Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos vs. Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana [Which One Is Better?]

Hyatt Ziva is a brand of family-friendly, all-inclusive resorts with locations in the Caribbean and Mexico. I had the pleasure of staying at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic and Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos in Mexico this year.

While I love exploring exciting destinations when I travel, sometimes you need to park yourself in a lounger by an oceanfront pool with a tropical drink in your hand, and that’s precisely what these vacations were. For both trips, I was traveling with extended family — there were 11 of us at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos and 5 at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana.

Staying at an all-inclusive resort is a great option when traveling with a large group. It takes the stress of deciding where to go, where to eat, and who’s paying for it all out of the equation.

In this post, I’ll compare and contrast the rooms, amenities, beaches, pools, and hotel grounds of these 2 resorts.

Hyatt Ziva All-Inclusive Resorts

Hyatt Ziva is a brand of family-friendly, all-inclusive resorts within the Hyatt family. There are 6 Hyatt Ziva locations across the Caribbean and Mexico, and although each one is different, they each offer some standard amenities and perks:

Even better, you can use World of Hyatt points to book stays at Hyatt Ziva resorts. There’s a separate award chart for Hyatt all-inclusive resorts with 6 categories. Remember that these prices are for 2 people, so if you add a third or fourth person to the room, the price will increase.

Hyatt Ziva properties fall under Categories C, D, and E.

If an all-inclusive resort sounds great, but you’d prefer an adults-only option, check out the Hyatt Zilara brand. These hotels, specifically designed for guests 18 years and older, are located next door to select Hyatt Ziva locations.

Hot Tip:

Our guide on earning World of Hyatt points can be helpful if you need more points for that dream vacation you’re planning.

Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos vs. Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana

I visited both Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos and Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana in 2023, so I thought this would be an excellent opportunity to look at these 2 resorts side-by-side.

I was traveling with my 9-year-old daughter and extended family for both trips. I visited Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos in February as a World of Hyatt Explorist member and Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana in October as a World of Hyatt Globalist.

Other than an upgrade to a room with a better view at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana, I don’t think my Globalist status affected my trip that much, so that difference doesn’t come into play in my comparisons.

Hot Tip:

Check out my review of the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos and a review of the Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana from one of our editors for more detailed information about these 2 resorts.

Guest Rooms

Let’s compare the rooms at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana to those at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos. I booked the base-level room for both trips using World of Hyatt points.

Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos

For my stay at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, I booked the Master King room, and that’s exactly what I got. I was a Hyatt Explorist at the time and was offered an upgrade to a Ziva Suite. However, that particular room category was only slightly bigger than the Master King room, and it had a considerable disadvantage — a Juliet balcony instead of the standard balcony — so I declined the “upgrade.”

At almost 600 square feet, the room had plenty of space for 3 of us. We had a king-sized bed plus a sleeper sofa for my daughter.

The spacious bathroom had a large soaking tub and double sinks.

Despite a partial view of the back of a building, there was still a decent view of the resort from our balcony, with a small sliver of oceanview in the distance.

Overall, the room was absolutely fine and would work well for most families. However, the Mexican-style terra cotta tiles and dark wood made the room feel dim and dated. I generally prefer more contemporary decor, and that’s not what you’ll get at the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos.

Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana

I booked a Junior Suite King for Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana and was upgraded to an Ocean View Junior Suite Double because of my Hyatt Globalist status (which I finally earned this summer). These 2 room types are essentially the same, with the difference being the location. My room was on the fourth floor (the highest in the building) with a direct ocean view.

It was set at the back of the resort, so I wasn’t close to the ocean, but I had no complaints. Even better, our large balcony was out of the direct sun by mid-morning, which was excellent.

My mom, who was a World of Hyatt Explorist and also booked with points, was in the Junior Suite King (base-level) room, and her room was identical to ours, except for the location. Her room was on a lower floor with a view of the resort. She had a nice view, but ours was better.

The rooms were fantastic — spacious, comfortable, and modern. I loved the light colors and contemporary design on the wall behind the bed. The beds were very comfy, too.

The contemporary bathroom had double sinks, a separate toilet, and a stand-up shower.

Winner: Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana

Both rooms were quite spacious and had lovely balconies, but I much preferred the light colors and contemporary design at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana.

Bottom Line:

The guest rooms were among the most significant differences between Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana and Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos. While both resorts had large, comfortable rooms with balconies, Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana’s were more contemporary, which I much preferred over Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos.

Food

All-inclusive resorts have a reputation for having mediocre food at best. I’ve visited numerous all-inclusive resorts over the years, and there’s some merit to that reputation. While I’ve had some delicious food at all-inclusive resorts, I have found that it’s usually just ok.

