Westin Los Cabos mini-review

[daviator]

We are here at the Westin Los Cabos this week – been here since 9/22 and we go home on Sunday 10/1 – and I thought I'd post a little mini-review. This is a property we've been wanting to visit since it reopened as part of Vistana, but the stars hadn't aligned to do so until now.

There are two parts to this property, the main Westin Los Cabos and the adjacent Baja Point. They sort of operate as one property, but they are booked separately and it can be a little confusing to know what you've got. The room types are different, but you should pay attention when you book if you're hoping for one property or the other. The confirmation emails and online reservations may show contradictory information after booking (ours did.). There were three of us traveling and so I reserved a two bedroom premium villa, which turned out to be in the main resort and not in Baja Point. I was initially disappointed (the two bedroom villas in Baja Point are much larger) but we were actually quite happy with the 2 br Premium. It was centrally located in the property and it was easy to get to everything, including to Baja Point (we used the facilities there a couple of times, and had a great meal there at El Ciruelo, which I'll say more about later.)

Baja Point is a terraced property, and getting from the top, where the lobby and entrance is, to the bottom, where the main pools and (for now) restaurants are requires three separate elevator rides or a whole lot of stair climbing. Both properties are architectural marvels and are not initially simple to navigate but you figure it out in a couple of days. The main Westin Los Cabos is visually stunning but is a maze of curving ramps, stairways, and curving buildings. There is quite a bit of walking here no matter where on the property you are staying, and I think that might be an important consideration when planning to visit. If you're bothered by walking or have problems with stairs or ramps, this might be the wrong destination for you. The property does seem to be fully wheelchair accessible.

I would go out on a limb and say this is the nicest Vistana property I've visited, though it has some strong competition from Lagunamar and WSJ. That's partly because of the nicely appointed rooms and the well-appointed and kept property, and partly a result of the really superb service you receive everywhere on the property. To be blunt, labor is cheaper in Mexico, and so properties here can afford more and sometimes better staff. The employees here really seem to care and are genuinely eager to be of service. That's not always the case back home, I'm sorry to say.

There are a whole bunch of pools (7?) between the two properties, with an adults-only pool at both properties with swim-up bars. Food and drink service is available at all of them. Speaking of food, it's pretty good. Prices are not cheap – figure on U.S. pricing, essentially – but it helps that Vistana (and, I assume, MVC) owners receive 20% off all food and drink. Don't forget to tell them you're an owner if they forget to reflect it on the bill. There's also a sports bar, a couple of casual restaurants, and a high-end restaurant, El Ciruelo, which is at Baja Point. The kitchen of El Ciruelo is currently being renovated, so it's temporarily relocated to an event space down near the main Baja Point pool on the lowest level. We ate there tonight and were really surprised at how good it was... I'd call it a 4.5 star experience, with generous portions of inventive and well-presented dishes. I don't believe I've experienced a restaurant this good on site at a Vistana property before. I was even surprised to be impressed by some excellent Mexican wine which they serve. It's not an inexpensive restaurant, but with the owner's discount it was cheaper than an equivalent-quality meal would have been in the U.S.

Late September is the end of the low reason here, and now I know why; it's been uncomfortably hot and humid, though the last couple of days have been a little better. I'd come back here in a heartbeat, but I would probably do it between November and April or so. It would be more enjoyable with a little less heat during the day and more cooling off at night. But the A/C in the room works great and we are completely comfortable inside. By the way, I didn't mention that our room has a hot tub on the balcony, as do many of the two and three bedroom units here. We used it one evening but it was really just too hot to be a great experience. I think it'd be a lot more enjoyable at a better time of year.

We did not rent a car, and next time we come I will probably do so for at least a couple of days so we can check out some further-out places like La Paz. But Uber worked great for trips into San Jose and Cabo San Lucas, it was reasonable and we never had to wait more than a minute or two for a car. We used Los Cabos Airport Shuttle for the airport transportation and they were great too. One thing I'd recommend against – I pre-ordered some groceries from Walmart using their website, I thought it would make it quick and easy to pick them up on the way from the airport. I wouldn't do that again, their order pickup process is really broken and I was really nervous I wasn't going to get the groceries I'd paid for. I finally did but I would just have the driver stop at a local supermarket and do our own shopping the next time. (Most of the shuttle services will give up a 30 minute grocery stop for a small extra charge.)

