Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos All-inclusive Resort in Mexico [In-depth Review]

Key Takeaways

• Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is a family-friendly all-inclusive resort located in San José del Cabo, Mexico.
• This beachfront resort offers expansive views of the Sea of Cortez, multiple pools, tons of dining options, bars, and entertainment — and it’s all included in the room cost.
• This resort is bookable with World of Hyatt points and is now in Category D, costing 25,000 points (off-peak), 30,000 points (standard), or 35,000 points (peak) per night.

All-inclusive resorts are a great option for family travel, especially when you’re looking for an easy vacation with no discussions about where to eat dinner or back-and-forth debates over who’s paying the bill.

I recently returned from a week at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos with my family — and it was a fantastic vacation. I traveled with 10 other people and this resort was perfect for the laid-back family vacation that we were looking for.

In this post, I’ll show you all around this resort, including the rooms, pools, beach, spa, kids’ club, restaurants, bars, and more, so you can decide if Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is a good choice for your next family vacation. Let’s get to it!

Location

Located in San José del Cabo, near the tip of the Baja California Sur peninsula in Mexico, Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is just a 20-minute drive from Los Cabos International Airport (SJD).

The resort itself is located right on the beach overlooking the Sea of Cortez (also called the Gulf of California). It’s about 30 minutes north of the town of Cabo San Lucas (including the famous arch) and about 2.5 hours from La Paz.

La Paz is the capital of Baja California Sur and a popular spot for water activities, including snorkeling with whale sharks. Day trips to La Paz are available from Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, but it’s a long drive which makes for a very full day.

Transportation

The hotel offers transportation to and from the airport, but the prices were very high. A private transfer for 1 to 10 people was $130 one-way. I looked around and ended up booking through a separate company for $90 for a round-trip for up to 6 people. Some of the members of our group took a taxi to and from the airport and the cost was about $50 each way.

Hot Tip: While Uber is available in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, it’s not available to use to or from the airport, so you’ll want to get a local taxi or arrange for private transport.

Booking

Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos has been on my radar for a while as I have been eager to try out a Hyatt Ziva property. Hyatt Ziva is a brand of family-friendly all-inclusive resorts bookable using World of Hyatt points. Its sister brand, Hyatt Zilara, is similar but for adults only. Since I have a 9-year-old daughter, I focused on Hyatt Ziva options.

At the time I booked, the cash rate for 2 people in a Master King room (the base level room) was $577 per night, which would have been a total of $4,038 for my 7-night stay.

Instead of paying over $4,000, I used World of Hyatt points. When I booked, Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos was a Category B all-inclusive with a cost of 17,000 points (off-peak), 20,000 points (standard), or 23,000 points (peak) per night.

I paid 149,000 points for 7 nights for 2 people (4 nights at standard pricing and 3 nights at peak pricing). That worked out to a value of 2.7 cents per point, which is great considering we value Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each.

Hot Tip: Unfortunately, since my stay, Hyatt made some major category changes, and as of March 28, 2023, this resort has moved to Category D which costs 25,000 points (off-peak), 30,000 points (standard), or 35,000 points (peak) per night.

As a reminder, Hyatt has a separate award chart for all-inclusive resorts. Here’s a look at what you’ll pay for 1 or 2 people in a standard room at any Hyatt all-inclusive resort:

Adding Additional Guests to a Reservation

If you’ve been following along, you might have noticed that I gave you the price for only 2 people even though my daughter was traveling with us. For this trip, I actually just booked her in my mom’s room. The cost in points is the same for 1 or 2 people, so it didn’t cost anything extra to add her to my mom’s reservation. Keep in mind, if you’re booking in cash, the cost is different for 1 person versus 2 people in a room.

Had I not had that opportunity, I could have paid half the amount of points that it costs for up to 2 people to add my daughter to the room.

The cost in points of adding a third or fourth person to a room is as follows:

It now costs 13,000 to 17,000 points to add an additional person to a room at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos.

There’s also the option to add a third or fourth person in cash for ~$125 each per night, however, the price can fluctuate, so you’ll want to double-check the cost for your specific travel dates.

