Mexico (Cabo San Lucas)
Trip Summary
Whew, like many of you, my husband and I cancelled all of our travel plans during the Covid pandemic and were super careful–forgoing family events, dining in restaurants, and traveling of any kind. Needless to say, while these efforts to slow the spread were a good thing, it also led to a lot of pent up desire to travel! So when we got fully vaccinated and cases were on the downward trend, we decided to finally go somewhere–and what better place than an all-inclusive in Mexico in the summer! Having loved our all-inclusive experiences so far (in Cancun, Mexico and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic), we decided to go to Cabo San Lucas–a place we had never been–and just soak up the sun and enjoy the beach!
I knew that Cabo could be party central but that you could find some peaceful spots if you looked, so I looked for some family-friendly spots (we don’t have kids, but these resorts tend to be calmer and often have adults-only areas where you could still enjoy a romantic getaway). Having loved, loved, loved the Hyatt Ziva in Cancun when we went for our first all-inclusive experience, we were delighted to see that they also had a location in Cabo–the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos! It is actually located in San Jose del Cabo which is a little bit away from the hustle and bustle of Cabo San Lucas, so we thought it would be quiet and relaxing–just what we wanted! They also had true swim-up rooms (not all hotels advertise this truthfully as we discovered in Punta Cana) and they had availability for when we wanted to go–so we booked it and headed off to Mexico!
Travel was remarkably smooth and despite staffing shortages (which is an issue everywhere–not just the U.S.), the customs process in Cabo was the fastest we had ever seen on a trip. It was actually quite astonishing, because they had a system and they stuck with it, leading to fast-moving lines and no issues at all…which was great, because it meant we could get to our resort and start relaxing that much sooner! I will say also that near the baggage claim area, there are a LOT of timeshare salesmen waiting, and they will yell out and try to talk to you, but having been warned about them on travel blogs and forums, we speed-walked past them, and there was no issue.
We had booked a transfer with the hotel and were able to find the meeting spot quickly. The person managing the bus had a number of people to pick up, so he told us to wait while the other passengers started trickling out. It ended up being longer than we expected, because my husband decided to get a drink while we were waiting (there is a bar area outside the airport), and this was our first mistake! There are no prices listed on the menu, so you just order what you want and then when the drinks are ready, they tell you how much they are…and get ready for some sticker shock! It’s always a bad thing when your husband comes back with something, and says, “Guess how much this was?!” He had gotten a Mai Tai, but even at $20 a drink, it was weak, and a total waste of money, so do not, do not, do not get a drink. There are drinks waiting at the hotel! And lots of them, so just hold out, and it will be worth the wait!
Finally, our transport was ready, so we hopped in and headed to our hotel–the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos! It is about a 20 minute drive there, so we enjoyed seeing the views that included the ocean and desert landscape, and before we knew it, we were at the relaxing oasis that we had been waiting for!
At check-in, we got our wristbands (this resort requires you to wear them and the color indicates the “level” you are on as a guest). We also got our Covid-19 test time (for the return to the U.S.) and then everything was ready!
We had booked a swim-up room, so after checking in, we started to explore! The hotel is very spacious and has an adult pool as well as several family pools. There are also restaurants, bars, a theater, and a beautiful beach!
Cabo is known for its treacherous waves and rip current, so many of the beaches (including this one) are not swimmable, but my husband and I love walking up and down the beach, especially early in the morning and late at night, so this is where we spent a lot of our time.
Even the moon was gorgeous, and there was nothing more relaxing than just laying out on the beach listening to the waves at night!
But…this is when things started to fall apart…and I’m writing this nearly a year after visiting and even after getting everything resolved and getting 50,000 Hyatt points back for our stay (more on this later), I am still miffed at everything that went wrong, so here goes…
The resort is showing its age and there is a ton of maintenance that needs to be done. The water faucets were one of the biggest problems, because needing a negative Covid test to get back to the States, we were super careful and washed our hands constantly, but the water didn’t even work in half of the bathrooms! This was the case in both the men’s and women’s bathrooms and at one point, my husband tried to turn on the faucet only to have it fall over in the sink! The sanitizer dispensers were also out all over the resort, so this made it extremely frustrating to stay safe when the pandemic was still very much going on.
