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Cabo Resort Options

dioxide45

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We have never been to Cabo. We are considering a visit in October of this year and there seems to be a fair number of non AI options that we can trade in to with II. We could always go to the Westin Los Cabos, but we have a studio and 1BR deposit in II to use, so we would rather use either of those than to use our SOs for a week. We may add on a few nights at the Westin with SOs before or after but would probably spend the week at another property with an II trade.

Trust me, I know about the risks of Cabo in October, but it really is the only time with my work schedule that will work this year. It will just be the two of us. So a 1BR or a studio will work.

We are considering either Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa or Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas. The latter seems to be very new and no reviews on TUG yet where the former seems to be more established. Can anyone provide more insight on either of these properties? We are Cabo newbies. The Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa got some lower reviews that I expected based on what we have read and watched about it online. People complain about the fee for exchangers to use the shuttle to Cabo San Lucas as well as the fee for wifi in the room. Are there any other surprise fees we shoudl know about? Has anyone stayed at Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas yet who can give us any information?
 

VacationForever

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We have been to Cabo and stayed at Grand Solmar at Lands End. Very upscale resort and most rooms face the Pacific Ocean directly. Love the pool, love the service, the restaurant, the room etc etc. I highly recommend the Grand Solmar at Lands End. Conde Nast rates it as one of the top resorts in Mexico.

I have seen Westin Los Cabos in II several times. If you want to go there, why don't you go ahead and add Westin Los Cabos to the search?
 

Helaine

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We are considering either Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa or Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas. The latter seems to be very new and no reviews on TUG yet where the former seems to be more established. Can anyone provide more insight on either of these properties? We are Cabo newbies.

I haven't stayed at Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas yet, but know that it is very far out of town - farther than Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach. It looks beautiful in the model and the pictures and they provide good service at their resorts, but it's going to be a major trek to get into town to eat or just see the town.
 

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I stayed at the Grand Solmar at Lands End when it was newly opened. The rooms and pool are indeed nice. It was the first timeshare stay for my now husband. We were practically the only guests at the time and still remember the pool bartender well. Had a great time. It is important to note that although this resort is on the beach the beach is not swim able.

I have heard the Welk in Cabo is quite nice as well.

Are there any resorts available as an instant exchange? There are so many nice resorts in Cabo maybe locations with in Cabo can help you eliminate a few. Sorry I can't help with the 2 resorts you mentioned.
 

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we love Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach - Totally amazing and is non-AI. Has shuttle to sister properties (rose and Blanco) which are close to downtown for shopping etc... Also PBSB is on a non-swimming beach as most places are. Rose and Blanco have nice beaches if swimming is your thing.

Food amazing, staff terrific, views (wow!!), and nice pools and units. Beach over 4+ miles long all belongs to PBSB so nice for walking hiking, birding, golf (WOW!!) etc...

We love it there and go 2x per year.
 

whitewater

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I stayed at the Grand Solmar at Lands End when it was newly opened. The rooms and pool are indeed nice. It was the first timeshare stay for my now husband. We were practically the only guests at the time and still remember the pool bartender well. Had a great time. It is important to note that although this resort is on the beach the beach is not swim able.

I have heard the Welk in Cabo is quite nice as well.

Are there any resorts available as an instant exchange? There are so many nice resorts in Cabo maybe locations with in Cabo can help you eliminate a few. Sorry I can't help with the 2 resorts you mentioned.
our friends just went to Grand Solmar and loved it. They had nothing but positive to say. nice that you can walk into town from this resort. beach is more crowded b/c of multiple resorts on beach.
 

heathpack

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We stayed at Welk Sirena Del Mar a few years ago. You can walk from the resort to an adjacent public beach in a little tiny cove with swimmable surf. Never more than 10 of us on the beach. We went every day, never made it closer to town than WalMart.

