In early November 2021, a deadly drug dealer shooting happened at the beach just outside the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun, killing two drug dealers over a dispute involving rival gangs. While no guests were injured, the hotel was sent into full lockdown, and the video footage of the incident is quite something.
For those wondering how something like that could happen, an investigation has now revealed more details, and I think this probably won’t surprise anyone.
In this post:
Hotel staff allegedly helped guests find drugs
The Washington Post has a story about the incident that occurred at the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun. According to security officials who investigated the incident:
- Guests at the hotel asked staff for help buying cocaine, which is apparently a common enough request of hotel employees in Mexico’s Mayan Riviera
- Staff at the Hyatt Ziva knew how to accommodate guests, and a few local drug dealers were called
- The dealers who arrived at the resort came from rival cartels, and that’s when shooting began
Lucio Hernández Gutiérrez, the security chief for Mexico’s Quintana Roo region, said the following:
“It was more proof that the only reason the cartels are here is because of the enormous demand for drugs, especially among tourists. It’s a very difficult thing to stop.”
Dean Sullivan, a spokesperson for Playa Hotels & Resorts, which manages the hotel, said the following:
“To suggest that our associates were, in any way, involved or bear a level of responsibility for an incident that began on a public beach is unfounded and without merit.”
This is obviously a tricky situation. A lot of people come to Mexico looking to do drugs, and presumably they can be obtained easily and inexpensively, at least compared to the United States. At the same time, drug incidents are much more likely to turn violent in Mexico, given how organized and violent the distribution networks are.
Guests were offered 75,000 World of Hyatt points
It’s interesting to note that following the incident, guests staying at the hotel during the incident received an apology letter and were offered 75,000 World of Hyatt points as compensation. Personally I value World of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each, so that’s like $1,125 worth of points, by my valuation.
The letter doesn’t explicitly address what happened, but rather refers to “the very troubling experience you had during your stay.” The points were offered “as a further extension of the supportive actions of the hotel team, and as a gesture of our concern regarding the experience you had.”
Bottom line
In early November there was a shooting at the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun, leaving two drug dealers dead. An investigation has now revealed what exactly happened. Hotel guests wanted cocaine, and hotel staff tried to assist guests with that. However, rival gangs showed up. There was then a shooting at the beach, leaving two drug dealers dead.
What do you make of this incident?
Yes, all very funny but when you were there you have a different take away. You are walking towards a destination at the hotel when you hear assault rifle gunfire and suddenly there is a wall of people running for their lives at you. No one knows what is happening including staff. You end up hunkered down in a guest room bathroom that is not yours in just a swimsuit for over two hours not...
Yes, all very funny but when you were there you have a different take away. You are walking towards a destination at the hotel when you hear assault rifle gunfire and suddenly there is a wall of people running for their lives at you. No one knows what is happening including staff. You end up hunkered down in a guest room bathroom that is not yours in just a swimsuit for over two hours not knowing what type of an active shooter is at the hotel. Are they going from room to room killing people? How long will you be alive. Kind of ruins the vacation. I hope you never have to experience what I did.
On the bright side, no guests were killed.
But Cancun has 2 less drug dealers and everyone got a free vacation.
Most guests probably didn't even know about it.
Better tips for hotel staff for great service…not for getting you coke.
Staff securing drugs for guests doesn’t surprise me at all. It seems like at these upper end hotels you can be very very indulged. Check in very early, check out very late, upgrades, charge my phone, watch my table while I’m gone 2 hours, on demand housekeeping, store my suitcase for 2 months, free alcohol, lounge access when not qualified, off menu items Etc etc
Stay out of trouble, folks.
Seriously, what is wrong with those hotel staff? They should've done something else instead of calling the drug dealers to show up and turn it into gunfights. I understand customer would complain service is bad if their requests aren't fulfilled, but any self-respecting hotel employees has an obligation to distinguish illegal stuff (like buying cocaine) from legitimate requests.
I've never figured out why the Mexicans never learn from the Americans on how to run a successful cartel.
