LOS CABOS With great fanfare, the 375-room Hilton Los Cabos Beach
& Golf Resort celebrated its grand opening May 18, shining
brilliantly as the newest star along the booming Los Cabos corridor
that stretches from San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas.
The Hilton Corp. has designed a Mexican flagship property
halfway between the two towns in a dramatic setting. 
This resort is designed to showcase the Sea of Cortes and a
gorgeous horseshoe-shaped bay. The simple, yet elegant architecture
of the Mediterranean and Mexico is expressed in wide corridors,
columns and arches, marble flooring and beamed ceilings. Set on
11.3 acres, all rooms have Sea of Cortes views. The resort has one
of only two swimming areas along the entire corridor, as Los Cabos
is known for a strong undertow and tricky currents.
Built on a bluff, the open-air lobby is designated as the third
floor. A reflective pond in the foyer greets clients and opens to
the lobby bar lounge and a balcony, offering vistas of the
coastline and a swimming cove. The lobby level is home to a
full-service spa, a fitness center, a business center and a
shop.
The casual La Hacienda serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a
Sunday brunch with live music. On the pool level, the Fenicia
restaurant, open for dinner only, features Mediterranean cuisine.
Both eateries have nonsmoking areas, but a big improvement would be
a total nonsmoking policy in the dining areas.
A sandwich shop offers pizza and other goodies. A few steps away
is the Kids Club, where young travelers are pampered while parents
take a break. The six-story property has two swimming pools
including an infinity design in a landscape of palms and
bougainvillea. A sidewalk ramp leads to the beach. Because of the
resort’s design, visitors who use wheelchairs, or whose mobility is
limited, will use elevators, and should be booked on the pool
level.
Advertising Blitz
“Our target audience is widespread,” said General Manager
Cristobal Tortosa, who was very involved during the two-year
construction of the property. Some 50% of the property’s business
originates from the Western United States, because of the greater
airlift. Texas, Arizona and the Pacific Northwest are also viable
markets. Tortosa said Alaska Air and AeroMexico “have been good for
Los Cabos, but we are planning a huge advertising blitz that will
cover North America.”
The resort includes 309 rooms and 66 suites. The smallest room
measures 495 square feet. Suites range from 619 to 4,460 square
feet. Approximately 80% of the rooms are designated nonsmoking.
The 4,460-square-foot presidential suite has a huge terrace, two
bedrooms, a kitchen and three Jacuzzis.
Noted special amenities in all rooms are a private balcony with
a sea view, a 27-inch cable TV, bathrobes and slippers, three
telephones with independent direct lines and high-speed Internet
access with two dataports. Guests can purchase Internet access
cards for $15 a day with unlimited, 24-hour privileges that allow
them to work at the pool or at the beach.
An 11,349-square-foot meeting area features two ballrooms and
eight high-tech breakout rooms.
The Cabo Real and El Dorado golf courses flank the resort.
Nearby is Cabo Real, an 18-hole, par-72, Robert Trent Jones,
Jr.-designed beauty. Five minutes away is El Dorado, an 18-hole,
par-72 course designed by Jack Nicklaus. n