We had an awesome studio room with a full kitchen. It was 1BRish, had a living room space but no door between LR space and sleeping space. AMAZING room perched on a cliff over the Pacific Ocean. Small resort, not elaborate. Gym, restaurant, pool, beach chairs to borrow. But we’d stay there again for sure.
 

klpca

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We have never been to Cabo. We are considering a visit in October of this year and there seems to be a fair number of non AI options that we can trade in to with II. We could always go to the Westin Los Cabos, but we have a studio and 1BR deposit in II to use, so we would rather use either of those than to use our SOs for a week. We may add on a few nights at the Westin with SOs before or after but would probably spend the week at another property with an II trade.

Trust me, I know about the risks of Cabo in October, but it really is the only time with my work schedule that will work this year. It will just be the two of us. So a 1BR or a studio will work.

We are considering either Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa or Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas. The latter seems to be very new and no reviews on TUG yet where the former seems to be more established. Can anyone provide more insight on either of these properties? We are Cabo newbies. The Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa got some lower reviews that I expected based on what we have read and watched about it online. People complain about the fee for exchangers to use the shuttle to Cabo San Lucas as well as the fee for wifi in the room. Are there any other surprise fees we shoudl know about? Has anyone stayed at Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas yet who can give us any information?
For a first trip I would say neither just because they are so far out of town. We have stayed at PBSB, Hacienda Encantada, Grand Solmar (definite favorite) Villa del Palmar, and Club Cascadas (next favorite). We like being able to walk into town or grab a quick taxi, and being able to swim off of Medano beach. October isn't high season so an ongoing search should get you something else if you want to wait a bit. If not, both are nice resorts, just kind of far outside of town which isn't an issue at all if you want to spend most of your time at the resort, or if being on the shuttle schedule doesn't bother you. (I don't do well with a schedule on vacation, lol). There is a Solmar group on facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/53028081646/ where I have been seeing lots of folks posting about GS Rancho San Lucas. I haven't been paying much attention honestly, but for the most part it seems to be the normal growing pains of a new resort, but folks like it. HE was ok, but it felt even more remote than PBSB to us. Lots of people there did the AI and stayed on site so it almost reminded me of a cruise because you saw the same people every day (which was fun for us). The quiet pool at HE was beautifully placed on a cliff over the ocean and we pretty much spent the entire week there. Food choices were limited. After we were there (2016) they opened a new building but began construction on a new one. There are a lot more rooms with no views now so as an exchanger, I wouldn't expect a view at all.

Personally, if it were me, I would put in an OGS for Grand Solmar. I assume that you are just using II? Because if you are, that rules out PBSB or Welk (which has recently switched to RCI).
 

geist1223

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When most people say Cabo they are talking about Cabo San Lucas. Don't forget about San Jose del Cabo. There are numerous Resorts you could trade into in San Jose del Cabo. We prefer San Jose del Cabo - quieter, less crowded, lots to do, few to no cruise ship passengers, etc. It is true that to do snorkeling trips, Sunset Dinner Cruises, etc you will have to travel to Cabo San Lucas. But they will pick you up and transport you back.

Take a look at Cabo Azul, Coral Baja, etc.

I know you said October is your only option. The weather will be in the mid 90's to low 100's and humid.
 

PamMo

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October is a fantastic month for fishing in Cabo, so even if you don't fish, it's fascinating to watch all the activity in the marina! The multi-million dollar Bisbee fishing tournaments are held in the mid-to- end of the month, and it's fun to see the fishing yachts and charters head out in the morning and come back in at the end of the day. It's SERIOUS fishing!

I like being able to walk around town, and not rely on taxis or driving a rental car and trying to find parking. I'm somewhat partial to Grand Solmar at Land's End, due to the location at the end of Solmar Beach and their great service and amenities (we own multiple weeks there). We've loved watching the waves roll in off the Pacific Ocean for 15+ years on Solmar Beach, even before Grand Solmar was built.

Trading through Interval, I'd recommend Grand Solmar at Land's End, Casa Dorada on Medano Beach (not the other Casa Doradas), or Villa del Arco (and maybe Villa del Palmar). The Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas will be a beautiful resort when it's finished, but it is still in the early building stages and a l-o-n-g way north from town. It would be OK if you want to hang out at the resort, and don't need a lot of activities onsite to keep you happy.