Hot Tip: When booking a Hyatt Ziva resort, the cost in points is the same for 1 or 2 people in a room. A third and fourth person can be added for additional points. If paying in cash, the cost will increase for each additional person added to the room.

Check-in and Elite Benefits

Upon arriving at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, we were greeted with cold towels and sparkling wine. Our luggage was set aside and we were instructed to go to the check-in counter which was located in the large open-air lobby.

Checking in took a really long time. We had to fill out forms and wait for quite a while while the front desk attendant got everything done.

As an Explorist member, I was eligible for a room upgrade (excluding suites) at check-in. Nothing was offered initially, so I asked. The front desk attendant started looking and told me there was an ocean-view room available, which I was very excited about. After making a few calls, she told me the upgraded room wouldn’t be available until Monday, which was 2 days away. I knew the hotel was pretty full as it was Presidents’ Day weekend, so I wasn’t too surprised and agreed to take the upgrade on Monday. Then at the last minute, she mentioned the cost would be $100 per night.

I was surprised there was a cost and that it wasn’t mentioned at the start of the conversation. When I asked her about the Hyatt elite member upgrade benefit, she said it was only for a 1-category room upgrade and that would be to the Ziva Suite. I had looked at the room categories ahead of time and knew I didn’t want a Ziva Suite. While it sounds great and the room is definitely bigger, it only had a Juliet balcony which was a deal-breaker for me.

After all of that, I declined the paid upgrade and took the original room I was assigned.

Hot Tip: Another interesting thing about check-in at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos was that I was informed of an additional fee that wasn’t disclosed at the time of booking. I was told that beginning on February 1, 2023, the hotel started collecting an environmental tax of Mex$36.31 (~$2) per day. The amount was so low I didn’t bother questioning it, but it was mildly annoying that I wasn’t informed of this fee ahead of time. I hope this tax will eventually be mentioned at the time of booking so it’s not a surprise in the future.

Elite Benefits

Explorist members are eligible for some extra benefits at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos:

• 20% off any 50- or 80-minute massages at the spa
• 15% off cabana rentals
• 15% off romantic dinners
• 20% off laundry services
• Free local calls
• 2 p.m. late checkout, if available
• Club Lounge access

I was thrilled to see I was eligible for a spa discount since that was something I was planning to do anyways. The Club Lounge access was surprising since it’s generally reserved for Globalist members or those who booked a Club-level room.

Hot Tip: At check-in, you’ll be asked to provide a credit card so you can charge extras like spa treatments to your room. I provided The World of Hyatt Credit Card so I could earn up to 9 total points per dollar. If you do the same, double-check your statement when you get home. The charges were listed as “Playa Cabos Baja” which didn’t code as a Hyatt. I had to call Chase to get the points adjusted.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The World of Hyatt card offers a fast track to Hyatt elite status, an annual free night, and up to 9x points per $1 on Hyatt stays.

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The World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt card offers a fast track to Hyatt elite status, an annual free night, and up to 9x points per $1 on Hyatt stays.

Welcome Offer

Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.

Up to 60,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$900

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.99% - 28.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card makes your Hyatt stays more rewarding and helps you get coveted World of Hyatt elite status faster. This card is a must-have for any traveler who regularly stays at Hyatt hotels, or even for anyone who’s able to take advantage of the card’s annual free night certificate.

When you factor in all the benefits the World of Hyatt card offers, it’s easy to see why it is one of the best co-branded hotel credit cards on the market.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays – 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels & up to 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
• 2x points per $1 at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, local transit, rideshares, and fitness clubs/gym memberships
• 1x point per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $95 annual fee

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Card Highlights

• Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
• Enjoy complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as your account is open.
• Get 1 free night each year after your Cardmember anniversary at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort
• Receive 5 tier qualifying night credits towards status after account opening, and each year after that for as long as your account is open
• Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year
• Earn 2 qualifying night credits towards tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
• Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays – 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent at Hyatt hotels & 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
• Earn 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 28.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos Amenities

There are tons of amenities at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos — and most of them are included in the room cost!

