On Location: Jungle bliss – Agents unpack Secrets Tulum, and strategy, at Hyatt’s Confidant Connect Live

“Welcome to the jungle, we got fun and games….”

That wild opening line sung by Axl Rose in the hit 1987 Guns N’ Roses rock song sprung to mind as we stepped into Secrets Tulum Resort and Beach Club, an all-inclusive oasis in Aldea Zama, an upscale residential neighbourhood in boho-chic Tulum.

Because here, the jungle is the lure, and the main event. The adults-only, 300-suite enclave, part of Hyatt's Inclusive Collection, mimics its lush surroundings.

Four circular (almost spaceship-like) towers seamlessly integrate the area’s verdant green flora, earthy hues (locally-sourced wood and rope complete the mood board) and Zen vibes, a central state of mind in this hip corner of the Yucatan.

The pools – there’s nine – resemble cenotes, naturally-forming sink holes, native to the region, held sacred by the ancient Maya. The uber-spacious 300 suites? Dramatic hardwood, polished chukum, native stone and artisan decor, like Mayan dreamcatchers.

Meanwhile, tucked away in a patch of thick foliage, an outdoor restaurant awaits: Bluewater Grill, one of ten dining options, where tables and chairs sit under a canopy of trees, on stone pathways and platforms that weave around glowing artificial lagoons. Think steak and seafood, with a side of forest.

Welcome to the jungle, the way Hyatt sees it, as the brand’s Inclusive Collection ushers in a new era of high-quality vacations that cater to evolving tastes and new connectivity (Tulum’s brand-new, easy-breezy airport is a 40-minute drive away, and debuts direct flights from Canada this winter).

Secret's out

The nuts and bolts of Secrets Tulum, which opened in October 2023, were at the fingertips of travel advisors this past weekend as the idyllic resort hosted “Confidant Connect Live,” an annual party/conference/rewards trip (formally known as Amazing Agent) for Hyatt’s top-producing travel advisors.

Now in its fifth edition, the networking and workshop-filled gathering from Dec. 6-9 – which, this year, hosted 100 agents, 25 of which were from Canada – recognizes the industry’s best.

“It’s about thanking travel advisors for their support, but it’s also an opportunity for us to showcase a property, get the leadership team involved and engage with advisors to share the latest news and resources,” said Carolina Bellina, director of Canadian sales at Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection, speaking to PAX on location.

Unbolt the doors

Confidant Connect is part FAM trip, part conference, part social soiree.

The program’s opening session on Saturday (Dec. 7), in Secrets Tulum’s Jaguar Ballroom, shed light on Hyatt’s strategy for 2025.

To recap, Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection consists of ten brands: Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara, Impression by Secrets, Zoetry, Secrets, Breathless, Dreams, Hyatt Vivid, Alua and Sunscape.

Newcomers to the portfolio, this year, included Secrets Tides Punta Cana (Dominican Republic); Secrets Playa Blanca Costa Mujeres (Mexico); Hyatt Vivid Grand Island Cancun (Mexico); and Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlán Golf & Spa Resort (Mexico).

Expansions at Casa Zamna (a beach club/boutique hotel extension of Secrets Tulum – we’ll get into that) and the Elevated Preferred Club at Dreams Sapphire in Puerto Morelos, Mexico were also recently completed.

The new adults-only Il Mare section at Dreams Curaçao opening later this month, and next year, other properties will debut, such as Secrets Baby Beach (Aruba), Secrets St. Lucia, Breathless Puerto Vallarta; Secrets and Dreams Playa Esmeralda in the Dominican Republic, and Dreams Grand Island (Cancun).

For the trade, Hyatt’s focus revolves around training and onboarding new advisors into Confidant Collective, it’s global advisory platform, said Luis Nuñez, vice-president of global sales at Hyatt Inclusive Collection Americas, addressing delegates at Saturday’s opener.

