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One of my favorite uses of Hyatt points is to cash them in for free stays at all-inclusive resorts on the beach. I’ve done this on two different occasions at the Hyatt Zilara Cancun and had awesome experiences. So I’m really excited about the new beachfront Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana, just 15 minutes from the Punta Cana airport in the Dominican Republic.
I’m expecting the 2 new Hyatt resorts to cost 25,000 points per room per night based on their comparable hotels.
To stay for free at these resorts and other Hyatt hotels, here are the credit card sign-up bonuses that can make it happen. (To earn each bonus you must meet the minimum spending requirement.)
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – 50,000 Chase points that you can transform into 50,000 Hyatt points. So this could be worth 2 free nights! (I have this card and it’s great for earning free Hyatt stays.)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® – 50,000 Chase points you can change into 50,000 Hyatt points
- (Everyone on our team has one of the two credit cards above.)
- Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card – 80,000 Chase points you can switch into 80,000 Hyatt points. So this would be THREE free nights if the points price is what I’m expecting it to be. Keith on our team loves this card so much he’s got 2 of them!
- The World Of Hyatt Credit Card – Up to 60,000 Hyatt points (I have the older version of this card.)
The New Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana
Above is an artist’s rendering of the two resorts. Based on the builder, Hyatt’s reputation, and my own experiences at a Hyatt Zilara, I’m sure it’ll be stunning.
Here are the facts I’ve learned, plus some miles and points information to help you plan your trip.
- Both Hyatt resorts are expected to open in November 2019.
A couple of weeks ago an executive overseeing the construction sent out a press release noting that the 2 new resorts are “on schedule for Q4 2019 grand openings.”
- Hyatt Zilara is adults only. Hyatt Ziva is all ages. Both are said to be on white sand beaches. When I’ve stayed in Punta Cana I really enjoyed the beach and I expect they will take terrific care of it.
- Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana will have multiple pools and a serious water park with slides, a lazy river, and a splash pad. The on-site and included restaurants will be the usual fun range you expect at Ziva like Italian and Asian but it looks like they’re also going to have a fast food option and a retro-style diner with ice cream sundaes.
- Location: Cap Cana is described as a private gated community just 15 minutes from Punta Cana Airport. And it’s 9.5 miles from the city of Punta Cana if you want to explore.
I researched the construction company building the resorts. It’s TLDI and they say they’ve also built Hyatt Zilara & Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall in Jamaica, Hyatt Ziva in Los Cabos, Mexico, and the Hyatt Ziva in Cancun.
- 375 luxury rooms at Hyatt Zilara
- 375 luxury rooms at Hyatt Ziva
- 12 Food and Beverage options
Shared amenities will include:
- luxury spa
- fitness center
- Amphitheatre
- Waterpark
- Convention Center and Conference Facilities
- 3 event lawns
How to Fly for Free to Punta Cana With Points
You can look up any airport on Wikipedia to see which airlines fly into it. And you’ll also get a list of airlines that fly non-stop. Here are some of your options.
- Southwest with non-stop flights from Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago–Midway, Fort Lauderdale, Houston–Hobby (begins June 15, 2019), St Louis (begins March 9, 2019)
- JetBlue with non-stop flights departing Boston, Fort Lauderdale, New York–JFK, San Juan
- United Airlines with non-stop flights from Houston–Intercontinental, Newark. Seasonal: Chicago–O’Hare, Washington–Dulles
You can fly free on any of the airlines above by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to those airlines’ loyalty programs with the:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – #1 card for folks new to using travel points
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® – fantastic card if you know you’ll use all the benefits
- Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card – best business credit card
It’s super easy to change the points you earn from the cards above into award flights. I’ve done this to fly to Punta Cana and back on both Southwest and JetBlue. Southwest and JetBlue have no blackout dates. And Southwest gives you 2 free checked bags per passenger.
More flight options:
American Airlines with non-stop routes from Charlotte, Miami, Philadelphia. Seasonal: Boston, Chicago–O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, New York–JFK.
These credit cards allow you to earn American Airlines miles and perks:
- CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard®
- American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card – no annual fee
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard® – Admirals Club membership
The information for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum and CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum card has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Delta: non-stop flights from Atlanta, New York–JFK. Seasonal: Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul
- Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
- Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express
- Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
And of course you know you can book any flight you want with Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card miles. Plus with Venture you get up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck when you pay with the card.
Here’s a video of the construction from back in July:
