Canc\u00fan has a spa day pass for $25 (an amazing value) where you can use the sauna, steam room, cold plunge, and other amenities. I did this once on a day where it rained, and it was lovely. The Punta Cana resort\u2019s spa day pass is far more expensive (like, $200) so I didn\u2019t bother. Just something to note if you\u2019re planning to use the spa.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Which Hyatt Zilara resort do I like most?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Objectively speaking, the Punta Cana location is nicer and has more restaurants (it was opened in late 2019, so it\u2019s practically brand new as there weren\u2019t many guests in 2020), but I actually think I\u2019m going to pledge my allegiance to Mexico for a few reasons:<\/p>\n<ul data-rte-list=\"default\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"><strong>Poolside<\/strong>: The cabanas are free\/first come, first serve. In Punta Cana, you have to reserve them for $100 per day, which annoyed me.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"><strong>Size<\/strong>: Canc\u00fan\u2019s resort is a lot smaller, so it\u2019s easier\/faster to get around. I felt like we were walking a lot in Punta Cana (which is fine!), but it seemed to take longer to do everything as a result. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"><strong>Familiarity and ease of access<\/strong>: Since I\u2019ve been to the Mexico location four times, I feel like it\u2019s a second home. I know exactly how to order my free room service cake after dinner. I know the room layouts. I know where I\u2019m eating breakfast every day. I like the familiarity of the experience, because it helps me relax more \u2013 that said, if you\u2019ve never been to either, you could theoretically achieve the same in Punta Cana with ease. The only shortcoming to Punta Cana (in the Dominican Republic) is that (for me, in Colorado) it\u2019s harder to access. I have to take a connecting flight and have a longer, more expensive day of travel than when I fly nonstop to Canc\u00fan. When I lived in Dallas, we could do weekend trips to Canc\u00fan because it was so close. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Speaking of travel, what about flights to the Hyatt Zilara?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">This is a trickier answer, as it fully depends on where you live. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">For example, if you live in Atlanta, your best bet is Delta. Dallas? American or Southwest. Denver? Probably United or Southwest. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">The point is, your location will impact which airline deserves your loyalty, but in general, the best \u201cpoints redemption\u201d programs are Southwest\u2019s Rapid Rewards program and United\u2019s MileagePlus program.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">I\u2019d recommend picking an airline card and snagging it a few months after you grab the Sapphire card (90 days is generally a safe bet for a second application). <\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.moneywithkatie.com\/blog\/priority\" target=\"_blank\">This blog highlights my favorite, and why<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Interested in leveling up your travel rewards game?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">Check out my full breakdowns:<\/p>\n<ul data-rte-list=\"default\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.moneywithkatie.com\/travel-credit-cards\" target=\"_blank\">My overall strategy and 5-step process for achieving travel rewards world domination<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.moneywithkatie.com\/blog\/how-to-travel-hack-as-a-couple\" target=\"_blank\">My strategy for couples specifically, to generate nearly $10,000 in free travel<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\">You may also like these posts:<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\n  summary-block-wrapper\n\n  summary-block-collection-type-blog-masonry\n\n  summary-block-setting-text-size-medium\n  summary-block-setting-text-align-left\n\n  summary-block-setting-design-list\n  summary-block-setting-design-list-thumbnail-left\n\n  summary-block-setting-metadata-position-below-content\n  summary-block-setting-primary-metadata-cats\n  summary-block-setting-secondary-metadata-none\n\n  summary-block-setting-show-thumbnail\n  summary-block-setting-show-title\n  summary-block-setting-show-price\n  summary-block-setting-show-excerpt\n  \n\n  \n\n  sqs-gallery-design-list\n\n  \n  \"\n\n  \n><\/p>\n<div class=\"summary-item-list-container sqs-gallery-container\">\n<header class=\"summary-block-header\">\n<div class=\"summary-heading\" data-animation-role=\"content\">\n<p>          <span class=\"summary-header-text\">Featured<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"summary-carousel-pager sqs-gallery-controls\" data-animation-role=\"content\">\n        <span\n          class=\"summary-carousel-pager-prev previous\"\n          tabindex=\"0\"\n          role=\"button\"\n          aria-label=\"Previous\"\n        ><\/span><br \/>\n        <span\n          class=\"summary-carousel-pager-next next\"\n          tabindex=\"0\"\n          role=\"button\"\n          aria-label=\"Next\"\n        ><\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"summary-item-list sqs-gallery\">\n<div class=\"\n          summary-item\n          summary-item-record-type-text\n          sqs-gallery-design-list-slide\n          \n          \n            summary-item-has-thumbnail\n          \n          \n          summary-item-has-cats\n          \n          summary-item-has-author\n          \n          \"\n          ><\/p>\n<div class=\"summary-thumbnail-outer-container\">\n      <a\n        \n          \n            href=\"\/blog\/3-stupid-credit-card-mistakes-ive-made-that-you-can-avoid\"\n          \n        \n        class=\"\n          summary-thumbnail-container\n          sqs-gallery-image-container\n          \n        \"\n        data-title=\"3 Stupid Credit Card Mistakes I Made That You Can Avoid\"\n        data-description=\"\"\n      ><\/p>\n<div class=\"summary-thumbnail img-wrapper\" data-animation-role=\"image\">\n<p>      <!-- Main Image --><br \/>\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/moneywithkatie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/MONDAY.webp\" 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Favorite Free Vacation: Hyatt Zilara Properties in Canc\u00fan and Punta Cana\"\n        data-description=\"\"\n      ><\/p>\n<div class=\"summary-thumbnail img-wrapper\" data-animation-role=\"image\">\n<p>      <!-- Main Image --><br \/>\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/moneywithkatie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/MyFavoriteFreeVacation100000PointsforHyattZilarainCancunandPuntaCana.webp\" data-image=\"https:\/\/moneywithkatie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/MyFavoriteFreeVacation100000PointsforHyattZilarainCancunandPuntaCana.webp\" data-image-dimensions=\"3000x1860\" data-image-focal-point=\"0.5,0.5\" alt=\"My Favorite Free Vacation: Hyatt Zilara Properties in Canc\u00fan and Punta Cana\"  data-load=\"false\" class=\"summary-thumbnail-image\" elementtiming=\"summary-thumbnail-image-list\" \/><\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/a><\/p>\n<p>    <!-- Products: Quick View --><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"summary-content sqs-gallery-meta-container\" 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View --><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"summary-content sqs-gallery-meta-container\" data-animation-role=\"content\">\n<div class=\"summary-metadata-container summary-metadata-container--above-title\">\n<div class=\"summary-metadata summary-metadata--primary\">\n<p>\t<!-- Categories --><br \/>\n\t<span class=\"summary-metadata-item summary-metadata-item--cats\"><a href=\"\/blog?category=credit+cards\">credit cards<\/a>, <a href=\"\/blog?category=Chase+Ultimate+Rewards\">Chase Ultimate Rewards<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"summary-metadata summary-metadata--secondary\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"summary-title\">\n                <a\n                \n                  \n                    href=\"\/blog\/how-to-use-travel-rewards-without-making-it-your-whole-personality\"\n                  \n                \n                class=\"summary-title-link\">How to Use Travel Rewards Without Making It Your Whole Personality<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"summary-metadata-container summary-metadata-container--below-title\">\n<div class=\"summary-metadata summary-metadata--primary\">\n<p>\t<!-- Categories --><br \/>\n\t<span class=\"summary-metadata-item summary-metadata-item--cats\"><a href=\"\/blog?category=credit+cards\">credit cards<\/a>, <a href=\"\/blog?category=Chase+Ultimate+Rewards\">Chase Ultimate Rewards<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"summary-metadata summary-metadata--secondary\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"summary-metadata-container summary-metadata-container--below-content\">\n<div class=\"summary-metadata summary-metadata--primary\">\n<p>\t<!-- Categories --><br \/>\n\t<span class=\"summary-metadata-item summary-metadata-item--cats\"><a href=\"\/blog?category=credit+cards\">credit cards<\/a>, <a href=\"\/blog?category=Chase+Ultimate+Rewards\">Chase Ultimate Rewards<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"summary-metadata summary-metadata--secondary\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"\n          summary-item\n          summary-item-record-type-text\n          sqs-gallery-design-list-slide\n          \n          \n            summary-item-has-thumbnail\n          \n          \n          summary-item-has-cats\n          \n          summary-item-has-author\n          \n          \"\n          ><\/p>\n<div class=\"summary-thumbnail-outer-container\">\n      <a\n        \n          \n            href=\"\/blog\/american-express-platinums-new-annual-fee-of-695-worth-it\"\n          \n        \n        class=\"\n          summary-thumbnail-container\n          sqs-gallery-image-container\n          \n        \"\n        data-title=\"Updated Review: The Platinum Card from American Express is Still Worth the Annual Fee ($695)\"\n        data-description=\"\"\n      ><\/p>\n<div class=\"summary-thumbnail img-wrapper\" data-animation-role=\"image\">\n<p>      <!