All in all this has been a great trip and we will definitely be back, just not during the hot months.

 

[iowaguy09]

We are here at the Westin Los Cabos this week – been here since 9/22 and we go home on Sunday 10/1 – and I thought I'd post a little mini-review. This is a property we've been wanting to visit since it reopened as part of Vistana, but the stars hadn't aligned to do so until now.

There are two parts to this property, the main Westin Los Cabos and the adjacent Baja Point. They sort of operate as one property, but they are booked separately and it can be a little confusing to know what you've got. The room types are different, but you should pay attention when you book if you're hoping for one property or the other. The confirmation emails and online reservations may show contradictory information after booking (ours did.). There were three of us traveling and so I reserved a two bedroom premium villa, which turned out to be in the main resort and not in Baja Point. I was initially disappointed (the two bedroom villas in Baja Point are much larger) but we were actually quite happy with the 2 br Premium. It was centrally located in the property and it was easy to get to everything, including to Baja Point (we used the facilities there a couple of times, and had a great meal there at El Ciruelo, which I'll say more about later.)

Baja Point is a terraced property, and getting from the top, where the lobby and entrance is, to the bottom, where the main pools and (for now) restaurants are requires three separate elevator rides or a whole lot of stair climbing. Both properties are architectural marvels and are not initially simple to navigate but you figure it out in a couple of days. The main Westin Los Cabos is visually stunning but is a maze of curving ramps, stairways, and curving buildings. There is quite a bit of walking here no matter where on the property you are staying, and I think that might be an important consideration when planning to visit. If you're bothered by walking or have problems with stairs or ramps, this might be the wrong destination for you. The property does seem to be fully wheelchair accessible.

I would go out on a limb and say this is the nicest Vistana property I've visited, though it has some strong competition from Lagunamar and WSJ. That's partly because of the nicely appointed rooms and the well-appointed and kept property, and partly a result of the really superb service you receive everywhere on the property. To be blunt, labor is cheaper in Mexico, and so properties here can afford more and sometimes better staff. The employees here really seem to care and are genuinely eager to be of service. That's not always the case back home, I'm sorry to say.

There are a whole bunch of pools (7?) between the two properties, with an adults-only pool at both properties with swim-up bars. Food and drink service is available at all of them. Speaking of food, it's pretty good. Prices are not cheap – figure on U.S. pricing, essentially – but it helps that Vistana (and, I assume, MVC) owners receive 20% off all food and drink. Don't forget to tell them you're an owner if they forget to reflect it on the bill. There's also a sports bar, a couple of casual restaurants, and a high-end restaurant, El Ciruelo, which is at Baja Point. The kitchen of El Ciruelo is currently being renovated, so it's temporarily relocated to an event space down near the main Baja Point pool on the lowest level. We ate there tonight and were really surprised at how good it was... I'd call it a 4.5 star experience, with generous portions of inventive and well-presented dishes. I don't believe I've experienced a restaurant this good on site at a Vistana property before. I was even surprised to be impressed by some excellent Mexican wine which they serve. It's not an inexpensive restaurant, but with the owner's discount it was cheaper than an equivalent-quality meal would have been in the U.S.

Late September is the end of the low reason here, and now I know why; it's been uncomfortably hot and humid, though the last couple of days have been a little better. I'd come back here in a heartbeat, but I would probably do it between November and April or so. It would be more enjoyable with a little less heat during the day and more cooling off at night. But the A/C in the room works great and we are completely comfortable inside. By the way, I didn't mention that our room has a hot tub on the balcony, as do many of the two and three bedroom units here. We used it one evening but it was really just too hot to be a great experience. I think it'd be a lot more enjoyable at a better time of year.

