Catching Up with Hyatt, Latin America and Caribbean’s Shyla Gardner

It’s no secret that all-inclusive resorts are having a huge moment, and no company is capitalizing on it more than World of Hyatt. 

The Hyatt Inclusive Collection (HIC) has grown to its sweet spot of 10 brands, from staples like Secrets to newcomers like Hyatt Vivid, which debuted in Cancun in April 2024. 

Shyla Gardner, Hyatt’s vice president of commercial services for Latin America and the Caribbean, is at the helm in the destinations where most of these properties reside. TMR spoke with Gardner about the hottest destinations, finding the right resort clients, and new advisor programs. 

The Hottest New All-Inclusive Destinations

HIC has seen big buzz around its growth Europe with resorts such as Dreams Madeira Resort, Spa & Marina in Portugal, which opened in October 2024. Still, HIC’s roots and bulk of its continued expansion are in the tropical countries North Americans have come to know and love.  

In April 2024, Hyatt opened Dreams Estrella del Mar in Mazatlán, a city on the western coast of Mexico that is fairly new to travelers.  

“It is a really neat offering in a sense where it’s a new destination where we are the luxury, highest end product in the destination,” Gardner said. “It’s a family friendly offering so there’s something for everyone there.” 

Most anticipated for 2025 are new Secrets resorts in Aruba and St. Lucia – Secrets Baby Beach Aruba and Secrets St. Lucia Resort & Spa.  

Also, there are neighboring resorts opening in the up-and-coming destination of Miches in the Dominican Republic: Dreams Playa Esmeralda and Secrets Playa Esmerelda. The complex will offer about 1,000 rooms combined and is slated to open in April. 

“Think Tulum or Playa Mita when maybe 10 years ago, it’s untouched, virgin beaches. I just drove [to Miches] a week ago and it literally feels like you’re in Jurassic Park. It’s just this incredible mountainous jungle that you’re driving through. The road is very nice, so it’s a good drive, but it just has this really nature forward feel,” Gardner said. 

“Within that destination there’s other developments all happening so within a very short period of time, we see Miches as a destination and Playa Esmerelda being probably the next big hotspot in the Dominican Republic,” she added. 

To add to all of that, Gardner expressed excitement about welcoming 21 Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts to HIC. Hyatt just finalized a long-term agreement with the Spain-based company, whose resorts in Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, and Spain are now part of the collection. 

A New Generation of Resort Clients

Predictable pricing, exceptional food and beverage, and a relaxed environment are all main reasons why people love all-inclusives. Hyatt continues to open new resorts to give their longtime guests something new yet familiar. 

Catering to the new generation has become a key focus for HIC, as seen in the launch of its Hyatt Vivid brand. This way, all-inclusive clients are easier to come by because there is more to offer them in terms of dining, entertainment, and experiences that keep up with the trends. This can look like having a creative mocktail menu; authentic, high-quality grab-and-go bites; and seamless technology, all big hits with the newer generation. 

“If you are maybe a first time all-inclusive traveler and you’re just wanting to dip your toe in and looking for something a little more approachable on a budget, we have great brand offerings like our Sunscape brand, and then also within the Gen Z space is the new [Hyatt Vivid Grand Island in Cancun], which is a very good, accessible price point,” Gardner said. 

“We’re always being thoughtful, and that’s really one of the reasons why Vivid came to exist,” she added. “Rather than going for the exact same audience over and over again, how do we look for different niches and different audiences that we can design product for?” 

Today’s travelers also value authentic experiences within a destination, and resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico need to rise to the occasion on that. Gardner again pointed to culinary creativity as a way that the resorts fulfill this for guests. 

At Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen, guests enjoy the Omakase taco tasting experience, where they are served seven tacos from different regions of Mexico, which Gardner calls “a diverse culinary experience in a way that maybe you wouldn’t expect in an all-inclusive.” 

“We want to share those best practices, but we don’t want to just copy-paste them because then it’s not authentic to each destination,” Gardner said. “So, it’s like, how can this one get excited about an idea and then that inspires a different resort to think of something new and fresh and just keep that energy of innovation moving throughout the portfolio?”

What’s on the Horizon for Travel Advisors

Going into 2025, Gardner wants travel advisors to look out for an upcoming announcement regarding HIC’s weddings and social groups programming.  

“Our travel advisor partnerships are hugely important to us,” she said. “I know [weddings and social groups] is a very important segment of business for the travel advisors and something we’re always looking to grow.” 

“We’re looking for ways on that side to improve our technology, to help them with how they see their rooming list, to help with the speed of our commission payments, which is always very important for them,” she added. 

Until then, joining HIC’s Confidant Collective is the best way for travel advisors to get all the tools they need to sell Hyatt’s all-inclusive resorts. It includes the educational platform Confidant Learning, which aims to make advisors experts in the product. The program also Confidant Rewards for advisors to earn benefits for their bookings. 

“Even if they book through a third-party tour operator, they’re able to register those bookings, and as a token of our appreciation for their loyalty and their recommendations, they’re able to earn rewards and points that they can convert for stays and other incentives within our organization,” Gardner said. 

Hyatt’s invitation-only Hyatt Privé is another travel advisor program that gives eligible sellers access to exclusive benefits for themselves and their clients.