Trip report: Los Cabos, Mexico
Thought I’d share a travel hacking/points based trip report for Mexico.
Travel party of 8: Myself and husband, 43, our younger kids, 7 and 11, known as “the lils” and our older kids, 23 and 20 and their long-time boyfriend/girlfriends.
No pre-departure COVID testing is required for Mexico. We are all vaccinated, except 7 and 11 YOs. For my peace of mind, I administered BinaxNOW at home COVID tests (Sam’s Club curbside pickup 2/$19.88) on the kids the day before departure. This helped me feel more secure that it would be unlikely that they would test positive while in Mexico and that we would have to quarantine there.
I always buy trip medical insurance through insuremytrip and did this for our travel party of 8 ($117 total). $250,000 primary medical insurance pp and $1M med evac, + more coverage. My husband and niece were once hospitalized in Mexico and during our hospital stay we met many American and Canadian families without insurance coverage who were facing bills in the tens of thousands of dollars. Over the years, I’ve filed 3 claims with various travel insurance companies and it is ALWAYS a hassle, but I’ve always been glad to have the coverage.
So this trip was a backup trip in case our Cayman Island trip got cancelled (maybe the fourth time will be the charm?). I booked flights on Southwest using points/companion pass and used the SW open window and their re-accomodation practices to get these flights for $482 (though we used points). Cash cost would have been $482 for flights that were actually costing $1100 (I would never have paid $1100).
We had one connection in Denver and had our very FIRST EVER lounge experience at the Centurion Lounge. Both husband and I used our Amex plats and brought in 2 guests each. My son and his gf had something come up and shifted their flights to the next day. My son shares the same name as hubby, so they also enjoyed the Centurion lounge the next day (We have multiple Amex plats so that’s how I’ll morally justify this gray area). We got there right at 7am opening time and there was a line, but it moved quickly and there was no wait to enter. We really, really didn’t know what we were missing with the lounge experience until now. As this lounge overlooks the airport, my daughter joked, “Look at those suckas down there crowded into regular airport seats.” Seriously, the peace we enjoyed really made travel day a lot better. I’ve never gotten through the airport without spending big dollars- it was so nice to have our only cost be the gratuity we left.
Transportation. We used insideloscabos for roundtrip private airport transportation for $140. Everywhere else we used Uber. Because of the seating limitations with COVID, that meant 3 ubers when we all went to the same place, but it was actually really great. Several times, part of our group would go early and part would stay later, so the multiple Ubers were really an advantage. And uber cheap (pun intended). I would estimate our Uber costs for 5 days at about $300, and a car rental for our size party would have been $1100, so the cost savings and lack of rental car/parking hassle was really worth it. I also bought Uber gcs in advance and earned points and rewards. Resorts in Cabo don’t allow Uber to pickup inside the gates (though drop-off is allowed), but it was a very short walk within the resort to get just out of the gated area- it was easy peasy. Total transportation cost=
$440
Accommodations. We stayed at Hilton Los Cabos Beach and Golf resort in the corridor, about equal distance between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo (15 mins to either city). We had two standard oceanview rooms and booked one on points and one on cash. Using Hilton’s 5th points night free, one room cost 280k points. Points were earned either through SUBS or transfer from MR during a 40% transfer bonus. The second room we paid with cash because by playing with our dates a bit, we were able to score the room for $1727 ($345/nt including taxes and fees). We put the four young adults in the points room so we wouldn’t have to pay any additional extra adult charges. As reported on flyertalk, this Hilton is rather stingy with the upgrades. But one room had a great pool and oceanview, while another room had an okay oceanview and a view of a water runoff ditch.
This was our first hotel stay with the gf/bf and I wasn’t sure how the one hotel room for the four of them would work out. Since we are paying for the resort stay, I figure you might as well maximize the room. I think it worked out as best as it could- one couple would be at the pool while the other couple might be in the room or out and about. But, I do think bringing the gf/bf reduced the time my son and daughter spent together, but they spent lots of time with the lils. On the flip side, it’s really special to see our big family grow and take these adventures together.
We really like the Hilton. It had multiple infinity pools and always great pool chair availability. The pool never felt crowded and poolside service was always good. The resort is located on one of the very few swimmable beaches in Cabo, but it was red flags every day, so we never swam in the ocean. The resort size was perfect- not too large and very easy to get around. Multiple dining options ranging from poolside, poolside restaurant, Italian and authentic Mexican.
For six days, our food and beverage spend was $1163. We have Hilton Diamond status through the Hilton Aspire card and that gave us two continental breakfasts per room. You can upgrade to their full hot breakfast buffet for $11. The servers never charged us for the kids- which was very kind. EVERYTHING at the buffet was served to you- which might slow things down a bit, but in my opinion, that’s how every buffet should operate for sanitary reasons, forever (remember that Mexican hospitalization experience I mentioned earlier?). We’d typically have a light lunch poolside and then dinner off the resort.
