Daniel Chávez Morán

Founder, Grupo Vidanta & Fundación Vidanta
2015 Distinguished Leadership Award for Civic Engagement in the Americas

Daniel Chávez Morán has been a leading visionary in the Mexico tourism industry for more than 40 years. Now retired, Chávez Morán founded Grupo Vidanta in 1974 after developing his first hotel, Paraíso Mazatlán, and grew the company to include expert practices in design, development, construction, and operation for many of Mexico and Latin America’s top luxury beach resorts, mega resorts, and hotels. Under Chávez Morán’s leadership, Grupo Vidanta diversified an influence in tourism infrastructure to include the largest collection of golf courses operated in Mexico, construction and sale of more than 2,000 vacation homes, and the first privately built and owned airport in Mexico, the Mar de Cortés International Airport in Puerto Peñasco. President Enrique Peña Nieto recently recognized Grupo Vidanta as a leading tourism group in Mexico. In 2013, Forbes named Chávez Morán one of the 12 most powerful investors in tourism in Mexico. He is consistently ranked by CNN among the 100 most influential businessmen in the country. 

Guided by a vision to bring luxury vacation dreams to life, Chávez Morán has forged strong partnerships with worldwide leaders in experiential tourism including Cirque du Soleil, Jack Nicklaus, and Greg Norman. Today, Grupo Vidanta owns and operates award-winning resorts in Nuevo Vallarta, Riviera Maya, Los Cabos, Acapulco, Puerto Peñasco, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlán. The company is consistently recognized among the most revered employers in Latin America. In 2015, Grupo Vidanta was ranked the No. 1 hospitality brand to work for in Mexico by the Great Place to Work Institute.

Daniel Chávez Morán deserves recognition for his philanthropic investments in support of work that furthers the Dialogue’s values and mission.

Michael Shifter
President, Inter-American Dialogue

Commitment to philanthropy is a major component of Grupo Vidanta’s mission to inspire generations of happiness. Today, Chávez Morán leads two foundations focused on philanthropy in Latin America: Fundación Vidanta, which promotes culture and fights poverty by awarding financial resources to individuals and organizations each year, and Fundación Delia Morán, which promotes educational opportunities in Nayarit and operates a free school and after-school programs for children.

About Grupo Vidanta 

Grupo Vidanta is a full service tourism developer in Mexico and Latin America with practices in property architecture and product design, construction, and operations. The company specializes in the development and operation of luxury resort and hotel brands in Mexico and counts AAA Five Diamond Award winning Grand Luxxe Nuevo Vallarta and five AAA Four Diamond Award winning resorts – Grand Luxxe Riviera Maya, The Grand Bliss Nuevo Vallarta, The Grand Mayan Nuevo Vallarta, The Grand Mayan Riviera Maya and The Grand Mayan Acapulco – among its impressive portfolio of more than 25 resorts and hotels.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto recently recognized Grupo Vidanta’s visionary approach to the development of luxury beach destinations and tourism. Grupo Vidanta brings vacation dreams to life via resorts and mega-resorts on the coastlines of Mexico’s most sought-after locations – Nuevo Vallarta, Riviera Maya, Los Cabos, Acapulco, Puerto Peñasco, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlán – with brands including Grand Luxxe, The Grand Bliss, The Grand Mayan, The Bliss, Mayan Palace, Ocean Breeze and Sea Garden, and more in development.

Vidanta’s real estate division has built and sold more than 2,000 vacation luxury homes in Mexico and Latin America and the construction practice is responsible for developing Mexico’s first privately built and owned airport, the Mar de Cortés International Airport in Puerto Peñasco.

Daniel Chávez Morán, recognized by Forbes as one of Mexico’s most powerful investors in tourism, founded Grupo Vidanta in 1974 and has guided the brand to innovative partnerships with the internationally renowned Nicklaus Designs and Greg Norman Golf Course Design firms, and entertainment brand Cirque du Soleil. Vidanta Golf is the largest golf course operator in Mexico, boasting the finest selection of courses in Latin America including three Jack Nicklaus designs, the Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf at Nuevo Vallarta and The Greg Norman Golf Course at Nuevo Vallarta (opening 2015). In November 2014, Grupo Vidanta debuted JOYÀ, a first-of-its kind culinary and theatrical experience and Cirque du Soleil’s first resident show in Mexico, located in Riviera Maya. Vidanta was responsible for custom design and construction of the Cirque du Soleil Theater that houses JOYÀ, and, in 2019, will introduce a dreamlike entertainment park in Nuevo Vallarta in further partnership with Cirque du Soleil.

The company, which employs more than 15,000 individuals dedicated to design, development, construction and operations is consistently recognized among the most revered employers in Latin America. In 2015, Grupo Vidanta ranked as the No. 1 hospitality brand to work for in Mexico, according to the Great Place to Work Institute. It continually reinvests into its properties and surrounding tourism infrastructure, ensuring that its more than 200,000 members receive a world-class product and service when they vacation year after year.

Philanthropy is at the forefront of Vidanta’s many successful endeavors. The company operates two foundations to enrich the lives of Latin Americans including Fundación Vidanta, which helps promote culture and fight poverty through financial grants to individuals and organizations, and Fundación Delia Morán, created to promote education in Nayarit.

To learn more, visit grupovidanta.com.