Hyatt’s newest all-inclusive hotels have held their grand openings in the heart of Punta Cana in the  Dominican Republic.

Playa Hotels and Resorts has debuted the new Hyatt-branded Ziva and Zilara resorts in Punta Cana’s tony enclave of Cap Cana.

It’s a big expansion for Playa, which first launched Hyatt’s all-inclusive platform back in 2014 with a pair of resorts at the former Ritz-Carlton in Montego Bay back in 2014, has developed a rapidly expanding portfolio of resorts both in the Caribbean and Mexico. 

“Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana represent the best minds in the business, the best facilities available, the most modern of technology and, most importantly, the legendary hospitality of the Dominican Republic,” said Bruce Wardinski, chairman of Playa Hotels and Resorts. This is the result of true partnership. From the President and Ministry’s support, to the Hazoury family’s ongoing support of Playa’s vision to transform what all-inclusive means, to the arrival of the legendary Hyatt standard in the Dominican Republic.”

That now includes a total of eight Hyatt-branded resorts in destinations including Montego Bay, Cancun, Los Cabos, Punta Cana and Puerto Vallarta. 

Playa’s broader all-inclusive portfolio includes resorts under the Hyatt, Hilton, Panama Jack and Jewel brands. 

The company also manages the nearby Sanctuary Cap Cana, also set on Juanillo Beach — part of an increasingly competitive all-inclusive sector in Cap Cana that also includes the flagship Secrets Cap Cana resort. 

The all-inclusive growth represents something of a shift for Cap Cana, which rose to fame largely fueled by a portfolio of luxury villas and real estate and its signature hotel, the spectacular Eden Roc Cap Cana, one of the leading luxury resorts in the wider Caribbean.

But Punta Cana’s continued strength as a destination has led developers to look to Cap Cana as another burgeoning all-inclusive destination.

And Playa’s newest properties are Hyatt’s first-ever resorts in Punta Cana (and, indeed, the Dominican Republic), long the Caribbean’s most popular destination by visitor volume. 

The dual-resort Punta Cana all-inclusive complex includes the family-friendly Ziva and the adults-only Zilara, along with an underground “cenote-inspired” spa, a 14,000-square-foot fitness facility, an outdoor amphitheater and a diverse array of dining concepts including an Indian eatery served in a dining car the company says was inspired by the Orient Express. 

Other features include a lazy river, a full-scale water park and a half-mile stretch of beach. 

Both the Ziva and Zilara resorts include a total of 375 rooms. 

The debut is another new addition to Hyatt’s wider Caribbean expansion, from a new Grand Hyatt resort in Puerto Rico to a new planned Hyatt Place in Aruba. 

For more, visit Hyatt Cap Cana. 

— CJ