Los Cabos’ hotel boom continues, on both the traditional and “barefoot” luxury fronts.
Set to open this fall is the beachfront, all-inclusive Le Blanc Spa Resort Los Cabos. The adults-only resort will include a 29,000-square-foot spa, a fitness and wellness center, four plunge pools, seven restaurants and six bars, plus over 14,000 square feet of meeting space.
Suites at Le Blanc Spa Resort Los Cabos will range from 760 to 1,400, square feet. In addition to ocean views and private terraces, they’ll include SMART TV’s with Apple TV, Lavazza coffee makers as well as 24-hour butler and room service.
In branching out with the Le Blanc model that has worked so well in Cancun, Palace Resorts is aware of the competition.
“Los Cabos is home to some unbelievable resorts. But, we’ve already set a certain standard with our ten resorts. Le Blanc Spa Resort Cancun has maintained the number one status from TripAdvisor for six years,” Kathy Halpern, vice president of sales and marketing for Palace Resorts tells Travel Agent.
Still, the goal in coming to Los Cabos is to offer a unique selling position.
“We wanted to present something fresh and new. There is already lots of luxury and high-end appeal to Los Cabos. But, we’re coming in as an all-inclusive, adults-only resort with a focus on spa. That’s the basic difference. Cabo has very high price points compared to Cancun. In terms of service, all guests are considered VIPs here,” said Halpern.
Another selling point agents will recognize is the Palace Resort credit for stays of five or more nights.
“We love having guests on the property. But, we encourage them to take in the local culture, as well. You can go to a beautiful hotel anywhere. Discerning travelers on the LeBlanc level want to experience the entire environment,” said Halpern.
That environment is incorporated into the architectural design and décor of the property.
“Cabo is all about beautiful vistas. And this property is about walking through the lobby and being transformed. It’s about incorporating the landscape and local environment in the design and architecture,” said Halpern.
Rancho San Lucas entrance
In addition to Palace Resorts, Solmar Group is on track to introduce two new properties this December. They’re part of the 834-acre Pacific oceanfront Rancho San Lucas development.
Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas and Grand Solmar the Residences at Rancho San Lucas will join the company’s five existing properties.
Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas will resemble Grand Solmar Land's End Resort and Spa in Cabo San Lucas. Amenities include full kitchens, private terraces and separate seating areas. The property also features a salt water lagoon, a mini salt water park with children’s slides and pools, infinity pools with swim-up bars, a salon and spa, fitness center, two-story fine dining restaurant and a mini market.
The Residences at Rancho San Lucas will offer two, three and four-bedroom Penthouse style suites. Designed for families and groups, the luxury villas offer a private beach, infinity pool and a holistic spa.
Guests of both resorts will enjoy access to the wider offerings of Rancho San Lucas. They include a Mexican-style shopping village, tennis courts, plus trails for hiking and biking. An 18-hole golf course by Greg Norman (his first on Los Cabos’ Pacific side) is slated for a spring 2018 debut.
Acre Rancho San Lucas tree house
The new Rancho San Lucas properties will open on December 18. If your clients are interested in something a little more off the grid, consider Acre. It’s a 25-acre piece of farmland adjacent to San Jose del Cabo. It’s next door to the popular Flora Farm garden and dining venue. Acre is the brainchild of two entrepreneur friends from Vancouver.
“We came here on vacation. Both of us were at a point in our lives where we could start fresh. We liked the proximity to Vancouver and the fact that there are lots of Americans doing business here in Los Cabos,” Acre co-owner Cameron Watt tells Travel Agent.
Acre started out with a restaurant, cocktail bar and event space surrounded by farms. Twelve tree houses are the next phase, set to open in late November 2017.
“We’ve had two seasons with the restaurant and bar. We recently added a swimming pool to develop the grounds more. The tree houses are the next step.
"All the main structures are up. We’re putting in walls and floors after storm season,” Watt tells Travel Agent.
The Acre tree houses are 15 feet off the ground, set within a palm grove. They’re 50 to 70 feet apart. Each includes a terrace, bathroom, closet, shower and queen sized bed. One unit is a double, connected by a suspension bridge.
“In terms of privacy, you can’t see anyone else. You look out at palm fronds. It’s kind of a camping experience in that you’re in the trees and the walls are made of sticks with a curtain that can be drawn. It’s not 100 percent soundproof, but that’s good. You’re out in the wild and it’s nice to hear nature. It’s not the [One&Only] Palmilla, but it’s very tasteful. All the fixtures and linens are really nice,” said Watts.
A tree house stay includes breakfast, yoga, plus an additional class. Options will range from learning how to milk a goat to crafting farm-to-table cocktails.
“We’re creating bit of an alternative holiday for people. There’s enough to do that they can stay here all day. Sleeping in the tree house we see as a one-to-three-night thing. It’s also a good option for the first or last night in Cabo, since we’re pretty close to the airport,” said Watt.
“What we think is that a lot of people aren’t coming to Cabo now because choices are only the big standard resorts. Most destinations have quirky options to stay, and Cabo doesn’t have much of that yet,” he added.
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