Flying/Staying in Cancun

Below is what you can expect to pay if you decide to fly and stay in Cancun:

Flight Information

Updated 7/21/18: 

Flights to Cancun, Mexico are now available on Southwest Airlines. Return flights will be available in August.

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From LAX, TUL, DEN, or BNA expect $200 each way; from ABQ DEN expect $240 each way; from SAN expect $280 each way

Hotel Information

Updated 8/26/18:

Renegotiated the hotel rates for Panama Jack to be lower (no change to room types or amenaties; just lower priced). A two-person room went down from $278 per night to $243 per night; a three-person room went down from $389 per night to $351 per night. These rates are locked (unless we can get them to go even lower but that is unlikely). 

Updated 7/21/18: 

We visited the Hyatt Zilara and Panama Jack a couple of months ago in May, 2018. Because both are owned by the same owner, their restaurants, services, and menus are almost identical. Both hotels share the same beach and the only thing seperating the two hotel buildings is a swing-push gate. The atmosphere between the two hotels are very different though. With the Hyatt Zilara being an adults only resort, the atmosphere is much more quiet and laid back. The moment you go through that swing-push gate into Panama Jack though, the atmosphere becomes instantly lively.The other main difference between the two properties is that Panama Jack uses yellow wrist bands to identify guests while the Hyatt Zilara uses nothing to identify its guests.

In addition to the restaurants, both hotels have a coffee specialty shop (similar to Starbucks) that will create custom coffees, smoothies, frappes, lattes, and gellato; both hotels also have 24hr lounges that have games, daily changing buffets, and self-serve bar (soft drinks, beer, and hard alcohol). Both hotels also include several pages of room service and an in-room mini-bar (mini-bar includes juice, water, soda, and beer). All of these are included at the hotels with no additional costs

Tipping: The only thing we found extremely confusing when we visited both hotels was the subject of "tipping." Both properties are all-inclusive and are designed to maximize relaxation, which means you should not have to carry anything on you including your wallet. The webiste and wedding package are clear about this but when you are on-site, you will notice that everyone is tipping extra despite not having to. We asked the highest person up about this (the General Manager) and he said these exact words: "Gratuities are already included in the all-inclusive package. Any additional gratuity would be at our valued guests discretion." It seems that because most of the guests are Americans that are not used to just leaving a table without leaving a tip, people just always leave a tip. You will also notice people looking around when they are finished wondering if they should leave a tip, and when they see one person do it, they do it too. You do not need to leave an extra tip if you don't want to though because it is already included. If you do want to leave a tip, leave $1 and they will be happy to have the extra money.

Exchanging money: Most of Cancun will accept either US Dollars or Mexican Pesos. You will usually get a better deal paying in Pesos than dollars though. For example, a quesadilla at Cancun's famous Las Quekas restaurant will cost 15 Pesos or $1. However $1 is worth almost 19 pesos, so paying 15 pesos instead of $1 is a better deal. If you want to exchange money, the hotel does it at a rate better than any bank or money exchanger I have ever seen in the US. Most banks will take at least 5% when exchanging money and most money exchangers at airports will take at least 15%, while the hotel will exchange money at just under 1%.

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If you would like to stay at the Hyatt Zilara where the ceremony and reception will be taking place, we have received back the wedding-block prices. A two-person room is $658 a night, a three-person room is $921 a night, and a four-person room is $1,184 a night; all rooms require a three-night minimum stay. The Hyatt Zilara is an all-inclusive, adults-only resort meaning the rate will cover your food, drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), and lodging. If you care about the math, this is about a 10% discount from their current prices. The Hyatt Zilara is a four-star resort with seven restaurants, five bars, exercise classes, live music, circus/acrobat shows, and a Latin dance club.

We realize the Hyatt Zilara's prices are a little high, so we negotiated a 60% discount with their sister resort (same owner) that is next door (2 minute walk) - Panama Jack Gran Caribe Cancun. Panama Jack Gran Caribe Cancun is also an all-inclusive, 4-star resort but is family friendly. There are eight restaurants, four bars, room service, exercise classes, a water park, a mini-golf course, live bands, indoor/outdoor games, and live shows all included with the price with this resort. A two-person room is $278 a night and a three-person room is $389 a night, both requiring a three-night minimum stay; there are no 4-person rooms. We blocked out 27 rooms for the wedding (13 rooms for 03/06/19 - 03/09/19 and 14 rooms for 03/07/19 - 03/10/19) and you would pay the hotel directly after your stay. So if you plan to attend the wedding and would like to stay at the Panama Jack Gran Caribe Cancun, please let us know which dates you would prefer.

There are other hotels in the Hotel Zone of Cancun that are not all-inclulsive that will be a little cheaper, but that means you will have to figure out food, drinks, and transportation.