Writing this now is so weird because my last trip was exactly a month go today. In early March, I headed to Cabo San Lucas to enjoy a 4-night stay at the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos. Read about how I booked it for $100 per person – including flights – for what would’ve been a $2,600 trip.

And now I’m reminiscing because I don’t know when my next trip will be, which would’ve seemed unthinkable just a few weeks ago. I have FinCon set up in Long Beach in early October. Sure hope I can still get to that. But no jet-setting or hopping around the globe for a while. I’m craving a nice long trip to Europe. ✈️🇪🇺

So I’ll take my time writing this one. While we were in Cabo, word was already starting to circulate about this mysterious new virus. But it wasn’t in full effect yet.

Because of the constant news cycles and information, I feel like this trip was years ago instead of four weeks. 😝

Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos review

• Link: Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos

Not to say people weren’t already in caution mode. To get to Cabo, I flew DFW-SAN on American, then SAN-SJD on Alaska. I was able to book this online using Qantas points – I had plenty left from various promotions, so was happy to pay that rate.

On both flights, I had the entire row to myself. In fact, the planes were so empty that almost everyone had a row to themselves. No one was in social distancing mode yet, but I still really enjoyed it.

I watched a couple of Netflix shows that I downloaded onto my Kindle Fire tablet before leaving home. I love that little thing. It’s only $80, and I’ve read dozens of books on its screen. And I love downloading Netflix shows and movies so I always have my own IFE that’s never interrupted by announcements for an “exclusive card offer.” 😉

Anyhoozers, two quick and easy flights later I arrived in Cabo. My friend Sooz was already waiting for me there – we timed our flights to arrive and depart within an hour of each other.

Our hotel was only 17 minutes away from the airport. And unlike the all-inclusive Hyatts in Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, this one is really close to town – not secluded like those were.

In any regard, I had zero intention of setting foot outside the property. A quick shuttle ride later, we approached the hotel on a gloriously hot and sunny day along the Pacific.

Check-in

Now we’d originally booked a Garden View room, so I was hoping to get something with a little more view. The desk agent noted my Discoverist elite status thanks to the Chase World of Hyatt card and offered us an upgrade for $50 a night. 👎

I was like… nah, I’m not trying to show up and pay $200 right at check-in. So then he said, “Let me see what I can do,” and disappeared for a while. 🔮

I like to imagine those people going into the back room and checking their phone or something lol. But he came back and said he was able to upgrade us at no extra charge. Ta-da! #elitestatusmagic

Instead, we got a Pool View room… which also included a peek at the Pacific. We walked long pathways to get to the room, which was in the South building right above Zaffiro, the Italian restaurant. So it was a bit of a hike to get to the main restaurants. But I kinda liked being a bit away from the main action.

It’s a big property. Quite sprawling. And plenty around, as you can tell.

The room

I was ready to throw down my bags and start chowing down. So here’s our Pool View double room.

After entering, there was a closet on the left and a small sink area to the right. The shower and toilet were in their own little room.

The main area was pretty small – just two beds and a big dresser with a TV on top. There was also another little set of drawers against the wall.

I took the bed closer to the water and window. There was notably NO seating or table in the room at all. Like, the only place to sit was on the beds.

That said, the beds were extremely comfy. The pillows were soft and the mattress was medium-firm: just how I like it. I passed out each night within seconds, full of food and booze and vitamin D and salt air.

I do wish the sink area were bigger, or had double sinks. It was a bit of a hassle to have to switch bathroom times. Luckily, me and friend like each other.

And here’s the view:

Lots of pool in the there, but also a little glimpse of the ocean. I imagine the rooms with a view ocean view are pretty nice.

And here I am in my beach attire, ready to explore more of the property. 😎

What we did at the resort

Obvi, we ate and drank to our heart’s content. But I’ll save that for another dedicated post.

We spent our time hanging by the water, taking long walks on the sand, getting massaged at the spa, and and watching the on-site entertainment each night!

Just hanging

One of my favorite memories from this trip is getting our own little spot on a deck surrounded by water in one of the pools. It was night and a little chilly, but we grabbed some good red wine from one of the bars, and my friend brought this amazing chocolate with her. We’d just eaten at one of the restaurants, so this was our post-dessert dessert.

There was the moon and the breeze and the water and I felt so incredibly relaxed and happy and grateful. We ate chocolate and drank our wine for a while. I don’t even remember what we talked about or how long we were out – just the feeling of being there under the moonlight and it being so magical and happy.

And really, moments like that were exactly what my heart was craving. Just happiness and fun moments. So I’m glad we were able to enjoy several of those in just a few days.

During this time, I uninstalled my email app and turned off the notifications on my phone. Whatever happened in Dallas while I was away would just have to be OK. I really made it a point to be present on this trip.

And wow – what a difference to just “unplug.” I was able to check email via my phone browser and you know what? I missed absolutely nothing of consequence. I encourage you to try this, and I will be doing it again on my next trip, whenever that is.

