Tragedy and terror ensued at the popular Hyatt Ziva all-inclusive resort in Cancun. I have some thoughts and questions for our readers.
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***Note: A prior version used the incorrect aerial image which has since been replaced.
Incident at Hyatt Ziva Riviera, Cancun
This week, an active shooter incident was reported at the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun. Warring drug gangs opened fire and the two drug dealers were killed on the beach while guests were told to take cover and barricade themselves in their rooms. Twitter user, Mike Sington, offered comprehensive coverage in his feed:
Active shooter at Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun Resort. All guests confined to lobby now. Hotel staff huddled together in corner. Still no announcement or update from hotel, Hyatt, or police. Several guests have now told be they saw gunman come up from the beach, actively shooting. pic.twitter.com/fL9BP7Jisb
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) November 4, 2021
Do Dangerous Incidents Keep You From Booking?
When tragedy strikes an area, does this make you less likely to book? I’ll share a personal story to illustrate.
A few years ago, my wife and I were considering North African destinations following some good experiences in Morocco. A friend of ours suggested her home country, Tunisia. As we explored options, an atrocity took place on the beach in a famous resort area frequented by westerners. We like to think that resorts and the beach are generally safe but this gave us pause.
We never looked at booking to Tunisia again, but not consciously because of the incident, it simply never again crossed our minds until now.
Hyatt Ziva
The alleged cartel combatants weren’t targeting the Hyatt Ziva as a brand in particular nor its guests according to reports. However, the name of the hotel has been widely circulated in a way that the hotel never otherwise would have been. It could have happened anywhere and logically, the hotel is safer now than before the incident as Ziva has added security to prevent a further attack.
Still, it will be tough for some to book the Hyatt Ziva knowing that the event took place there. Concerns about safety will remain, irrational as it may be. There will be a certain contingent of guests who know that the event was unrelated to the property but still find it too hard to book there as opposed to other properties in the area. It does not help that of the two Hyatt all-inclusive brands, Ziva is the family-welcome brand while Zilara is adults-only.
Cancun, Mexico
Cancun and the resort districts have, for the most part, remained safe from the drug war violence raging in other Mexican states. This incident brings that danger to the forefront and on the front page of every newspaper. Does that mean that Cancun, Quintana Roo, and other resort towns like Puerto Vallarta, or Cabo San Lucas are at risk in a way that hadn’t heretofore been a target?
Statistically, Cancun is no more dangerous than any major city in the United States – in fact, it’s safer than most despite cartel violence. Still, my gut tells me that some will avoid Cancun over this issue in a way that they do not avoid trips to more dangerous cities around the US.
What’s The Right Approach?
Assuming for the purpose of this post that guests avoid Cancun and the Hyatt Ziva, is this a rational approach? Should guests opt for Ziva Riviera specifically because staff will be trained, remain more vigilant, and additional security will be brought in? Will guests choose other destinations over Cancun more generally?
It may not just be illogical, it may be immoral to avoid either as a result of this issue. Those that work at the property were undoubtedly traumatized, but a lack of guests will put their jobs at risk as well.
The owners of the hotel have a new image problem, all-inclusive guests do not want to think about how much safer the hotel is by seeing heavily armed guards in the lobby. However, not having heavily armed guards in the lobby might make guests feel that they did not take the incident seriously.
And for the sadists out there, rates at the Hyatt Ziva are likely to drop as bookings do. Does that create an opportunity for those who are unafraid of future violence at the resort? Is scooping up deals only made available due to the traumatic event that took place there a moral hazard as well?
Conclusion
There are more questions than answers in this post. While I know that fear of violence at the property is irrational, illogical, and unlikely, I am as human as anyone else and wonder whether this will be a hindrance for others as it could be for me.
What do you think? Is the hotel safer now than it was before? Will guests book away from the property and/or Cancun, Mexico?
