I recently took my 6th trip to Cabo San Lucas and thought it would be a good idea to make a comprehensive guide. This guide will feature several parts.
As one of the safest cities in Mexico, Cabo San Lucas has seen an increase in tourism and is a hotspot for young people during spring break. The area is developing well and many resorts and golf courses are springing up! With low airfares and amazing beaches, Cabo San Lucas is becoming a vacation destination for many.
Here is what I have written so far towards this guide:
Part 1: Getting to Cabo San Lucas
Part 2: Transportation and Getting Around
Lodging in Cabo San Lucas is plentiful. Most major chains have invested substantial amounts into this city due the the security and amount of land available. In this post, i’ll be talking about three different type of lodging that are available.
Hotels in Cabo San Lucas
There are a lot of hotels in Cabo San Lucas and most are on the beach. As I stated before, most hotels are on the same road (The Corridor) that leads into Downtown Cabo San Lucas. The prices of the hotels vary in cost but there are only a few that are in Downtown. I recommend to stay outside of Downtown and shuttle/taxi in every day as you will have more space to relax and because the resorts are usually larger. If you need to stay near Downtown, your best bet is to stay at a hotel on Medano Beach. This beach is where everyone comes to do water sports and it is also where most of the tour boats leave from.
Apart from Medano Beach, you can go farther out and stay at major chain hotels like Sheraton Los Cabos, Westin Los Cabos, Hyatt Place and Hilton. Most of these hotels are very close to each other and are about 20 minutes away from Downtown.
I recently had the opportunity to stay at the Hyatt Place in Los Cabos for one night. The rates at this hotel are extremely low and it is an overall spectacular property. I managed to snag a King Room for $67/night and got upgraded to a King View Room with my Diamond Status. Breakfast was included for all guests staying at the hotel and was served buffet style. It was actually a great spread and was very surprising for a Hyatt Place. The Hyatt Place is a category 2 hotel as well so it is 4,000 points & $55 per night if rates are ever high.
The rooms were very spacious and my restroom was almost as big as the room. The views were also awesome but I assume that was because of the room upgrade. The one thing about this hotel was that it seemed very empty when it came to decor. A lot of the hotel was very hospital like and the elevator area was pure white and bland.
This hotel is a solid choice for people who want to vacation with family. It is a solid choice for layovers (Think: US Airways Award) or just about anyone else who is looking for a nice place to stay without paying a premium.
Timeshares
Many people cringe at the word but Timeshares are very valuable if you know how to use them. Most Timeshares in Cabo operate as Hotels or All Inclusives but i’ve heard that prices for 7 days in one can be anywhere from $1,500 – $15,000. On my first trip to Cabo, we booked a 5 Star Timeshare hotel named Grand Regina through booking.com. I did a ton of research beforehand and found out that the Timeshare was attached to the Westin Cabo and that I would also be able to earn Starwood points for it! When we arrived, it felt just like a normal hotel and all the amenities were available.
We booked a 2 Bedroom Suite due to the fact that there were 10 people. It was a layout of a large apartment with all major appliances and even a washer/dryer combo. The room also had an outdoor Jacuzzi as well.
The property was stunning and the different pools on location were equally beautiful with views of the beach. The staff were very friendly and the hotel even offered a 20% discount on all food/drink from the Westin restaurants.
Our cost for the Suite was around $539/night and was worth every penny in my opinion. The one complaint I have about this hotel is something that cannot really be controlled and that is the ocean current. It is extremely strong and can really pull you into the ocean easily. There are a bunch of warning signs posted but some people still didn’t really understand and managed to get swept away for a while! They made it back though eventually.
I personally recommend that you book through a website instead of going through a Timeshare company. It’s better to book these rooms knowing that the dates you want will be available versus buying a Timeshare with limited dates. Timeshares are recommended for groups of 6 or more as they have more space and are built with that purpose sometimes.
All Inclusive Resorts
All Inclusive hotels are the most popular choice amongst people who come to Cabo. They are also the most expensive option and can become even more expensive if traveling with family. Most chain hotels don’t allow points reservations for All Inclusive hotels but I know that the newly opened Hyatt Ziva is 20,000 points per night for two people. Normally, the rates are $300-$400/night so that can be a great value!
On my 3rd trip to Cabo, I stayed at the Melia Cabo Real All Inclusive hotel. The rate was $380/night for 3 people. It’s tough to put two people in the booking and show up with 3 as they actually count people who stay and give out wristbands to wear for the duration of the stay. Usually kids under 5 stay for free but it varies with hotels.
The Melia was a great hotel situated right next to the Hilton Los Cabos. It is a 5 star hotel and has it’s own private beach and swim-up bar pool. We took advantage of every benefit on our 2 night stay including making reservations at included fine dining restaurants on the property.
There were a few restaurants that offered everything from Italian, Japanese and American. In addition to the restaurants, there were walk up Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner restaurants. Alcohol was also included but I don’t drink. That is probably why I wasn’t on the floor like this random guy we walked past at the hotel bar.
The rooms were pretty standard but I didn’t complain much as most of the time, we spent out on the beach or hotel grounds.
Overall, the food and service were great! We were thoroughly pleased with the selection of different cuisines and thought our money was well spent. There are a ton of All Inclusives in Cabo and if you are willing to pay a small premium over regular hotels, it might be a good idea. Keep in mind that a lot of these resorts are the only things on the Corridor so outside restaurants and bars are hard to come by unless you go to Downtown. You might even end up spending more than you would at a regular hotel with room service rather than an All Inclusive.
Unfortunately, I didn’t take many pictures of this hotel as I never took my phone out for fear of getting it wet.
Now that you know all of the different types of lodging, take a look at some prices and determine which best suits you.
Major Chain Hotels & Cost in Points Per Night
- Starwood
- Westin Los Cabos – 10,000 Points or 5,000 & $75
- Sheraton Los Cabos – 10,000 Points or 5,000 & $75
- Hyatt
- Hyatt Ziva (All Inclusive) – 20,000 Points and No C&P Available
- Hyatt Place – 8,000 Points or 4,000 & $55
- Hilton
- IHG Hotels
Make sure to stay tuned as i’ll be talking about Activities and Local Hotspots in Cabo San Lucas next!
