A cucumber margarita, fish taco, wood-fire grilled pizza, Spanish tapas, 24-hour deli and Japanese Teppanyaki grill experience complete with onion volcano. These are just a few of the food and drink options all included at the new Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos.
This luxurious 591 all-suite property on the Sea of Cortez near José del Cabo, Mexico, closed last year after suffering extensive damage from category 3 Hurricane Odile. Guests had to leave their rooms, and huddle together in the large theater. I do hope the bar was open.
One year and many expansions and massive renovations later, it reopened with 12 restaurants and bars and the ability to withstand a category 4 hurricane. You’d never know it had been damaged. One of the few palm trees that survived is still on the property, valiantly making its way back to health.
My favorite features of the Baja-inspired property include my ocean-view suite, the 34 ground-floor, swim-up suites, the friendly staff and adult pool where a comfy lounge chair was always available, as was a refreshing glass of pinot grigio or mojito with freshly muddled mint. We spent our last evening in one of the floating seating pods with a fire pit, enjoying the cool fall air under the star-studded sky.
The Spaniards dominate the all-inclusive concept, beloved with the European and Canadian markets, but not so much by the Americans. Hyatt saw an opening for an U.S. company to enter the market and increase Americans awareness that all-inclusive doesn’t have to mean mediocre food and drunken all-age springbreakers. And as the hashtag says, the company is #hyattallin, having created the separate Ziva and Zilara brands, with Ziva being for all ages and Zilara exclusively for adults. In addition to Cabo, there is one Hyatt all-inclusive in Puerto Vallarta, two in Jamaica, two opening soon in Cancun, with plans to open as many as four next year in Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America.
