The pandemic has caused us all to feel cooped up for well over a year. Getting away as usual has just not been a reality. But recently, as more and more are getting vaccinated, taking a little trip to Los Cabos seemed like a great idea. I decided on Los Cabos as it is an easy flight from Phoenix, but you start in Tucson and connect in Phoenix. For those who have not been to Los Cabos, it is situated at the southern point of Baja California. There is one airport there which serves both Los Cabos and San Jose Los Cabos which is the older more historical city a bit north with lots of Mexican shops, jewelry stores, restaurants and an old cathedral. On the other hand, Los Cabos also has a downtown filled with boats and yachts in the marina, many lively restaurants, some rooftop bars, and lots of party action if that is your style. Dotting the road from the airport, you will pass many fancy, large resorts on the ocean side. They are very spread out and you really need to do a lot of homework to know which one would best fit your needs. Over the years, Cabo has become quite expensive and is definitely a playground for the rich and famous.
September might be a bit risky for Cabo as it is the tail end of the hurricane season. In fact, on our last morning there, hurricane winds popped up out of nowhere as we ate breakfast (luckily indoors) and we watched them rip a tree out of the ground right in front of the window! But the rest of our time there was just gorgeous. The Montage Hotel was a super luxurious choice, but the choices were endless depending on your pocketbook. In fact, several years back there was an old hotel in this very spot, with golf course across the street. They razed the hotel and built the Montage. There are not many Montage Hotels in resort locations but where they are, you can expect the same luxurious style and service (Napa Valley, Laguna Beach, Big Sky, Kapalua Bay, Deer Valley).
From the moment, they met us at the airport and took us to the hotel lobby, we knew we were in good hands. In Mexico, which has been hit hard from COVID-19, all people in tourism work hard to provide super sanitary conditions. Every employee wears a mask, has COVID tests and vaccinations. The lobby was beautiful looking down to the sea, which is almost a cove, and this hotel has one of the few swimmable beaches in Cabo. It is important to understand that while many hotels sit on the gorgeous ocean, many beaches are dangerous for swimming, but this is not the case with Montage. They have a great beach set up with lounges, umbrellas, towels, cold water and constant attendants wanting to be sure every detail is perfect. But for me, what was most lovely were the numerous swimming pool areas. All pools were large and beautifully laid out and attended to, one specifically for families (there were few if any children here as they seemed to be back in school). The others were just so beautiful, such as an enormous infinity pool hanging over the beach area. It was utter pleasure to swim in there! Near the spa (beautifully appointed) and the gym, there was another lovely pool, again set up with lounges, cabanas, attendants, etc.
One of my reasons to choose Montage was based on the room size, almost 1,000-square-feet, with a lovely outside grassy area off our covered patio with comfy couch filled with pillows. It was a pleasure to have coffee out there in the morning, watching the sun rise, and the workers setting up the pools and beach. Weather was perfect. Breakfast was available daily on a pretty terrace. Food was delicious, service so good. They also had several other restaurants for dinner, one, Marea, was outside above the beach. Montage is not “all-inclusive” so be prepared for possible sticker shock! High prices are just part of Cabo. The grounds were impeccable and pristine, nothing was out of place.
Most evenings, we took Uber into Cabo to try out different restaurants and really enjoyed them…Arbol, Ediths, La Lupita (grand selection of tacos and mescal), The Office. We could have chosen to do many beach sports each day, or gone snorkeling, deep-sea fishing or golfed. But we were happy doing nothing and just being attended to. Also, the hotel has two amazing houses for rent on the property which are ideal for groups or a multigenerational family.
The hotel provided our COVID test before returning to the U.S. It was a good feeling to arrive in the airport and know that everyone there didn’t have covid at the moment, and all were wearing masks. It was a comfortable feeling boarding the plane with this reality. Extreme luxury is something everyone should experience in their lifetime! I highly recommend this hotel! Ask me to help book it for you so you can receive special amenities!
Linda Stack is owner of Travelinda, LLC. She can be reached at LLStack9597@gmail.com.
Tim Steller's column: Tucson's biggest homeless camp faces upcoming clear-out
