Complete Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta Review

If you are looking for Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta reviews, this will tell you everything you need to know about visiting. This all-inclusive in Puerto Vallarta may not be what you picture an all-inclusive to be, but it is full of magic that makes up for anything it lacks.

We visited as a family of 6 to this Hyatt Ziva in Mexico. It was our first time in Puerto Vallarta, so we weren’t sure what to expect. Is this all-inclusive good for families? Will it be too fancy or kid-friendly enough? After almost a week on the property, we had a great feel for the property and are ready to share the whole experience so you can decide if it’s right for your family.

With pools, beautiful beach, service, incredible food, and entertainment, you’ll get to have a low key but fun and memorable vacation. Use this Puerto Vallarta Hyatt Ziva review to plan your next trip for the whole family.

What is the difference between Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara?

Hyatts have two all-inclusive brands that sound similar: the Ziva and the Zilara.

Simply put, the Ziva hotels are are for families as they allow children. Hyatt Zilara hotels are adults-only.

As we have 4 children, this is a Hyatt Ziva review.

Photo from Hyatt, used with permission

Is Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta in a Good Location?

The Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta hotel is set between two tall rock formations/mountainsides, so the privacy is unmatched.  It makes it feel a little more secluded and intimate. 

This hotel is not located in the downtown area. It’s located in the south shore hotel area, about 20-30 minutes away from downtown Puerto Vallarta.

Malecón, the popular boardwalk featuring art and statues, is about a 12 minute drive in Zona Romántica.

Playa las Gemelas is also about 12 minutes away.

The airport for Puerto Vallarta is about 40 minutes away.

We personally loved having a quieter setting to enjoy our vacation in Puerto Vallarta.

Getting to Hyatt Ziva

For the easiest way to get to the hotel from the airport, I recommend hiring transportation. This was really easy, reliable, and made it so we didn’t have to worry about renting a car.

Transportation rates have risen a bit in past years. For an affordable, reliable option, check out this transfer company which you’ll share a transfer with (though, since we are a larger family our transfers often end up being private!)

Hotel Layout

The hotel itself if fairly large, but not overwhelmingly so. There are two main towers that house main guest rooms. You can go from a basic guest room to a presidential suite and rooms with plunge pools right outside your back door.

In between these two towers is the main, public area. Here is house the check in desk, doctor (I had to go while we were there due to something unrelated to our visit and had great treatment!), spa, gym, restaurants, buffet, and other common areas.

The central building is really nice with art, sculptures, and a great view of the ocean.

Overview of the Grounds: Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta Review

The gardens and landscaping are just beautiful here and very well-tended.  The beach is great and, as mentioned, has a beautiful backdrop on the sides (we even took some family pictures using the rock and beach background!) The location makes the perfect spot for an all-inclusive in Puerto Vallarta.

“Peanut Pool,” as my kids called it

Kiddie pool

Infinity pool

Infinity pool

Kids Club at Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta

I can’t personally speak to the kid’s club as my kids don’t typically want to go to any kids clubs when we travel.

But we did walk by the kids club on our way to different activities and it looked like a fun place.

The kids club offers programs that you can pop into a la carte, or have your child spend the day at.

One cool offering, if you are visiting at the right time, is a seasonal sea turtle release program at the kids club!

Water show over infinity pool

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The Beach Area at Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta

Is the Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta Beach Swimmable?

Yes! You can definitely get in and play in the waters at this Hyatt Ziva. We didn’t go super far into the waters with the little kids, but we felt safe enough to wade and play in the waves.

As adults, we did go in farther past the wave break to float through the ripples.

Beach Vendors at Hyatt Ziva

A few vendors roamed the beaches, selling jewelry, blankets, and hats on the beach of Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta.  There were also some tables set up for selling souvenirs on the property.  It was nice to have some selection of souvenirs, but not overcrowded with vendors either.

Activity Vendors on the Beach – snorkeling at Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta

One guy on the beach was set up with a poster of a snorkeling tour to Los Arcos, not far from the hotel.  He charged one price for the whole family to hop onboard and take us out to Los Arcos with some snorkels. 

