During our Cabo Girls’ Adventure, we stayed at the Westin Los Cabos, a Marriott Vacation Club resort overlooking the Sea of Cortez (also known as the Gulf of California). Here’s what we loved, what surprised us, and a few tips that will help you plan your own stay.
This blog includes:
- Overview of the Westin Los Cabos
- Check-in process
- Public Spaces
- General grounds
- Pools/Cabana Rental
- Beach
- Villas
- Dining
- Spa
- Service
- Property Tips
- Westin Los Cabos Pink Bear Rating
- Final Thoughts
To follow the entire Cabo girls’ trip, go to :
Overview of Westin Los Cabos
For those of you following Pink Bear’s retirement adventures, you are aware that for land vacations, we typically stay in hotels, Airbnb condos, or at a Marriott Vacation Club. You know that we love our Marriott Vacation Club. It is the only “timeshare” I would recommend. Otherwise, stay away from them.
For this vacation, since there are multiple Marriott Vacation Club properties in Cabo, we decided to select one of those for our stay. The two sister properties are the Westin Los Cabos and the Westin Baja Point. They are distinct resorts but share amenities. Guests can use the facilities, such as pools, at either location.
The Westin Los Cabos was originally developed as a luxury hotel and is now operating primarily as a vacation ownership resort within the Marriott Vacation Club family. Marriott recently acquired Starwood resorts, so owners have access to the entire Starwood Vacation Club sector.
The Westin Los Cabos Resort is a large oceanfront resort located along the Tourist Corridor between San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. Built into the rocky coastline overlooking the Sea of Cortez (also known as the Sea of California), the property offers spectacular ocean views from nearly every area of the resort. The resort features villa-style accommodations, multiple swimming pools, several restaurants and bars, a full-service spa, fitness center, and direct beach access. While the beach is beautiful, strong currents make swimming unsafe for much of the year, so most guests spend their time enjoying the pools and resort amenities. There are lounge chairs set up on the beach for those guests who prefer the sandy experience.
Pink Bear loves a nice ocean view, so we selected the Westin Los Cabos over Baja Point because at the Los Cabos resort you are almost guaranteed a good view of the ocean from your villa. If you’re looking for a lively swimmable beach, this probably isn’t the right resort. But if you want spectacular ocean views, beautiful pools, and a relaxing vacation, it’s hard to beat.
Check-in Process at Westin Los Cabos
The Westin Los Cabos lobby is sleek and spacious. It is open-air, so there is a nice breeze and lots of places to sit and relax. There is also a tour desk that will arrange activities and make reservations. There is usually ice water and Mexican lemongrass water available. Pink Bear became obsessed with the lemongrass water; it is very delicious. When we arrived at the Westin Los Cabos, we received a warm greeting, and that theme extended throughout our visit. Check-in was efficient, and when I reiterated my request for a villa on a high floor in the Royal Tower, she indicated they were doing everything to accommodate.
We were a little early, and at first she said our villa was not ready, but within a few minutes, as we continued the check-in process, it became available. This was about 2:30 pm.
Room Tax and Charges
I am a Vacation Club owner; therefore, there is no charge for the villa. However, this property is in Mexico, and owners must pay the mandatory Mexican tax. It was about $ 200 USD for the two-bedroom villa.
Upon check-in, they require a credit card for the tax and to keep on file for charges made on premises. When I went to pay with my Bonvoy Amex card, the reader could not read the card. I tried my Chase Visa card, in case there was something wrong with my Amex, but that card did not read either. My friend was able to use her credit card, but I still needed to fix the issue. I called Amex and Chase to be sure there was no issue with my cards, and there was not. Therefore, we assumed it was the readers. I did resolve the issue the following day. They went to the financial center and used a completely different type of reader (it was red, not black), and bingo, it worked. I was told after the fact that the black readers are old and sometimes do not work properly. So, if you have any issue with your Amex and the reader, ask for the red one.
Public Spaces
General Grounds
The resort layout cascades down dramatic seaside cliffs toward a private beach area, maximizing expansive views of the Sea of Cortez (also known as Sea of California). Because it is built into a cliffside, there are some inclines to navigate and multiple elevators needed to get to the various public areas. There is a large deck with BBQ grills and tables that is also used for events. There was a Mexican Night and a Steak Night that guests could sign up for a fee. The Mexican Night appeared quite elaborate, with a large buffet and entertainment.
There are games available such as a large chess set. There are also ping pong tables. There is lush desert landscaping throughout the property. The grounds and public areas are immaculate and meticulously maintained.
Villas are in 3 main towers: Royal Tower, East Tower, and West Tower. The architecture at this resort is striking. The buildings housing the villas are built in a semi-circle with a cut-out section in the center that offers magnificent ocean views as you walk from the lobby.