We did not rent a car, and next time we come I will probably do so for at least a couple of days so we can check out some further-out places like La Paz. But Uber worked great for trips into San Jose and Cabo San Lucas, it was reasonable and we never had to wait more than a minute or two for a car. We used Los Cabos Airport Shuttle for the airport transportation and they were great too. One thing I'd recommend against – I pre-ordered some groceries from Walmart using their website, I thought it would make it quick and easy to pick them up on the way from the airport. I wouldn't do that again, their order pickup process is really broken and I was really nervous I wasn't going to get the groceries I'd paid for. I finally did but I would just have the driver stop at a local supermarket and do our own shopping the next time. (Most of the shuttle services will give up a 30 minute grocery stop for a small extra charge.)

All in all this has been a great trip and we will definitely be back, just not during the hot months.

Great review, thank you daviator! We had a week at Baja Point Oct 15-24 in 2020, and it was fantastic as you describe in spite of limited amenities and Ciruelo being closed at the time. We had a similar experience with the temperatures even in late October, but still manageable. We echo your last paragraph about transportation. We did not rent, used a reputable airport shuttle company, and relied heavily on Uber (and activity shuttles) with no issues. But would consider a couple of days car rental to explore further out at our convenience. Also strongly recommend using Uber to go grocery shopping rather than try and do it with the airport shuttle. That is too rushed unless you know exactly what you are getting and are familiar with the store.

One small anecdote, we both had a 2-day stomach bug a couple of days in. One full day was just us sitting on the balcony, overlooking that ocean, feeling lousy, drinking ginger ale, only nibbling on an ordered in margherita pizza all day long, and reading our books. One of the best vacation memories we have and we still look back and laugh about it. (Full disclosure, we did buy an emergency medical travel insurance for the trip, but did not need it).

 

[Eric B]

We are here at the Westin Los Cabos this week – been here since 9/22 and we go home on Sunday 10/1 – and I thought I'd post a little mini-review. This is a property we've been wanting to visit since it reopened as part of Vistana, but the stars hadn't aligned to do so until now.

There are two parts to this property, the main Westin Los Cabos and the adjacent Baja Point. They sort of operate as one property, but they are booked separately and it can be a little confusing to know what you've got. The room types are different, but you should pay attention when you book if you're hoping for one property or the other. The confirmation emails and online reservations may show contradictory information after booking (ours did.). There were three of us traveling and so I reserved a two bedroom premium villa, which turned out to be in the main resort and not in Baja Point. I was initially disappointed (the two bedroom villas in Baja Point are much larger) but we were actually quite happy with the 2 br Premium. It was centrally located in the property and it was easy to get to everything, including to Baja Point (we used the facilities there a couple of times, and had a great meal there at El Ciruelo, which I'll say more about later.)

Baja Point is a terraced property, and getting from the top, where the lobby and entrance is, to the bottom, where the main pools and (for now) restaurants are requires three separate elevator rides or a whole lot of stair climbing. Both properties are architectural marvels and are not initially simple to navigate but you figure it out in a couple of days. The main Westin Los Cabos is visually stunning but is a maze of curving ramps, stairways, and curving buildings. There is quite a bit of walking here no matter where on the property you are staying, and I think that might be an important consideration when planning to visit. If you're bothered by walking or have problems with stairs or ramps, this might be the wrong destination for you. The property does seem to be fully wheelchair accessible.

I would go out on a limb and say this is the nicest Vistana property I've visited, though it has some strong competition from Lagunamar and WSJ. That's partly because of the nicely appointed rooms and the well-appointed and kept property, and partly a result of the really superb service you receive everywhere on the property. To be blunt, labor is cheaper in Mexico, and so properties here can afford more and sometimes better staff. The employees here really seem to care and are genuinely eager to be of service. That's not always the case back home, I'm sorry to say.

There are a whole bunch of pools (7?) between the two properties, with an adults-only pool at both properties with swim-up bars. Food and drink service is available at all of them. Speaking of food, it's pretty good. Prices are not cheap – figure on U.S. pricing, essentially – but it helps that Vistana (and, I assume, MVC) owners receive 20% off all food and drink. Don't forget to tell them you're an owner if they forget to reflect it on the bill. There's also a sports bar, a couple of casual restaurants, and a high-end restaurant, El Ciruelo, which is at Baja Point. The kitchen of El Ciruelo is currently being renovated, so it's temporarily relocated to an event space down near the main Baja Point pool on the lowest level. We ate there tonight and were really surprised at how good it was... I'd call it a 4.5 star experience, with generous portions of inventive and well-presented dishes. I don't believe I've experienced a restaurant this good on site at a Vistana property before. I was even surprised to be impressed by some excellent Mexican wine which they serve. It's not an inexpensive restaurant, but with the owner's discount it was cheaper than an equivalent-quality meal would have been in the U.S.

