You’ve by no means had an all-inclusive expertise just like the Grand Velas Los Cabos

What is Grand Velas Los Cabos?

Grand Velas Los Cabos is a luxurious, family-friendly all-inclusive resort about 20 minutes from the marina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and 30 minutes from Los Cabos International Airport (SJD). It’s located on a beautiful stretch of sand, but like most beaches in the area, it’s not safe to swim in the water. However, the resort has a stunning series of pools for guests to enjoy, including an adults-only infinity pool overlooking the beach.

How to book Grand Velas Los Cabos

Before jumping into the various ways you can book a stay at Grand Velas Los Cabos, let me reiterate that this is a luxury resort, and it comes with luxury prices. Rates for double occupancy in this all-suite resort start at $1,295 per night and fluctuate throughout the year, at times exceeding $2,000 a night. But that rate covers basically all of your food and drinks (including premium liquor), minibar items and tons of activities. It does not include spa services, certain meal add-ons (like a special wine pairing menu), excursions and the like.

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The resort is a stunner

You don’t have to be an architectural connoisseur to appreciate the absolute beauty of the resort. From the highway, you can’t really see past the walled entrances to many properties, but as soon as you enter the resort’s driveway, it’s clear that this place is somewhere special.

Grand Velas gets its name from a Spanish word for sail, and that motif is felt in full force in the dramatic, dual-toned, geometric lobby that looks out directly to the sea. It’s one majestic entrance, setting the standard for the rest of my stay. The check-in process was quick and easy, with staff coming to me while I relaxed rather than having to wait in line at a check-in desk, giving me more time to take in my surroundings.

Outside the lobby, located on an elevated floor, I was finally able to get a glimpse of the building itself, which is truly a sight to behold. The building is curved around the richly landscaped pool areas, fronting the ocean, and the geometric balcony dividers and flora make it feel like a work of art. What makes it truly special is that when you’re in any of the pools, you can look down toward the ocean or up at the building for equally beautiful views.

From there, I found that every restaurant, every bar and every public space was equally as design-forward, and it was clear to me how much thought and effort went into making every nook and cranny feel like the most special place in the resort.

The suites are made with comfort in mind

Grand Velas Los Cabos is an all-suite resort, and every single accommodation measures over 1,000 square feet, so there’s plenty of room to spread out.

For my two-night stay, I was in a Grand Class Suite at the very end of the building, meaning my balcony offered beautiful views of the rocky ocean below and along the coastline rather than directly down over the manicured pools (though the room on the other side of my balcony wall must have looked out over the pools).

Measuring 1,608 square feet, this suite had a king-size bed with goose-down pillows and a duvet, a couch with a chaise lounge, a 65-inch TV, a wall of glass doors that could fully open to remove the wall entirely and a massive balcony with a private plunge pool and a lounge chair.

The bed’s headboard was built up against a chic divider with a desk running parallel on the opposite side, along with a chair in case you need a space to get work done.

The side of the room featured a shelving unit with coffee table books and, besides the minibar area, didn’t serve much of a purpose but was great to look at.

In the minibar, which was restocked frequently, I found sodas, Tecate beers, wine, juices, cold water, chocolate and strawberry milk, and creamer for the coffee. Above the fridge was a Nespresso coffee maker with various pods to get your caffeine fix.

The larger-than-life bathroom was separated from the living area with a sliding door, though the toilet and shower were in their own enclosed areas. The bathroom had a gigantic two-person Jacuzzi tub, a dual sink vanity and a separate lower vanity with a chair, perfect for putting on makeup. The shower offered many different showerheads, including a rainfall option, and Molton Brown bath products.

There was also a large closet with plenty of space for me and my mom to share, plus a safe to lock up any valuables.

Overall, the room was near-perfect. My only gripe was that the TV didn’t offer any sort of streaming options like Chromecast or Apple TV so I could watch shows that I’d downloaded on my phone.

But honestly, with a private plunge pool and those incredible views, who needs to be watching TV, anyway?

The service is next-level

From the moment we arrived, I found the staff to be truly engaged, fun and friendly. No matter what type of room you book, all guests have access to a 24-hour personal concierge who can help arrange everything from spa treatments to dinner reservations, as well as provide information about excursion opportunities and simply answer questions about the area.

Having been in Cabo a few days before we checked into this particular resort, my mom and I went deep-sea fishing and had a very lucky day, catching a 9-foot striped marlin that we had packaged so my mom could take it back with her to Texas. The only conundrum was that we needed to have the flash-frozen fish refrigerated until we left for the airport. We chatted through WhatsApp with our concierge, and she was able to arrange that for us, without a fee. It was delivered to our car when we left for the airport.