Also, while short-staffing is an issue everywhere, it was especially so here, because bars and restaurants never opened when advertised, and we ended up waiting an absurd amount of time before anyone even took our order (this was especially problematic at Hacienda Grill and Bar, Zafirro, and Dozo). At Dozo, we waited an hour for someone to take our order and no one came, so we finally just left. At La Plaza, the buffet, they have it set up so that you cannot serve yourself but you have to wait for an attendant, but there were so few of them (and sometimes, you could never find someone!). The bars also had major issues with service as the swim-up bar wasn’t even open and when you ordered at some of the other bars, they would kind of make up what they put in your drinks (we would order the exact same thing at various bars and the drinks would look and taste completely different–and even be different colors–so that was difficult, because if you had a drink you liked, there was no guarantee that you would get it). I finally got so frustrated that I just started drinking seltzer water because that came out of a can, and you can’t mess that up!
At Bon Vivant, the adults-only French restaurant, we went right when they opened, and that was a good choice in getting quicker service, but lo and beyond, what was supposed to be a fancy adults-only restaurant became a kids playground as they let anyone in, including very young children who were not well-behaved. The restaurant is very clear that it is adults-only, but no one seemed to be heading that advice.
This lack of respect toward rules seemed to prevail across the entire resort as guests would openly smoke cigars and weed (despite the grounds being non-smoking) and blast music from their own speakers around the pool (I personally don’t care about the weed, but this is supposed to be a family-friendly resort, and the speakers did end up being a big issue as guests would be in a competition with one another as to who could play theirs louder). When everyone is playing different music on their speakers full blast on top of the resort’s music, it just gets so chaotic and ruins the relaxing atmosphere–especially around the adults-pool which is supposed to be more quiet anyway.
The “towel game” was ridiculous as well. I call it a towel game, because that’s what it was. Granted, seat savers are going to be an issue whether you are on a cruise or at a resort as people get up early and reserve seats with towels only to not come back until hours later (or sometimes not at all), but this resort was the worst I had ever seen. People would grab ten towels a chair (who needs that many?!) and just leave huge piles of them on their chairs–it was so bad that the towel stations were out of towels every day and people were going into the laundry room to get more–and then the laundry rooms were out, too! It was absolutely ridiculous, and I became angry not only at the hotel for not regulating this practice, but at the guests, because really?
We eventually just started using our room towels (because we couldn’t find any at the towel stations), but housekeeping never came by to replenish them. We asked the desk several times to at least get some towels, but we were ignored. The fridge in our room was also never restocked (despite the hotel advertising that in-room fridges are restocked every day), and at one point, we noticed that our tip for housekeeping (who had never come up to this point) got taken, yet the room hadn’t been cleaned! When we called the front desk, housekeeping finally arrived, but then they stole our YETI cups and metal straws! These cups and straws look nothing like the glassware at the resort, so it wasn’t a mistake, and it just made our stay that much more frustrating.
Their partner company for excursions (more on this later) was also awful, and the transport back to the airport left a lot to be desired as they ask you to wait in the lobby for the transport…but then no one comes to get you! No signs, no announcement, no anything–there are always at least 5-8 unmarked vans at the front, but if nothing is marked, how are you supposed to know which one is yours? We had been waiting for so long that I asked each van individually if they were there for us, and I finally found the person, but he said that he wasn’t allowed in the lobby area. Then why tell us to wait in the lobby? My husband and I had had it at this point, because it was just one more thing on top of everything else and when you fork out $500+ a night for a fancy place like this, you want to get your money’s worth–and we didn’t here.
