Are you looking for where to stay in Cabo with kids? Keep scrolling for my honest Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos review so you can decide if it’s one of the best hotels in Cabo for families for your upcoming Mexico vacation.
This Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos review was written by family travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
Are you looking for a kid-friendly all-inclusive resort in Mexico?
Look no further! We just stayed at the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos and it was amazing. The resort is perfect for kids of all ages with plenty of activities and amenities to keep everyone entertained.
We did a TON of research on Los Cabos all-inclusive resorts and the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos fit all our needs.
You’ll love the convenience of an all-inclusive resort where everything is included in one price – from food and drinks to entertainment and activities. No need to worry about carrying cash or keeping track of expenses while on vacation.
Keep scrolling for my honest Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos review to decide if it’s the right place for your family’s next Mexico vacation.
Don’t have time to read a bunch of Cabo San Lucas blog posts and reviews? Here are some of our top picks for visiting Cabo with kids.
Popular Cabo Tours/Activities
- Sunset Pirate Ship Cruise (your kids will geek out)
- Beach and Desert ATV Adventure (perfect for thrill-seekers)
- Whale Watching Boat Ride (it comes with free photos)
- Animal Sanctuary Tour (you get to feed exotic animals that have been rescued)
- Flytographer Photo Shoot (this is an easy and affordable Cabo photography option)
Kid-Friendly Cabo Resorts
- Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos (this is in a quiet area away from the party scene)
- Sandos Finisterra All-Inclusive (it has 3 outdoor swimming pools)
- Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos (it has 5 outdoor swimming pools)
Hotel Ziva Los Cabo FAQs
This Los Cabos all-inclusive resort includes all drinks and meals, on-site entertainment, fitness facilities, beach/pool butlers, aquatic sports, 24-hour room service, minibar drinks/snacks, and more. It does NOT include private cabana rentals, spa services, private dining, top-shelf liquor/wine, or laundry services. This seems typical of Cabo Mexico all-inclusive resorts.
You will need to make a reservation at the resort when you arrive if you want to have teppanyaki at Dozo. All other dining venues are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and you can’t make reservations. These restaurants all have kids’ menus and can accommodate dietary restrictions as long as you let them know.
Yes, our extended family did this. You will need to request this when you make your reservation, as connecting rooms are subject to availability. This is great for families of 5 or those traveling with teens who need extra space.
There are plenty of pool/beach chairs but they get reserved literally at the crack of dawn. Keep in mind that some folks are on East Coast time. Renting a cabana helps guarantee a spot plus it’s also guaranteed shade. Cabanas are a great upgrade, but the lounge chairs aren’t bad.
Where is the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos?
The Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is located at Paseo Malecón Sn Lote 5, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, 23405. It’s near several other Cabo San Lucas all inclusive resorts.
Los Cabos is a big area with lots of different vibes. The area close to the marina is much more of a “party” vibe. However, the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is located on the quieter side of Cabo and it seems to attract more families.
Because of this, we think the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is one of the best all-inclusive Cabo family resorts. You can check rates and the latest availability HERE.
Does the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos have an airport shuttle?
No, the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos does NOT have an airport shuttle. You can contact them to arrange transportation through a 3rd party or book something on your own. Since we had a party of 6, we booked a private van shuttle.
Check the latest resort rates and availability.
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Honest Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos Review
What was our room like?
We arrived at 11 p.m. and went straight to bed so I didn’t get a chance to take my own photos. But these are the resort’s photos of our room layout.
Our room was pretty fabulous! It was a standard room that overlooked the pool area. There was a ton of closet space and drawers to put away our clothes.
We had two double beds and then a pull-out sofa bed that was fairly comfortable. We rotated the kids around the different beds throughout the trip.
We also had a decently large table with chairs that were perfect for when we ordered room service.
There also was a mini-fridge that was stocked with drinks and snacks (like Oreos and Pringles).
Our balcony was also great! It had two chairs and a table and it faced the pool, beach, and had a view of the sunrise each morning.
The only thing I didn’t like was that the shower was completely open and the water spread out to the sink area. And our shower was missing the handle to adjust the water temperature. We later found it on the edge of the bathtub but it was all really weird.
What did we think of the dining options?
There are several Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos restaurants to choose from. These are all walk-up only restaurants (except for Teppanyaki).
Here are the different restaurants and my honest opinion of what each experience was like.
Dozo
This is an Asian restaurant where you can get sushi and sashimi as well as Chinese buns, pad Thai, and other items. It also has a Teppanyaki section but you need to make reservations to do that.
Since there were 15 of us, they just gave us a set menu so they could push food out quicker. It was nice to be able to try a bunch of stuff without having to negotiate with the group on what to order.
We thought the sashimi was surprisingly fresh and tasty. We’d definitely do that again. The rest of the food items were meh. But, my extended family is Asian and we eat a LOT of Asian food so our expectations are different than the average person’s.