Kyle,
Thanks for the article. We are booked at the Hyatt Rivera Ziva, flights and all, over Thanksgiving for five nights . We have decided to cancel our entire trip to Cancun as a result of the incident. Here’s our perspective on the situation and reasoning for canceling. My wife and I are very adventurous travelers, and have traveled thought-out the world to several places which are significantly more dangerous the Cancun (I have been to Cancun many times). In all fairness, this incident certainly would not change our travel plans- actually we would welcome a more vacant resort due to the incident. However, eight years ago this very August something life changing happened to us…. we had a child, then another & another & another. So we are a family of six with four children 8 years old and younger. As with most parents, our mindset changed once we became parents, and started traveling with children. It’s true, that the resort areas of Mexico have been largely insulated from the cartel violence over the years. Nonetheless, we are asking ourselves- is this now an escalation of the violence? Perhaps, the Covid damage to the economy is Mexico is pushing crimes to higher levels than seen before and criminals are becoming more daring? Yes, we are aware that in all actuality things would be fine and this is simply an over reaction on our part. The reality component here is that we live right outside of NYC and you can even argue that Cancun is safer than NYC nowadays (which is probably is 🙁 ) … But, all that rational and irrational logic goes out the window as a parent, and we tend to make decision solely on one thing… our Gut feeling…. and it’s telling us not go.
Totally logical Adam. What if the dealers didn’t quite work out the “turf” problem? Young children exposed to war zone activity can develop PTSD easily. Also, all the extra security with long guns can be detrimental to their mental health as well. Some things aren’t worth the price…..
Wrong resort in picture. “Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun” vs “Hyatt Ziva Cancun.” Google is your friend.
Corrected, updated, and notated.
wrong resort in the photo
Corrected, updated, and notated.
This isn’t a question of whether or not the hotel is safe but rather is Cancun safe? There have been crazy nice hotel areas around the world that have been shut down due to local violence, this would be no different. If I choose to avoid Cancun it’s because drug violence had now moved into the resort area, not because just this hotel had an incident. I avoid certain parts of town here in the US for violence reasons, why wouldn’t I do the same internationally? Of course it’s a shame that people lose jobs but sometimes there’s no other option. And do I trust that Mexico’s govt can keep me safe? Everyone will have different responses to these situations.
The bigger question is how Hyatt will pinpoint the employees that sold the location information about the wanted victims to the drug gangs.
Apologies Kyle. I see previous comments pointing out the same thing and has been corrected
You can’t pay me enough to take my family to Mexico. Never!!!
We were just there, had a wonderful time. We have been going every year for 26 years. Safer than most towns in the U.S. all of our children have been there and love it. We will continue to go.
We were supposed to stay nearby over Thanksgiving and mental health has already been a struggle over the pandemic. Trying to relax and not remain hypervigilent the entire trip, whether on resort or doing the food tour nearby or visiting market, it just wasn’t going to happen.
I was there, in Cabana 5 at the pool on Thursday around 2:15 when about 8 gunman stormed the property and shot machine guns seemingly everywhere nonstop. As it was an LGBT vacation, I thought it was the next Pulse shooting and that we were all dead. Traumatized beyond belief. What’s so astonishing is that Hyatt had absolutely NO security with guns – the two “guards” they had ran for their lives like the rest of us. Many of us corralled panicked Hyatt employees, maids etc. into rooms where we barricaded doors with mattresses and pulled iron artwork from the walls to be used as makeshift weapons. Employees and guests alike cried and prayed together huddling in showers and ducking behind jacuzzi tubs – speaking our last words. Absolutely terrifying and a complete non-response from Hyatt afterwards calling it an “isolated incident.” I will be forever traumatized by this.
I’m so sorry you went through that. We were in Cancun a couple of weeks ago and my husband was threatened and robbed by a Mexican police officer off the resort. We stayed at the Hyatt Ziva in Cancun. So many people down played our experience as isolated or told me that I should have expected it because he left the resort. The reality is when you have someone threatens your life, it is very tramatizing and those feeling don’t just go away. I would never go back to Cancun and I do not feel that it is a safe place for tourists.
@Brian Stout:
I’ll bet you were among many who thought it was another Pulse type shooting. That whole idea of being hunted down in the manner that victims of Pulse were–I’d be surprised if many others didn’t feel as terrified as you. It would be hard to forget an experience like that.