The company is fostering its North American Travel Advisory Board, onboarding hotels into Virtuoso and other luxury programs – and collaboration with trade partners will be key.

“We want this to be a two-way communication,” Núñez said. “We want to make sure we are on top of any trend, using any new information that you bring to the table, so we can react.”

Updates to Confidant Collective

A key component of Confidant Connect Live is to showcase the Confidant Collective program. 

Using the platform, agents can report their bookings, earn points, and unlock benefits like free stays, gift cards and incentives that offer extra commissions.

Confidant Collective also holds a suite of tools, including certification courses, marketing assets, FAM invites and social media content.

It’s an influential program – some 20,000 advisors across Canada, U.S. and UK are registered.

READ MORE: On Location: Dawn Rzepka & Vikas Malhotra win humanitarian awards at Hyatt Confidant Connect

At the event, Hyatt’s support team reviewed the many upgrades it has made to the platform.

This includes a tier tracker, a function that modifies submissions (so when agents submit a booking, they can change it), a username recovery feature, and a feature that allows members to add their World of Hyatt Number.

Discounts on cash and gift cards, new monthly travel promotions, personalized promotions (birthday and tier exclusives) and updated commission promotions have also been uploaded.

Agents that register and engage with Confidant Collective is important, Bellina later told PAX, because "it helps us understand your business."

Canadian sales update

How are sales doing overall? Participating in a “Morning Show”-inspired panel, Matt Brightman, regional sales manager for Midwest USA, said that “2024 has been nothing short of phenomenal.”

“Across the board, we've seen incredible year over year increases, and it's all thanks to you – our amazing travel advisors,” he told the audience.

Another panel (which PAX was invited to participate in) was held to review all the changes the industry has seen over the past five years, along with travel trends and predictions.

Later on, when asked how Canada was doing, Bellina was also optimistic. August was slow, she said, but things turned around once September hit.

“We’re looking at a strong winter,” Bellina told PAX, noting how the push for advanced bookings has helped achieve targets.

Staying engaged with Canada’s travel trade is also Hyatt’s secret sauce.

Addressing the delegation, Scott Reid, BDM for British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, said Hyatt has seen a 63 per cent year-over-year increase in advisors reached.

“By the end of the year, we're projected to reach more than 32,690 advisors,” Reid said, adding that his team expects to complete 197 in-person sales calls by year’s end.

FAM trips are driving success. According to Reid, Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection hosted 36 per cent more FAMs for the Canadian trade this year, compared to last year, totalling 21.

“We’re giving more advisors a chance to experience our resorts firsthand and bring that knowledge back to their clients,” he said.

One highlight at Confidant Connect was a trade show, where nearly 30 sales directors and wedding planners from Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection properties came out to meet agents one-on-one and share updates.

But it wasn’t all business, all the time. At night, bopping events were held, such as a neon party, and a closing night “Icons Ball” – where attendees dressed up as their favourite icon (which produced costumes depicting everything from the Mona Lisa to Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story).

At that the closing gala, two Canadians travel advisors – Dawn Rzepka, senior director of Luxe Destinations Weddings, and Vikas Malhotra, a travel expert at itravel2000 – were honoured for their humanitarian work. Click here for details.

Unpacking Secrets Tulum & Casa Zamna

In addition to unpacking Secrets Tulum, site inspections were held at other Inclusive Collection properties in the region, including Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya, Dreams Tulum and luxurious Casa Zamna.

The latter is a brand-new oceanfront boutique hotel, on secluded and laid-back Tulum Beach downtown, that opened earlier this year.

With just 21 upscale suites (including one glam three-storey villa, for ten guests, with five chic rooms, kitchen and living spaces and terrace and rooftop pools), Casa Zamna is attached to an exclusive beach club, which guests of Secret Tulum can access during the day, at no additional charge. 

You see, Secrets Tulum is a two-experience resort. The main property, as it was built next to a nature reserve, does not have direct access to the beach or ocean.

