Why You’ll Love Vacationing at The Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana

I just got back from vacation, and I couldn't wait to share this review of Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana with you all. My husband booked this trip a year in advance as a 10-year anniversary surprise for me, and if you know me and my husband, you'll understand why I was more than a little nervous.

When I purchase anything, I tend to do hours and hours of research and read every review I can find. On the other hand, my husband tends to impulse buy things that sound great to him. So, while I was thankful he came up with such an extravagant surprise, I was also not sure what to expect when we arrived.

Let me tell you, he knocked it out of the park! To say this is the best vacation I've ever had would be an understatement. Keep reading for my honest review of the Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana - an adults only, all inclusive resort in the Caribbean.

The Arrival

To begin with, when we landed in the Dominican Republic there was a driver from Transekur waiting to pick us up. If you aren't familiar with Transekur, they are the #1 transportation company in the Dominican Republic. Already our trip was off to a great start. The driver was polite and helpful, and I felt safe and relaxed the entire drive to the resort. He even offered us bottled water and cranked up the air conditioner.

We arrived at the Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana, and our driver gave our luggage to a concierge while another concierge greeted us with the resorts signature Blueberry Champagne drink and helped us to get checked in. Within 10 minutes we were following our butler, Francisco, as he gave us a quick tour of the property and walked us to our room.

The Room

The trip only got better when we arrived at our room, 5101. I highly recommend booking this room if you can! 5101 is one of only 6 ocean-front rooms, and it has a private swim-up pool. The view was phenomenal!

In addition to the ocean and the pool, there was a bottle of red wine and a charcuterie board waiting for us. Thank goodness, because we were starving.

After Francisco showed us around the room, he gave us his Whatsapp number and let us know we could text him at any time with any questions, concerns, or requests. I had never had a butler before, but I was starting to kind of love it.

The Restaurants

We didn't waste any time tracking down a good meal. The resort has 6 restaurants, 6 bars, and one coffee lounge. We dined at each one at least once, and I'll share our thoughts so you know what to expect.

The Pier

A huge buffet style restaurant open for breakfast and lunch only. There are cuisines from around the world and each station has multiple attendants to serve your desired food. My husband's favorites were the french toast with condensed milk, the homemade cinnamon rolls, and made to order eggs. I loved the avocado toast, freshly squeezed juices, and the Dominican coffee served with warm milk.

Lunch here was also great and consisted of made-to-order Ramen, grilled meats, seafood, and homemade desserts. The staff was so helpful and attentive, helping carry plates back to our table, clearing used dishes, and making sure our beverages were always topped off.

Shutters

The only beachfront dining options. The views and vibes were unbeatable! We ate breakfast and dinner here more than once. I loved all the seafood options, and my husband enjoyed the beef tenderloin. If you have any requests, such as fried eggs instead of poached, they are happy to accommodate.

Waves

This is their steakhouse and it turned out to be our favorite restaurant of the whole trip. Everything was always cooked to perfection. The outdoor seating combined with the partial view of the pool and ocean made this restaurant a whole experience in itself.

Presto

On-site pizzeria open for lunch only. Everything is delicious and cooked to order. They also serve sandwiches and salads.

Brandos

Of all the restaurants, this was my least favorite. But don't knock it until you try it, because my husband said it was his favorite meal of the whole week. Let's talk dessert for a minute though - their chocolate lava cake was phenomenal. We went back 2 days later just to order dessert!

Journeys

I wasn't thrilled about dining here, but we wanted to be fair and try all the places, so I decided to give it a shot. Man did they prove me wrong! I ordered the butter chicken dish - YUM! The chicken was melt in your mouth tender and went perfectly with the rice and naan. My husband also enjoyed his meal of Chicken Tikka Masala. We left way overstuffed and had to walk off our food coma.

Deja Brew

Delicious. Phenomenal. Fabulous. ALL the words for Amazing! The chocolate croissant was the best I've ever had. And let me tell you, they take their coffee seriously and I. Am. Here. For. It! This was a daily stop for us, whether it was in the morning for our wake-up juice, or for sweet treats like smoothies and ice-cream in the afternoon.

If you don't feel like going out to eat, you can order room service at any time. We totally took advantage one day because we didn't want to leave our private pool, and it did not disappoint.

You can also walk next door to the family-friendly resort, Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana. They have 6 restaurants and bars as well. We only ventured over twice. Once, to the Tempest Table. They have a few teppan tables, but if you want to sit at one you better arrive before they open, because they are popular. We sat off to the side but thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

We also ate at Noodle & Thread, and if you like Italian food I highly recommend it. Be sure to get the tiramisu, it's amazing.

IF YOU HAVE ANY ALLERGIES, be sure to let the restaurants know. My husband has a shellfish allergy, and they were very considerate about specially preparing his food.

The Entertainment

The main pool had entertainment every afternoon. Depending on the day and time, we saw a singer, a small band, and a DJ. We hung out here most evenings after losing sun at our private pool. The drinks were amazing. We never quite made it to the nightly entertainment though. The sun, food, and drinks usually wiped us out early and had us back on our private patio after dinner, enjoying the evening ocean breeze.

Besides the pool, my husband joined in on a beach volleyball game. One day we took an excursion to Hoyo Azul. I kept wanting to play darts but never quite found where it was happening. Either way, there really was something for everyone and more than enough activities to keep us as busy as we wanted to be.

I also want to give a quick shout-out to the fitness facility on-site. This was no normal resort cardio room. They had every piece of equipment you could desire, and it was well stocked with towels, waters, and even complimentary fruit/nut mixes. If group workouts are your thing, they also offered a few classes each day.

The Final Word

This vacation was phenomenal and worth every single penny! If you are looking to plan an all-inclusive, adults only vacation, the Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana is THE place to go.

The amenities are fabulous, the staff is amazing, the food and drinks are delicious, and the atmosphere is perfect for some much-needed R&R.