-- Main Image --><br \/>\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/moneywithkatie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ScreenShot2021-07-15at12933PM.webp\" data-image=\"https:\/\/moneywithkatie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ScreenShot2021-07-15at12933PM.webp\" data-image-dimensions=\"1848x1078\" data-image-focal-point=\"0.5,0.5\" alt=\"Updated Review: The Platinum Card from American Express is Still Worth the Annual Fee ($695)\"  data-load=\"false\" class=\"summary-thumbnail-image\" elementtiming=\"summary-thumbnail-image-list\" \/><\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/a><\/p>\n<p>    <!-- Products: Quick View --><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"summary-content sqs-gallery-meta-container\" data-animation-role=\"content\">\n<div class=\"summary-metadata-container summary-metadata-container--above-title\">\n<div class=\"summary-metadata summary-metadata--primary\">\n<p>\t<!-- Categories --><br \/>\n\t<span class=\"summary-metadata-item summary-metadata-item--cats\"><a href=\"\/blog?category=credit+cards\">credit cards<\/a>, <a href=\"\/blog?category=American+Express+Membership+Rewards\">American Express Membership Rewards<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"summary-metadata summary-metadata--secondary\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"summary-title\">\n                <a\n                \n                  \n                    href=\"\/blog\/american-express-platinums-new-annual-fee-of-695-worth-it\"\n                  \n                \n                class=\"summary-title-link\">Updated Review: The Platinum Card from American Express is Still Worth the Annual Fee ($695)<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"summary-metadata-container summary-metadata-container--below-title\">\n<div class=\"summary-metadata summary-metadata--primary\">\n<p>\t<!-- Categories --><br \/>\n\t<span class=\"summary-metadata-item summary-metadata-item--cats\"><a href=\"\/blog?category=credit+cards\">credit cards<\/a>, <a href=\"\/blog?category=American+Express+Membership+Rewards\">American Express Membership Rewards<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"summary-metadata summary-metadata--secondary\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"summary-metadata-container summary-metadata-container--below-content\">\n<div class=\"summary-metadata summary-metadata--primary\">\n<p>\t<!-- Categories --><br \/>\n\t<span class=\"summary-metadata-item summary-metadata-item--cats\"><a href=\"\/blog?category=credit+cards\">credit cards<\/a>, <a href=\"\/blog?category=American+Express+Membership+Rewards\">American Express Membership Rewards<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"summary-metadata summary-metadata--secondary\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last updated Oct. 2021 Check out the Sapphire Preferred card here Disclosure: This content is not sponsored or endorsed by any of the card brands described here and is accurate as of the posting date, but some of the offers mentioned may have expired. Money with Katie is part of an affiliate sales network and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":178814,"featured_media":2444,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"si-template-single-post-big-purchases-cars-and-houses.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[43],"class_list":["post-318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-rewards","tag-big-purchases-cars-and-houses"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>My Favorite Free Vacation: Hyatt Zilara Properties in Canc\u00fan and Punta Cana - Money with Katie<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/moneywithkatie.com\/my-favorite-free-vacation-hyatt-zilara-properties-in-cancn-and-punta-cana\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"My Favorite Free Vacation: Hyatt Zilara Properties in Canc\u00fan and Punta Cana - Money with Katie\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Last updated Oct. 2021 Check out the Sapphire Preferred card here Disclosure: This content is not sponsored or endorsed by any of the card brands described here and is accurate as of the posting date, but some of the offers mentioned may have expired. 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