Dreams Cozumel Cape Resort Quick Thoughts
While I love a luxury trip on points as much as the next award traveler, I also love free things and saving money. For a recent vacation, I challenged myself to cover every aspect with just two Wells Fargo bank bonuses (worth $425 each at the time, for a total of $850). Not only did I want free, I wanted adventure, activities, food and drink, and plenty of fun along the way. Enter Hyatt's all-inclusive properties in Mexico and the Caribbean. I adore snorkeling, and since I had a very limited budget for activities, I decided I wanted a resort that was known for its snorkeling onsite. This is how we landed on Dreams Cozumel Cape Resort & Spa. Here are my Dreams Cozumel Cape Resort quick thoughts.
What Was The Cost Of Booking Dreams Cozumel Cape Resort & Is There Is Value In The Price?
Dreams Cozumel Cape Resort & Spa is a Category C all-inclusive resort on the World of Hyatt award chart. It is currently bookable from 21,000 to 29,000 points per night, though that will change in May with the looming Hyatt devaluation. I booked 6 nights (at 29k per night) by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards to my Hyatt account.
Now, to tackle the rest of my challenge. I was recently able to take advantage of a Southwest promo that temporarily granted me the Companion Pass. I originally booked flights to Cancun at 21,000 points each direction, but I was able to get this down to just 11,000 before our trip by changing my booking when the prices dropped. Being a Southwest cardholder granted me the ability to select free extra-legroom seats 48 hours before the flight (if available), and I was pleasantly surprised to snag exit row on 3 of our 4 flights and bulkhead on the other. The taxes were approximately $145 per person. I had some flight credits available to cover most of this, and then put the remainder on my Chase Sapphire Reserve for travel protections. This left us with a total out-of-pocket for flights of just $140. Our largest expense was transportation from CUN to the hotel. I opted to make it as easy as possible and invested in a company to meet and assist us from door to door. This came in at $250 and included roundtrip ferry tickets. Transport took about 2 hours, though the sunset ferry felt like an excursion in itself. We still had $460 to work with at this point. Nice start to our budget-friendly getaway!
Dreams Cozumel Cape Resort & Spa Quick Thoughts On The Room: What I Liked About It & What Could Be Improved
This property consists of two resorts that share many amenities. There is an older, adults-only Secrets, along with the newer Dreams option for families. Previously, there was also a SunScape between the two, however it is currently closed for renovations. While we were just traveling as a couple, I landed on Dreams for a few reasons after reading reviews. The property is newer, so the condition of the rooms was noted to be better across the board. Additionally, all rooms at Dreams are considered Preferred, which grants some additional benefits at the neighboring Secrets property. This isn’t a fancy resort, but the room was comfortable, the AC was cold, and the staff was wonderful.
What Are Some Of The Better Amenities The Property Offers & Is It Missing Anything Important?
Cozumel is known for its crystal clear water and world-class snorkeling and diving. That's what drew us to this resort, and it did not disappoint. While the beach is small, the water is warm and crystal clear. I spent countless hours snorkeling along the shore and enjoying the multitude of sea life. This was really a highlight for me, and made the trip into something special. We brought our own snorkeling gear so that we weren’t limited by the resort timeframe, however the property does offer equipment for an hour daily. There are also options to enjoy kayaks and a dive shop onsite.
While we didn’t utilize it, there is an active kids' club at the resort. We saw the group throughout the day, enjoying activities for all ages. The swimming pool is small, however, it always seemed to have some activity going around it. There is a swim-up bar, as well as another bar located on the beach. Guests who want to visit Secrets can walk a path along the beach, take a back path through the resort, or have the staff drive them in a golf cart.
What Was Your Favorite Thing About The Property?
My P2 may very well be one of the biggest Seahawks fans in existence. I neglected to look at the date of the Super Bowl when I booked this trip. Historically, we will host/attend large Super Bowl gatherings with friends and family every year. My husband was quite sad to realize that he was going to miss his normal Super Bowl routine. And then, the unthinkable happened: The Seahawks made it to the Super Bowl! I’m not kidding when I say we seriously debated canceling our trip due to this. I committed to P2 that we would find a way to watch that game. What started as a worry quickly turned into our best Super Bowl yet. The resort took the big game quite seriously and brought in a professional production company, complete with a massive screen, sound system and more.
The day before the big event, we watched them set it up right in the sand on the beach. There were lights, tables, a stage, and more. Through the concierge, we were able to book an exclusive table for two right up front, which included a nice bottle of Champagne, snacks and a view that couldn’t be beat. My jersey-wearing P2 got to watch the Seahawks win the Super Bowl from the sand, with waves lapping the shore nearby. The resort lit off fireworks at halftime and at the end of the game, and it also had a band performing prior to kickoff. It was a fantastic event—and one I will never forget. The exclusive table was well worth the $150 fee. With our epic Super Bowl adventure, we still had $310 remaining.
What Was Your Least Favorite Thing About The Property?
Having Preferred status granted us access to the restaurants at Secrets, offering some additional options. Unfortunately, the food and drinks left a lot to be desired. While we didn’t starve, I would not recommend this resort if food is a priority for you. This wasn’t why we personally chose this resort, so I still found a lot of value in other areas.
Would I Stay At Dreams Cozumel Cape Resort & Spa Again?
While we had a wonderful adventure and found great value with our points and bank bonuses, I would not return to this resort at this time. There are some great features, to be sure. But the food and drink left too much to be desired.
Dreams Cozumel Cape Resort & Spa Quick Thoughts
For our last day of the trip, I wanted an off-property adventure. We used our remaining funds to book a private ATV excursion through the resort. We ventured through the jungle, underground, and ended at a beautiful cenote called Jade Caverns. We had to jump in and enjoy the moment. Including the cab, the excursion rang up at $160, leaving us $150 to round out our trip. With air charges, private transportation, an epic Super Bowl, ATV adventures and a lot of tips, we did it! I even came home with a few dollars to spare ($7).
Our points and two simple bank bonuses were able to fully fund a wonderful week away—and a Super Bowl we’ll always remember. We are now looking at our next round of bank bonuses, hoping to find another challenge of how to best put them to use alongside our points. Dreams Cozumel Cape Resort & Spa served our purposes well for this getaway, and we loved coming home from a fun-filled week without having to spend any additional money. What have you funded with a bank bonus? Let us know your thoughts in the ToP Facebook group.