Long walks on the beach

How strange: a beach destination, but you can’t swim in the ocean.

The sea here is not graceful and calm; it’s violent and thrashing!

Apparently, Cabo is notorious for powerful riptides and undercurrents. As such, you can’t swim in the ocean here at all. We did dip our toes in, but that’s it. No one went into the water.

Black flags mean the water is fatal.

But we took walks on the sand. I kinda loved the thrill of knowing we were so close to such powerful, muscular, deadly water – and the rattling experience of walking beside it.

I guess I’ve always had a complex relationship with water. I’ve never needed to be near it, or wanted a sea view every day. Just knowing it’s there is good enough. I’m happy to be land-locked here in Dallas. #earthsign

My friend also gifted me with an orgonite pyramid. Specifically this one, to protect me on my travels. Which is funny now, considering.

We took our pyramids with us so they could absorb some of the sunshine and water and now it’s one of my favorite gifts. 🤗

Massage at Zen Spa

We also treated ourselves to an hour-long couple’s massage at Zen Spa. They let us mix-n-match from the spa menu, so I did a combination of reflexology, relaxation, and deep tissue.

My masseuse started with reflexology for about 20 minutes. And then the deep tissue. OMG. It hurt so much, at one point, I felt a tear roll down my nose. She kept hitting the same two or three knots over and over and OVER. My back was sore for days after.

And then she ended with the allover relaxation, which is basically where they cover you in oil and rub it all in.

Afterward, I sat next to the pool and marinated in recovery. I’ve never had a massage dig me that deep before. That woman was a miracle worker.

On-site entertainment

OMG, I LIVE for these types of productions.

We were able to see three of them: Feelings, the magic show, and another celebrating the local culture. And I loved them in that order.

My fave by far was FEELINGS.

There were a lot of acrobatics, a couple of ballads, and general theatrical pageantry. And they did NOT hold back on the melodrama. Forking loved it.

And I also loved Sterling’s magic show, which was truly touching and magical. ✨🎩

He was a wonderful and formidable performer. He brought such a sensitivity to his show, it brought a lil tear to my eye. And then I learned we saw one of his final shows at that venue.

I count myself lucky to be able to attend that night. Kinda cool when someone can make you believe in magic, even for a moment. Here’s his Instagram if you want to follow him.

Our own private tequila tasting

You can sign up for a tequila tasting at the concierge desk. So we snagged a spot and showed up along with a few other couples, not knowing what really to expect.

Our server came ’round and showed up the first of three tequilas. I googled them as we went along and learned they were not very expensive tequilas, but it was a nice experience all the same – and our server was so friendly.

We got one of the first spots that evening, then went to dinner afterward with a margarita in hand. Aside from the experience, we sat around and talked for a couple of hours. And because they limit reservations, the space was open and quiet. It was worth it if only for that.

Overall impressions

Whoo, this is getting a bit long so lemme start my wrapping up process lolol. Y’all know I’m a talker!

• I didn’t want to get caught up comparing this property to the ones in Cancun or Puerto Vallarta. That said, Zilara Cancun is still my fave, with Ziva Puerto Vallarta a close second. But I enjoyed it here and would come back again
• Don’t come here if you want a beach experience. It’s closed for swimming and too powerful to even casually swim in
• The staff here was very sweet, just like at the other locations. These Hyatt all-inclusives have really spoiled me with excellent service over the last four years
• I found the property layout to be a bit *too* sprawling. Most of the restaurants are clustered around the central area, so it can take several minutes to get from your room to a restaurant, depending where they put you
• Again with being spoiled. I think if this were my first experience, I’d be blown away. But it is certainly on par with other Hyatt all-inclusives, which means generous service, offers for more drinks, desserts, or anything else. Everyone from the front desk agents to the cleaning staff to the chefs and performers were all professional and kind through and through
• I loved the live entertainment each night. Do not skip it! It’s worth staying up late for
• This might be the most family-friendly of all the locations I’ve stayed in so far, if that’s a factor for you. There was a teens club and a big area for little ones, including a little water park

Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos review bottom line

It’s so cool to eat and drink your face off for four daze, walk along the beach, spend time with a dear friend, and then check out with a bill for $0 at the end of it all.

I cobbled this trip together with:

• Chase Ultimate Rewards points
• Amex Membership Rewards points
• Citi ThankYou points
• United miles
• Southwest points

If I’d known it was gonna be my last trip for a while, I would’ve made sure to enjoy it a lot more. But I did a great job of being present and focused while I was there (focused on getting more margaritas),

All-in-all, it was a great time. Warm, sunny, relaxing, and boozy. I’ll cover the restaurants in a separate post. And would I come here again? Yes, absolutely! This was my first time in Cabo. And as always, I love Mexico so much.

If you’ve stayed here, how does your experience compare? If I left out anything, feel free to ask questions!

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