Cabo has been a recent hot spot for travel from the US, especially the West Coast. There has been a recent boom in luxury hotel development in the past 3 years that isn't stopping anytime soon. Competition will be fierce for hotels to compete in filling their beds. There are 6 brand new properties that just opened their doors or opening their doors in the next 6 months; Ritz Carlton Reserve, Nobu Los Cabos, Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos, Vidanta East Cape, Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos and Villa Valencia.
The luxury boutique market is currently strong so we wanted to provide a quick review of recent European Plan properties visited on our trip to Los Cabos.
Chileno Bay is the one of the newer properties having just opened in early 2017. This is also an Auberge Resort and is located on one of Cabo's best swimmable beaches. There are 90 luxurious rooms so its still boutique but perfect size for a group of 40-50 rooms per night. The sprawling zero edge pool was very impressive and luxurious, with many lounge chairs designed into the pool. The holistic spa had outdoor water treatments and pools for relaxation. Bars and restaurants are trendy and welcoming and there are fire pits for gathering around and enjoying cocktails. Overall one of the most impressive properties in the Cabo region. Rating: A.
Las Ventanas al Paraiso, a Rosewood property has 71 rooms and just completed had a recent expansion to add a pool area and residence buildings. Grounds are spacious keeping with a desert feel very similar to the natural surroundings of Las Cabos. The resort is a combination of villas, jr suites and a large number of residential buildings. The 3 and 4 bedroom villas will blow you away and provide both luxury and privacy any guest would appreciate. The new pool area has a lazy river with a cave where they can set up a table for you to dine while in the water. For a small luxury property there is a plenty to keep you busy right on site. Important to note there is not a swimmable beach in this location but you are located right next to the golf course. This was our top choice. Rating: A.
Montage Los Cabos is another new player in the Los Cabos luxury boutique hotel scene that opened in spring 2018 with 122 total rooms in the hotel inventory. The biggest advantage to this property is the swimmable beach in front of the property. The beach is a public beach that gets quite busy but the Montage has exclusive beach chairs and umbrellas for their guests to enjoy along with paddleboards and snorkel gear. The adults only infinity pool and hot tub is impressive and the spa is one of the best in the regions for a small boutique hotel. All guests are provided access to the spa even without services. The room product is consistent with the Montage worldwide and F&B has both casual and more fancy outlets. Rating: A-
One & Only Palmilla was built back in 1957 as one of the original luxury hotels in Los Cabos. In spite of this being an older resort it has been fully renovated and updated while still keeping the original charm. The grounds were spacious gardens of tropical flowers and shrubs but not necessarily indigenous to the area. One side of the resort caters to families and the other side is for adults. There is a swimmable beach on the family side of the resort. There are 172 rooms in total which are beautifully decorated keeping a Mexican, classical theme. There are a variety of restaurants, some casual overlooking the ocean with other indoor more formal options with air conditioning. Don't forget there is also some of the best golf in Cabo located just steps from the property. Rating: A-.
Solaz, A Luxury Collect Resort from the Marriott brand opened just one year ago September 2018 with 125 rooms in their hotel section of the property. The hotel was designed and decorated with a Mexican contemporary theme with regional artwork, private plunge pools, and unobstructed views of the Sea of Cortez. The infinity pools and 10,000 square foot spa are impressive, service is continually improving and their room product is on of the best for the European Plan hotels. There are 3 restaurants located on property at Solaz for dinner and hotel guests have full access to the timeshare portion of the property which adds additional F&B outlets. Overall a great new Marriott addition with amble meetings space. Perfect fit for a small group of 50-60 rooms per night. Rating: A-
The Cape, a Thompson hotel, is one of the larger hotels with 161 rooms and is now part of the Hyatt family. The grounds of this hotel are more compact but the rooftop bar/lounge is a true highlight. The hotel looks out to El Arco de Cabo San Lucas, the famous rock formation so all rooms have an impressive view. The rooms are small but with a more trendy design and they do have a large inventory of one and two bedroom suites. There is great additional rooftop space for large group private functions. The resort has an infinity pool and small spa. Rating: B+.
Esperanza, an Auberge resort is the smallest of the group at only 59 rooms. The rooms were all renovated in 2016 and the room product is impressive, especially the junior suites with plunge pools. For a small property they have a good spa which includes outdoor relaxation and water treatment pools. The restaurant, Cocina Deal Mar is well recognized throughout the region and located on the spectacular cliffs overlooking the ocean. This hotel has a large residence section which provides hotel guests with additional pools and food & beverage outlets. Overall this property is a great option for a complete group buy-out. There are no swimmable beaches on the premises. Rating: B.
Viceroy Los Cabos has recently been fully renovated and is located walking distance to the quaint town of San Jose Del Cabo. This is a very modern, unique architecturally designed hotel. Intended for those looking for a chic, trendy atmosphere. Highlights were the amazing rooftop restaurant & bar. Rooms were small but nicely designed. There was tons of water throughout the resort but their was a lack of functional swimming pool options. Cons were the lack of large swimming pools and alleys with high concrete walls to maneuver around the resort. Rating: B- in comparison to the other 5 star hotels.
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As is standard practice, our group of talented and experienced travel agents will often accept hosted stay invitations and hosted dinners and activities within destination in order to facilitate more detailed reviews.
All images by the author.
