Mexico All-Inclusives: The Latest Trends and Developments

Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is the flagship of a new, all-inclusive Hyatt brand.

Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos is the flagship of a new, all-inclusive Hyatt brand.

Industry executives who gathered for a Travel Agent magazine roundtable at this year’s annual Tianguis Turistico in Cancun identified Mexico as being hot on the minds of the consumer. Participants cited all-inclusives as strong sellers, singling out the luxury all-inclusive market as a rising trend in Mexico travel.

Many all-inclusive resorts in Mexico are top-to-bottom luxury properties, and most others have a selection of high-end accommodations and amenities that can appeal to affluent clients.

RELATED: Column: Mexico’s Hot Hotels

It was also noted that among the groups looking to get out and explore Mexico are Millennial travelers. This assertion is supported by statistics gathered from MMGY Global, which indicate that Millennials have the highest level of interest in visiting Mexico from the United States. Also, they are second only to Xers, by a small margin (60 percent vs. 65 percent), in considering “an all-inclusive resort price [one that includes my accommodations, food, beverage and recreation]” to be an “extremely/very desirable” attribute.

Considering all of the above, it’s no surprise that new developments on the all-inclusives front are a constant. Just last month, for example, the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya celebrated its grand opening, complete with a celebrity-studded red carpet, Hard Rock Guitar Smash and live beachside concert by Jon Bon Jovi.

This new resort offers 1,264 guest rooms with balcony, terrace views or new sky terrace options; hydro tubs in each room; shopping; and the largest celebrity-branded Rock Star Suite in the Hard Rock International collection, designed by singer Bret Michaels. In addition to outdoor pools and a private beach, there are nine restaurants, eight bars and lounges.

For kids, Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya offers HiT Entertainment’s Little Big Club, Teens Lounge & Club, snorkeling and kayaking. In addition, Heaven, the adults-only resort-within-the-resort, includes the Rock Spa with 75 treatment rooms, four restaurants, and three bars and lounges, including a premium service nightclub. For more information, visit the dedicated agent-only website, www.allinagents.com, or call agent support at 888-680-7625.

Late last year, the opening of resorts in Los Cabos and Cancun marked Hyatt’s entrance into the all-inclusive arena. Owned and managed by Playa Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos and Hyatt Zilara Cancun are the flagships of two distinct new brands, with Ziva catering to families and guests of all ages and Zilara designed for adults (ages 16 and up) only.

Double room at the new Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.

Double room at the new Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.

Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, just minutes from downtown San José del Cabo and the international airport, offers six à la carte and two gourmet buffet restaurants, the Martini Bar, a spa, sunrise yoga, seven swimming pools, children’s programs, and nightly entertainment in the on-property Grand Theater. Direct any questions to Pilar Alvarado ([email protected]), director of sales.

The all-suite Hyatt Zilara Cancun provides such posh touches as cold towels and champagne upon check-in, 24-hour suite service, wine and spirits tastings, and enhanced pool and beach butler service. Suites afford ocean views from furnished terraces and in-suite double Jacuzzi tubs. There are also 15 restaurants, bars and lounges; a spa with hydrotherapy circuit; fitness center with Stott Pilates instruction; complimentary bicycle rentals, and more. Sun seekers can lounge in poolside and beachside Bali beds or relax in two expansive whirlpools. The go-to person for inquiries is Vicky Iniesta ([email protected]), director of sales.

Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta is set to open in late 2014 (as are Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall and Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall in Montego Bay, Jamaica) and Hyatt Ziva Cancun should debut in 2015.

Although it actually welcomed its first guests in February, Generations Riviera Maya celebrated its official grand opening on May 5. The new resort has 144 all-suite oceanfront accommodations with unlimited butler service, an Eko Kid’s Club and Baby Beach Lounges, and swim-up infinity suites up from the first to fourth floors. As part of Karisma’s Gourmet Inclusive Experience,

Generations Riviera Maya includes gourmet à la carte meals at its four beachfront restaurants and two bars, premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and 24-hour room service.

Agents should reach out to Patricia Aranguibel ([email protected]), sales manager, with any queries.

Iberostar Playa Mita opened in December in Riviera Nayarit near Puerto Vallarta on Mexico’s Pacific Coast. The brand’s 10th Mexican resort has 452 rooms, most with ocean views, including 120 Oceanfront Junior Suites, 18 adults-only Spa Rooms, two Presidential Suites and four handicap accessible rooms. The property is Wi-Fi-accessible throughout. There is a spa, a championship 18-hole golf course, and dining options that include an international buffet as well as four themed restaurants: Gourmet, Japanese, Steak House and Mexican.

Geared toward both couples and families, the hotel has a Splash Park aqua park and a separate kids’ pool, as well as a Miniclub for children aged four to 12 and a Teenclub for kids 13 to 17. Travel agents can reach out to Director of Sales Leticia Gonzalez with questions ([email protected]).

AMResorts has signed a deal to convert the Grand Oasis Viva into the Dreams Sands Cancun Resort & Spa and add the resort to the company’s Mexico portfolio. The existing property will undergo an extensive renovation and adaptation to meet the Dreams Resorts & Spas Unlimited-Luxury standards. AMResorts will assume operations when the hotel is officially rebranded this September.

The family-friendly Dreams Sands Cancun Resort & Spa will have 441 rooms and suites, all with ocean views, facing 650 feet of white sand beachfront in the southern end of Cancun’s hotel zone. Other amenities will include eight restaurants and six bars and lounges, 24-hour room and concierge services, and the Explorer’s Club for kids. 

The resort will also have two pools, a variety of non-motorized water sports, a fitness center and a daily activities center. The Dreams Spa by Pevonia will offer a variety of indigenous and hydrotherapy treatments.

By the end of this year, AMResorts’ portfolio will include 39 resorts in 15 destinations, primarily in Mexico. Secrets Playa Mujeres is set to debut in November, while December will see the opening of Zoetry Villa Rolandi Isla Mujeres, Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya and Breathless Petempica (Puerto Morelos).