For Work, Play or Holiday, Cabo San Lucas Is the Perfect Escape
My wife and I love adventure, travel and discovering new places and cultures. Fortunately, we have visited dozens of countries around the globe over the past decade and typically spend our free time planning our next escape. I found myself wondering several times over the past six months if we would ever travel again; it was a constant source of consternation. The decision to travel, once we were able to, did not come easy. We weighed numerous factors, including the flight’s length, availability of direct flights and how safe we would feel once we arrived. Over the years, Mexico has been our most frequent destination. We decided to make Cabo San Lucas the destination for our first vacation since the pandemic began for a few different reasons: the short (two-hour) direct flight, the fact that we had both been learning Spanish and—mostly—our love for the food, culture and people of Mexico. From the moment we landed until the time we left, we knew we had made the right decision. We arrived home feeling safe, rested and ready to plan our next excursion.
We rented a car when we landed and made the 45-minute drive south through the desert to Downtown Cabo San Lucas. We had visited Cabo San Lucas many times before but had never stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, where we would be staying for the next five nights. As we listened to our navigation, we were guided on a series of lefts and rights that took us through the heart of downtown. There were casinos and nightclubs (mostly closed) along with restaurants (mostly open), but nothing we saw looked like the place we would find ourselves at: our magnificent resort.
We arrived at the resort’s gate and saw nothing but a mountain. Where was the hotel? The guard checked his list, found our name and instructed us to drive through the mountain. We drove hundreds of yards through a tunnel that was lit by dozens of chandeliers. It cut straight through the mountain, leaving the city noises behind and transporting us to a side of Cabo we did not know existed. In front of us was 24 acres of beachfront property framed by the Pacific’s beautifully blue waters. We had arrived.
We had booked the Estrella Suite on the fourth floor at Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal. Before we could check-in, we secured our masks, had our temperatures checked and then were escorted to our room, which was sealed with a notice that it had been cleaned properly according to the Hilton CleanStay guidelines. Our host made sure to point out (without touching a thing) that all surfaces had been cleaned—from the TV remote to the light switches—immediately reassuring our safety and health. With fast Wi-Fi, multi-bedroom casitas, complimentary breakfast, a private chef dining experience and more, the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal hit all of the marks.
Local Insight: Most of us know how to say the basic Spanish greetings. If you want to learn more about the Mexican culture, however, Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal offers a Spanish Baja Cultural Immersion package. Participate in three 90-minute Spanish classes and learn about Mexican traditions!
The Estrella Suite has a living room, dining room, bedroom, an enormous bathroom with a soaking tub and a private dip pool. I knew by looking at my wife that she was thinking what I was thinking: we may not have to leave our room at all. Adding to this sentiment was the fact that they offered room service breakfast in the pool on a floating raft, supplied a new bottle of tequila each day, and you could see the waves breaking on the sand from every corner of our suite. But if you’re one for adventure and looking to make the most of your trip, the resort offers a variety of curated experiences, such as swim classes with a whale shark, snorkeling with a sea lion and surf lessons!
Local Insight: Extended Stay? Yes, Please! Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal offers a fantastic alternative for those that would rather work on a patio in Mexico than at the dining room table. Stay a week or longer and get a 30% discount, or stay for a full month and get a week for free!
We left feeling stressed and returned feeling blessed. After six months of solitude, the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal proved to be exactly what we needed. We felt safe during our entire trip, cared for by the staff and cannot wait to return. We are so happy to feel safe traveling again.
Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal
Camino del Mar 1
Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., 23455, Mexico
+52.624.163.4300
5 Must-Try Restaurants in Cabo: Cabo Itinerary
El Farallon
Enjoy a tasting flight of champagne paired with sea salts from the cliffside champagne bar. Dig into a romantic five-course dinner while watching the sky change colors and listening to the waves crash below.
Acre Cabo Itinerary
A full hour’s drive north and off a mile-long dirt road, we found Acre—a beautiful property lined with treehouses, rescued animals and modern bohemian elegance.
SUR Beach House
SUR serves the best sushi we have ever had. There is a beach club where you can rent chairs and swim with beautiful views of the Arch of Cabo San Lucas.
Don Manuel’s
The main restaurant at Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal has amazing views, great food and entertaining live music at night. A “mesero” made sure to stop at our table each time we dined to teach us a few Spanish words!
Talay Cabo Itinerary
This tiny Thai food trailer might seem out of place in a posh resort like the Montage Los Cabos, but sitting at picnic tables under the lights was an ideal date night.
Photography Provided By: Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal Cabo Itinerary
Erik Hale is the visionary and publisher behind LOCALE Magazine. He launched the magazine in 2010, wanting to give the community of OC a premiere lifestyle magazine that knew all the native knowledge behind OC. “Six years ago Ashley and I sat at a table scratching the name LOCALE (among some other names) onto a sheet of paper,” says Erik, “coming up with story ideas and basically dreaming. Everything we imagined has happened and we have been blessed with so much more. I am so grateful as we start another year for my family, my two wonderful children, my health, our amazing writers, designers and photographers, our advertising partners and you.”
