Hyatt Completes Playa Resorts Acquisition, Deepens All-Inclusive Lead

Last week, Hyatt quietly closed on its $2.6bn acquisition of the remaining stake in Playa Hotels & Resorts, a move that’s flown somewhat under the radar but has outsized implications for the luxury all-inclusive space. If you blinked, you might have missed it, but for Hyatt loyalists, especially those who’ve dipped their toes into the Inclusive Collection, this is a pivot point worth paying attention to.

Let’s break it down.

From Stakeholder to Sole Owner

Hyatt has had a relationship with Playa for years. In fact, Playa operated several of Hyatt’s first forays into the all-inclusive category, like Hyatt Ziva and Zilara properties across Mexico and the Caribbean. But as Hyatt continued doubling down on the all-inclusive segment, particularly after its 2021 acquisition of Apple Leisure Group (ALG) it became clear that the brand wasn’t just experimenting anymore. It was building a significant position in the all-inclusive space.

Hyatt has acquired the remaining shares of Playa that it didn’t already own. The $2.6bn move brings all Playa-operated resorts, nearly two dozen of them, directly under Hyatt’s ownership and control. For Hyatt, it’s a natural evolution. For travelers? The devil is in the details.

Why Playa Matters

Playa’s portfolio has long served as the backbone of Hyatt’s Ziva and Zilara brands. If you’ve stayed at Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall in Montego Bay or the expansive Hyatt Ziva Cancun, you’ve already experienced a Playa-managed property, even if you didn’t realize it.

The company specializes in upscale beachfront resorts with large footprints, a strong events and weddings business, and an emphasis on leisure-heavy destinations like the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Jamaica. In other words, the very places Hyatt has identified as growth vectors in its Inclusive Collection strategy.

Up until now, Hyatt operated these resorts through long-term management agreements with Playa. That structure created a bit of operational distance with Hyatt owning the brand, Playa owned the real estate and did the day-to-day management. Now, with full ownership, Hyatt brings the whole operation in-house. That may sound like a technicality, but it opens the door to deeper integration and tighter control.

What Changes For Hyatt Loyalists?

Let’s start with the good news. Hyatt is now fully in charge of quality, consistency, and (arguably most important for Live And Let’s Fly readers) loyalty integration. While the Ziva and Zilara properties have been part of World of Hyatt for years, this change means Hyatt no longer has to negotiate with a third party to implement loyalty-related decisions.

Expect tighter alignment between elite recognition and resort experience. Most importantly, suite upgrades should be better regulated in a way that some franchisees have been less prone to offer, better point redemption consistency, and more standardized elite perks like Club Lounge access and Privé benefits (for properties that may qualify.)

Moreover, this acquisition signals Hyatt’s continued commitment to maintaining and growing its footprint in the all-inclusive space. That bodes well for World of Hyatt members who’ve come to rely on point-rich redemptions at resorts that often command north of $500 per night in cash rates.

Non-Hyatt Properties

Another key change is for the properties in Playa’s portfolio that are outside of the Hyatt network. Four of them were under the Hilton flag and upon completion, Hilton rewards bookings were cancelled:

“Guests who used Hilton Honors rewards points to book have had their rooms canceled last-minute at the following resorts: Hilton La Romana, an All-Inclusive Family Resort; Hilton La Romana, an All-Inclusive Adult Resort; Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa; and Hilton Playa del Carmen, an All-Inclusive Resort.”

‘Some of our newly rebranded resorts are integrating into the World of Hyatt program and no longer participate in other loyalty programs,’ the spokesperson said in an email to TMR. ‘We recognize this may have caused redemption issues for some travelers with existing award reservations made through other loyalty programs, and we sincerely apologize for the frustration this has caused.’  – Travel Market Report

Rose Hall was converted to a Dreams (family all-inclusive) under the Inclusive line, La Romana will become a Dreams (for the family side of the all-inclusive property) and a Secrets (adults-only.) Playa also marketed the Wyndham Alltra Cancun which will transition to the brand’s Sunscape line. From the outside, it appears this will be the nicest Sunscape in the chain which typically caters to the lower end of the all-inclusive market.

A Competitive Shot Across Marriott’s Bow

Let’s not ignore the broader industry context. Marriott has aggressively been expanding its all-inclusive portfolio first with its Autograph Collection all-inclusives and now with its newer Luxury Collection resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean. Meanwhile, Hilton has been playing catch-up through partnerships with local operators (now one fewer option for partners.)

Hyatt, though, has been playing a longer, more strategic game. First it picked up ALG. Then it grew the Inclusive Collection brand architecture. Now it folds in Playa. While competitors are still building out pipelines or trying to slap brand names onto third-party resorts, Hyatt is vertically integrating.

It’s a bold move. Riskier, yes but potentially more rewarding. It also continues Hyatt’s huge bet that the leisure market and all-inclusive space are a better place to grow than business markets. These have traditionally been the more all-weather markets but Hyatt continues to focus on heavy leisure in its acquisitions.

Not Everything Will Be Immediate

Despite the abrupt change for Hilton redemptions, don’t expect overnight transformations. Resort branding changes take time. Staff training, systems migration, and standardization of operations won’t happen at the flip of a switch. For Hyatt brands like Ziva and Zilara, they were already under the umbrella so training staff that the upsells may now be included benefits will take some time.

Sanctuary Cap Cana, for example, fits comfortably within the upper-tier of Hyatt’s all-inclusive aspirations. Jewel Paradise Cove? Maybe less so. Hyatt now has decisions to make about brand alignment, renovation investment, and strategic repositioning. There is no doubt that Hyatt has a plan, but at the time of writing, I couldn’t surface the fate for these particular products.

The All-Inclusive Model: Still Not for Everyone

Let’s not forget, all-inclusive resorts can be polarizing. Some travelers love the ease and predictability. Others find them cookie-cutter or devoid of cultural immersion. It’s targeting vacationers who want a frictionless, sun-soaked escape—and who might otherwise have looked at Sandals or AMResorts. That market is big, loyal, and lucrative. And if Hyatt can deliver superior quality with the backing of World of Hyatt perks, it has a real shot at becoming the go-to choice for high-end all-inclusive travelers.

Conclusion

Hyatt’s full acquisition of Playa Resorts won’t make headlines like a major airline merger or a mega credit card revamp. But for those of us who track the slow, strategic movements in the loyalty and hospitality space, it’s a moment to take note.

More control means more consistency and potentially more value for guests. But it also signals that Hyatt continues to double down on a vision for its future, one that puts leisure travel, and the all-inclusive segment specifically, at the heart of its global strategy.

For World of Hyatt elites, this could be the beginning of an even more integrated and rewarding all-inclusive experience. For Hyatt’s competitors, it’s clear that Hyatt isn’t just trying to become competent in the space but to dominate it.

What do you think?