I’ll start this review by instructing my West Coast readers to skip this first bit. For everyone else, let’s proceed.
Having spent virtually all of my half century of life on the East Coast, a winter beach vacation has always been to the Caribbean. Tropical islands with pale blue seas and lush green forests are the norm, the goal, the raison d’etre for the resorts and the guests. That’s why my trip to the Grand Solmar Resort in Cabo San Lucas was completely different. Here's a short video of the scenery.
Cabo San Lucas, or just Cabo, is at the southern tip of Baja California, the peninsula on the West Coast of Mexico, just below California. It’s a rocky desert with cacti, craggy peaks and dry riverbeds. Like many of the Mexican resort areas, just 50 years ago it was a sleepy fishing village and now it’s home to nearly 100 significant resorts and hotels.
Cabo San Lucas, or just Cabo, is at the southern tip of Baja California, the peninsula on the West Coast of Mexico, just below California. It’s a rocky desert with cacti, craggy peaks and dry riverbeds. Like many of the Mexican resort areas, just 50 years ago it was a sleepy fishing village and now it’s home to nearly 100 significant resorts and hotels.
It was quite surprising to see the resorts located where the desert meets the sea, having been so accustomed to a tropical environment. The result is quite dramatic.
Californians and other left-coasters, you can start reading again as I'm sure the above was familiar to you.
The original Solmar resort was among the very first in Cabo and has grown to include multiple properties, including the newest, the Grand Solmar where I spent several relaxing days as a guest of the PR department. The resort is almost four years old and feels very new. It is built into the side of Mt. Solmar, a rugged peak that shoots out of the ocean beside rocky, vertical cliffs.
The landscape extends from the mountain directly into the resort with cliffs, rocks and desert plants throughout. The Grotto pool (my favorite) has little rock crannies for seats and small water falls around the edge. The main pools have infinity walls overlooking the ocean just a few feet away. One note, as the resort is on the mighty Pacific ocean, swimming off the beach is not advised as the waves can be quite rough. The beach is beautiful and great for walking with the deep blue Pacific on one side and towering peaks on the other.
Like its Caribbean counterparts, the Grand Solmar has all the amenities expected from a top-notch property. There are several dining options including fine dining at Don Luis and La Roca restaurants. We were treated to some of the freshest and tastiest seafood I’ve ever had. And our meals were complemented with some surprisingly good Mexican wines.
We toured the kids club and checked out the activities. While my kids were back at home, the kids on property all seemed to be having a great time. And speaking of kids, I was able to keep in touch with them via FaceTime -- the Wi-Fi on property was nothing short of amazing. I could actually have a FaceTime chat with my family from the pool via the hotel's complimentary Wi-Fi.
Off property, there are plenty of activities for families to enjoy including snorkeling and paddleboard tours, world-renowned fishing and golfing, dolphin experiences and more. In winter the grey whales make their way to Cabo and can be seen feeding and breaching right off the hotel beach. The hotel has a wedding pavilion overlooking the water and many a bride and groom have been photo-bombed by breaching whales.
We also took one of the most unique tours I’ve ever been on while on vacation. We toured around inner Cabo San Lucas to see the non-profit facilities that benefit from the Solmar Foundation. This included a shelter for the homeless, a daycare facility, a senior center and an animal rescue center. As we are firm believers in the educational aspect of family travel, taking your kids on the free half-day tour is highly recommended. Everyone in our group was moved as we toured and saw the appreciation of those who were able to benefit from this unique program. A video from our tour can be seen here.
I ate breakfast one morning with a gentleman from Texas who owned a unit at the resort. He told me he visited six or seven times a year and was never bored. His kids considered it their second home and loved it as well. This spoke volumes to me about the resort's amenities and the warmth of its staff.
So for East-Coasters, if you are looking for something out of the box, give The Grand Solmar in Cabo a try, and maybe you’ll become a regular as well.
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The writer was a guest of The Grand Solmar for the purpose of this review. Accommodations and most meals and activities were complimentary. All opinions are his own and no compensation was received.
***
The writer was a guest of The Grand Solmar for the purpose of this review. Accommodations and most meals and activities were complimentary. All opinions are his own and no compensation was received.