Pools
The pools at this resort are spectacular. Many infinity pools overlook the sea. There are plenty of chairs and cabanas for rent. Cards for pool towels are provided. You can exchange towels as often as you like. There is excellent pool service and a swim-up bar at the main pool. There are also quiet owners’ pools available.
Cabana Rental
We rented a cabana on one of our vacation days. Cabana rental is available at the towel hut. The cabana comes with two additional lounge chairs, snacks, bottled water and wine, Margaritas or smoothies. We selected the smoothies. Plenty of food was provided for two people and a Pink Bear, and it was all delicious. The weather was lovely for our rental day. Pink Bear really enjoyed the strawberry smoothie and was happy for the shade of the cabana since she is already pink enough.
Beach
There is also a beach area with chairs and umbrellas. The ocean is too rough to swim in, but it is lovely to look at.
Villa
The Westin Los Cabos Resort features studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom villas designed with residential comforts and the Marriott brand signature classic cool design.
Our villa had 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms (each bath had a large shower), a kitchenette, a dining/living area and 2 balconies. The kitchenette is small with no stove, but it did have a cooktop and a microwave. It also had an apartment size refrigerator, compact dish washer, small sink, coffee maker and lots of kitchen ware. There is an apartment-sized washer and dryer combination. The 2-bedroom villa has a TV in the living area and in each bedroom. There are USB ports on each nightstand next to the bed. Both bedrooms have a king size bed.
The coffee maker is a bit different at this resort. It is not a regular drip maker or a Keurig or Nespresso, but a full-size single serve. You fill the reservoir that takes up to 8 cups and turn it on to heat the water. Then press a dispenser to dispense single serve. They provide packets of coffee, but it you like to bring your own, like I do you need to bring filters because they do not provide any. I ended up using paper towels that worked but I wish I had known to bring filters.
Our Villa was 1821 on the 8th floor in the Royal Tower. We loved this location. The view from our balcony was beyond spectacular. We had a full oceanfront view and could see up and down the coast. We were above the pools but high enough no sound from the pools. You do hear the roar of the ocean from the living area and master bedroom, but I loved It. If you want a spectacular view, ask for a room on an upper floor in the Royal Tower
Dining
The Westin Los Cabos has several on-site restaurants, poolside dining options, and a marketplace offering snacks, pizza, and Starbucks coffee. Since this was a girls’ trip, we decided to explore Cabo’s incredible restaurant scene instead of dining at the resort. We enjoyed breakfast and light lunches in our villa and spent our evenings trying different local restaurants. If you’re planning to cook, keep in mind that the villas have kitchenettes rather than full kitchens, so they’re best suited for simple meals rather than elaborate cooking. Although we can’t personally review the resort’s restaurants, we found the marketplace convenient for grabbing coffee, drinks, snacks, and a few essentials during our stay. The resort also offers several theme dinners over the course of a week. There was an elaborate Mexican night with music and entertainment when we were there.
Spa
The Spa Otani is a full-service facility offering massages, including beachside ones, facials, and body scrub treatments. There is a steam room and sauna in the facility. We booked services and were very satisfied with Swedish massage and facial treatments. There is no sales pitch at all to buy products, which is very nice.
Service
The service at the Westin Los Cabos is excellent. Our check-in was efficient and pleasant. They went out of their way to secure the view I requested and make our arrival pleasant. If you want a room with a great view. I would suggest making villa requests in advance, and they will do what they can to get you a nice view. Everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful.
Resort Tips
- The Westin has two interconnecting resorts, the main Los Cabos and Baja Point. Baja Point is a more intimate experience.
- Credit card readers can be tricky here. If your card does not go through, ask for another reader.
- The villas in the main Westin Los Cabos do not have full kitchens, just kitchenettes. There is no stove, and the appliances are not full-size.
- The coffee maker is a large single-serve. There are no filters for the coffee maker in the villa. They only provide small coffee packets. If you bring your own coffee, you should bring filters.
- For the best view, ask for a high floor in the Royal Tower.
- Marriott Vacation Club points can be used. There is also a mandatory tourist tax.
- There is a full-service spa, fitness center, and yoga classes.
- There is a small marketplace on site that has a Starbucks.
Westin Los Cabos Pink Bear Rating
- Resort Amenities and Pool: 10/10
- Villas: 9/10 (no full kitchen)
- View: 10/10
- Service 10/10
- Pink Bear Approved: Yes!!!
Final Thoughts
We would absolutely stay at the Westin Los Cabos again. The ocean views were some of the best we’ve ever had from a Marriott Vacation Club property, and relaxing by the infinity pools while listening to the waves became one of our favorite parts of the trip. It isn’t the place for swimming in the ocean, but if you’re looking for a beautiful resort with excellent service, comfortable villas, and breathtaking scenery, Pink