Late September is the end of the low reason here, and now I know why; it's been uncomfortably hot and humid, though the last couple of days have been a little better. I'd come back here in a heartbeat, but I would probably do it between November and April or so. It would be more enjoyable with a little less heat during the day and more cooling off at night. But the A/C in the room works great and we are completely comfortable inside. By the way, I didn't mention that our room has a hot tub on the balcony, as do many of the two and three bedroom units here. We used it one evening but it was really just too hot to be a great experience. I think it'd be a lot more enjoyable at a better time of year.

We did not rent a car, and next time we come I will probably do so for at least a couple of days so we can check out some further-out places like La Paz. But Uber worked great for trips into San Jose and Cabo San Lucas, it was reasonable and we never had to wait more than a minute or two for a car. We used Los Cabos Airport Shuttle for the airport transportation and they were great too. One thing I'd recommend against – I pre-ordered some groceries from Walmart using their website, I thought it would make it quick and easy to pick them up on the way from the airport. I wouldn't do that again, their order pickup process is really broken and I was really nervous I wasn't going to get the groceries I'd paid for. I finally did but I would just have the driver stop at a local supermarket and do our own shopping the next time. (Most of the shuttle services will give up a 30 minute grocery stop for a small extra charge.)

All in all this has been a great trip and we will definitely be back, just not during the hot months.

If you can swing it tonight, make reservations for The Rooftop at The Cape, just outside of CSL, for when they open around sunset. Great view of the arch at sunset and a nice cocktail bar. Fairly decent small plates that can make a dinner if you aren't too hungry. We try to make it down there each time we go to Los Cabos.

 

[daviator]

Great review, thank you daviator! We had a week at Baja Point Oct 15-24 in 2020, and it was fantastic as you describe in spite of limited amenities and Ciruelo being closed at the time. We had a similar experience with the temperatures even in late October, but still manageable. We echo your last paragraph about transportation. We did not rent, used a reputable airport shuttle company, and relied heavily on Uber (and activity shuttles) with no issues. But would consider a couple of days car rental to explore further out at our convenience. Also strongly recommend using Uber to go grocery shopping rather than try and do it with the airport shuttle. That is too rushed unless you know exactly what you are getting and are familiar with the store.

One small anecdote, we both had a 2-day stomach bug a couple of days in. One full day was just us sitting on the balcony, overlooking that ocean, feeling lousy, drinking ginger ale, only nibbling on an ordered in margherita pizza all day long, and reading our books. One of the best vacation memories we have and we still look back and laugh about it. (Full disclosure, we did buy an emergency medical travel insurance for the trip, but did not need it).

I should have noted that we went to Costco on our second day and bought a case of water, and we used bottled water for drinking, making coffee, etc. I didn’t worry about ice, etc. but from what I’ve read, the water distribution system is very old and has lots of issues, the water quality is rated something like 30 out of 100. So we tried to avoid consuming too much of it and stuck to bottled. That isn’t to say that the water will definitely make you sick, but it might, and maybe that’s what happened to you.

i agree that a 30 minute shopping stop is too short, which is why I thought I was a genius to order groceries ahead. Unfortunately that became really stressful once I got to the store and their pickup operation was broken! Next time I’d either rent a car or just take an Uber to and from the supermarket. There is a big supermarket just five minutes down the road toward San Jose.

I think we spent a lot less using Uber than we’d have spent on a rental car, and we didn’t have to worry about having a margarita or two at dinner. We also didn’t have to worry about parking or damage to a car. I think Uber is the best choice unless you want to go to more distant points than SJdC or CSL.

 

[MarineBlue]

Agree with your review. We had a private pick-up from the airport with a stop at the grocery store. A bit tricky trying to read some labels and finding the wines we liked but otherwise very easy and so convenient. We, too, didn't rent a car and used Uber which was also easy. I might add to the review that the ocean is NOT swimmable in front of the Westin (rocky, and strong waves); I don't know about the beach past Baja Point. So families might reconsider this location if their idea of a beach vacation is playing in the ocean.

