CostaBaja Resort & Spa
One of the two pools at CostaBaja Resort & Spa reflects a brilliant La Paz sunset.



 

With a mazor renovation to one resort and a new family-oriented hotel on the way, Mexico’s CostaBaja may soon help nearby La Paz emerge from the shadow of its neighbor to the south, Los Cabos. Travel Agent recently sat down with representatives of this growing resort community and learned some essential information to help you sell it to your clients.

CostaBaja was built to high environmental standards on 550 acres coastal land with such amenities as a hotel, 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, marina, and a marina village that has shops, galleries and restaurants.

Mexico’s first‐ever Gary Player signature golf course opened in November, and CostaBaja Resort & Marina reopened in the end of 2010 after a nearly 10-month-long renovation worth $9 million. The resort community will soon have a second hotel.

CostaBaja Residences consist of beachfront and hillside homes that overlook the Sea of Cortez. There is a rental pool, in which several homes are commissionable for agents. Home-owners enjoy membership of the exclusive, luxe CostaBaja Beach Club.

Couples-Oriented Resort

The 115-room CostaBaja Resort & Spa brings five-star luxury to La Paz. The hotel has two pools, a beach club, the golf course and the Marina Costa-Baja. Rooms afford ocean, mountain, golf course or marina views and feature 42-inch flat-screen TVs, glass-enclosed showers and dark mahogany finishes; 24-hour room service is available.

About La Paz

The Manuel Marquez de Leon International Airport (LAP) is serviced by Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines and AeroMexico. CostaBaja Resort & Marina is seven miles from the airport. Some noteworthy attractions in La Paz are the Anthropology and History Museum, Gray Whale Museum, Catedral Nuestra Señora de La Paz, City Theater and Art Gallery, Juárez Theater and the House for Culture. This is a destination for your clients who are keen on art, religion and culture. We recommend pitching it to seasoned Mexico travelers looking for a little something more than just fun in the sun.

The property boasts a 2,477-square-foot ballroom for corporate retreats and other functions. This facility can also be divided into three smaller venues.

Following the recent renovation, the resort has officially opened two new luxury amenities on property: Espiritu Spa at CostaBaja—the first spa in La Paz—and a new restaurant, Steinbeck’s Steakhouse. The spa has nine treatment rooms, including a couples’ room, and uses natural, organic products from Pevonia Botanica. Steinbeck’s serves such delicacies as grain-fed steaks from a wood-fired grill. The restaurant takes its name from author John Steinbeck, much of whose novel The Pearl is set in La Paz. The new Marina Bar seats guests indoors and out, serving light fare and cocktails with ocean views.

La Paz affords opportunities for boating, snorkeling, fishing, kayaking and other outdoor pursuits, and CostaBaja Resort organizes daily excursions to Espiritu Santo and other attractions on the nearby islands.

Agents should contact General Manager Jorge Herrán ([email protected]; +52 612 123 6005) for more information.

New Family Hotel

We learned last month that the construction for a second hotel at CostaBaja may begin as early as next year. Alejandro C. Yberri, director general/CEO of the resort community, said a developer would be announced within the next 60 days. Whereas CostaBaja Resort & Marina catered primarily to couples, Yberri said that initial plans for the new hotel were for a roughly 150-room family-oriented resort.

“When the economic crisis first hit Mexico and all the violence started, we were really the only company that continued developing in both 2009 and 2010,” Yberri told Travel Agent, referring to the first and second phases of the project. “And we are not done.”

The Marina

Marina CostaBaja has 250 slips from 30 to 200 feet. Built‐in pump-out stations with TV and Internet access are available at each dock, along with 24‐hour security and a complete suite of exclusive Total Boat Care services from a team of nautical pros.

The marina is known for its calm waters, sandy anchorages, average winds of 10‐15 knots and 340‐plus days of sunshine per year. The surrounding waterfront sidewalk winds through a charming village of restaurants, galleries, excursion companies and shops. It is the perfect spot for clients to enjoy breakfast, lunch, or unwind with cocktails, a gourmet dinner and the occasional live music performance.


Protecting the Environment

Land development at CostaBaja has, at its core, a mission to protect the ecosystem and it has been done in clusters around the natural vegetation and original topography. In fact, CostaBaja was recently awarded the Certificate of Environmental Excellence by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency in Mexico (PROFEPA) for its green practices throughout the community.