TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

The beach and adult pool are dreamy. The Hyatt Ziva provides a relaxing experience and great place to get tan, read some books and drink poolside. The ocean is clear and a color you don’t find elsewhere in PV. We loved swimming in the ocean then relaxing by the pool. The adult pool design is exceptional with a winding bench to sit on for in pool reading. I recommend staying in the club tower if you want top shelf drinks. The breakfast buffet and lunch is delicious. The ceviche bar is yummy. Dinner could use more local dishes. I don’t need Italian or Asian food in Mexico. Lots of activities if you want them or you can also just swim and relax at the beach or pool. The snorkeling is really fun but does cost extra. Have I mentioned the beach. It’s amazing and only a few vendors, not crazy like the other parts of PV. You feel like you’re on a private beach. It’s the best beach in PV. The rooms in the club tower are nicer than the main tower but both are what you’d expect from Hyatt. I do love the club tower bathroom. Great layout. I was there with my young adult daughters and we had room for all of us in the bathroom. Views from the balcony were heaven. It would be nice if they had two queens instead of two doubles. I think there is space for it. The rooms are large. Speaking of large the TV is huge which is a bit of a waste as we didn’t turn it on once. We were there to swim, tan, cocktail and snorkel. Bring lots of pesos for tips. There is an ATM near the hotel entrance down the road that is pesos. The one in the hotel is usd. Second time staying here and I know we’ll be back.

Our 2nd time as the restaurants are open everyday and no reservations needed unlike Royalton. Have Daily activities and liked the gym. Maybe pickleball should be later in the afternoon like 5 pm as the morning it is too hot and to have it on Sundays too. Also, on the daily activities, good if it shows the place as to where the activity will take place. Resort is very clean. There are cleaners all the time doing a very good job. Staff is friendly and polite. Our issues were dealt right away very impressed with the service. When we got back to the room all fixed. Be good if there is someone who will take towels off the lounge chairs so others can use the chairs by the pool or beach. Some guests are so inconsiderate and leave the towels and not put them away for others to use. I like the gym especially the classes conducted by Jorge Ochoa at 8 am and 11 am. He is very good. I learned pickleball and Leo or Leon showed me how to play pickleball. I was dehydrated from the game due to the heat. Jorge was very kind to get me 2 cans of mineral water and told me to have a banana. Told me to go to the bar to get a Fussi drink (mineral water, with salt on the glass rim) and after 2 hours you will be fine which I was. When I came back and told my doctor, she said Jorge knows what he was doing. He not only gives you a good workout, he knows what you should take when you are not feeling good. Tamari restaurant - the Yakisoba and Pad Thai - too saucy. They were flat noodles not udon noodles which is okay but too much sauce. Should be drier and moist not soggy. Had the Teppanyaki but did not get any rolls this time around. There were no shows at the Teppanyaki. No fault of the resort but guests should cancel when not going so others can take their place. Melanzane restaurant - Will be good if they added spaghetti bolognese to the menu. Blaze restaurant - Will be good if they added fish burger to the lunch menu. Deli Coffee - The server should put sandwiches and pastries in separate bags not all in one bag. When getting more than one fruit, server should put them in a bag. Napkins should be stocked all the time.

My wife and I spent a week here this August. The staff was very friendly and helpful. As members of a vacation club we were helped by Miguel who helped us with all parts of our stay such as booking restaurant reservations, providing information on daily activities, reserving palapas, etc. Our room was clean and nice. There were four restaurants in service, offering plenty of food options. We had a great vacation and thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