My perception changed when I stayed at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos earlier this year. I left that vacation saying it was the best food I had ever had at an all-inclusive resort.

Specialty Dining

Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos has 15 different restaurant and bar options. A food truck at the pool each day served delicious quesadillas, and the tacos from the Baja Bar were amazing (I’m still dreaming about them).

I enjoyed trying all of the different restaurant options. One night, we tried Dozo, the resort’s Japanese-style restaurant, for the hibachi-style dinner. Not only was the food good, but it was the best “show” of any of these types of dinners I have been to.

We tried the hibachi dinner at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana, and while the food was good, our chef just cooked the food without doing any of the expected hibachi song-and-dance routines.

Buffet

Next, let’s talk about the buffet. For the record, I’m not a fan of buffets, so neither of them gets a glowing review. I didn’t enjoy the buffet at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana at all. The food was mediocre at best, and everything had to be served by the staff. While some might see this as a positive, I found it awkward.

To be fair, I didn’t love the buffet at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos either (because it was a buffet). However, the food was pretty tasty, and I actually enjoyed eating breakfast there each morning. It was a great option for our group of 11.

Coffee Bar

Lastly, each resort had a coffee bar. The one at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos was open 24 hours a day and had some excellent pastries and desserts available throughout the day.

The coffee bar at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana had more limited hours, but they had delicious popsicles and excellent coffee.

There was a small selection of fresh juices at the Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana’s coffee bar, but the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos had a full-service smoothie bar next to the pool.

Winner: Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos

Hands down, Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos had much better food than Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana. It’s not even close. I did have some good food at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana, but there was little that wow-ed me. On the other hand, most of the food I had at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos was excellent, and there were more options throughout the resort.

Bottom Line:

Food and drinks are included in your stay at any Hyatt Ziva resort, and there’s plenty of it, so you won’t go hungry. When comparing the food at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana vs. Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, the food at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos was much better, in my opinion.

Pools

Both the Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana and Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos have big, sprawling pools, so really, you can’t go wrong.

While these resorts are family-friendly, each offers space for adults. The Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos has a dedicated adults-only area, while the Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana allows adults to use the pools at the adults-only Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana resort next door (these 2 resorts are connected, so it’s just a short walk to the adults-only side.)

The main pool at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana was spectacular, with the warmest water I have ever experienced at a resort pool (this is a massive plus in my book). It wasn’t crowded at all, but that could be due to the time of year (October) I visited. I would expect it to be more crowded during peak travel times.

There were 2 main pools at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, and unfortunately, the biggest one wasn’t heated, so it was freezing. Thankfully, the front pool was heated, but it was pretty crowded since everyone was using it.

Both resorts had separate pools for young children.

But the show’s star at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana was the on-site water park, complete with big slides and a lazy river.

Winner: Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana

It’s hard to compete with an on-site water park, so Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana easily wins this category. On top of that, Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana’s pool was heated to a near-perfect temperature, and the hot tubs were much larger than those at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos.

Beach and Resort Grounds

Both of these resorts had the same basic layout — a central pool facing the beach surrounded by hotel rooms on 3 sides. Each one had large decorative reflecting pools with firepits and large round lights illuminated each night.

Both resorts felt lush and tropical, with plenty of comfy spots to lounge at any time of the day.

Neither of the beaches at these 2 resorts was perfect, although both were beautiful (it’s hard to complain about a beach.)

The beach at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos had significant waves, which made it unswimmable. However, the beach stretched out quite a ways, making it an excellent spot for a morning walk.

The sand could be a bit rocky in places, and you had to go through local vendors just outside the resort to get to the ocean. That said, it was a lovely beach that I would be happy to return to.

The big problem with the beach at Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana isn’t the resort’s fault. Sargassum seaweed has been plaguing the Caribbean and Mexican beaches recently, and Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana has had its fair share. The beach had the soft, white, powdery sand you expect when visiting the Caribbean, but the seaweed was evident as you got closer to the water.

Winner: Tie

I just can’t pick a winner here. The resort grounds of these 2 hotels were very similar — lush tropical landscaping, large pools, and beachfront locations — so I am calling it a tie.

Final Thoughts

Hyatt Ziva resorts are wonderful options if you’re looking for a laid-back, all-inclusive family vacation that you can book with points.

I loved my stays at the Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana and the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos. While I liked Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana better overall (except for the food), I wouldn’t hesitate to revisit either of these properties. They offered large, comfortable rooms, unlimited food and drinks, a beachfront location, large pools, and beautiful resort grounds.