We have been lucky to stay at both the W Punta de Mita and the Andaz Mayakoba! Each resort has its pros and cons. In this post, we compare Marriott’s W Punta de Mita to Hyatt’s Andaz Mayakoba to assess which one is a better use of points based on our experience and what each resort offers.

Overview:

We will compare each one based on:

1. The room
2. The resort amenities
3. The beach
4. The food and beverage
5. The atmosphere
6. The perks for loyalty members

Below is a quick overview of each resort:

W Punta de Mita:

• Program: Marriott Bonvoy
• Marriott Category 7 : 50,000-70,000 points
• Marriott Points Valuation : 0.8 cents per point
• Price of base room: ~$500USD during a popular but not peak time
• Location: Located in Nayarit, about 45 minutes north of PVR – Puerto Vallarta International Airport.
• Number of rooms: 3 floors, 106 rooms, 13 suites
• Pets Allowed: Yes; 1 pet 40 kg max per room with USD 100 non-refundable fee per room per stay

Andaz Mayakoba:

• Program: World of Hyatt
• Category 6 : 21,000-29,000
• Hyatt Points Valuation : 1.7 cents per point
• Price of base room: ~ $500USD during a popular but not peak time
• Location: Located in Yucatan, about a 45 minutes south of CUN – Cancun International Airport.
• Number of rooms: 214 guestrooms, including 41 suites
• Pets Allowed: Guests may have two dogs stay in their guestroom provided their combined weight does not exceed 75 pounds. Extra charges apply.

1. The room:

W Punta de Mita: We stayed in a Haven Suite, 1 Bedroom Junior Suite, 1 King, Oceanfront, Plunge pool.

Things we loved about the room:

• The large outdoor terrace with a daybed, chairs and a large pool (much bigger than a standard plunge pool!).
• The bathroom with both a shower and soaker tub.
• A very comfortable bed, ceiling fan, adjustable lighting, and remote blinds, which provided excellent sleep quality.
• The funky and unique décor/design.
• The bed even faced outwards which we prefer over facing a television.
• The room’s location, a close walk to the beach, and we had privacy on our terrace despite facing the newly built adult pool.

Things that we didn’t love about the room:

• The room has seen some wear and tear; some of the tiles need to be replaced.
• The room’s location by the adult pool as the resort did play music from 11:00-19:00; it blocked the sound of the waves.

Andaz Mayakoba: We stayed in a King Bed Ocean View room.

Things we loved about the room:

• The bathroom was large and spacious and had good water pressure.
• The room layout was spacious and had a nice design.
• The bed and linens were very comfortable (Andaz has some of our favorite beds).
• The room was close to the beach and the pool.

Things that we didn’t love about the room:

• The room is an Ocean View room but has no view of the ocean; we had a great view of the pool and felt like we were in it at times.
• The room was too close to the pool and restaurant where they had events and had a speaker placed right outside our room.
• The bathroom shower lacked some privacy; you could see the room above’s balcony, which meant they could see you.
• No ceiling fan.

The Winner: W Punta de Mita

The room at the W Punta de Mita wins easily as it was a large suite with a pool. Had we stayed in a base room art each property, we still think the W Punta de Mita would win because the rooms appear to offer more privacy and are closer to the beach. Some of the rooms at the Andaz Mayakoba look like basement rooms and they are much farther away from the beach.

As for suites, many of the suites at the Andaz Mayakoba are located in the lagoon area and have very small plunge pools. Our pick for a room at the Andaz Mayakoba would be an ocean front room as it is offers nice views, more privacy, peace and quiet, and is steps away from the beach.

2. The resort amenities:

W Punta de Mita: The W Punta de Mita has 2 pools (one for adults only), a spa, a fitness centre, beach cabanas (for rent), and lounge chairs by the beach.

Andaz Mayakoba: The Andaz Mayakoba has two pools, a spa, a fitness centre, lounge chairs by the beach, outdoor activities, a kids club, a golf course, and more. During our stay, we enjoyed using the bikes to get around and taking part in complimentary activities like the lagoon ride. We were disappointed with the free beach activities as they had no stand-up paddleboards; they were all broken.

The Winner: Andaz Mayakoba

The Andaz Mayakoba is one of four resorts in the Mayakoba complex and so it offers much more overall for resort amenities. Guests have access to all restaurants within the resort area and it is very easy to bill to your room. The resort area is also quite large and it is quite fun to use the bikes to bike around and explore for fun and exercise. The fitness centre and spa at the W Punta de Mita are top-notch though; the fitness centre at the Andaz is quite small for the size of the resort.