 

[daviator]

Agree with your review. We had a private pick-up from the airport with a stop at the grocery store. A bit tricky trying to read some labels and finding the wines we liked but otherwise very easy and so convenient. We, too, didn't rent a car and used Uber which was also easy. I might add to the review that the ocean is NOT swimmable in front of the Westin (rocky, and strong waves); I don't know about the beach past Baja Point. So families might reconsider this location if their idea of a beach vacation is playing in the ocean.

Agreed. There is a lifeguard whose job mainly seems to be warning people not to go into the water. I suppose that’s easier than saving people from their stupidity!

There are a lot of visible rocks and undoubtedly lots under the surface too, I think you’d be sorry if you tried to swim here. Looks like a fairly steep drop off too, which means a strong undertow.

 

[daviator]

Agree with your review. We had a private pick-up from the airport with a stop at the grocery store. A bit tricky trying to read some labels and finding the wines we liked but otherwise very easy and so convenient. We, too, didn't rent a car and used Uber which was also easy. I might add to the review that the ocean is NOT swimmable in front of the Westin (rocky, and strong waves); I don't know about the beach past Baja Point. So families might reconsider this location if their idea of a beach vacation is playing in the ocean.

I thought I’d post a funny anecdote since you mentioned wine. We (well, I, mostly) enjoy good wine, mostly red, but I don’t enjoy bad or mediocre wine and will pour it out over drinking it. So on my online grocery order, I spent an inordinate amount of time looking at the wines they had and specifically choosing a couple of bottles which were highly-rated on a wine review site I trust. They were not cheap but not crazy expensive, both were in the $25-30 (USD) range.

When we picked up the groceries, which was a big debacle, they had apparently not been able to find the wines I had selected and instead provided three (instead of two) bottles of unknown quality. Given the limited time I just accepted what they’d picked out. Two were Mexican wines and one was Spanish. It turned out that one of the Mexican wines was decent, the other was quite good, and the Spanish wine was not “undrinkable” but was not, in my view, worth drinking and I ended up pouring it out. I learned on this trip that there are some really good Mexican wines and there’s probably no need to splurge on imports so long as you choose carefully.

 

[jabak5]

Agree with most of your review. We didn’t rent a car only used Uber which work out great. Fresko Market (spelling?) a short ride away had everything you’d need.
Regarding your comment on staff, I agree. Staff was absolutely incredible. However, I don’t believe it is because labor is cheaper in Mexico. I believe the staffing is incredible because the workers appreciate their jobs and realize the importance of hard work and hospitality. I believe it is just the culture, Warm and caring.

 

[Red elephant]

Agree with most of your review. We didn’t rent a car only used Uber which work out great. Fresko Market (spelling?) a short ride away had everything you’d need.
Regarding your comment on staff, I agree. Staff was absolutely incredible. However, I don’t believe it is because labor is cheaper in Mexico. I believe the staffing is incredible because the workers appreciate their jobs and realize the importance of hard work and hospitality. I believe it is just the culture, Warm and caring.

My experience in visiting Mexico is that hospitality is cultural.

 

[daviator]

My experience in visiting Mexico is that hospitality is cultural.

Yes, I agree that the difference is cultural, but I think they also have more staff and people have the time and are encouraged to be helpful rather than just doing the minimum.

As an example, there are easily 4x the number of staff members around the pools (taking food and drink orders, helping with chairs and towels, promoting activities, etc.) compared to any of the U.S. locations. Of course, it’s probably also easier to find people who appreciate their job and want to work compared to the U.S., and that’s perhaps more cultural than economic.

There are lots of things to like about Mexican people and their culture.

 

[Troyrissa]

I love Westin Los Cabos. I have never rented a car previously but next time I will. Although Uber is easy I had a problem this last trip where I left my phone in the Uber. I could not get anyone at Uber to assist after at least a dozen attempts at contacting their help line. It’s all by text and I was asked the same questions but never connected to anyone to actually help. All I wanted was for them to contact the driver to see if he had the phone. I kept being told the line I contacted was for within the US only but never connected to anyone who could help me in Mexico.

