One&Only Palmilla, Los Cabos

Excellent Resort The perfect getwaway! Three couples went, and all had nothing but excellent comments. Greta memories!

The BEST This is my favorite place in the world to visit!. Everyone is kind and happy to be there. I look forward to my next visit.

Summer vacation to Cabo What an exceptional resort! Outstanding service on all aspects! Truly the best service we have ever had on any vacation! They go above and beyond to make sure you have everything you want or need!

La Palmilla vs. Las Ventanas My wife and I spent five nights recently at the One & Only Palmilla (OOP). This was our second trip in the past few years to Cabo. Our previous trip, in 2022, we stayed at the Rosewood Las Ventanas al Paraiso (LVP). TripAdvisor only gives the option for 4 or 5 stars. As a result, I will rate OOP 4/5, but in all honestly, I would say it was really 4.5/5 stars. LVP, on the other hand, is clearly 5/5 stars. I will compare the two resorts and experiences below, focusing mostly on our recent stay at OOP. We reserved private transportation from the airport. Similar to our trip to LVP, we were picked up in a luxury SUV replete with beverages and snacks. The Lincoln Navigator was very comfortable and the driver and greeter at the airport were both extremely friendly. Our drive to the resort was quick and without issue. You pull into the resort first passing through the Palmilla development with private homes. It is very lush, well-manicured, and beautiful -- especially compared to some of the desert surroundings. We were greeted immediately upon our arrival. We arrived quite early in the morning, so our room was not ready which was expected. Instead, we opted to eat breakfast at Breeze overlooking the Sea of Cortez. I did not realize it initially, but breakfast at OOP is included. We had breakfast at Breeze all six mornings we were at the resort. It was consistently excellent with very good service. This first breakfast was the first moment we realized that there are more families and smaller kids at OOP than at LVP. At LVP, I recall seeing elementary and middle school kids sometimes at meals with their parents or families, but for the most part felt like we were at a fairly adult resort. At OOP, there were often toddlers and even infants at our meals. They were usually not an issue, but it does create a different vibe and ambiance. After eating, we were able to check into our room. We opted for a Palmilla King Suite. This is one of the more basic rooms with a slightly upgraded view (higher floor). Walking to the room, you notice a few things. If you are wanting a more "natural/tropical" feel, the OOP probably has the edge over LVP. It's a much older, more established resort and feels more "authentic" or Mexican. We liked this aspect. On the other hand, LVP has a much more modern and polished aesthetic where everything feels very new and spotless and perfect. LVP is more impressive in photographs and is more "Instagram-worthy." As far as the grounds themselves, they are different from one another, and I don't really have a preference either way. As for the rooms, they are very nice, but not amazing. This is one instance where I will give LVP a clear edge. Again, OOP is an older resort and this is an example of where its age is evident. The rooms are LVP were just much more modern and impressive. The rooms at OOP feel a bit more tired. They are a bit more colorful and authentic looking while the rooms at LVP looked like a recent architecture and design student had designed them. At both resorts, your room comes with some welcome snacks and a small bottle of tequila. It was not made clear to us that these snacks were only for the first day, so we had a bit of confusion when we requested that they refill them. I don't remember how this worked at LVP -- not an important aspect, though. One thing I liked better about LVP is that they gave you a full tour when you checked in. This helps give you your bearings and helps you plan your days. A tour was not offered at OOP. When we asked for one, we were ultimately given a map and asked if we wanted to walk on foot; they did say they could find a cart to drive us around, but it felt like it was not customary, so we decided to walk the resort. There are two main pools at the resort as well as two beach areas. The larger family pool near Agua was very pretty and sprawling. We never used it, though, because we wanted to be with adults only. The adult pool is located centrally in the resort, but s quite a bit older and smaller. It is an infinity edge pool, but 85% of the pool is too deep for my 5'6" to stand in, including at the infinity ledge. The pool is 11.5' deep in some portions, which makes no sense to me for an adult pool where people want to stand around and have drinks and visit. The pool also has a 1990's feel to it. I am surprised they have not updated it. The "swimmable" beach was not that impressive to us; it was on the edge of the resort and felt open to the public somewhat. There were vendors walking along it selling bracelets and hats. We didn't want to contend with that. There is another beach closer to the adult pool that is very private and nice to walk on, but you cannot swim there. By comparison, LVP has at least five pools. Some of them are smaller and seldom used. There is one pool with a lazy river and waterfall that is targeted towards kids. There is a huge main pool that is gorgeous and walkable and has a beautiful view of the ocean. While it is not adult-only, I feel like it was mostly adults. There is also a nice adult pool located adjacent to the main pool where we spent a lot of our time. I would give LVP the edge when it comes to pools. Service and the pools and the pool bars -- at OOP, I did not receive great service at the pool bar. It was typically staffed with only one bartender, and you could sit there for several minutes before being acknowledged. During this time, you tend to notice the weathered cabana, the aging appliances, the placed that need new paint, etc. The drinks were decent, but not amazing and very expensive. I had much better luck using the poolside waiters who