I worked with the DeCrosta family to decide whether to stay in a boutique hotel or an all-inclusive resort during a family vacation to Los Cabos, Mexico. After comparing the options and considering their multi-generational family trip, they decided to try their first all inclusive resort. Here is their report back! Thank you for sharing!
All text and photos copyright Joe DeCrosta.
All-Inclusive Convert: Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos
My wife and I have never really been all-inclusive type travelers, but we thought we would take a chance this time traveling with our family on a rather modest budget. The Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos has converted us.
I can’t say enough about this place. Not only is it beautiful, but it is well run and filled with kind, helpful employees. Our room (two-bedroom suite) was well designed, very clean and very large with beautiful vistas of the pools and ocean- perfect for our family of four.
Amenities are top quality and food is delicious. There are five a la carte restaurants – French, Spanish, Asian, Italian, and Argentine Steakhouse – with full menus and two buffets – Mexican and breakfast foods. The all-inclusive package also included free 24-hour room service with a limited menu. They also served Mexican food at the Snack bar at the pool, and their were typical Mexican snack carts and fajita/paella preparation on the pool deck everyday.
There are also several pools (5 I believe), the largest is not heated, but on warm days it was fine, and the infinity pool was warm and included a swim-up bar and two hot tubs. They also offer Swim-Up Suites that are located along two of their smaller pools where you have access to these pools from your balcony – very unique. There is an adults-only pool as well as a kids’ swim area. The Spa area is beautiful as well and includes several types of tubs and therapeutic pools.
The nightly entertainment was a lot of fun and included, dancing, singing, and a magic show.
Every single employee at this property was courteous and friendly. We ran into a situation where my children were locked out the room, and the staff resolved the issue in no time and with good humor. Every employee was willing to share their story and talk about their life in Cabo.
Drawbacks
Overall, I would not consider this property to have many drawbacks, but I think it would be helpful to point out a few things to travelers considering this property:
1. If you are looking to swim in the ocean, this properly is not the best one for you. The water in Cabo San Jose on the Sea of Cortez and quite rough and guests are prohibited from swimming there. Of course, guests are able to bask on the beach, but the pools will be your only option for cooling off. Nice strolls at the water’s edge were certainly possible.
2. This property is not in Cabo San Lucas, it is Cabo San Jose about 20 minutes east of San Lucas. Cabo San Jose is actually a lovely town and much nicer for a family vacation, in my opinion. There is a wonderful historic center where you can walk around and enjoy shops, but you would have to take a public bus or cab to get there easily. If you are looking for more or a “party” atmosphere, Cabo San Lucas might be more your speed. We took a public bus to visit Cabo San Lucas and Los Arcos one day.
3. This hotel tends to host a number of large conference groups. When were were visiting there was a group of 1200 Mexican women attending a sales conference for a Latin American cosmetics company. As a result, there was an enormous stage set up along the beach and there were loud concerts a few of the nights. We actually enjoyed much of this since we really got a flavor for Mexican culture, and some free entertainment was provided from afar!. I only bring this up to advise potential travelers to find out about large groups that may be staying at the hotel and the nature of their program if you think it might encroach on your experience there.
These drawbacks are minor in my opinion, and I would book this place again in a second.
Bravo Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos!
And thank you in particular to Angelo in Entertainment, Emma in the Plaza, Daniel in Guest Services, Rodrigo in Excursions, and Jose in the Club Level.
If you’d like to stay at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos or are considering a Mexican vacation, contact me for travel consulting services. My client above had never been to an all-inclusive, and ended up loving it after I explained why it was a good match for his wishlist and his specific needs for this trip.
