21 Best Hotels in Los Cabos and the Baja Peninsula, Mexico

Professional and amateur surfers alike claim the prime ocean-view rooms in this small hotel on the cliffs above Playa Costa Azul that has successfully blended surfing and pampering into one property. Tastefully decorated with surfing photographs, rooms have marble floors, huge terraces, minibars, king beds, and pull-out sofas; some have French doors that open to the sea breezes. Guests mingle by the two swimming pools and in the 7 Seas Seafood Grille (which has great fish tacos), and they schedule their day's activities around the daily surf report. A second "quiet pool" makes for a nice resting place after morning yoga. The hotel has a surf school, and surfboard rentals. The small Sea Spa & Salon offers massages developed specifically for surfers' wave-taxed muscles, with many other treatments for nonsurfers, too. Unlike most surf hotels, this property is not pet-friendly and rooms are not for budget travelers. Book early at this popular spot.

With a curved, half-moon layout that ensures ocean views for all rooms, this luxury resort does not cut the usual "all-inclusive" corners: instead the Grand Velas offers an excess of everything, from its spacious rooms (1,180-square-feet), each with an outdoor Jacuzzi, minibar, walk-in closet, and views of the ocean and three pools, to top-notch dining options, premium drinks, and excellent service. Modern Mexican design is complimented with thoughtful in-room touches like Nespresso machines and L'Occitane bath products. Seven impressive restaurants and personalized service (expect to be called by name) make this property stand out from the resort pack. Grand Velas has wiped away all-inclusive headaches including wristbands, shortage of beach chairs, pool games, and extra fees for lobster, beach beds, premium wines, and nearly everything in between. The two-story spa has a seven-station hydrotherapy and pampering treatments including a tequila cream massage.

Set in a beautiful natural location that blends perfectly with its design, Montage is an idyllic desert-beach retreat that pampers with lavish luxury; plus, there's a touch of local authenticity missed in other properties in the area. The rooms are wide, fresh, and cozy; here minimalism is out of the equation, and everything is designed to make you feel at home. The dining options make the most of Mexico's finest culinary traditions, and the spa easily qualifies as world-class.

Rooms are spacious at this hacienda-style Hilton built on one of the Corridor's few swim-friendly beaches. It's a multipurpose, business-friendly, wedding-friendly, kids-friendly hotel, with a loyal clientele that returns year after year. The infinity pool is beautiful, and all five restaurants serve outstanding food. The property's AltaMar Experience, a collection of 65 VIP rooms on the top floors, grants guests all sorts of privileges like personalized check-in, butler service, and a private lounge. Groups and families make up most of the clientele here. Four meeting rooms will accommodate up to 600. In the guest rooms, elaborate headboards, luxurious linens, and L'Occitane bath products are lovely touches to a resort that has an edge on most properties in this price category.

Underground hot springs are the secret ingredient at this benchmark fishing getaway in Buena Vista; for proof, check out the amazing hot tub. Time seems to stand still here. Wi-Fi is available and included in the room rates, but no one comes here expecting luxury or modern conveniences. Only two deluxe rooms (of 60 total) feature TVs. None have refrigerators. Instead you'll find an old-school Baja beach resort that's still family-owned. The white-sand beach is gorgeous, with a fishing dock for charters. A gazebo game room offers pool and Ping-Pong; the swimming pool is enormous; and El Navegante Restaurant features family-recipes and a fresh catch of the day, as well as all-day food and drink service. Fishing is great here year-round, but reaches its peak in August when the hotel hosts Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore, with more than $1 million in cash on the line. Fishing charters and hunting outings can be arranged through the affiliated South Baja Outfitters. Hotel day passes are available for $30.

Set on the protected cove of Chileno Bay, one of the best spots for snorkeling and swimming in Los Cabos, this hotel hits the mark with families seeking personalized, informal service. The contemporary two-, three-, and four-bedroom villas are styled in Latin contemporary design with walk-in closets, industrial kitchens, and laundry facilities. Standards have a fun beachy feel with thoughtful touches like handblown glass and robes from Guadalajara. Large groups can reserve the 21-person movie theater ($350) or lounge by the 450-foot infinity pool. Rounding out the amenities are oceanfront hot tubs, fire pits, a Tom Fazio–designed golf course, extensive spa, fitness center with movement studio, Kids’ Club, and waterfront sports center. They have two dining options including a taco bar and the signature Comal serving Latin American–inspired cuisine.