Pools

There are 2 main pools, an adults-only pool, and a kids’ pool at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos. Additionally, there are 2 small pools connected to the swim-up rooms.

The largest pool wasn’t heated, so it remained empty during my stay, save for a few brave kids.

The infinity pool — the closest pool to the beach — was where the action was at. This pool was heated and had a swim-up bar, so this is where we spent the majority of our time.

Another benefit to the infinity pool was the 2 adjacent hot tubs. The week we were there was during a cold spell in the area, so the hot tubs got a lot of use during our trip.

There were 2 small, heated pools connected to the swim-up rooms (1 at the main pool and 1 at the adults-only pool). Each swim-up room had a patio area with 2 lounge chairs in the water.

Cabanas were available for rent around the pools and at the beach. With the exception of a handful of premium cabanas, the cost to rent one for the day was $80 per day, which seemed quite reasonable to me. If you want to rent one, I would suggest doing it before you arrive (the concierge can send you information, including a map of the cabana locations).

I tried to book one a couple of days in advance and they were almost sold out. I didn’t like the location of the 1 or 2 remaining cabanas, so I ended up not booking one.

During the day, the entertainment staff plays music and games in the middle of the infinity pool, so it can get very loud in that area. If you are looking for a quieter experience, avoid the cabanas that are located between the 2 pools.

The get-up-early-to-save-pool-chairs game was in full effect at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos. While there were lots of chairs around the pools, if you wanted some in a specific area or had a large group like me (I was traveling with 10 other people), your best bet was to save chairs early.

Thanks to my future sister-in-law reserving our chairs before breakfast each morning, we got our desired location each day we were there. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

The adults-only pool was tucked away at the side of the resort behind a building. It would be very easy to miss if you weren’t looking for it. While it’s nice to have a pool without kids, the adults-only pool lacked the ambiance of the main pools, in my opinion. It was sandwiched between buildings and the next hotel, so it didn’t have any beach or ocean view.

The adults-only pool had its own bar, so you didn’t have to go far to get a drink. Plus, there were cabanas around the pool that could be rented for the day.

On some days the adult pool was calm, while on other days it was chaos (including the day of the foam dance party).

The kid’s pool area was located right next to the kid’s club. It looked like an excellent spot for younger kids to enjoy, however, my 9-year-old wanted nothing to do with it. There were a few small water slides and the shallow depth made it suitable for babies and young kids who can’t swim.

Bottom Line: There is no shortage of pools at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos. There are 2 main pools, including a heated infinity pool that overlooks the beach. Plus there’s a kids’ pool, an adults-only pool, and 2 pools attached to swim-up rooms. To top it off, there are 2 hot tubs right next to the main infinity pool.

Beach

The beach at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is beautiful, but most of the time it’s not swimmable due to very strong waves. During my entire trip, the black flag was raised, indicating that swimming wasn’t allowed. Unfortunately, I’ve heard that’s pretty common. That being said, it’s beautiful to look at and it stretches for miles in both directions, so it’s a great beach for a walk.

During my stay in February, the water was freezing, so I didn’t feel I was missing out as I wouldn’t have gone swimming anyway.

The beach in front of Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is extremely wide. Closer to the resort, the sand is a bit rocky, but it gets much softer closer to the ocean. On the beach, there were some local vendors that tried to sell us hats, bags, and bracelets, but they weren’t too aggressive, so it wasn’t a problem.

There were also horses available to ride. I had mixed feelings about this but my daughter was dying to ride one, so I gave in and paid for a ride. I’m not a big fan of horses, so my brother was guilted into riding with her. We paid $50 for 2 people for a 30-minute ride.

Another great thing about the beach at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is that you can sometimes see whales!

The hotel has a bell set and a staff member will ring it if a whale is spotted. I was able to see whales a couple of times, although my sightings were pretty far away. The other cool thing you can see from the beach is baby manta rays jumping out of the water. These were really cool to see and fairly common.

Bottom Line: The beach at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is beautiful, but due to strong waves, it’s un-swimmable. However, it extends for miles in both directions, so it’s perfect for a beach walk or whale watching.

“Kidz” Club

The “Kidz” Club (aka free babysitting) is for kids ages 4 to 12 and is included in the price at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos.