So, this trip was all about relaxation and great food. We specifically didn’t plan any excursions and just enjoyed our time at the pool and beach and then had absolutely fabulous dining experiences. This is only our third time to Cabo, as we typically visit Tulum/Riviera Maya/Cancun annually. We love Cabo’s desert meets the sea beauty, but have been really awed by the amazing dining experiences.
Dining experiences.
We made reservations in advance, almost all through opentable. In Cabo, everyone we encountered wore at least one, often two masks, diligently. We didn’t observe any spacing restrictions at tables.
Flora Farm’s, outside San Jose del Cabo -Father’s Day Brunch. We spent three hours here at this farm to table restaurant. Flora Farm is a lush farm oasis in the middle of the desert. While you dine, the kids play within sight in their grassy areas, playing bag toss and yard Jenga. Live music plays while fans blow and misters cool you. Farm dogs sit at your feet while you enjoy their hand-crafted cocktails and brunch served family style. As you wander the grounds, you’ll find mango and lime trees, and rows and rows of fresh crops growing. Drying herbs hang nearby and fresh herbs and produce are available for purchase. Meander into their retail boutiques or feed the ducks and turtles at the pond. Total= $359
Hacienda Cocina y Cantina, Cabo San Lucas. This is one of our favorite repeat restaurants in Cabo, with views of Land’s End (the tip of the Baja). We enjoyed live musicians singing contemporary hits. Service is exceptional and the food is outstanding. If you go, you must try a Molcajete for two. Their fresh fish is perfectly seared, especially the seabass and salmon. For dessert, enjoy the most delicious churros served with caramel and chocolate sauces, or the artisan ice cream. Total= $363
Los Tres Gallos (The Three Roosters), San Jose del Cabo. Located in the gallery district, surrounded by boutiques, art galleries, paleta (fresh frozen fruit “popsicles”) and souvenir shops, this was our first time dining at Los Tres Gallos. We were seated in their courtyard, with traditional brightly colored paper decorations hanging overhead (papel picado). Local musicians played in the courtyard and tableside. Authentic upscale Mexican cuisine is served. We enjoyed cocktails and appetizers of flaky chips, spicy salsas and guacamole. Dinner selections ranged from fresh fish, to steak filets to traditional Mexican fare. We skipped dessert. Our group rated this as their number one food choice. Total= $272
El Farallon, Waldof Astoria, Pedregal, Cabo San Lucas- Farewell Dinner. This resort is carved into the cliffside at the tip of the Baja, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. Your journey begins as you are driven through a 1,000 footlong tunnel carved straight through the mountainside. You’re then escorted through the stunning Waldorf Astoria grounds to your cliffside dining location. Waves crash below as you watch fish jump and in the winter, whales breach. El Farallon serves a four course meal and the service is impeccable. For our party of 8, no less than 3 servers would bring and clear each course, simultaneously. This is a signature, memorable experience. This is the kind of experience often reserved for a romantic dinner or proposal, but like us, we saw many large families, or milestone birthday celebrations. As you would expect, it gets gusty and waves crash and spray. Your hosts at El Farallon will bring you a Mexican poncho to warm you, as you enjoy the experience. The menu changes daily and consists mainly of fresh seafood. Total= $667.
Departure. US requires a negative covid test for re-entry. We opted to do this two days prior to departure right at the Hilton resort. Our party of 8 took about 20 total minutes to test and result. The tests were lined up and numbered, and our group just took turns getting swabbed. No record of the order we were swabbed in occurred. While I am skeptical of this process, it met the criteria for US re-entry. Total= $240 ($30/pp).
We enjoyed the VIP Lounge in Terminal 2 as we departed SJD utilizing Priority Pass through Amex Plat. Again, very relaxing and decent food and beverage options, served individually. Service was on the slow side, but we had plenty of time. The airport was chaotic and the airport food lines were insane, so we were glad to have this option.
There were many departure delays on our way home, as well as an accidental apple incident at customs (sadly, not our first), which made for a long day.
We had a very, very relaxing, do-nothing trip, which is very unusual for us. The young adults did some ATVing and water excursions, but we were happy to just enjoy relaxation and our dining experiences. All in, our cash cost was about $5600 for our party of 8, which was applied either to Hilton Biz or CSP MSRs.
. Container Stores is very expensive and they had so much out of stock. Will probably never buy there again. Home Depot outfitted my son's bathroom towel fixtures and still trying to figure out a $50 for Best Buy. I got a food processor for the first $50.