I know Uber doesn’t take responsibility for lost phones but it raised a bigger issue of safety for me. What if I had a more serious problem from a Uber trip? There did not appear to be anyway to get assistance because I was outside of the US. That is not acceptable to me so I will avoid Uber when outside of the US.

 

[pammex]

Great review. We will be in Cabo in just under two weeks. Hoping Uber is cheaper than taxi's there. Have transport booked to and from airport. Not staying at Westin but Playa Grande.

 

[daviator]

Great review. We will be in Cabo in just under two weeks. Hoping Uber is cheaper than taxi's there. Have transport booked to and from airport. Not staying at Westin but Playa Grande.

I am NOT an Uber fan and refuse to use them in the U.S., but I have to say, we had great experiences with at least a dozen Uber rides to and from the Westin. We never had to wait more than two minutes (usually less) and the prices were reasonable. Cars were clean and drivers friendly or, at worst, not unfriendly. Not all spoke English but that's an area where technology helps a lot, since your destination is already dialed in when you order the ride and they know exactly where to take you.

We used Los Cabos Airport Shuttle for the airport round-trip, but next time I'd be tempted to use Uber for that too, if there are only two of us traveling. For a larger group a shuttle with a big SUV makes things much more comfortable.

I had heard that, a few years ago, there were big issues between the taxi union and the Uber drivers, but that seems to have all dissipated.

 

[buzglyd]

I am NOT an Uber fan and refuse to use them in the U.S., but I have to say, we had great experiences with at least a dozen Uber rides to and from the Westin. We never had to wait more than two minutes (usually less) and the prices were reasonable. Cars were clean and drivers friendly or, at worst, not unfriendly. Not all spoke English but that's an area where technology helps a lot, since your destination is already dialed in when you order the ride and they know exactly where to take you.

We used Los Cabos Airport Shuttle for the airport round-trip, but next time I'd be tempted to use Uber for that too, if there are only two of us traveling. For a larger group a shuttle with a big SUV makes things much more comfortable.

I had heard that, a few years ago, there were big issues between the taxi union and the Uber drivers, but that seems to have all dissipated.

I still don't think Uber is allowed to pick up at the airport. They can drop you off but not pick up.

 

[daviator]

I still don't think Uber is allowed to pick up at the airport. They can drop you off but not pick up.

Oh that's good information, and it makes sense. I stand corrected.

Although it's definitely more expensive, it's kind of nice to arrive in sweaty Cabo and have a nice, already-cool car and driver waiting for you. But I definitely think it's worth the effort to make those arrangements in advance rather than just taking a taxi that will probably cost just as much.

 

[buzglyd]

Oh that's good information, and it makes sense. I stand corrected.

Although it's definitely more expensive, it's kind of nice to arrive in sweaty Cabo and have a nice, already-cool car and driver waiting for you. But I definitely think it's worth the effort to make those arrangements in advance rather than just taking a taxi that will probably cost just as much.

The nice Suburban with the cooler of Coronitas is always the way to go.

 

[HedonisticEpicurean]

there are easily 4x the number of staff members around the pools (taking food and drink orders, helping with chairs and towels, promoting activities, etc.) compared to any of the U.S. locations. _Daviator

I appreciate this thread as I'm finally going back this Sunday to Cabo for the first time since the start of Covid. Cabo is definitely a magical place with great weather, beautiful sunsets, great hotels, awesome staff, challenging golf courses, and (the best part for me) low humidity. I absolutely love sunshine and low humidity. Thanks for the helpful tips!

I agree that Mexican hotel staff, and those throughout Central America (heck Asia included) are often friendlier and more attentive. Since I'm on the BI of Hawaii today the comment above reminded me of the Hotel Union strike in 2018 over here. Anyone remember being on Oahu during that strike? It was an ugly 51 days +! I didn't enjoy visiting. It was awkward.

