This month (July 2019) my husband and I were able to venture back to Cabo (lucky us!) We were just here in April visiting Pedregal in Cabo San Lucas. This trip we decided to venture to the “other” Cabo, San Jose del Cabo and stay at One & Only Palmilla. San Jose del Cabo is a quieter town without the bar scene like Cabo San Lucas. It is also a much older city (about 250 years older) than Cabo San Lucas. It is definitely more of an adult scene vs a party scene with more art stores than bars. If you are looking to relax and unwind, this may be the Cabo for you.
Day 1: Arrival
When you arrive at the Cabo Airport your chauffeured SUV will be awaiting your arrival outside the airport. The minute you step into the SUV it is first class all the way. When we climbed into the SUV they had water, snacks and a place to plug in your phone. The drive to One & Only was very relaxing and comfortable and took us about 20 minutes.
Once we arrived at this luscious resort (which looks more like Hawaii than Mexico) we were greeted with an entourage of staff handing us water, popsicle treats and hand towels. They scooped up our luggage and one of the staff members escorted us around property for a quick tour before going to reception to check in. This property is HUGE with tons of staff everywhere. At reception, we were supposed to get an upgrade, but his was not available. Bummer! Once we completed our check in we were then escorted to our room and shown around. Luggage was then delivered, and our butler introduced herself. Yes, these rooms come with butler service. Since we were starving (it is now 2pm and we haven’t had lunch) we excused ourselves and she said she would unpack out luggage. Now that makes for a relaxing start!
Note: This resort has A LOT of staff so bring a lot of tipping money. We always tip in the currency of the country we are in. Make sure to get small bills when you get pesos for easier tipping.
We had lunch on property at Agua. This restaurant is where the family pool is located. We sat at a perfect table with amazing views of the ocean and snacked on margaritas, quesadillas and nachos. It is Mexico after all. After lunch we did a little exploring and headed back to our room to get ready for dinner that night. Note: The butler will make all of your reservations.
For our first night we usually stay on property. We headed over to Seared, which is their steak house on property. This restaurant is nice, but the views aren’t as great as we would have liked. It is more of an indoor restaurant. They do have some seating on the deck, but they sat us inside. We ordered a couple of drinks, filet mignon, mac and cheese, and a Caesar salad. The food was delicious, so I would recommend this restaurant if you are in the mood for a good steak. They do have other items on the menu, but it is a steakhouse. We don’t eat a lot of red meat, but when we do it better be good (and worth it!)
When we returned to the room after dinner we walked into the same room we left…no turn down (gasp!) No turn down service? What?!? We promptly alerted our butler and the front desk. Apparently, someone “forgot”. Not a great start One & Only, BUT we will move forward. Mistakes happen…even at a 5-star resorts. Until tomorrow…
Day 2:
The next morning, we both woke up to sore backs. The beds are huge, and they are firm (we like our softer for sure.) We called over to our butler and asked if they could put something on top to make it softer. They said a foam topper would help so we agreed (let’s hope it works.) What better way to work the kinks out then head to the gym! For us the gym and spa were a stone’s throw away from our room/building. The gym is spa like and has all the necessary equipment one would find in a small gym. They also offer spa water, lemongrass infused cold towels for after your workout, bottled water, and bands if you so desire. The staff is incredibly helpful and happy! After the gym, it is time for breakfast!
Our package came with daily breakfast. We chose to eat our breakfast in our room on our amazing deck overlooking the ocean. We did this every day of our stay. Breakfast is served within 5 minutes of whatever time you request. They are never late! So, make sure whatever time you choose is the time you really want! The breakfast is yummy, and they do a great job setting it up.
After breakfast we decided we were going to spend the day at a cabana on Pelican Beach. This is the resorts beach. They have private cabanas, so you have to get there early to make sure you reserve one. It is first come first serve (and no the butler can’t reserve one for you…we tried.) We chose the Star Fish Cabana. They all have an ocean picture on the front, so you know which one you are in (the all look alike.) These cabanas are perfect! They keep you out of the sun and they all have ceiling fans to keep you cool. Ice water buckets with water and hydration spray are delivered to your cabana frequently. You also have a flag that you toss into the sand when you need something (how nice is that!) It’s pretty plush J Lunch in the cabana is awesome and the bartender makes great drinks! If sitting around in the cabana gets you a little bored, no problem! You can take a paddle board, sea kayak, snorkels or surfboard out. All of the equipment is right there and is complimentary (again don’t forget to tip!) My husband and I chose the sea kayak. The waves are a little big so be careful!