The Westin properties in the corridor are nice, but you will need a car, taxi (not cheap), or local bus (a fun adventure) to get to San Jose or San Lucas for restaurants and sightseeing. If you buy tours, that won't be a real issue because they will pick you up at your resort. The Westin Los Cabos Resort is the hotel converted to new timeshares, the Westin Baja Point villas were purpose built fractionals and more like a townhome. We've stayed there and enjoyed it, but don't like being dependent on a car.

San Jose is a great town with some wonderful restaurants and shopping. Grand Mayan is a nice resort that trades in Interval, but they've just started a $30pp per day resort fee, which is very steep for essentially nothing extra - $60/day for a couple to use the internet and pools??? I've heard good things about Cabo Azul.
 
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Karen G

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I've heard good things about Cabo Azul.
We loved Cabo Azul in San Jose del Cabo. It's an easy walk to town, there are numerous restaurants within walking distance and very good ones on site as well, and the pool is phenomenal. I don't know if it trades with II or RCI as we rented from an owner.

If you did decide to stay in San Jose, you could always take the bus to Cabo San Lucas one day, walk around in the marina, and spend time on Medano Beach to get a feel for that area. The Office is a fun place to eat/drink with your toes in the sand. The bus ride would also allow you to see the resorts along the corridor and the ocean scenery.

When you're doing your research keep in mind that Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas and Grand Solmar at Land's End are two very different locations with latter being close to downtown and the former being way out of town.

If you end up choosing a resort closer to Cabo San Lucas for a week and decide to extend your stay with a few nights at the Westin, you could more easily explore San Jose from the Westin location so save San Jose for that part of your trip.
 

dioxide45

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Thanks everyone for the suggestions. It looks like Grand Solmar at Land's End isn't available for our dates. I also determined that we could book the same units at Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa through getaway for a little over $300. So if we do go for that property, I think we will just get a getaway as an exchange fee is $199. Does anyone know what fall inventory is like for last minute getaways or exchange. Given the hurricane potential, we are considering perhaps booking something very last minute if the weather looks good.

Personally, if it were me, I would put in an OGS for Grand Solmar. I assume that you are just using II? Because if you are, that rules out PBSB or Welk (which has recently switched to RCI).
Thanks for letting me know that. I was wondering why I couldn't find either of these in my II searches.
 

dioxide45

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It looks like the Westin Los Cabos is probably out. They only have 2BR units available with StarOptions and we just don't want to spend >60K SOs for only four nights. So we may look at two weeks using getaways. Perhaps two different properties. It looks like Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa is in the corridor, though closer to Cabo San Lucas. We are then considering Villa Del Palmar Cabo for the second week, though we would only use at most four nights.
 
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buzglyd

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Check Trading Places Hot Deals. They usually have Cabo San Lucas inventory fairly cheap. Membership is free.
 

easyrider

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It looks like the Westin Los Cabos is probably out. They only have 2BR units available with StarOptions and we just don't want to spend >60K SOs for only four nights. So we may look at two weeks using getaways. Perhaps two different properties. It looks like Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa is in the corridor, though closer to Cabo San Lucas. We are then considering Villa Del Palmar Cabo for the second week, though we would only use at most four nights.


Villa del Arco and Villa del Palmar are available for split weeks to owners. Maybe you could just get the four nights you want renting them from an owner.

Bill
 

buzglyd

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October is slow season in the area (except for the Bisbee Marlin Tournament) and you should be able to book something cheaply using Benjamin Franklin Exchange (BFX) as well.
 