This casual, unfussy resort is touted as a romantic getaway, but with an average of five weddings a week, it's more a destination for families and wedding parties with guests of all ages in attendance. Guests simply check in at the restaurant or bar of their choice, rather than having to wear the brightly colored wristbands synonymous with all-inclusives. The best restaurant of the six is Bordeaux, however, no children under 18 are permitted. Rooms have poster beds, faux-oak furnishings, a lounge area, and stocked minibar and microwave. The U-shape building wraps around two huge pools, with one set aside just for families. The spa, tennis courts, and nightly entertainment keep guests happy for days. Roughly a third of the rooms are timeshare properties, so expect to be pitched with an offer to buy. Wedding and honeymoon packages are offered.

Families love this long-standing resort on Ensenada's top beach, especially because of its private location and endless activities like horseback riding, tennis, volleyball, kayaking, and Jet Skiing. Behind the secure grounds are the resort, an RV park, and a retirement community, all with access to a swimming pool, two restaurants, and a children's playground. The best rooms (some with kitchenettes) are by the sand and have sliding glass doors that lead to private patios where you can watch dolphins and seals swimming in the bay. Be sure to check out the outstanding collection of pre-Columbian artifacts in the resort's small museum. Midweek winter rates are a real bargain, and there are other frequent specials on the website.

One of the most recent additions to Cabo's resort landscape, this place delivers what its guests have come to expect from the Four Seasons luxury brand---a unique experience with top-quality services all around. With "only" 96 rooms, the resort doesn't feel as massive as other options in the region, and its "Mexico meets the Mediterranean" vibe is a total success. The guest rooms offer ample space (the smallest room comes at 847 square feet) and plenty of natural light, with all of them enjoying ocean views or being oceanfront. Some rooms include a heated plunge pool on their own private terrace. Three gourmet restaurants---a Peruvian-Japanese fusion, a French-Italian one, and a Baja Mexican beach club---form an original dining offer. With a family pool and an adults-only pool, different kinds of fun are always available. A world-class golf course, a brand-new spa, and a creative activity center guarantee that you'll never get bored here.

This family-friendly, optional all-inclusive resort is a standout in every sense of the word and every aspect of the experience offered to guests; it’s luxury mixed with class and upscale service. With four gourmet restaurants and three snack bars, the dining options are hard to match in the region, and the "optional" label of the all-inclusive program allows guests to explore the famous dining scene of Los Cabos. However, the best part is the huge size of the rooms---two-bedroom suites come at 1,980 square-foot and include every little amenity you can think of, from a freestanding bathtub, separate rain shower, terrace with a hammock, and even a Nespresso machine. Eight swimming pools, including one for kids and one for adults on a spectacular rooftop terrace, round out an overall remarkable experience for guests of this resort.

The dramatic lobby of this all-inclusive resort is eight stories above the beach, and every room looks out onto the Sea of Cortez. Cream-color walls, rich marble floors, ocean views, and abundant art make for an elegant atmosphere in the 420-square-foot rooms. The Imperial Suite has its own swimming pool and separate entrance. A complimentary minibar is stocked daily, meaning you can enjoy a drink on the tiny terrace while admiring the view. The Fiesta offers discounts to the 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Ocean Golf Course, in addition to the luxurious spa. Though the beach is rocky, this is one of the few hotels on a stretch of water that is safe for snorkeling. This is not the place for people looking for Cabo's famous party scene.

Architecture melds perfectly with natural surroundings as hotel suites dramatically hug cliff and sea and subterranean stone passages open to infinity pools framed by cactus gardens and raked sand. The resort is practically on top of its namesake rock formation, a sight that will not cease to amaze at any point of your stay. Solmar has been owned by one of Cabo's founding families (before becoming a hotelier, patriarch Don Luis Bulnes Molleda managed the old fish cannery; today, there's a statue by the marina in his honor) for over 50 years; though the property has been rebuilt and reimagined since, it's still a special slice of San Lucas history.

Impressive in every respect, this aptly named resort commands well over a mile (2 km) of Pacific Ocean coastline north of Cabo San Lucas, with an 18-hole golf course from Greg Norman, excellent on-site dining options, a beachfront spa, sleek swimming pools, and a small salt-water lagoon you can kayak and paddleboard in. The scenery surrounding the resort is quite the sight, and depending on your taste in cinema, may register as familiar: the same powerful waves and sprawling dunes were the backdrop for the Hollywood epic, Troy. Solmar has grand expansion plans, intending to triple the size of the property over the next several years, adding more rooms, restaurants, amenities, and beyond. An all-inclusive meal plan is available as an add-on.

Small domes and barrel tile roofs top eight buildings at this lovely, hacienda-style resort in the Cabo Del Sol development. Make your way past tiered fountains to the rooms with wrought iron and wood furnishing, Mexican textiles, and terra-cotta floors. The whirlpool tubs and large balconies with ocean views take the hotel beyond chain standards. Standard rooms have either two double beds or one queen, with ocean or garden views. Huge, luxurious pools are surrounded by palms and all the chaise lounges guests need. The 450-yard beach is beautiful, and sometimes the sea in this sheltered cove is calm enough for a swim.