There’s a clubhouse with a playground and a kids’ pool area that includes a mini water park. It’s very shallow, so it’s perfect for babies and younger kids who aren’t great swimmers yet.

Since my daughter begged us to keep going back to the kids’ club the year prior at Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa in Grand Cayman, I assumed she would love the Kidz Club here. I was wrong. She wasn’t excited when she first saw it and never wanted to go. I didn’t push it because she was having fun in the big pool and eventually met some friends her age there. She told me, “the kids club is full of 3-year-olds,” so she wasn’t going. Fair enough.

I do think this kids’ area is better suited to younger children. Older kids (like my 9-year-old) may be much happier at the big pool. But, if you have toddlers or even kids up to maybe 7 or 8, this area looked like it would be great.

There’s also a Teen Club at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos.

Bottom Line: The Kidz Club at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos offers supervised play and is included in the room cost. There’s a clubhouse, playground, and kids’ pool with waterslides.

Theater

There was a theater onsite with nightly productions. While most of the shows were included, there was a cabaret dinner show one night that had an extra charge.

Zen Spa at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos

I’m a sucker for a good spa, so I was excited to try out Zen Spa at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos.

Spa representatives came around the pool most days to try to sell you a spa treatment. I was planning on booking something anyways, so I was happy to be able to schedule it from my pool chair. As an Explorist, I was eligible for a 20% discount on massages. However, the spa rep by the pool was offering a different deal that I ended up taking (which couldn’t be combined with the 20% discount).

If we booked an 80-minute massage, we could add an additional 25-minute treatment (anything from a facial or reflexology to additional massage time). In addition, they offered us an additional day of access to the hydrotherapy area at the spa. I’m still not sure if that was a better deal than taking the 20% off, but it was nice to have additional time in the spa.

The hydrotherapy area of the Zen Spa included cold plunge pools (no, thank you) plus a heated pool with massage jets, a hot tub, and massage showers. There was also a sauna and steam room in this area.

The Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos spa prices aren’t for the faint of heart. While they’re in the same ballpark as some other luxury resorts I have been to, they were still expensive, especially for a resort in Mexico. To give you an idea of what to expect, the 80-minute massage I booked cost $290 (not including tip).

For anyone that doesn’t have the 20% discount offered to Explorists and Globalists, there was an offer available at check-in — you could book 2 80-minute massages plus 2 days of hydrotherapy for $499. That’s a decent deal if you’re planning to book 2 massages anyways.

The spa was open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and it’s recommended to make reservations in advance.

Fitness Center

The fitness center was located on the fourth floor of the main building. This large gym, which was open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day, had weight machines as well as free weights and kettlebells.

Plus, there were lots of treadmills, elliptical machines, and bikes.

Club Lounge

There’s a Club Lounge at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, but since it’s an all-inclusive resort, it’s not really that exciting. The club has a small buffet along with top-shelf liquor. There’s indoor seating as well as a nice outdoor patio. In addition, there’s a pool table available for use.

Official access is reserved for Club Level rooms, Hyatt Globalists, and much to my surprise, Hyatt Explorists. As an Explorist, I hadn’t expected access to the club, but my check-in letter listed it as a benefit of Explorist status. However, both times I went the door was wide open, so anyone could just walk in. While it was nice to have, access to the club felt unnecessary.

Bottom Line: Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos has a Club Lounge with a small buffet and top-shelf liquor. Access is granted to Globalists, Explorists, and Club Lounge room guests. The resort doesn’t accept Club Lounge Access Awards earned through Hyatt’s Milestone Rewards program.

Gift Shop

There are 2 gift shops on the property — 1 by the main pool and 1 by the lobby.

The larger of the 2 gift shops was located just off to the side on the lobby level. It sold a variety of items, including bathing suits and cover-ups, rash guards, beach toys, toiletries, snacks, and souvenirs. The smaller gift shop by the pool had mostly pool attire and beach toys.

There was also an additional shop next to the main gift shop that sold high-end sunglasses and jewelry.