In 2018 the housekeepers settled for a salary of over $20/hour. with yearly increases To the hotel that meant $20+unemployment tax+social security+health insurance (required in Hawaii if an employee works over 20 hours)+disability insurance+a few more fees. I hear that unemployment fees have gone up significantly on all islands to cover the Maui fire victims. Rule of thumb here is that a housekeeper costs the hotel over $34/hour. In Mexico, the same housekeeper makes only $5.5/hour and very small additional expenses or government taxes paid by the company. While I would certainly not want to live on either income, it is easy to see why a Mexican resort can have 4X or 5X more staff without hurting the bottom line. It sure is nice to have a bunch of happy people glad to welcome paying tourists. But, are Mexico's low wages right? Probably not. Should we feel ashamed as tourists? Probably not. Sometimes, while I love vacationing or working remotely here in Hawaii, I often feel more like an imposition to some (not all) staff. In Mexico I have always felt more invited and welcomed.

I have to wonder which employees are happier and more content?

 

[daviator]

I appreciate this thread as I'm finally going back this Sunday to Cabo for the first time since the start of Covid. Cabo is definitely a magical place with great weather, beautiful sunsets, great hotels, awesome staff, challenging golf courses, and (the best part for me) low humidity. I absolutely love sunshine and low humidity. Thanks for the helpful tips!

Low humidity? I'm glad to hear that that's normally the case, but it was very humid when we were there last week. I hope you have better luck. It probably wasn't as humid as Hawaii, but it was much hotter than Hawaii normally gets so the humidity definitely made it worse. Although we had a great time, I don't think I'd go in the "hot and humid" season again.

I agree that Mexican hotel staff, and those throughout Central America (heck Asia included) are often friendlier and more attentive. Since I'm on the BI of Hawaii today the comment above reminded me of the Hotel Union strike in 2018 over here. Anyone remember being on Oahu during that strike? It was an ugly 51 days +! I didn't enjoy visiting. It was awkward.

In 2018 the housekeepers settled for a salary of over $20/hour. with yearly increases To the hotel that meant $20+unemployment tax+social security+health insurance (required in Hawaii if an employee works over 20 hours)+disability insurance+a few more fees. I hear that unemployment fees have gone up significantly on all islands to cover the Maui fire victims. Rule of thumb here is that a housekeeper costs the hotel over $34/hour. In Mexico, the same housekeeper makes only $5.5/hour and very small additional expenses or government taxes paid by the company. While I would certainly not want to live on either income, it is easy to see why a Mexican resort can have 4X or 5X more staff without hurting the bottom line. It sure is nice to have a bunch of happy people glad to welcome paying tourists. But, are Mexico's low wages right? Probably not. Should we feel ashamed as tourists? Probably not. Sometimes, while I love vacationing or working remotely here in Hawaii, I often feel more like an imposition to some (not all) staff. In Mexico I have always felt more invited and welcomed.

I think it's always a fallacy to compare salaries in two completely different economies. It sounds shocking to say that housekeepers in Mexico are only making US $5.50 per hour, but they're not living in the U.S. and paying U.S. prices. The comparison is fairly meaningless, I think, although some high-end goods cost about the same in both economies. I'm not suggesting that Mexican housekeepers are adequately paid or that they don't deserve more, just that looking at what they're paid and translating that into another country's currency isn't that meaningful.

I have to wonder which employees are happier and more content?

If there is one thing I've learned in life, it's that happiness and contentment don't come from money. They come from intangible things like family and friends, fulfilling work that makes you feel you're making a contribution in some way, gratitude, taking pleasure in the accomplishments of others, taking pride in the quality of what you do, even service to others. Often those with the most money have the least amount of real happiness because they focus on the wrong things. I think our American consumer culture is too focused on money and thus we are less happy.

That's not to say that money is incompatible with happiness or that it's necessarily wrong to pursue it, but those who think that money is going to bring them happiness almost always find that to be untrue. Happiness comes from within, and I think there are many cultures who understand that better than we do.

 

[byeloe]

Grocery prices seem about the same so salary comparisons are valid IMO

 

[justJT]

We are currently finishing up our 7 day stay and wanted to add to this review.

Airport transport: You can call or email the concierge and ask them to set up transport. It was $160 round trip, which was good for us as we were a party of 5. You pay for it when you get here. If you decide to go to owners meeting, the transportation can be one of the gifts you can choose. We opted for points. Uber was our go to for everything else, but as a party of 5, always had to get the bigger cars, which of course is more expensive. There are a lot of Uber drivers, so never had to wait long.