READ MORE: Secrets Tulum debuts 21-room Casa Zamna addition

Sure, there are efforts to imitate a beach (sand covers the ground in select pool areas), but the real beach is at the club, 20 minutes away (hence Secrets Tulum Resort and Beach Club).

Shuttles (large trucks) run hourly to transport guests from the main property to club, which has ample loungers – some under shady palms, others in the open sun – tranquil pools, and staff who serve drinks like passion fruit margaritas and light bites, like fresh-oven pizza.

Casa Zamna guests, meanwhile, have their own intimate restaurant, pool and beach area, off to the side. Collectively, it’s the type of palm tree paradise that dreams (or secrets, rather) are made of.

For Secrets Tulum guests, it might be a turn off, knowing the beach is a 20-minute shuttle away. But the secret, here, is this: the resort never feels full.

Between the beach club, “sky pools” (rooftop mini pools), pools for different moods (the main pool, in the centre, is where the party is, but follow a lazy river-like passage, and a leafy “zen” pool emerges), private pools (40 per cent of suites are swimouts), and the cenote-like Preferred Club pool and restaurant (exclusively for upgraded guests), there’s lots of space to spread out.

Space, after all, is a luxury.

"Hot ticket" Tulum 

Smaller resorts and fewer crowds are what have made Tulum a “hot ticket” in recent years, especially during the pandemic, remarked Shalene Dudley of Ontario-based Latitude Concierge Travels.  

Speaking about the new Secrets, “There really hasn’t been anything like this in Tulum until now,” Dudley pointed out.

“It’s an amazing option for clients who want that mix of beach club, shopping and clubbing, with the freedom of an all-inclusive,” she said. 

Saskatchewan-based Ashley Doell of Doell Travel, powered by Trevello, shared a similar opinion of the property.  

“It’s one-of-a-kind,” she said. “You can’t compare it to any other resort. It’s beautiful and breathtaking. It encapsulates the vibe of Tulum, in a resort setting.”

Travellers are more complex than ever

What Confidant Connect Live proved is that travellers, today, are more complex than ever – thanks, in part, to highly-developed resort concepts that cater to individual passions and interests.

You see this play out in Hyatt’s brands. New properties like Hyatt Vivid, which opened in Cancun this year, are all about “genuine good vibes,” for travellers aged 25 to 49, who value “authenticity, flexibility and seamless comfort,” as Lindsay Pullen, director of global brand, explained in a presentation.    

“It’s a new wave of nomads who create the freedom to be themselves as they explore,” she said.

Then you have those who fall into Hyatt Ziva (for go-go-go families, where local culture inspires creativity) and Hyatt Zilara (for adult “variety seekers,” where “dining feels like going to a high-end restaurant in the city,” with fitness options, Pullen said).

And options for ultra-luxury stays, such as new-ish “Impression by Secrets” – a line of boutique, adults-only havens.

The latest properties to join this category are in Mexico: Impression Moxché by Secrets in Playa del Carmen, which opened in December 2022, and Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets, which launched in May 2023.

So many options, so many ways to craft a uniquely-tailored vacation. If anything, Hyatt’s concepts reaffirm the value of working with a qualified travel advisor, who can qualify the right client, for the right hotel.

It’s an opportunity that seems to be resonating – 35 per cent of agents who qualified to attend this year’s Confidant Connect Live were repeaters.

“They have a resort for literally every single client,” said Doell, attending the event for her second time. She said travellers today are “definitely expecting more” from all-inclusive resorts.

“People want more high-end room categories and they’re getting into niche destinations,” she said. “And they’re willing to spend more than ever before.” 

The options are certainly there – a point that Dudley (also attending Confidant Connect for the second time) often jokes about with her BDM.

“You could specialize in Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection and never sell anything else,” she said. “You seriously could get away with it because it's got every budget, age group, demographic, and traveller type. Everything exists.”

To see more pictures from Confidant Connect Live in Tulum, visit and "like" PAX's Facebook page here. 

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