Wi-Fi

One of the biggest downsides to Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is the slow Wi-Fi. While the signal was decent in the common areas, the Wi-Fi in our room was mediocre at best. Many times we couldn’t access it at all and when we did, it was painfully slow.

As a Hyatt Explorist, I was entitled to premium Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice any difference in the speed or availability of Wi-Fi between the times I was on the regular versus premium channels.

Discova Los Cabos

The Discova Los Cabos tours and excursions desk is located right in the lobby of the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos Mexico and can assist with booking a range of activities, including whale watching, snorkeling, sailing, and scuba diving.

You can contact the hotel’s concierge to get a brochure of available activities prior to your stay.

We booked a scuba diving trip through the company used by the resort (Cabo Adventures) and had a very bad experience. In addition to the staff at Cabo Adventures being rude at check-in, we got faulty gear that wasn’t swapped out even after bringing it to the dive master’s attention. Additionally, the water conditions were so terrible the dive should have been canceled.

Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos Rooms

There are a staggering 21 different types of rooms at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos! The standard rooms that are bookable using Hyatt points are the Master King (see description below) and Master Double. The standard suite that is bookable using World of Hyatt points is called the Ziva Suite. Keep in mind that the Ziva Suite only has a Juliet balcony, so if you would prefer to have a full balcony, don’t book this room category.

The other room category worth noting is the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos swim-up rooms. These rooms include Club Level access and are considered premium suites. While the Hyatt all-inclusive award chart has points values listed for premium suites, in practice, I wasn’t able to find any dates where the swim-up rooms were bookable with points.

Master King Room

I booked the base-level Master King room using Hyatt points and that is the exact room I stayed in during my trip. As I previously mentioned, when I asked for a room upgrade at check-in, the only option that was complimentary was a Ziva Suite. While the extra space that room provides (619 square feet vs. 594 square feet) may appeal to many families, it had 1 feature that was a deal breaker for me — a Juliet balcony. When I am traveling to a tropical destination, a full balcony is very important to me, so I opted to stay in the smaller Master King room since it came with a full balcony.

As we approached our room, number 1503, for the first time, I noticed something peculiar — a happy birthday sign on the door. While that may seem like a nice gesture, we weren’t celebrating any birthdays, so it was a bit odd. I assumed it was left over from the guests before us.

The first thing I noticed when I first walked in was how large the space was — 594 square feet! That’s a great size for a standard room and it was plenty of space for our family of 3. A more traditional Mexican-style room decor featured terra cotta tiles and lots of dark wood.

Immediately to the left upon entering were 2 closets and a minibar set-up. The first closet housed the safe and 2 robes.

Next to that was the minibar area which offered additional counter space and shelves. The snacks and drinks were replenished daily.

There was a coffee maker with Cafe Britt coffee and bottled water.

The minifridge was also stocked with water, soda, beer, juice, and snacks.

On the other side of the minibar area was a second closet that included more hanging space, an iron and ironing board, and a luggage rack.

The king-sized bed was flanked by matching nightstands.

Each side of the bed had a built-in reading light that proved to be just about perfect. You could maneuver it in any way, so I was able to still have some reading light while keeping the rest of the room dark.

There was an alarm clock on one side of the bed and a phone on the opposite side. Each side of the bed had plenty of plugs and USB outlets.

Next to the bed was a sleeper sofa that converted to a queen-sized bed. There’s a hint of a divider in the room, so it felt like it was in its own space even though it’s 1 big room.

Housekeeping came and transformed the couch into a bed on our first night.

Across from the main bed were a chest of drawers and a TV.

Next to the set of drawers across from the pull-out couch was a small table and 2 chairs.

The room had a private balcony with 2 chairs and a small table. The building that was in view from my balcony had rooms facing the other direction, so I didn’t have any other balconies looking onto mine which made it feel very private.

Even though I was in the building furthest from the ocean, I could still see a bit of blue water from the balcony. I was perfectly content with this room and view, so I didn’t pursue moving to an ocean-view room for an extra $100 per day.

Bottom Line: The Master King room is the base-level room at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos and bookable using World of Hyatt points. As an Explorist, the only complimentary room upgrade is to a Ziva Suite, which is a bit larger but only has a Juliet balcony.