were very responsive. Again though, I will give a slight edge to LVP here even when it comes to poolside service. At LVP, the entire staff basically anticipates your every need. At OOP, you often have to ask. At LVP, if you even begin to fidget with your chair or umbrella, a staff member comes running to help you. At OOP, they gladly help you, but I saw several people moving their own umbrellas and adjusting their own chairs with no assistance. Both places have very nice and capable servers, I just feel like the training at LVP is a bit different. Just something to consider at this price point and relative to your expectations. The views at OOP are better. The resort is on a point and has a beautiful view of the ocean with waves crashing against the rocks. The view at LVP was not as striking or memorable. The resort structures and pools are more beautiful at LVP; the landscaping and views at OOP are more beautiful. Food -- clear advantage here to LVP. Since it's been two years, I do not really remember the specific dining experiences at LVP, but I remember they were all quite good with no complaints. On the other hand, I had two dining experiences at OOP that were sub-par. Our first dinner at Agua was the worst of the bunch. The food was very bland and plain. Our server was friendly, but slow at times. I found at several of the restaurants that there were two places we always had delays -- 1) from the moment you sit down to when the waiter finally arrives and 2) when you are wanting to get your bill. I almost wondered if the staff at OOP has been trained to not ask you if you are ready for your bill, which I can understand at times. You do not want to feel rushed. But, there were several instances where it was obvious that are meal was over and that we were ready to leave, and we had to wait and wait for our bill. The other meal that was sub-par was the new omakase Hoshi. The setup is very slick and the staff and service was over-the-top attentive, but the food itself was very odd and just OK. I have eaten at a few omakases in Austin (where I live) that are much, much better. For the price paid, I would have hoped this food would have been a lot better. The restaurant is only a month or two old, and I think they are still figuring out the food. Suviche and Seared were the best restaurants we ate at while at OOP. Suviche was solid sushi and nigiri with very good service and great recommendations from our server. Seared was the best food at the resort. We had a very light dinner there one night, but our steak was absolutely fabulous. Further, there was a sweet potato side dish that was out of this world and unlike anything I had eaten before. I highly recommend seared. Our dining highlight, though, was the Mexico Magico experience that was offered in the courtyard by the pool Wednesday night. Unfortunately, they do not advertise this very well. We only found out about it the same day and that you needed reservations to boot. Fortunately, we were able to get a reservation. The food was traditional tacos, moles, margaritas, etc. They had a great mariachi band playing along with some traditional dancing. This meal really meshed well with the traditional Mexican feel of the resort and the beautiful natural ambiance. Spas -- the spa at OOP is extremely nice, but also very expensive. I will give it the edge over LVP, though. I don't remember the LVP spa that much. I don't have any complaints. It just wasn't as memorable. The spa at OOP is quite large. They had a sauna, steam room, hot tub, cold plunge, co-ed pool, and casitas where you would have your treatments. My wife and I both went for massages which were very good. We also went back several times to use the facilities at no additional cost. I was glad to be able to do this, especially since our treatments were so expensive. We both had 90-min massages, and the bill came to over $1100. That was a bit shocking to me. I looked back at my LVP spa invoice, and we spent closer to $800 there. I don't remember if they were shorter massages, though. The OOP spa is nicer, more memorable, and more beautiful -- but there is a price to be paid for it. One compliment I would like to give the staff at OOP is that they did request my feedback in a survey on my second or third day. I gave honest feedback and didn't think anything more of it. It was similar to this review -- everything is "very good" but not "perfect/outstanding." They took this feedback very seriously and made a conscious deliberate effort to improve my experience thereafter. I had several managers come up to me at meals and by the pool afterwards to check on us. They also subsidized my meal at Agua to apologize for my experience there. I also had one billing issue at the pool, and management did everything they could to quickly correct it. They put a lot of trust in me to be honest about the billing and did not quibble with me over a few drinks or small charges. It is primarily for this reason that I give the OOP 4.5 stars instead of 4. They do care, and they did their best to make it a memorable experience and vacation. I would recommend both resorts, but it would depend on who I'm talking to and who they are taking with them. If you are traveling with a family, I would recommend OOP. If you are traveling as a couple, I would recommend LVP. If you put a premium on natural beauty and ocean views, I would recommend OOP. If you put a premium on the pools, the rooms, and the architecture/design of the resort, I would recommend LVP. Last, as for service, I have to give the edge to LVP. Let me be clear, the service at both resorts is extremely above average. But, at LVP it is just next level. It is a smaller resort, and I imagine they have a better ratio of staff to guests. You will be happy with the service at both places, though, unless you are just unrealistic. I hope this review is helpful to someone considering both of these resorts. They both have their merits. I would have found a review like this helpful when booking my trip.

spectacular resort Service, food, resort grounds, spa and gym were the best! Views from everyone are beautiful, no need to leave the resort.