If you’ve been reading my recent posts you already know that I took a 10 day solo vacay in the Riviera Maya in Dec. 2023.  This video is my swim-up room at the last resort I stayed at, Hyatt Zilara Riviera Maya.  This property used to be Secrets Capri; the resort was closed for complete renovations and reopened Dec. 1, 2022 as a Hyatt Zilara property (all Hyatt Zilara resorts are adults-only, while Hyatt Ziva are family-friendly resorts).  The room category shown in the video is a Tropical View Swim-Up King.

This Hyatt property is on the smaller side with only 291 guest rooms and suites.  Tropical View Swim-Ups are located on outer north and south sides of the resort, while Resort View Swim-Ups are located poolside; oceanfront swim-ups are on the north side while suites with the private pools are on the south side of the resort.  My swim-up was 571 sq. feet but it certainly felt much larger.  There was plenty of space to move around in the room or relax on the loveseat or at the table with two chairs, plenty of storage space for clothing and other personal items, as well as double sinks in the bathroom with lots of counter space to set out more personal essentials.  The shower was large with a good sized rain showerhead, room controls were easy to manage, and the bed was very comfortable.  If you are concerned with bathroom privacy, there are two sets of sliding doors (one at the bathroom entry and the other set on the other side of the shower) so you can obtain total bathroom privacy with this room category.

The swim-up terrace was small and felt a bit cramped, but the chairs were large so maybe that didn’t help the feeling of being squeezed into the space.  There were steps and a railing to enter the swim-up pool, large pool towels rolled up and waiting for me on the chairs, and the pool water was swimmable for December.  I was the second room from the end and had a wonderful opportunity to see the beach and ocean if I stood at the very end of the swim-up pool, so that helped.  The pool water was sufficiently deep and I took several swims back and forth along the entire length of the swim-up pool.  I only saw one coati walking gingerly along the edge of the pool, but the birds were certainly having many conversations with each other–maybe bird lovers or bird watchers would enjoy the tropical views in terms of wildlife watching.  If you are interested in the swim-ups at this resort and can’t afford the oceanfront rooms, check out the Resort View Swim-Ups–they come with their own private loungers and the terrace has more space.

While I was very happy overall with my swim-up room, there was one factor which would prevent me from booking this particular room type again.  When you turn off the A/C or there isn’t any background noise going on inside your room, the walls are super thin and you can hear everything that goes on in your neighbor’s room, if you get my drift.  Yes, not only could I hear my neighbors’ phone playlists (there is a Bluetooth device in the room you can use to play your music), but private moments were easily heard.  Whatever floats people’s boats, but that doesn’t exactly appeal to me.  Since this was the first time I stayed at this resort, I’m not sure what the already existing rooms’ soundproofing was like, but the new additions seem to have needed more of it.  If anyone has stayed at the Secrets Capri in the past, can you let me know how the soundproofing was like in the old rooms?  Thanks.

Expect my resort review Feb. 24 or 25…I’m leaving again for the Riviera Maya on Feb. 28 so I figure I need to post it before I start posting new resort info, lol.  At least I’m still partially packed from my last trip so it shouldn’t take me long to get ready for my next adventure!  Stay tuned for info on Riu Palace Riviera Maya in a standard Jr. Suite, Ocean Riviera Paradise in a rooftop suite (El Beso section), and Hard Rock Riviera Maya staying on the Hacienda side in literally the last two of three rooms that were available in the entire resort when I booked this stay.  A close call to be sure.  That resort should be hopping for spring break!  Can’t wait.  And now for the video…