So ughhhhh, I would not recommend this place because it was a huge disappointment for us. The only reason it doesn’t get an F is because we got some Hyatt points back. I never, ever write a complaint, but I did for this stay, and the manager wrote me back with the points. I do appreciate the points, but they are worth probably a night and a half here whereas we stayed for nearly a week, so it wasn’t a refund–just a gesture, which I still appreciate (we later redeemed the points for a stay in Charleston, South Carolina). I hope that the hotel has addressed some of these issues since then, too, but my goodness, I do not recommend.
Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos: C-
Okay, so now, I am going to get into some of the excursions we took with the hotel’s partner company–Cabo Adventures–some okay, some terrible, so get ready! Let’s start with the one that was okay–the parasailing adventure!
Neither of us had gone parasailing, so this was a for sure excursion to take! It would also take us to the famous Arch of Cabo San Lucas, so we booked a morning adventure, and off we went!
The pick-up is a few blocks away from the hotel, and once you take the bus to the main Cabo Adventures office, you have to wait to a bit for the tour to start. This got to be irritating because it was an hour wait (after we made an effort to follow directions and be on time!). The company runs a lot of different tours, and the waiting period seemed to be the same for them all, because there were a lot of people just sitting around waiting for their tour director to show up.
When our tour guide finally came, we were taken out to the boat that would take us on the parasailing adventure. The docks are a short distance away, so after getting on the boat, we set off to the arch! This is really the best time to visit as the arch gets super crowded later in the day. In the morning, it is actually quite peaceful, and we got to see Lovers Beach and Divorce Beach as well. Sea life was abundant without the crowds, and you could see sea lions on the rocks and stingrays fly out of the ocean as they swam. Super cool and a nice bonus to the trip!
When it was time to start up the parasailing adventure, you are ushered to the back of the boat where you are hooked up the equipment and ascend in a nice and easy flight. The boat lets two people up at a time and you can take your phone/camera (be sure you have a waterproof case!), and this allows for some fun shots as you are up in the air!
They also ask you how far you want to be dunked in the water (and they always dunk you more than you ask, so keep that in mind!). We said waist level but they dunked us to our necks, so if you say chest-level, you may just go all the way under!
They also had a photographer take pictures, and he was nice and personable, but we were disappointed to see that all of his pictures turned out blurry. You have a chance to see them on a screen before you purchase them, and having a small group on the boat, we talked to the rest of them and had decided to get the photo package but just share the pictures to save money, but none of the pictures were even clear! Some of them were even unrecognizable, so our group just exchanged pictures among ourselves (ours were better anyway). It would have been nice getting some better pictures, so that was a bit of a disappointment. The tour itself was good, but the wait beforehand was silly, and the blurry pictures were a disappointment, so this just gets an okay grade.
Cabo Adventures Parasailing Tour: B
The hotel offered a discount if you booked more than one tour with Cabo Adventures (you have to book them at the same time), so we also booked the Luxury Two-Bay Snorkel Tour, and my goodness, were we in for a ride! Just like the previous day, we met the pick-up bus on time, but then as soon as we checked-in at the Cabo Adventures office, we had to wait another hour for our tour guide to show up. When he did, we went out to the marina to get on our boat, and then we set sail to the first of two snorkeling destinations.
On the tour, they provide you with a lunch, but it is really a pre-made bento box that you share with several people, and it has chips and guacamole, so it is really more of a “snack box” that you share. However, the wind was very strong that day and was blowing everyone’s food around the boat, so we spent more time covering our food and catching bits than actually eating anything. Eventually, we just gave our box back because we needed both hands to hold onto the boat as the wind was making the waves much higher than usual.