After an amazing day at the beach, it is time to get ready for dinner! Snacks are always brought to the room at 5pm and you get to choose from a few options. Three cards are set around your room daily. One card is for your snack choice, one is for your aromatherapy choice (during turndown), and the last one is for breakfast if you choose to have it in the room. It’s a lot to think about!
After returning to the hotel from our dinner stop, we decided to check out the One & Only Lounge on the property for night cap. The lounge has amazing views of the ocean and you can also see the fireworks from there. Fireworks happen on the weekends. We closed out the evening there. Back to the room and yes, we had turn down this time. Thank you One & Only!
Day 3:
On Day 3 we are already half way through our trip! How did that happen? We usually start each day off with the gym, so I won’t bore you with those details. After our gym visit we headed back to the room to get ready to head out to Flora Farms for brunch. I love brunch!
So, what does one do after thoroughly stuffing themselves? You guessed it…it’s time for a massage! I love going to the spa. It something I try not to miss at any resort we go to. The spa at One & Only is very small, but well equipped. There is a sauna, steam, two pools (cold and hot and both outside), as well as indoor and outdoor showers. There is also a small relaxing pool in the co-ed section. The outdoor area of the spa is incredibly relaxing and beautiful. They burn incense all over this resort so everywhere smells like the spa. After dabbling with all of the options the spa had to offer, it was time for our massage. The massage we chose was called the Mindful Massage. This massage is 90 minutes and its entire focus is all about relaxing. This massage is now one of my top two favorite massage I have ever had (and I massage a lot!) My husband and I left that massage feeling like jello…oh so relaxed! I would highly recommend this incredible (yet very pricey) massage.
After our massage it is time to head back to the room to get ready for dinner. It’s sushi night! One of my favorite dinners! We had heard really good things about Nick San’s sushi restaurant, which for us was just across the freeway from our hotel. The hotel has a shuttle that goes from one side of the resort to the other so that makes it easy and convenient. Nick San’s did not disappoint! This sushi restaurant had incredible food, and a full bar. We ordered numerous sushi rolls and all of them were amazing. If you love sushi, then this is a must stop!
After sushi it was time to hit the hay. It was a grueling day of brunch and massage!
Day 4:
Day 4 is that day where you have finally settled into your hotel room and usually know the resort well. We are now experts with the resort and know where all the winding pathways lead to. We watch the newbies walk in, and say to one another, “ah honey remember when we first got here?” Like it has been months or even years! It’s another gym and pool day. It’s hard to pass us the pool when it is super gorgeous outside. Before the pool we hit the on-site church. This is pretty cool. We aren’t religious or anything, but this is one cool little church and it’s right on property. The hotel was created in the 1950s as a luxury spot for the son of Mexico’s president ,and the church was built shortly thereafter so definitely check it out! The church seats about 40 people and is a popular wedding spot.
After visiting the church, we head to the pool to do a lot of nothing After hanging out at the pool we decide we are going to venture out to another resort to have a drink before dinner.
Day 5:
Ahhh, our final full day in Cabo. The last day always has a sense of ready to go home and not wanting to leave all wrapped up into one. On this day we decided we were going to spend it lounging by the pool. We were blessed with another gorgeous day! While lounging away, our slumber was interrupted by a spa staff member. She wanted to know if we would indulge in a complimentary foot massage for 10 minutes. Are you kidding me? YES! She walked us over to the palapa (an outdoor spa hut like thing), and we sat in super comfy chairs while we had the best foot massages of our lives! First a quick foot scrub followed by amazing foot massage. Holy guacamole can this get any better?! Although it was complimentary, tips are always appreciated.
After doing pretty much nothing at the pool, we packed it up mid afternoon to head to the room and get ready for dinner.
Day 6: Departure
The last day is always a sad one Our checkout process was a breeze and back to the airport we went. We enjoyed this amazing property with its lush surrounding, beautiful beach, quaint spa and relaxing smell (the incense is everywhere!)
We will miss you Cabo, but we will be back!
THE LOW DOWN:
I give this resort a 4.7 out of 5 stars. This hotel is a five star hotel, however they did miss a few things so it is hard to give them a full five stars. Mind you, this is still an amazing hotel and below are a couple of items that they missed (if we want to be picky.) When you are paying these high end hotel prices, you tend to be a bit more picky!
Bed – way too firm/hard (five star beds should feel luxurious)
Butler service was mediocre (we had to remind our butler to do things that we had already asked her to do)
Turn down – this was completely missed the first day
Coffee – they forgot to replace our coffee in the room a couple of times
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