Since there is no dock at the hotel, we had quite an interesting and memorable time getting to the boat, which he had to have anchored in the deeper part of the ocean past the wave break. 

He threw the littlest kids on his shoulders and took the brunt of the wave to get them safely on the boat.  Some of the adults didn’t get there as gracefully, but it was pretty comical and a really fun memory we have now. 

Down by Los Arcos, we swam through the rock formation and around it, where we saw plenty of “Dory” fish, as well as a stingray!  The littlest kids stayed aboard the boat and even from there you could see the fish. The older two gave snorkeling a try for their first time and did so great!  We were glad we did it and that it didn’t come at a premium price!

How is the Beach at Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta?

The beach back at the hotel was great.  We brought some boogie boards to play in the ocean with and the kids had a blast riding the waves in.  We also just went out into the ocean to float over the large ripples. 

Is the Food at Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta Good?

This is another favorite part to remember in this Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta Review.

We remember the food very well.  It was some of the best food we’ve ever had on vacation.  We still, years later, talk about the Mexican restaurant and how good it was.  And the servers were all so friendly and generous, bringing us appetizers we didn’t even order because they thought we might like it!  And we very-much DID like it!

If you’re looking for all-inclusives with the best food, Hyatt Ziva ranks at the top.

Each afternoon a snack cart rolled out. My kids’ favorite was the mango-on-a-stick. Conveniently cut, this mango is peeled and stuck on stick for easy eating. It’s oh-so-ripe and juicy, too!

A cart of cut-up mango on a stick came out to the pool everyday

Restaurants at the Ziva

I’ll say it again…the food is sooo good here. Try all the restaurants to see what I mean.

Melanzane– the resort’s Italian restaurant. You’ll find both an antipasto bar as well as fine dining here.

Casa Grande– What I remember best about Casa Grande, the Mexican restaurant, is that our waiter was amazing and just kept bring us food he though we would like, and it was all delicious.

Vivaz Buffet– as with any all-inclusive, here is the buffet you’ll visit often. It serves breakfast daily, as well as lunch and dinner. Buffets are great for kids to get exactly what they want.

Blaze– Blaze offers both Mexican and American cuisine and comes with a view! You can dine on the deck to watch the ocean as you indulge in your meal.

Pureza– Pureza offers Asian dishes for visitors. Enjoy Korean bbq, sushi, rolls, noodles dishes, and more.

The resort also has multiple bars.

Pros and Cons of Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta

To make this Ziva Puerto Vallarta review complete, I need to include the pros and cons.

PROS include being a smaller, more quaint hotel than what you may be use to. This is no Cancun all-inclusive with 1,000+ rooms. At just 335 rooms, the Ziva is less busy and more relaxed than a typical all-inclusive.

The main pro is that it is the BEST all-inclusive food we’ve had, hands down. There are a variety of restaurants (the Mexican one was our fave) and ALL the food is delicious.

The property is family-friendly. From the beach area to activities to kiddie pools to kid’s club…there is plenty for kids to do and plenty of ways for families to enjoy their time together.

How about the CONS?

If you are use to hanging at an all-inclusive in Cancun where the pool takes up half the property, you’ll notice a difference here. The pools are smaller. But keep in mind that the amount of guests is also smaller.

The Hyatt Ziva in Puerto Vallarta is not a cheap, budget hotel. We usually watch our budget closely, but seeing all that the Ziva offered is what made our decision. Honestly, we’d stay there again.

If you’re a rewards member with Hyatt or even just with hotels.com, you can work on earning free nights to help keep the cost down.

Final Thoughts on Hyatt Ziva All Inclusive Puerto Vallarta Review

We would definitely stay at this Hyatt Ziva again.  It’s somewhat of a new standard we set our planning to now. It had the best all inclusive food we’d ever had.

If you’re looking for the best Mexico all-inclusive, Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta does not disappoint. Great food. Great staff. Great location and property.

Does Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta look amazing to you? Was this Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta review helpful?

Check out more All-Inclusive Resorts in Mexico

The Royal Haciendas Playa del Carmen– a very favorite!

Wyndham Alltra Cancun– why we dream of going here

Viva Wyndham Maya Playa del Carmen- a great affordable option

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