The waves ended up being quite an issue when we stopped at our first snorkel spot. It is near some reefs, and you have to wear lifejackets (or at least have it connected to you if you plan to do deeper diving), but the waves churned up the ocean so much, that there was honestly nothing to see. The reefs are mostly dead and you are mostly looking at residue and trash that is floating in the water. What is more concerning is the current, because no sooner had I jumped in the water was I already far away from the boat just a few minutes later. I started to swim back, but then imagine my alarm as I didn’t move! The waves push you quite quickly to the reefs, so not wanting to get cut up by the rocks and the coral, I started swimming as hard as I could and even with fins and being a fit swimmer (I used to swim competitively), I barely made it back to the boat. When I got there, I saw that the other guests on the boat were having the same issue as the crew member who was working as the lifeguard was constantly swimming out to get people. It was actually pretty scary, so my husband and I just got back into the boat and were followed by the rest of the guests.
At our next snorkeling spot–a beach with equally strong waves and current–no one even got out to swim, because the water had scared them so badly at the previous place! It was honestly dangerous, and as we all sat on the boat, one of the crew members said that he liked it when the waves were this high and the winds this strong, because it allowed him to work less as the guests were too scared to go into the water. Earlier in the morning, he said he was helping out on a jet ski tour, and when the guests didn’t feel comfortable riding, he rode the jet ski back himself, and with glee, he said that he loved days like that. I mean, I get it, but a little more concern about the safety and well-being of everyone else would have been nice, too. The water is no joke in Cabo–especially on high wind days!
When we got back, the real kicker was ahead, because afternoon tours are extremely late in returning you back to your hotel. We hurried back to the bus area so that we could catch one back without waiting too long, but imagine our frustration when we had to wait for OVER TWO HOURS! There were a lot of busses there and drivers just waiting around, but every time we asked about when we would leave, they would tell us to wait longer, that they were almost ready, and that they would be leaving soon, but then…more waiting. We finally got put into a bus, but then they made us wait even longer, and when I asked if we could just take a taxi instead, the driver just slammed the door in my face! It was ridiculous, and by the time we finally got back, the day was completely ruined. There was never an apology and when we went by the tour office at the hotel to explain why the tour was so terrible, they said that someone would get back to us, but no one ever did.
So I do not recommend this company at all. The unprofessionalism, the lack of safety, and the absolutely abysmal waiting times made this tour a complete nightmare. I wish SO badly that we had done tours with a private company and not trusted the hotel for excursions, but we wanted to just relax and enjoy the convenience, but that bit us hard.
Cabo Adventures Luxury Two-Bay Snorkel Tour: F
But you know what? Not everything was terrible, because we did venture off the resort, and that was the best part of the vacation, ha! In the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos Fans group on Facebook that I had joined prior to arriving, I saw a bunch of people recommend the Natura Spa right across the street. They offered massages at a small fraction of what the hotel charged, so my husband and I walked over one day to check it out. It’s a small place, and the staff is sometimes away (we eventually found some people outside who worked there), and the massage room is upstairs.
And they do a great job! The massage is very similar to what you would get anywhere else, and it is nice and relaxing–and you can’t beat the prices! The only drawback was that it was pretty hot in the room (the air wasn’t running very well–and I think that’s why we found all the workers outside as it was cooler outside than inside!).
So if you are in the area, definitely check them out! You won’t be able the find those kind of prices anywhere on a resort, so it pays to go and explore better options!
Natura Spa: A-
Whew, so that was Cabo! Honestly, it reiterated one thing about travel…that no matter how tired and burnt out I am, I should do my due diligence and research and book private companies and not trust everything to the hotel–even a supposedly fancy one. Mexico is an amazing country, and I know that we will come back sometime, but wow, there were some doozies on this trip!
Favorite Experiences
Granted, amid all the bad, there were some good experiences. At the resort, we really wanted to try Dozo but were discouraged by the night where just no one came by the table even after waiting a long time, so we sat at the sushi bar the next time and had better luck there. The sushi is actually quite good, and the good thing about an all-inclusive is that you can try a lot of things without worrying about the price tag, so my husband and I were able to be more adventurous than usual and try new sushi combinations that we had never had before. The host and waiters at La Plaza, the buffet restaurant, were good as well. Margarita, the host, and Arnulfo, the waiter we saw most often, were wonderful and took special effort to seat you and make sure you had an enjoyable meal. One day, Arnulfo brought mango juice to the table (it is not out in the main buffet area), and my husband fell in love. So ask for that, and you won’t be disappointed! Oh, and Maria’s Tacos at the adult pool–oh, my goodness!