La Hacienda Baja Grill
This is the steak restaurant. When we went (about 10 minutes after they opened), they told us it would be at least a 90-minute wait. But, we paid extra and got a private room immediately which ended up being pretty fabulous.
The food was pretty tasty! They gave us a chef’s menu that included steak, chicken, and a bunch of sides. We paid for a Tomahawk and lobster tails to share with our group.
We were also able to order a kids’ steak and fries plate that was perfect for our 6-year-old.
La Plaza
This is the buffet restaurant and honestly, I only recommend it as a last resort. It’s an “international buffet” which means nothing is amazing.
We went here for breakfast several times and it was hard to find anything “good.” It’s like a standard hotel breakfast buffet, just bigger.
My nieces and nephews had dinner here the first night and it was so bad they actually headed somewhere else afterward.
Cortez
We ate dinner here the last night. It’s one of the few places where you can get ceviche at the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos.
They had a chef’s special of rib-eye and lobster, which most of us ordered. My oldest son ordered the shortribs and that was hands-down better than our meal. Yes, I stole quite a few bites.
For dessert, we really liked the corn pie. It was pretty much strawberry shortcake but with a corn cake and a caramel drizzle.
Bon Vivant
This is a French restaurant that is only available for adults (ages 18+). We really wanted to try it, but our kids didn’t want to go to the kids club so we couldn’t.
However, our extended family went, and apparently, the escargot wasn’t awesome. But, they really enjoyed the scallops and said the French Onion Soup wasn’t bad.
They also do a tableside dessert crepe with brandy that was pretty showy.
Zaffiro
This is an Italian restaurant that serves risotto, pasta, pizza, and meat entrees plus Italian desserts. We ate here with extended family and it was meh. My “seafood” pasta had 2 clam shells and 1 minuscule clam.
If you eat here, I highly recommend the Tagliatta. It’s basically steak with a glaze on it and it’s better than the rest of the entree options.
For dessert, the panna cotta was pretty good.
Even though the food was so-so, the VIEW is incredible! It’s an open-air restaurant that has a gorgeous view of the ocean, especially at sunset. It faces East (so you can’t see the sun dip below the ocean) but the sky is gorgeous.
El Molino
This is a fairly large Mexican restaurant. The menu is a bit smaller than the other resort restaurants but they have a variety of salads, Mexican entrees, and desserts. Surprisingly, we didn’t have a chance to eat here.
24-Hour Coffee House
We thought the coffee shop was fabulous! They had a great assortment of coffee drinks (lattes, cappuccinos, frappes, etc) and smoothies. They also had pastries and sandwiches.
In the afternoons, they also served a variety of ice cream and sorbet.
El Agave
This is a tequila bar that’s right in the lobby. We didn’t try it, but it has a great view of the resort and it looked nice and relaxing.
Spirit of 68 Sports Bar
Mexico hosted the Olympics in 1968 and this bar pays homage to that. It’s a typical sports bar with lots of screens showing sporting events. Plus, there are pool tables.
El Piano Lobby Bar
This piano bar offers live music from late afternoon until midnight. They have snacks and drinks.
El Mirador Martini Bar
This martini bar is on the side of a walkway from the main lobby. There are a bunch of comfy seats and it overlooks the pool area.
Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos Pool Area
Bar Azul Swim-Up Bar
There’s a swim-up bar in the heated pool. For a lot of people, that’s living the dream! It was quite nice to be able to get both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks while relaxing in the water. There are underwater stools you can sit on.
The other side of the swim-up bar was just a regular walk-up bar.
Baja Bar
This is located in the adults-only pool area. Since we had kids with us, we never tried this out. But it was much quieter than the main pool area.
Pool Cabanas
We booked cabanas for almost every day of our stay. According to their website, prices range from $105 to $185 per day, but my husband swears he paid $80 per day. Either way, it’s a lot cheaper than resorts in places like Hawaii.
On our first day, we did cabanas 12 & 13 (since there were 15 of us in total). We made the mistake of not getting there early and someone claimed the 2 lounge chairs in between them, which was awkward.
They never sat there and ended up moving their stuff after a few hours, so we claimed them. That was such a great setup. The wait staff was super attentive.
On our second day, we had cabanas 21 & 22 right on the beach. The layout was a bit wonky since #22 was right next to #23 and it was literally an inch apart. The people who claimed the lounge chairs in between AGAIN never showed up.
Kids Pool Area
There’s a water play area and pool next to the kids club tucked away in a quiet part of the resort. It was a little cold and super shady in the afternoon.
The Kids Club staff take the kids to play here in the morning. My kids (ages 6yo and 9yo) weren’t very interested in playing here because there are huge buckets that pour water on the kids.
Food Options Near the Pool
If you don’t want to head to one of the restaurant buffets for lunch, you can just eat around the pool.
There are several buffet stations set up (like grilled meats and veggies) as well as some stands with items like quesadillas.
There’s also Coco Loco, which serves burgers, bowls, and snacks. And you can get smoothies there.
You can also get popsicles or grab fresh fruit from a cart.
