Tl;dr—Hyatt will open its first Unbound Collection Hotel in Mendoza, Argentina, in 2027. The hotel will include an onsite premium winery in Argentina’s leading wine region.
If you enjoy wine and visiting wine regions as much as I do, then boy, do I have some fun news for you today. Hyatt just announced an ambitious new development project, the Casa Duhau. This property will be Hyatt’s first Argentinian property under the Unbound Collection, Hyatt’s luxury soft brand. This one gets right at my core, as guests of the property will be right in the heart of Argentina’s most notable wine region, Mendoza. It’s early yet, so there are not many photos, but let’s jump into what we know about the project.
Casa Duhau – Mendoza
Located in the Alto Agrelo region of Mendoza, the Casa Duhau will be part of a larger compound appropriately named the Reserva Alto Agrelo. The hotel will be a 52-key outlet with villas and suites.
The project is spearheaded by two Argentinian families, one of which is the Scalesciani family, which owns the popular Palacio Duhau—Park Hyatt Buenos Aires. I had the chance to stay at the Palacio Duhau a few years back (review forthcoming) and enjoyed my experience.
The plans for the 1000-acre Reserva campus include 116 residential lots and an equestrian center (gallop!) named Casa David – Wine & Horses. I hope they aren’t mixing the two. 🙂 The jewel of the development, in my opinion, will be Bodega Agrelia, a boutique winery crafted in partnership with Michael Rolland, arguably one of the two most famous wine consultants in the world. (The other being Paul Hobbs, who isn’t involved in the project but also has a footprint in Mendoza with his Vina Cobos winery).
Guests staying in any of the property’s 40 villas will be treated to captivating views of the Andes mountains.
Other enticing “amenities include two signature restaurants, a swimming pool, fitness center, state-of-the-art spa, modern meeting rooms, a lagoon, horseback riding, mountain biking, and bonfires at sunset.”
For any wine fans looking to take some of the juice home, you can go big or go home by joining the Bodegia Agrelia’s wine club, where you’ll enjoy an annual batch of 72 exclusive bottles of the finest wine with a personalized label carefully selected by prestigious winemakers Michel Rolland and Marcelo Pelleriti.’
I went broke just writing that last sentence.
My Take on this Property
In case you can’t tell, I’m super excited about this one. I’ve traveled to several wine regions around the world, and I often find myself wishing there were more points-forward luxury properties in or near many of these wine regions. Mendoza is an excellent example of this. A few years back (mid-pandemic), I traveled to Mendoza to check out the wine scene.
I stayed at the Park Hyatt Mendoza and found it underwhelming. First, the hotel’s location is in the city center of Mendoza, roughly 20 miles from the finca, tenutas, and bodegas. Not terribly far by any means, but also far enough away to make things annoying. Second, the hotel itself isn’t too luxurious. The rooms leave much to be desired, the service is mediocre, and a dodgy casino on site feels wildly out of place. I’d easily opt for an upscale stay, amongst the vines, with a premium winery steps away.
Fun fact: One of the fun things about Mendoza is that you can bike around to several bodegas as a bonus adventure while wine tasting.
Being goofy while you ride around is, of course, optional.
Conclusion
Hyatt will make a significant addition to its luxury portfolio in South America when the Casa Duhau debuts in Mendoza in 2027. This property will be dripping with fun amenities and have a premium winery on site. If you’re excited about this one as well, let me know in the comments!