3. The beach:

W Punta de Mita: The W Punta de Mita has a Pacific Ocean beach. It is a stunning beach where you can walk, swim, and surf. The sand is also quite soft and the water is very clear; it’s a clean and pristine beach.

Andaz Mayakoba: The Andaz Mayakoba has an Atlantic Ocean beach. It is one of the few beaches that isn’t ravaged by sargassum seaweed in the Caribbean, due to the breakers they have installed to keep it out and also preserve the beach from erosion. The water is bright aqua and the sand is a little coarse due to the seashells but it is bright white. The beach is nice for swimming and walking as well.

The Winner: W Punta de Mita

The beach at the W Punta de Mita is nicer and feels more natural. The surf can be a little rough at times but it is possible to swim. Not having to worry about seaweed is also a big perk. It is hard to overlook the breakers at the Andaz Mayakoba.

4. The food and beverage:

W Punta de Mita: We had breakfast and dinner at the W Punta de Mita. Overall, we enjoyed the food, some things more than others. We loved the cochinita pibil tacos and breakfast from Venazu. The ceviches were decent but lacked the spice and flavor we prefer (but we understand not everyone wants to feel the aguachiles burn!). There are other options too, like Spice Market, which offers flavors from Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia; Salero is for seafood on the beach, and Mesa 1, the private restaurant by the lake gets rave reviews.

Andaz Mayakoba: We had breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Andaz Mayakoba. Overall, we enjoyed the food, some things more than others. The Andaz breakfasts are outstanding and the ones here did not disappoint! The other options though were so-so; we found the food to be quite bland at Tinta del Pulpo. We ended up eating at the other restaurants in the resort, like La Fondita, a tostada and Mezcal bar (the food and margaritas here were cheaper and much better!).

The winner: Andaz Mayakoba

We don’t usually eat all our meals on resort and love to explore the local food scene but if we had to pick one, we’d have to choose the Andaz Mayakoba. Overall, the food was better at the W Punta de Mita but the breakfast at the Andaz Mayakoba was superior and having access to the other restaurants in the Mayakoba resort area made a difference.

5. The atmosphere:

W Punta de Mita: We spent some time relaxing at the W Punta de Mita in addition to using our rental car to explore. W hotels are known for more of a party vibe but it was quite tame while we were there.

Andaz Mayakoba: People go to the Andaz Mayakoba more or less to stay on resort the entire time. The resort is very popular with families.

The winner: W Punta de Mita

This is tough! We have to choose the W Punta de Mita because it is a smaller and more quiet resort even if they play music all day and hosted a special event while we were there. We love the setting at the Andaz Mayakoba but there are so many families and that can affect peacefulness and relaxation for those travelling without children.

6. The perks for loyalty members:

W Punta de Mita: We visited as Marriott Titanium. We were able to apply a Suite Night Award for a plunge pool suite. We received complimentary breakfast, a-la-carte style but not buffet. If you book a cash rate, they charge a “Service Charge“ which is essentially a resort fee and it is not waived for top-tier loyalty members; the service charge is also about 10% of your room rate. We are not aware of the “Service Charge” being applied to points bookings.

Andaz Mayakoba: We visited as Explorists and were not entitled to any perks. However, this is a great resort to visit as a Hyatt Globalist; you get free breakfast, the resort fee is waived, and you are eligible for room upgrades. Non-elite members booking a points stay also don’t pay a resort fee.

The winner: Andaz Mayakoba

We are very happy with our stay at the W Punta de Mita as Marriott Titanium members but having Hyatt Globalist status and using it at the Andaz Mayakoba is perceived to be better value. Having access to a the full breakfast buffet at the Andaz Mayakoba is also a perk. The chances of getting upgraded to a suite at the W Punta de Mita are also lower as they only have 13 of them; it was a fluke that our SNA was accepted.

Overall:

As you can see, the W Punta de Mita and Andaz Mayakoba both offer pros and cons depending on what you are looking for. We enjoyed our stay at each one for very different reasons. Having a suite at the W Punta de Mita really made a difference in us enjoying our stay as we would have been disappointed with one of the rooms buried in the back of the property by the busy walkways where golf carts driver 24/7. Overall, we did find the W Punta Mita to be more peaceful. When it comes to these resorts, you can’t go wrong with either!

Which resort do you want to stay at? Have you stayed at either of these resorts?