Those are the best tacos you will ever eat! It was a very popular place, so they ran out of food often (they close when the food is out), so get there early for lunch and don’t wait for later! The Natura Spa off the resort was a nice surprise as well, and we had an enjoyable time getting pampered and relaxed.
What I Wish I Knew
Other than wishing I had researched and booked outside companies for excursions, I wish I knew that the social media groups dedicated to hotels are not always accurate. Granted, they were helpful in finding out which restaurants were better than others, what places to try off the resort (like the spa!), and what to pack for your stay, but they do tend to gatekeep anything that is bad about the resort. At one point after things were stolen from our room, I asked who I should contact since the front desk was ignoring us, and my comment was deleted! So I imagine they do this for any other bad questions/comments as well, so you get a biased view of the hotel this way. I will only trust those social media groups with a grain of salt now, which is frustrating, because Trip Advisor is known to do this, too (eliminate some of the bad reviews), so it is getting harder and harder to get an honest account of what a place is actually like before booking.
Some things that I wish other guests knew is that even though this is an all-inclusive resort, it is polite to tip, because we saw so many people not tipping at all. A lot of the staff who bring drinks work hard and have to do more work than usual due to short-staffing, so a thank you and a tip is nice for them. Also, you will likely have different servers each time you get a drink, so tip after each drink rather than at the end of the day. If you want more alcohol, say you want a “double” and if you want less sugar/syrup, ask for it “light.” I learned this afterwards on a different social media group for a different hotel, but it works for all resorts.
If you go to this hotel (or any place that offers a buffet but only allows attendants to serve you and they are short-staffed), divide and conquer so that you at least have some chance of your food still being warm when you get to your table. For example, my husband and I each got plates and went to different areas of the buffet, getting certain items for two–so for breakfast, I would get our hash browns, bacon, and fruits while he got our eggs, sausage, and pastries. Once you get to your table, you can divide up your food, but this way, we waited far less because we we getting stuff for two people. Sometimes, the attendants would make comments, like how many do you want? More? But it ended up being the easiest way to get a meal together at a reasonable time.
Also, the hotel is taking some steps to help sanitation (like little puddles of cleaner that you have to dip your shoes in), but I read that the cleaner ruins nail polish, so if you are wearing sandals and have a pedicure, just step in and out very, very carefully. They also take your temperature when you enter the hotel, and at one point, I asked them what happens if someone were to measure higher than the allowed temperature (we went during the summer, and it was very hot), and he said that they just tell you to sit down in the lobby and cool off (though, if you are truly sick with a fever, I imagine you have to test and quarantine if you test positive).
Also, speak Spanish if you can. I tried hard to learn as much as I could, and the staff always appreciated it (though, be careful, because they’ll assume you are fluent and start a big conversation with you, ha!).
Finally, when you take your Covid test to return to the States, the test takers are not gentle at all. My husband and I had had several done before at this point, but the harsh jab took me by surprise, because it made me see spots, watered my eyes, and gave me a migraine for the rest of the day, so just brace yourself!
All in all, though, it was fun to see a new part of Mexico and the 50,000 Hyatt points were a nice gesture. Cabo has a lot to offer and is a fun vacation destination whether you want to sail, ride ATVs, parasail, or just relax on the beach. Whale-watching season is in the winter, so that is a good thing to do if you go then. We met some fun people while there, too, and enjoyed the early mornings on the beach (sunrises and sunsets on the beach are spectacular!). So definitely visit the country and enjoy–there is a lot there for a good vacation!
I also post reels and TikToks regularly of all the places I’ve reviewed on here, so if you want to see some videos of what to expect, check out my social media here:
TikTok: @touristyteacher
Instagram: @touristyteacher
Facebook: @touristyteacher
Happy travels!
Comments