Other features/amenities
Walk Up Churro Bar
Right outside the coffee shop is a stand where they make fresh churros! And they have lots of dips like Nutella and fruit spreads. My kids LOVED this.
It’s nice because there are lots of comfy chairs nearby so parents can send their kids to get the churros.
Zen Spa
We didn’t do spa stuff on this trip, but my brother-in-law and sister-in-law had massages and they said they were fabulous. Most of the best resorts in Cabo San Lucas have some sort of spa facilities.
Pottery Painting
There’s also an area where you can paint your own pottery, but you need to buy the pottery first. They had a variety of Mexican-themed items as well as things like Pokemon.
My son did this as his birthday activity with his cousins. Each piece of pottery cost $15-$20.
Beach Activities
You’ll see a bunch of beach vendors but they are NOT associated with the resort. They are literally located steps away from the resort though.
There’s a place to do beach massages (wearing a swimsuit) and it’s $60/hour. My husband did it and highly recommended it.
There was also horseback riding for $30 per person. We mostly saw kids doing it and parents walking nearby.
And there were tons of vendors selling things like sunglasses, straw hats, wood carvings, bracelets, and other souvenirs.
There were also areas for beach volleyball, beach basketball, and beach soccer.
Kids Club
There is a kids club that is available for kids ages 5-12. It’s sort of a small indoor area with games/toys.
But, every hour they host some sort of activity. And they take the kids to the pool for an hour in the morning.
There’s also a really small jungle gym area just for kids club kiddos.
Teen Club
There’s also a teen club for kids who are at least 13 years old. It’s sort of a hang-out spot with pool tables. My nieces and nephews went but said it was pretty small.
Stroller-Friendly Walkways
Even though my kids are no longer in strollers, I’m always keeping my eye out to see if places are stroller-friendly. The Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is awesome for people with strollers. There are lots of paved pathways and ramps.
So this is one of the better Cabo San Lucas Mexico resorts for families with babies and toddlers.
Celebrations
For an extra fee, you can order balloons and door banners. My Mother-in-Law had a balloon and banner sent to our room to celebrate my son’s 9th birthday and it was a huge hit with him!
We saw lots of anniversary and birthday banners on doors as we walked around.
Check the latest rates and availability for the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos.
Are there any things we didn’t like?
The Food Was…Okay
I ordered a poke bowl by the pool and the rice was undercooked and dry and there were chunks of tofu straight out of a package. It needed more sauce or something.
But, I’m used to poke in Hawaii and in the Seattle area and I know that Mexico isn’t known for its poke. EXCEPT that they claim it’s the “best poke bowl on the Baja Peninsula.”
Overall, the food was fine. Nothing that we felt the need to order twice. But it was plentiful and easily accessible, which is always helpful when traveling with kids.
The Ocean isn’t Swimmable
This was definitely not a deal-breaker for us. But, I want to mention that you aren’t supposed to swim in the ocean right in front of the resort. There isn’t a lifeguard and it’s just dangerous.
We did see kids and adults swimming at their own risk and it made me really nervous since the waves were big and the undercurrent was strong.
But all that said, we still would say it’s one of the best resorts in Cabo.
Tips for Staying at the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos
1. Get in Line for Dinner Before 6 pm
Since there are 7 restaurants for tons and tons of people, they fill up quickly. If you don’t get in the first seating, you’ll have to wait at least an hour for a table to open up. This is super important if you have a group larger than 4.
2. You Can Make Teppanyaki Reservations When You Arrive at the Resort
If you want to get teppanyaki at Dozo, you can make reservations in person between 3 pm and 5 pm. These aren’t limited to day-of reservations. You can make them for later in your stay, but you must do it in person.
3. Head Across the Street for Amazing Tacos
There’s an open-air taco spot called Lateral located in the back of the strip mall across the street from the resort. The tacos and tostadas there were AMAZING and pretty affordable. It’s definitely worth the short walk.
4. La Comer is a Block Away and Has EVERYTHING
There’s a big store that has a large grocery department, but also toys, clothing, hardware, skincare products, souvenirs, alcohol, and just about anything else you might need during your trip. Yes, even if you’re staying at one of the Cabo all inclusive resorts.
We grabbed fresh fruit, drinks, candy, and snacks there to have in our room.
5. You Can Get Room Service from Restaurants
So, we found out mid-way through our stay that people can order food at the restaurant and have room service bring it to their room. This is a great option for people who don’t want to wait in a long line but want something different than the regular room service menu offers.
Would We Recommend the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos?
ABSOLUTELY! We really enjoyed our stay at the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos. The staff was incredibly friendly, attentive, and helpful. We’ll definitely consider staying here again. My kids loved it!
If you’re looking for a nice resort that’s in a quieter section of Los Cabos, this would be a great fit. It’s one of the best resorts in Los Cabos for multi-generational travel, too! Check the latest rates and availability.
If you’re still debating your Mexico vacation and are considering alternative destinations, check out my comparison of Hawaii vs Mexico for families!