Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta Review: All-Inclusive on Points
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BOTTOM LINE
Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta is an all-inclusive resort tucked onto the south end of the bay, and it is one of the best points values in the Hyatt portfolio. I booked four nights for 20,000 World of Hyatt points a night and landed a club-level suite with a hot tub, and the food surprised me in the best way. If you want an all-inclusive where your points cover the meals, drinks, and activities, this is a stay I recommend without hesitation.
All-inclusive resorts and points programs do not usually mix well, but Hyatt is the exception. At the Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta, a standard World of Hyatt points booking covers not just the room but all the food, drinks, and activities too. That is a rare and powerful combination, and it is exactly why I booked this place.
I came away impressed, especially by the dining, which is often the weak spot at all-inclusives. This review covers the room, the pools, the food, and how the points math works. If you have Hyatt points and have been curious about the Ziva line, this one is a strong place to start.
Booking the Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta
Here is the math that makes this resort so appealing. I booked four nights for 20,000 World of Hyatt points per night, and that award rate covered the room and the entire all-inclusive experience, meals, drinks, and activities included. For an all-inclusive of this quality, that is exceptional value. On our first stay we grabbed it for 15,000 points a night, and we still received a suite upgrade in the Club Tower on top of that; the property is a fantastic value for World of Hyatt members and honestly for anyone staying in the Puerto Vallarta area.
Hyatt's all-inclusive award pricing sits in its own band and can shift with dates and demand, so confirm the current points rate when you book. It is also worth thinking about how you earn those points. Hyatt points transfer in from Chase Ultimate Rewards at a one-to-one ratio, which makes a stay like this reachable even if you do not stay at Hyatt often. A few nights here can turn a modest points balance into a full all-inclusive vacation.
Best cards for booking
To get the most from a stay here, the cards I would reach for are the World of Hyatt Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred, and Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Location
The resort sits on the south side of Puerto Vallarta, set against the hills where the bay curves and the water gets dramatic. It fronts its own secluded cove, Las Estacas, ringed by cliffs, which gives it a more private, tucked-away feel than the resorts packed into the main hotel strip. You get ocean views with a backdrop of green hills, which is a big part of Puerto Vallarta's charm.
Getting there is easy, since Puerto Vallarta's airport is a manageable drive from the resort. Once you arrive, the all-inclusive setup means you rarely need to leave, though downtown PV and the Malecon are close enough for an afternoon trip. This is the part of the bay where the jungle meets the water, so if you want scenery with your beach time, this side delivers.
Lobby and Check-In
Arrival sets the tone here, with an open-air lobby that looks out toward the bay and staff ready with a welcome drink. As a club-level guest I had private check-in, which meant skipping the main desk and settling in quickly. Even for a standard booking, the process moved without the long resort-arrival wait I have hit elsewhere.
The layout takes a minute to learn given the hillside setting, but staff are quick to point you toward your building, the pools, and the restaurants. By the first evening it felt easy to move around. Not much has changed at the resort since our original 2021 visit either, aside from a few Covid-era safety protocols being retired, so everything we filmed still holds up.
The Room
I booked a club-level suite with a hot tub, and it was a great use of the category. The resort is made up entirely of suites, many with ocean views, and the layouts range from swim-up options to two-story plunge pool suites at the top end. My suite gave me space, a view, and that private hot tub, which made for easy evenings after a day in the sun. I have seen that top end firsthand: the presidential suite has a much larger living room and an actual pool on its top-floor balcony, with no one above you since the balcony above is part of your own room, sweeping views of the entire sea, and a spiral staircase up to the main bedroom with its own bathroom and a little peekaboo balcony.
The property runs 335 suites in total, and a recent makeover has kept the rooms feeling current. Club-level suites come with private check-in and checkout, lounge access, and in-suite touches like mini-bottles of rum and whisky, which is a fun perk on an all-inclusive. Because everything is a suite, even the entry-level rooms give you room to spread out on a longer stay. If you can book a club category on points, I would do it for the added perks alone. The property really does hook their members up from time to time: on a later visit we were upgraded all the way to the presidential suite, room 2104, a two-story suite on the very top floor of the Club Tower, which is well beyond the standard Globalist upgrade.