Remember Mumbai? Wouldn’t surprise me at all if Cancun experienced something like that. If the drug gangs behead politicians and put their heads on stakes alongside the road, your mistaken if you think they wouldn’t go after a fat juicy tourist target to pressure state officials.
Mexico is a cesspool, a true failed state. I wish I could find the expose done in the last couple years by some newspaper in the middle of the U.S. It was about a pattern of tainted liquor, rapes, murders of American tourists, particularly spring breakers. Fantastic piece of journalism.
I remember going to Acapulco in the mid-90’s, and it was a crash and burn then. We were told after they built the road from Mexico City to Acapulco, everything changed. I can’t imagine what it would be like now. As for Cabo, went there in the 90’s as well, much quieter and sleepier then. Wouldn’t go there now if you paid me. The last time I was in Tijuana my taxi rode about a quarter mile behind an open air army jeep with a massive machine gun pointed out the back–right at our taxi.
If you’ve lived it, the safety comparisons of the U.S. to Mexico don’t jibe. At all.
Texas has eliminated all open carry restrictions licensing requirements, and you see people walking around wielding weapons all the time. There were 11 mass shootings in the US over Halloween weekend. But hey, two people involved in the drug trade were killed in Cancun. Yeah it’s too dangerous, better to stay away.
@Jerry – I was in Houston two weeks ago and try as I might, I didn’t see anyone “wielding weapons all the time.” They might have been concealed carrying but nothing visible during my trip.
Well Kyle, I live in downtown Austin, I see it quite regularly, and I really don’t like it. I hope you had a nice stay in Houston.
World conditions are worsening by the day. Being hypervigilant for crime, violence and degradation of morals and life is just another reason I do not plan to travel anytime soon. Quadrupled with Covid worries, over-crowding, noise and travel hassles (airports, lack of service, TSA circus, etc) – who needs it ? As a retired airline employee I am missing it but just doesn’t seem worth it anymore ….. maybe in 3 – 5 more years ?
Nice attempt to guilt people into booking Cancun vacations, Kyle.
Point of clarification, Tunisia was an overt terrorist attack against Western tourists. Any tourist deaths in Cancun would have been “collateral damage” & as the reports of drone strike victims can attest, the world doesn’t care about collateral deaths.
Next, Mexico is an open air slaughterhouse Journalists, college students are amongst those marked for death by the narcos. Civilians are just as readily snuffed as the gang members.
Do you know if the resorts are/ are not paying protection money to the gangs at the present time? Certainly resorts would not admit to it but perhaps you’d be privy to whispering sources. That entire prospect is scary, don’t you agree?
Resort goers in Mexico are sitting ducks.
Maybe a vacation on the Gaza Strip instead?
And guns are illegal in Mexico.
Go figure…..
There are absolutely more dangerous cities in USA than Cancún, to name one New Orleans there are murder cases Avery single day the only difference is that the media don’t focus their attention to it and never ever I hear the government warning citizens not to go there, but is easy to get attention to others countries in this case mexico for rarely cases like the one in Hyatt hotel,
My partner and I were supposed to be there but had to cancel due to a heart attack and open heart surgery. We are thankful that this ended the way it did with no tragedy.
2 American women were shot in Tulum last week also. The problem is Mexico. Yes there are far more murders in any City in the USA any day of the week but most are not people “just minding their own business” Gangs don’t really care if you’re in the way. I live in Belize and we have a gang problem too, and I fear it’s only a matter of time for us.
My husband, two sons and I arrived in Cancun and stayed at Hyatt Ziva on Nov. 5, 2021, the day after the shooting. I felt totally safe while staying there the whole week and will definitely visit again. There are shootings all over the world, every day, and innocent people are killed but I refuse to live in fear. It’s sad to think that Hyatt Ziva will experience a decline in reservations because of this incident.
I’m booked at Hyatt Ziva Cancun in Jan with my 7 year old son. I’m outside the 30 day cancellation period so I am now trying to see if the travel insurance would cover this: here are my reasons. I have been to third world countries and understand the dangers. But much like one of the above posts I have a child, and I’m a single parent. I would rather just stay home and save my $6k than be extremely stressed out and worried.