Master King Bathroom

There were sliding doors across from the closets that led to the bathroom. It was great to have double sinks since there were 3 of us in the room. It’s not recommended to drink the water from the sink, so bottled water is provided to use while you brush your teeth.

The toilet was behind a frosted glass door. I love it when the toilet is in its own room as it makes the bathroom so much for functional when multiple people are sharing a room, however, this door wasn’t quite opaque enough to make the toilet 100% private.

The shower and jetted tub were in their own area as well, this time without a door of any kind. The shower size and water pressure were great, but the water temperature was very erratic, changing from cold to very hot in seconds.

You’ll notice that there are folding shutters next to the bathtub. These can be opened or closed depending on the amount of privacy you want.

The mini-sized shower products were from 2 mismatched brands — KenetMD and Bio Dos.

Hot Tip: Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos made our lists of the best Mexico hotels to book with points and the best hotels to book with points in Los Cabos.

Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos Restaurants and Bars

Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos does not have a shortage of food and beverage options as there are 15 different restaurants and bars on the property! Let’s take a closer look at them.

Hacienda Baja Grill

Hacienda Baja Grill is the steakhouse at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos. The Latin-inspired menu serves a variety of steaks, fish, chicken, soups, and salads. I tried the Green Lantern mocktail which was a combination of kiwi, lemon, and mint and it was one of the most refreshing drinks I have ever had.

Since I was dining with a large group of 11, our waiter brought us appetizers and side dishes family-style so we could try practically everything on the menu!

Hacienda Baja Grill was open for dinner daily from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Dozo

Dozo is the resort’s Japanese restaurant and offers a sushi bar in addition to teppanyaki (hibachi-style) grills. We really enjoyed the hibachi-style dinner. It was probably one of the best I’ve been to and it was cool that a few of us, including my daughter, got to try it out.

Dozo was open for dinner from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Reservations are required for the teppanyaki grill tables.

Bon Vivant

Bon Vivant is Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos’ adults-only French restaurant. I didn’t think we’d be able to try it out since my daughter was traveling with us, but on the last night, my in-laws decided to go to the buffet and she went with them. That left my husband and me, along with the rest of our group, free to try out Bon Vivant.

This elegant restaurant has a menu that features French-inspired dishes and desserts. The food was delicious but the service during our meal was exceptionally slow. I find that service in general is slower than U.S. standards at resorts like this and I go into each meal knowing it could take a while (after all, I’m on vacation, so it’s not a big deal). However, this meal seemed slow even by resort standards.

Bon Vivant was open from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Zaffiro

Zaffiro is an open-air Italian restaurant overlooking the ocean. The night we went there was a wedding reception happening on the beach, so we got to enjoy some live music and fire performers while we ate.

I really enjoyed the food at Zaffiro — especially the dessert. I ordered the Citrus & Red Berries Panna Cotta, and while it looked like a big green nose with carrot shavings and a dollop of jam, it tasted amazing!

Zaffiro was open for dinner daily from 6 p.m. to 10 pm.

Cortez

Cortez is the resort’s other beach-front restaurant. It serves Mexican and South American-inspired dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food was delicious and the view was lovely.

Cortez was open for breakfast from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., lunch from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., and dinner from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

La Plaza Buffet

La Plaza is the international buffet at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos. Personally, I am not a fan of buffets but we ended up eating breakfast here most mornings because it was the easiest option for our group. We were able to get a table for 11 outside on the patio each morning.

La Plaza has a huge buffet with lots of options to choose from.

There were plenty of healthy options, including fruit and salads.

On the flip side, there was a candy bar! What kid wouldn’t love that?

During breakfast, there was a made-to-order omelet station.

Overall, even though buffets aren’t my thing, breakfast was quite enjoyable each morning. I tend to overdo it on carbs in the morning during vacation and there were plenty of options to choose from. The Mexican oatmeal was tasty and I also enjoyed the Mexican bread and pastries. There was also a Mexican coffee that tasted like it had cinnamon and chocolate in it which was so delicious.