I booked this resort because of Hyatt’s reputation and the overwhelmingly positive reviews, so unfortunately my experience has been quite disappointing. There are certainly some positives, particularly the staff, but there are also several significant issues with the property, maintenance, temperature control, food, and overall experience that I believe Hyatt management should seriously address. When I first arrived, the lobby was extremely hot. I understand that this is an open air lobby in Mexico, so some warmth is expected. However, it was uncomfortable enough that I immediately needed a bottle of water. I went to the gift shop located in the lobby and purchased a 500 mL bottle of water. The price was displayed in pesos, and I admittedly should have checked the conversion before purchasing it. However, I was shocked when my credit card notification showed that I had been charged approximately $16 USD for a 500 mL bottle of water. I was later told that the gift shop is independently operated and is not run by Hyatt. I also noticed sunscreen priced at 955 pesos, or approximately $56 USD. While I understand that the gift shop is independently operated, I find it surprising that a business operating directly inside a Hyatt property can charge prices like these. Given Hyatt’s reputation and standards, I would expect the hotel to have some oversight regarding the businesses operating within its lobby, particularly when they are selling basic necessities to hotel guests at what I consider extremely inflated prices. It immediately set a negative tone for my stay. I later discovered that complimentary bottled water was available in the room and at the café, which made the experience even more frustrating. The room itself had a beautiful view from the 19th floor, which was definitely a highlight. Unfortunately, the air conditioning was a major issue. It barely kept the room cool, and the only way I could keep the room reasonably comfortable was by keeping the curtains closed because the sliding glass door seemed to allow the cool air to escape. At night, the situation was even worse. I am not sure whether the temperature is adjusted at night, but the room became so warm that I was tossing and turning and unable to sleep comfortably. On one occasion, I actually walked down to the lobby at approximately 3:00 AM simply to get some cool air. The mini fridge was functioning, but only barely. It kept the drinks slightly cool, but certainly not cold. It was not a major issue by itself, but combined with everything else, it contributed to the overall impression that the room and property need better maintenance. The elevators were also consistently warm and relatively slow. They were not necessarily terrible, but guests should expect them to be crowded and uncomfortable at times. The elevator serving the spa and fitness center was particularly concerning. It is extremely small and was easily 90+ degrees inside. If that elevator were to become stuck, I genuinely believe the temperature could become a serious safety concern. After experiencing it, I chose to take the stairs to the gym instead. Unfortunately, the condition of the spa area also raised concerns. Near the entrance, there was visible water damage in the ceiling, including a hole, with drywall tape or construction material on the floor. There was no visible caution tape or indication that the area was actively being repaired, and it appeared as though the issue had been there for some time. The fitness center was another major disappointment. It was extremely hot. The gym has glass doors surrounding it, but there are significant gaps around the edges that appear to allow the air conditioning to escape and warm outside air to enter. Fans had been placed around the perimeter, presumably to help with the temperature, but they appeared to be circulating or pulling in warm outside air as well. The thermostat displayed 25°C, or approximately 77°F, but the room felt considerably warmer. Because of the heat, the equipment was sticky and it was difficult to get through a comfortable workout. The food was probably the biggest disappointment of the entire stay. I found myself relying heavily on bananas because I struggled to find food that I actually wanted to eat. The café had pastries and sandwiches that appeared dried out and were displayed in a glass refrigerator with significant condensation, which was not particularly appetizing. At breakfast, the omelet station employees were visibly sweating. This was absolutely not their fault. The issue appears to be that most of the restaurants do not have adequate air conditioning. Employees were working near ovens and cooking equipment in what felt like extremely hot conditions, and I can only imagine how uncomfortable it must be for them to work in those temperatures. The restaurants themselves were also extremely hot. At Melanzane, the stated dress code was relatively casual, but the temperature was so uncomfortable that I noticed multiple guests removing shirts or wearing tank tops and sleeveless clothing. I personally ate as quickly as possible simply because I wanted to leave the restaurant and get somewhere cooler. Blaze was another disappointing experience. The steak was one of the thinnest pieces of steak I have ever been served at a resort, and the meal came with what appeared to be only two potato wedges and approximately one third of an ear of corn. On top of that, it took approximately 45 minutes to arrive. The restaurant does have a nice view, but the food and service did not justify the experience for me. Another issue was the number of very loud children throughout the property. I have absolutely nothing against children, and I understand that families are going to be present at an all inclusive resort. However, the amount of screaming and fighting around the pool was extremely loud and disruptive. On my first day, I was in the sports bar when a pool ball was unintentionally launched at me by children. I understand that it was accidental, but it was another example of how chaotic the environment could feel. I also inquired about renting a jet ski at the beach and was quoted $120 USD for 30 minutes. I have paid less than that for an entire hour in Hawaii, so I found the price extremely high. Another important thing for prospective guests to know is that visitors are not permitted unless they purchase a pass. I have stayed at multiple all inclusive resorts where guests could visit a registered hotel guest’s room without receiving access to the resort’s all inclusive benefits or pool facilities. Here, the policy is much more restrictive, so I recommend understanding that policy before booking if you plan to have visitors. Despite all of these issues, I want to make it very clear that the staff themselves were not the problem. In fact, the staff were one of the best parts of my experience. They were kind, professional, and clearly doing the best they could under difficult circumstances. Gabriella in particular made an effort to listen to my concerns and connect me with a manager, and I appreciate that. My frustration is primarily with the condition and management of the property. The employees cannot control the temperature of the restaurants, the condition of the gym, the maintenance issues, the quality of the food, or the policies and pricing throughout the resort. Overall, I booked this property because I trusted Hyatt’s reputation and the strong reviews I saw online. Unfortunately, my actual experience has been very different. I am genuinely counting down the days until I can go home, which is not something I expected when booking what I thought would be a premium Hyatt all inclusive resort. I sincerely hope Hyatt management takes these concerns seriously. The property has beautiful views, a great location, and hardworking employees, but the overall experience does not currently feel consistent with the standards I associate with Hyatt. I also found myself questioning some of the overwhelmingly positive reviews because my experience has been so different from what I expected based on those reviews. The staff deserve recognition for doing their best. The property and its management, however, need significant attention.