Pools and Amenities
The resort has several infinity pools plus a kid-friendly pool, so there is water for every kind of traveler. The infinity pools play off the bay views, and there is an adults-only infinity pool if you want a quieter corner away from the family action. Whether you want lively or calm, there is a spot that fits.
Down at the water there is the cove beach, and the resort stacks on the usual all-inclusive amenities like the KidZ Club, activities, and nightly entertainment. The activity lineup goes beyond the pool deck, which I appreciated. You can grab a kayak or paddleboard from the beach, join a daily kayak tour, and during the right season the area is known for whale watching and sea turtle activity.
Add in the Vita Mar Spa for treatments and the nightly themed shows, and there is more than enough to fill four days without repeating yourself. It is a family-friendly property at its core, but it works for couples too if you gravitate toward the calmer pools.
Food and Drink
This is where the resort won me over. All-inclusive food often disappoints, but the dining here impressed me across the board. The resort has multiple a la carte restaurants, a buffet, and several bars, and everything is included, from meals to drinks to room service.
What stood out was the quality and variety, not just the quantity. I went in with modest expectations and left thinking this was some of the better resort food I have had at the price point. Being able to sit down at real restaurants, order what I wanted, and have it all covered by a points booking felt almost too good.
The bars deserve a mention, with domestic and international spirits included. Room service is included too, which is easy to overlook but adds up on a relaxed trip. There were a couple of nights I skipped the walk to a restaurant and ate on the suite terrace with the hot tub going, without watching a check pile up. That small luxury is the whole appeal of doing an all-inclusive on points.
Service
Service carried the stay as much as the food did. Club-level staff handled check-in, dinner reservations, and small requests smoothly, and the restaurant teams were warm without hovering. On an all-inclusive, where service can slip into assembly-line mode, this felt more personal.
The pool and beach attendants kept things moving, and nothing about the stay felt understaffed even at a busy family resort. It is the kind of place where the people looking after you seem to actually enjoy the job.
Who Should Stay Here
Great fit if
Look elsewhere if
You want an all-inclusive your Hyatt points fully cover
You do not have Hyatt points or Chase transfer options
You value strong all-inclusive dining over buffet volume
You want to be steps from downtown PV and the Malecon
You are traveling as a family and want a kids' club and pools
You want a flat, walkable resort rather than a hillside one
You like an all-suite property with private-terrace touches
You prefer a compact boutique over a large resort
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can you book Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta on points?
Yes, and it is one of the best reasons to stay here. I booked four nights for 20,000 World of Hyatt points a night, and that award rate covered the room plus the full all-inclusive experience. Award pricing shifts with dates, so confirm the current rate when you book.
Does the points rate include food and drinks?
It does. Hyatt's all-inclusive award bookings bundle meals, drinks, and activities into the points price, which is what makes them such strong value compared to a normal hotel points stay. Even the regular suite we had on our first visit was fantastic: really great design, everything fresh and renovated, vaulted ceilings, a massive footprint, and a hot tub right on the balcony that makes those bay views even better.
What room did you stay in?
I booked a club-level suite with a private hot tub. The resort is all-suite, with categories ranging from swim-up options to two-story plunge pool suites at the top end.
How is the food?
Better than I expected. The resort has multiple a la carte restaurants, a buffet, and several bars, and the quality and variety stood out. This was some of the better resort food I have had at the price.
Is it good for families?
Yes. Between the multiple pools including a kid-friendly one, the kids' club, and the activities, it works well for families. Couples who stick to the quieter pools will be comfortable too.
Where is the resort located?
It sits on the south side of Puerto Vallarta, set against the hills where the bay curves, giving it a scenic, tucked-away feel with ocean and hillside views. The airport is a manageable drive away.
Bottom Line
This resort is the clearest example I know of an all-inclusive that plays perfectly with a points program. The all-suite rooms, the surprising food, and the scenic south-side setting would make it a good stay at cash rates, but at 20,000 points a night with everything included, it becomes a standout value. That combination is hard to find anywhere else.
If you have World of Hyatt points and want an all-inclusive that stretches them further than almost anything, this is where I would send you. And if you want help booking it or finding award space on the dates you want, that is exactly what I do for my clients.