Despite the enormous size of this timeshare-resort hybrid, there are only 205 rooms and 35 residences, meaning guests are treated to 1,400-square-foot hacienda-style suites. The property itself replicates an old Mexican village, with rooms housed in two buildings tiered on a hillside so nearly every suite has an ocean view. Separating the buildings are two pools, one designated for activities and the other for peace and quiet. The seven restaurants range from Mexican cuisine to grilled specialties; or guests can use all-inclusive privileges to dine at one of five restaurants on the marina in Cabo San Lucas. A hotel shuttle makes 10 trips a day to sister property Marina Fiesta. The on-site grocery store, pharmacy, and babysitting service make this resort popular with timeshare owners. Be sure to read the list of amenities that are not included in the all-inclusive plan, or you might end up with sticker shock at checkout.

It's likely no surprise that music is creatively incorporated throughout the Hard Rock's resort experience; there's a pool with an underwater playlist, Fender guitars can be delivered to your room, and the spa even uses sound vibrations in its treatments. Many of the activities and entertainment are fun for the whole family, but ample opportunities for independence also await: grown-ups will find sophisticated tranquillity at the adults-only Rhythm Pool while youngsters can enjoy an action-packed weekly itinerary at the Hard Rock Roxity Kids Club. Night owls can party at the Moonlight Lounge until the wee hours and there's a decked-out game room for teens to hide out in while their parents are being "cringe" at the karaoke mike.

In addition to its own marina and artificial beach, this all-suites resort has indoor-outdoor pools, a spa, tennis courts, a water-sports center, and a sports bar overlooking the bay. The horseshoe-shape layout means that every room has a marina view, but corner suites on either end are by far superior. All guest quarters have refrigerators, coffeemakers, lounge areas, balconies, flat-screens, and either a king-size bed or two full beds. Even the most basic rooms are surprisingly large. Rates drop substantially midweek and between October and March. For those traveling to and from San Diego, the hotel has a shuttle service for $550 for a 10-passenger van. For a sampling of the hotel without the full bill, just $30 will grant you day access to the pools, sauna, and grounds.

It’s love that launched this stunning Nordic-inspired container hotel, starting with a romance between a Finnish woman and a Mexican man who turned their marriage into a passion project that beautifully blended both cultures. The result is Lumi (“snow” in Finnish) that visually captures you even before reaching the six container cabins at the end of a dusty road. The Nordic design is impressive to say the least, with rooftop decks where homemade breakfast is served from 8 to 10 am. Across the horizon is their 9-acre vineyard and orchard where four canvas tents are perched for an affordable glamping experience. Each has "wall-to-wall" carpeting, a king-size bed, and shared bathroom. The container cabins have narrow lounge areas, small but adequate bathrooms, and either one- or two bedrooms. In true Finnish style, a sauna is available to guests. A six-person house is also available for a two-night minimum. This property is a favorite among families and pet owners who capitalize on the owners' love for babies and dogs.

Location, location, location: Marina Fiesta's may be the very best in town, and that, coupled with an extraordinarily reasonable nightly rate make it a top choice for an interesting mix of guests: fishermen, families, and college-age partiers. An optional all-inclusive add-on gives you unlimited access to not only the bars and restaurant on-site, but the neighboring venues that line a stretch of Marina Cabo San Lucas called the Golden Zone. It's a bit of a tourist trap, however, so true foodies are advised to spend their coin dining elsewhere.

Sandos Finisterra, whose name means "Land's End" in Latin due to its privileged location at the Baja peninsula's southernmost point, offers guests the best of both worlds: the quintessential all-inclusive experience while being just steps from downtown. One of Cabo's most historic properties, part of Finisterra is built into the cliffside, resulting in gravity-defying rooms jutting out from the mountain and boulders organically decorating the spa's interior. Thanks to its breathtaking views, the resort hosts multiple weddings every week of the year (which has included, most famously, that of Rolling Stone Keith Richards; photos from the iconic ceremony can be seen on display).

Built by prominent Mexican artist Javier Sordo Madaleno, the colorful design and architecture reflecting the famous Arco (arch) make this Westin more memorable than some of the others in the Corridor. The rooms, some set high above the beach, are among the best in their price range and have ocean views and Westin's trademark Heavenly Beds with cushy pillows and comforters. Junior suites have balcony Jacuzzis, marble floors, extra pullout beds, and connecting rooms for families or larger parties. The dramatic setting of the hotel means you'll get plenty of exercise moving from one area to another, which is good for some and less appealing for others. The restaurants receive mixed reviews, with most leaning toward the expensive but mediocre in terms of satisfaction.