Not the Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta We Remember — Aggressive Timeshare Sales, Poor Service & Disappointing Food This was our second stay at Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta, and unfortunately, it will be our last. The timeshare salespeople were honestly like leeches. They were everywhere — especially around the lobby — constantly approaching us and trying to sell packages. Even after making it very clear that we weren’t interested, they kept coming back. The aggressive timeshare sales became intrusive and incredibly annoying when we were simply trying to enjoy a family vacation. Most of the staff were friendly — as long as you tipped, and not just a little. At every meal, it felt like $10+ was expected. Leave less, and we noticed a clear change in attitude and willingness to continue serving you. The food was another disappointment. There appears to be plenty of food, but it’s mostly the same basic, repetitive food every day with very limited variety. It looks like abundance, but in reality it felt very repetitive. The resort also doesn’t seem as well maintained as we remembered. We noticed poor maintenance around the pool and throughout the property, which was disappointing considering the price. Then there was the room key situation, which was honestly bizarre. The front desk expected us to take the room key, walk all the way to our room, open the door, and then walk all the way back to the front desk just to return the key, leaving us inside our room without one. We travel frequently and have stayed at many hotels, and we have NEVER experienced anything like this. After several issues, I personally emailed the resort manager. His response was to offer us a complimentary Balinese bed “if one was available.” The problem was that there were no Balinese beds available. We knew because we had already paid to reserve our own and availability was essentially gone. Offering a guest something that isn’t actually available isn’t resolving a complaint — it’s brushing it off. We weren’t looking for free things and declined compensation. We contacted management because we were genuinely disappointed with the customer service and wanted them to know what was happening. Overall, Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta is simply not the resort we remembered from our first visit. Between the aggressive timeshare sales, tipping expectations, repetitive food, poor maintenance, bizarre room-key situation, and disappointing response from management, we left feeling that there are simply better resorts and better value for the price in Puerto Vallarta. Unfortunately, we would not return.