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It looks like the Westin Los Cabos is probably out. They only have 2BR units available with StarOptions and we just don't want to spend >60K SOs for only four nights. So we may look at two weeks using getaways. Perhaps two different properties. It looks like Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa is in the corridor, though closer to Cabo San Lucas. We are then considering Villa Del Palmar Cabo for the second week, though we would only use at most four nights.
Are you unable to use on-going search / request because it is ePlus? Otherwise it is a good chance you will get matched to Grand Solmar at Lands End or even Westin Los Cabos.
 

klpca

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It looks like the Westin Los Cabos is probably out. They only have 2BR units available with StarOptions and we just don't want to spend >60K SOs for only four nights. So we may look at two weeks using getaways. Perhaps two different properties. It looks like Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa is in the corridor, though closer to Cabo San Lucas. We are then considering Villa Del Palmar Cabo for the second week, though we would only use at most four nights.
I liked the location at Villa del Palmar although our rooms definitely had a musty smell. Btw, if there are getaways, I thought that the studio that we had was fine and a good value. Our friends stayed in a one bedroom and the bedroom faced into the interior hall, so it was dark and there was some noise intrusion. It's been a few years, but I think that our studio had a sofa, plus the bed, plus table and chairs on the balcony. It was one studio that I would have not problem staying in again. But Grand Solmar (Lands End) is so much better.
 

dioxide45

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Are you unable to use on-going search / request because it is ePlus? Otherwise it is a good chance you will get matched to Grand Solmar at Lands End or even Westin Los Cabos.
We aren't tied to a retrade or Eplus, so we can put in an OGS for Grand Solmar at Lands End or even Westin Los Cabos. In face, Westin Los Cabos is out there for one of the dates we are looking at, but again only 2BR units so we would have to at least pay a $59 upgrade fee but more likely two to upgrade from a studio. This being on top of the $199 exchange fee. Looking at that, we are already at the getaway pricing of Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa. We will look in to Grand Solmar at Lands End since it seems to be getting the most praise so far. We may consider an OGS for that and then a cheap getaway for the second week somewhere in the corridor. Perhaps even Hacienda Encantada.
 

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There are some II Platinum Escapes right now for ridiculously low prices (less than trading fee) at the beginning of the month.
 

dioxide45

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There are some II Platinum Escapes right now for ridiculously low prices (less than trading fee) at the beginning of the month.
I did check out the Platinum Escapes, but unfortunately they are only good for checkins through September. So they won't work for our checkin date. Also only available at Villa del Palmar. Which we would be good with for only $107, but it doesn't look like it will work.
 
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easyrider

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bankr63

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San Jose is a great town with some wonderful restaurants and shopping. Grand Mayan is a nice resort that trades in Interval, but they've just started a $30pp per day resort fee, which is very steep for essentially nothing extra - $60/day for a couple to use the internet and pools??? I've heard good things about Cabo Azul.

Whoa! Thanks for the heads up! We have an OGS in RCI right now for a couple of resorts in San Jose including GM, and had not noticed this added fee; there were no fees (well valet parking for the rental car) last time we were there. And gee, for $60/per night for 2 of us, we can hook up one whole device to the internet. Thanks Vidanta! Off the search list now. THAT could have been an expensive mistake! Appreciate you saving my wallet!!

ETA: Just checked my other choices, and another one now has up MX800p/nt fee. Leaves me with 2 left. Expanding my search to Vallarta I think. Haven't been in 25 years, but liked it when I was last there. Don't much like CaboSL - too many drunks and stupid young people for my taste.
 

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We had a marvelous stay at Club Cascadas de Baja, our "room" had it's own jacuzzi, and was "huge" for a timeshare at over 2,000 sq ft. It was a Mexican feel type place, not a USA resort in Mexico. I would go back. Wonderful area.
 
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bankr63

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Expanding my search to Vallarta I think. Haven't been in 25 years, but liked it when I was last there. Don't much like CaboSL - too many drunks and stupid young people for my taste.


LOL - eating a bit of crow. We were reevaluating our options today, and reconsidered CSL as well SJC. Ended up booking at PB Sunset for March 2019. Reviews seemed pretty glowing, here and elsewhere, so we'll just have to put up with crazies when we go into town.
 
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