For any pickleball fans, they have added 4 courts to their tennis courts and have racquets and balls to use. We found many fans out on the courts, so we spent many mornings playing with new friends. On Thursdays from 9 to 11, they have a tournament, which you can get a prize for placing! A definite highlight of our trip.

There are a few places that have 2 for 1 happy hour. Margaritas bar by family pool is from 12 to 1, and owners pool at Baja Point is from 12 to 1 and 4 to 5.

As for our room (2 bedroom), we had hoped for a place at Baja Point. When we reserved, it was only 6 months out and our reservations said Baja Point, but the description of the room after reservation was the smaller space in main hotel. We had 2 balconies, both with ocean views, but no jacuzzi on ours. The size of the kitchen is the equivalent of a studio. There was no counter space to prep.
Nearest grocery store is Fresko, which had everything, including fresh breads, tortillas, ceviche bar etc. If you have a car, going to Walmart or Costco may be worth it, but heard from others Costco pricing was high.

Owners meeting was its normal thing, walked away from any deals they offered. Our person did say that StarOptions are going to be discontinued very soon (for new purchase).

Cabo is a beautiful place. The location is beautiful, but isolating if you desire to go out and explore. It is also very expensive in comparison to the other resorts we have visited. They will take US dollars, so don't worry about exchanging. Also they don't like taking American Express at most places. If a vendor does, they add a 3% surcharge.

One last thing: please note there is a Mexican tourist fee for any stay 8 days or longer. It was approximately $40 US per person. We were here Sat to Sat, which was technically 8 days, so had to pay this x5. Next time we will cut this down a day to avoid this fee. Not worth the cost unless staying longer than a week.

 

[Ulrichdl]

Also, Coraline (main resort pool restaurant) has happy hour 3-4, same as others, 2 for 1 from a limited drink menu.

 

[Watford]

Also, Coraline (main resort pool restaurant) has happy hour 3-4, same as others, 2 for 1 from a limited drink menu.

We just arrived home after a week at a one bedroom in Baja Point. It is by far the largest one bedroom that we have seen, and it had a hot tub on the balcony overlooking the ocean. The resort was pretty quiet and we stayed over the Baja Point side during the day. Weather on the whole was excellent with little if any humidity. Renovations are underway so when you order food it comes from the hotel side.
We ate in the sports bar which was just ok - nothing special. We also had dinner at El Cireulo which was excellent.
The price of items in the store at the hotel was outrageous - $10 for a loaf of bread!! We went to Fresko - at $5 uber ride where you can buy anything at very reasonable prices.
No swimming in the ocean and after looking at the beach you could see it's not a very clever idea.
Uber rides are well priced and we never waited more than 1-2 minutes. You can get a ride from the Lobby at Baja Point to the Uber pickup location.

 

[Watford]

We just arrived home after a week at a one bedroom in Baja Point. It is by far the largest one bedroom that we have seen, and it had a hot tub on the balcony overlooking the ocean. The resort was pretty quiet and we stayed over the Baja Point side during the day. Weather on the whole was excellent with little if any humidity. Renovations are underway so when you order food it comes from the hotel side.
We ate in the sports bar which was just ok - nothing special. We also had dinner at El Cireulo which was excellent.
The price of items in the store at the hotel was outrageous - $10 for a loaf of bread!! We went to Fresko - at $5 uber ride where you can buy anything at very reasonable prices.
No swimming in the ocean and after looking at the beach you could see it's not a very clever idea.
Uber rides are well priced and we never waited more than 1-2 minutes. You can get a ride from the Lobby at Baja Point to the Uber pickup location.

I forgot to add … the $80 ride from the airport increased to $95 on June 1. Expensive as we paid $35 in an Uber for the 30 minute drive.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

I will be staying there next winter in a studio and look forward it. My only concern is that you cannot walk to restaurants. How much is the Uber ride to San Jose del Cabo if you want to visit restaurants or the art walk?

 

[Watford]

I will be staying there next winter in a studio and look forward it. My only concern is that you cannot walk to restaurants. How much is the Uber ride to San Jose del Cabo if you want to visit restaurants or the art walk?

I think it was about $15 each way - Los Cabos about $20