The Plaza buffet was open for breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., for lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., and for dinner from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

El Molino

El Molino is the resort’s Mexican restaurant. I loved the style of this restaurant — it offered more traditional Mexican vibes with fun, multi-colored elements, including red and pink checkered tables and mismatched multi-colored glasses.

This restaurant also opens as an extra buffet space in the mornings.

El Molino was open for dinner daily between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Coco Loco Snack Bar

Coco Loco Snack Bar is located right next to the main pool. During the day it served burgers, fries, sandwiches, and pizza. I thought the pizza looked pretty mediocre but my daughter got it for lunch every day.

Coco Loco Snack Bar was open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

El Catrín

El Catrín is a food truck located right next to the infinity pool that made the most delicious quesadillas. They were served with freshly made pico de gallo and guacamole.

El Catrín was open from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Spirit of 1968

Spirit of 1968 is a sports bar inspired by the year that Mexico hosted the Olympics. The bar had large-screen televisions, pool tables, and plenty of seating.

Spirit of 1968 was open from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

El Piano Lobby Bar

El Piano Lobby Bar serves drinks all day long from 10 a.m. to Midnight. After 10 p.m., only guests 18 and older are allowed to enter.

Baja Bar

The Baja Bar is located at the adults-only pool and was open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. During lunch hours, this bar serves the most delicious tacos!  The only kind available was beef and they were made fresh while you waited. Served with chips and homemade guacamole, they were so delicious that I ended up getting them every day.

El Mirador

El Mirador is an open-air martini bar located on a terrace on the lobby level. It’s open daily from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

El Agave

El Agave is the resort’s tequila bar. Reservations are required for tequila and mezcal tastings and additional charges will apply.

Bar AZul

Bar AZul is a swim-up bar located in the infinity pool. It served tropical cocktails and mocktails daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Coffee House

The Coffee House is located in the lobby and was open 24 hours a day. I stopped here at least once a day (usually more) for specialty coffees and pastries.

Each morning (and throughout the day) there was self-serve coffee and tea available. They provide cups, but if you drink a lot of coffee as I do, I recommend bringing a travel mug with you to keep your coffee warm.

At the counter, you could order a number of specialty coffees, including lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas.

The Coffee House also served some lite bites and dessert. In the morning you could get fruit, yogurt, and breakfast pastries. In the afternoon they had some sandwiches and lots of dessert items like cakes, cookies, and the most delicious fruit tart.

Healthy Bar

The Healthy Bar is located outside near the main pool. It served fresh smoothies in the morning from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and poke, grain, and noodle bowls in the afternoon from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

In-room Dining

In-room dining was available 24 hours a day at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos. Breakfast was served from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and dinner was served from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

We ordered room service on our first night since we were all tired and didn’t feel like figuring out the restaurant situation. It was rather mediocre and was by far my least favorite meal of the whole vacation.

Service

Overall the service at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos was excellent, with very few exceptions. Everyone I came into contact with from the bartenders to the waiters to the spa staff was pleasant and helpful.

The service at the restaurants tended to be a little slow, but I’ve learned that that is fairly typical at this type of resort, so I have come to expect it.

The biggest issue I had with the service at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos was the inconsistency of housekeeping. Our room wasn’t made up a few times and even after I called the front desk it was difficult to get someone to actually come to give us clean towels at the very least. The strange thing was that the inconsistency didn’t make sense. Some in our group had daily housekeeping without any issues while others didn’t. Even more, there was a day when my in-laws’ room was made up and ours wasn’t — they were next door to us, so it didn’t make any sense why our room was skipped (no, we didn’t have the do not disturb sign on the door).

In the grand scheme of things, the inconsistencies in service were a minor blip on an otherwise fantastic vacation.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed my 7-night stay at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos. It’s a beautiful resort that’s great for families, and the best part is that it can be booked using World of Hyatt points.

Unfortunately, the price in points has increased by about 50% as of March 28, 2023, so you’ll really need to look at the cost in cash versus the cost in points to make sure it’s a good deal for you.

Whether you pay cash or points, I can definitely recommend this resort if you’re looking for an easy and laid-back family vacation.