No April Fool's jokes here: Hyatt just opened its latest, adults-only all-inclusive resort down in Cancún. And while booking most Hyatt all-inclusive resorts will cost you a ton of points these days, this new one's a bargain in comparison.
The Hyatt Vivid Grand Island officially opened its doors on Monday as the hotel chain marked the very first location of its new Vivid brand, adding to Hyatt's dizzying array of all-inclusive resorts. It's located inside a gated community on the lagoon side of Cancún's famous hotel zone, a 25-minute or so drive away from the Cancún (CUN) airport.
The new, adults-only resort boasts 11 restaurants, six bars, three pools, a golf course steps away, and access to a private beach club across the street on Playa Delfines. It's a big resort, too, with 400 suites on site.
But what really sets this newest Hyatt resort is the cost – especially using points.
Not long ago, travelers with World of Hyatt points (or transferrable Chase points) could easily book many all-inclusive properties for 20,000 to 25,000 points per night. But after several big annual devaluations that raised nightly award rates, there aren't too many affordable all-inclusives left. Just up the road, the Hyatt Ziva Cancún now typically costs 40,000 points per night or more.
But a standard night award at this new Hyatt Vivid Grand Island resort is half that: just 20,000 points. That drops as low as 17,000 points per night thanks to Hyatt's peak- and off-peak pricing – or 23,000 points during the busy periods, like much of the spring.
Paying cash, we're seeing nightly rates around $350 or so, as of publication.
Don't have Hyatt points? They're a Chase transfer partner, so you can send points from cards like the *chase sapphire preferred* straight to a Hyatt account and book!
We haven't visited ourselves yet – it literally just opened, give us some time! But it seems safe to assume that budget-friendly prices will make for a more modest experience than other Hyatt all-inclusive properties, where dining and drinks often blow many other resorts out of the water.
In trying to sell the Vivid Grand Island to customers, Hyatt says they're “introducing the all-inclusive concept to new travelers who prefer a casual atmosphere.” Translation: Don't expect five-star luxury dining, drinks, or service … but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
While the rooms certainly look brand new, they're on the small side and seem more spartan than the accommodations you'll find inside resorts like the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancún or the Hyatt Ziva and Zilara Cap Cana over in the Dominican Republic.
The resort also has larger Club suites, each equipped with a soaking tub and shower, in-room espresso, and exclusive access to the Vantage Club lounge and an a la carte breakfast restaurant. Booking those rooms will cost you around $100 extra per night – or another 7,000 points nightly compared to the standard rooms.
Brand-new resorts almost always take a few weeks, if not months, to get up and running at 100% and work out the kinks with service. So while we may not recommend racing down to check it out for spring break, it'll be a nice option in the not-too-distant future.
For years, Hyatt's own Ziva and Zilara resorts were the only game in town. After acquiring a chain of all-inclusive resorts with names like Secrets and Dreams and now adding this first-ever Vivid property, Hyatt's “Inclusive Collection” now tallies 10 different brands.
Bottom Line
Hyatt is at it again, opening another brand-new all-inclusive resort in the Cancún area – this one with a brand-new name, too.
The Hyatt Vivid Grand Island officially opened on Monday, the latest adults-only all-inclusive resort in its growing portfolio. And at 23,000 points per night or less, it's a surprisingly (and much-needed) cheap option for travelers looking to book these resorts on points.
Lead image courtesy of Hyatt
A large part of the reason that the hotel is lower priced is that it faces the more murky lagoon rather than the white sand blue water Caribbean Sea. The lagoon side is much lower value real estate. That said, I’m more of a pool guy myself so I’d be interested in hearing some reviews.