We have the best ever cartel. They control everything.
They're called The Democrats, and The Republicans.
This seems like poor service by the concierge. He'd get no tip from me.
So just a question for the hotel... do they drugs also come all inclusive like the food/drinks do? LOL!
I have NEVER had a problem in Mexico! As long as your not doing drugs, involved with people that do you will NOT have problems!
Seems like the hotel should be sued. If their employee is helping to traffic drugs to tourists and it created the foreseeable condition of potential violence on the property then there is quite possibly legal liability there. I can't imagine nobody at the hotel knew what these employees were doing. They probably got kickbacks from the drug dealers or got money from the tourist for their services so they are also drug dealers at that point.
75k points is 3 mights at a Cancun all inclusive which is typically 500/night
I just got 110 k points because I wasn’t upgrade at paris Hyatt and nice,France hotel from June. Hotel was empty and I didn’t get upgraded. I’m a globalist
For what it's worth, we just spent 7 nights at this resort and it's quite nice. Staff/service were incredible.
What were they charging per gramme
I would be very pleased with the 75k points as compensation.
The guests I saw in the video would do well to spend less money on drugs and more on clothes and fitness - they looked like rejects from a d-list leather bar.
So some of the guests at that Hyatt requested and scored drugs (which led to the violence) and then received 75,000 points for their trouble. Entitled Americans come in all varieties, apparently.
Seems odd to me that this would be a rival dealer situation. If this is a common thing the alleged hotel staff would know who to contact and this sounds not be a first time purchase and nobody would ask someone new to do this. And if that's not enough, the dealer would absolutely know they are in a rival's territory. I think "drugs" is an easy explanation that both the govt and the hotel...
Seems odd to me that this would be a rival dealer situation. If this is a common thing the alleged hotel staff would know who to contact and this sounds not be a first time purchase and nobody would ask someone new to do this. And if that's not enough, the dealer would absolutely know they are in a rival's territory. I think "drugs" is an easy explanation that both the govt and the hotel can use to close this story for both and not have long term repercussions.
All I can say is images of ongoing armed security on the beach is why I decided not to go to cancun this year. And also probably why the govt is eager to put this behind them.
Excuse me, but the big airline news this weekend was the number of flights canceled. Not one word in your blog all weekend. I checked OMAAT this am and instead I find this piece of TMZ-like blather.
Truly disappointed
"Truly disappointed..." LOL - thoughts and prayers.
Are airline holiday struggles due to staffing, weather, and Omicron actually considered news at this point? I appreciated the update to this story about a Hyatt brand a lot of us frequent.
Just want to mention the hotel was hosting an even by Vacaya
Perhaps they’ll switch to pepsi.
Great! Two drugdealers less in the world!
Before you get all hysterical look at the actual number of people murdered in Portland.
Answer: 75
Now look up the number of people murdered in Mexico.
Look up the number of people kidnapped.
Look up the number of people who just disappear.......
Sounds like a scene that can make for a good new episode of the Netflix Narcos Mexico series!
Portland Oregon had the most murders in 40+ years in 2021.
Most cities in America are seeing record homocide rates.
Why are we talking about a random event in Cancun?
Our countries is burning to the ground.
(Also, I was in Cancun last week, in PDC now, there are no issues here.. shrug)
Portland has turned into somekind of madmax like dystopia since the BurnLootMurder-domestic-terrorists have taken control of the city.
But Portland has lousy coke.
What are you even talking about? Like seriously can't you focus on more than one thing instead of trying to compare it. If you must compare it the murder rate in mexico is three times that of the US and like 94.8% of murders in Mexico go unsolved. Nice try with your comparisons though.
Wait…so it was literally just the episode of Arrested Development where they order a drug delivery, more dealers than they bargained for show up, and people start shooting?
Right? Plus, that's a lot of violence for an 8-ball of Tide, flour, and some crushed-up No-Doze with perhaps an Adderall thrown in for "autenticidad".
When I stayed at Ziva/Zillara Montevideo Bay I was offered drugs multiple times. Anything from coke to weed