At every restaurant, the staff was warm and friendly, too, guiding us through the menu highlights and ensuring our drinks were always topped off.

Wandering around the resort, staff frequently stopped to chat, asking if I was looking for anything and curious how my stay was. In fact, one such staffer stopped me on a walk to the bathroom from the pool to let me know that a hat decorating experience was about to happen and helped claim a seat for me and my mom before they were all taken.

You can eat an experiential tasting menu designed by a renowned chef

While I’ll touch more on the overall food and beverage offerings below, the highlight of Grand Velas Los Cabos’ dining experiences is the multicourse tasting menu at the adults-only restaurant, Cocina de Autor.

There, the menu is overseen by Dutch chef Sidney Schutte, who has two Michelin stars under his belt and comes to Mexico seasonally to update the menu. Mexican chef Francisco Sixtos runs the actual kitchen.

The meal, which is included in the all-inclusive packaging, starts with drinks and the first course in a beautiful lounge area, followed by the set menu in the dining room.

Over the course of nearly two hours, we were awed by dishes that, to be frank, were over my head but absolutely delicious. This multicourse feast included corn veloute with pecans, morel mushroom and jicama; a beef fillet with celery root, onion and truffle; tuna with nori seaweed; and piquillo pepper and oyster with green apple, arbequina and cilantro.

Pair that with a delectable wine menu and incredible service (especially considering each dish needed to be explained to us like we were 4-year-olds), and we left too full, beyond happy and in disbelief that this dinner was part of the all-inclusive experience.

I’ve had similarly extravagant tasting menus and know that this meal in New York or even in Nashville would easily have cost upward of $1,000 for two people. In fact, this restaurant is open to non-guests and costs, according to the menu, $4,500 pesos (or about $255) per person.

The other dining options are phenomenal

Though Cocina de Autor may be the shining gem of the resort’s restaurant collection, you can expect top-tier food and service at each of the property’s seven restaurants and multiple bars.

Other restaurants include Velas 10, an oceanfront steakhouse; Frida, for gourmet Mexican; French-focused Piaf; Lucca, an upscale but family-friendly Italian spot; Cabrilla, where fresh seafood and ceviches are on the menu; and Azul, a truly high-end buffet.

Unfortunately, during my two-night stay, there wasn’t enough time (or stomach) to try all of them, but I did also have the opportunity to have dinner at Velas 10, lunch at Azul and an Instagram-friendly in-room dining moment, all highlighted below.

Velas 10

For our farewell dinner, we ate on the oceanfront patio of the Velas 10 steakhouse, which features a surf-and-turf menu ranging from a tomahawk to octopus and everything in between. The meal started with freshly baked bread and different butters like bone marrow in a bone alongside a smoked guava cocktail presented in a smoke-filled glass dome that put on a show when it was brought out to the table.

Other highlights included a hearty wedge salad with bacon and blue cheese dressing, fresh raw tuna that was utterly mouthwatering, sauteed mushrooms, grilled shrimp and a massive steak.

For dessert, be sure to order a flaming coffee for a tableside experience that feels like a scene straight out of “Harry Potter.”

Azul

Buffets are a hallmark experience at all-inclusive resorts, but few do it quite like Grand Velas Los Cabos. We stopped in for lunch (it’s also open for breakfast), and I was truly overwhelmed by the options, which ranged from fresh sushi and ceviches to various meats and seafood items that can be cooked right in front of you to your liking, alongside plenty of veggies, salads and even a dedicated area for kid-friendly options.

My favorite part was the fresh-made quesadilla counter, where I got a rich and slightly spicy chorizo quesadilla, as well as grilled peppers, fresh shrimp and a really cute dessert taco with a tangy, lemony filling. It was all delicious, but I know I’ll be dreaming about that quesadilla for the rest of my life.

In-room dining

The resort also offers in-room dining 24 hours a day, with an extensive menu featuring everything from wings and a classic club sandwich to sushi, ricotta cheese and spinach ravioli, and huevos rancheros. There are even kid-friendly menus and special options for babies and toddlers, like purees and finger foods.

Or, for a really special experience, chat with your concierge about having a floating breakfast tray that includes a bottle of Champagne and small bites like Belgian-style waffles with red fruit compote and caramelized seeds, avocado toast and plenty of adorable pastries. Unfortunately, this experience is only available to guests staying in Governor, Grand Class, Grand Class Corner, Presidential, Royal or Imperial Suites.

The adults-only infinity pool was the place to be

At Grand Velas Los Cabos, there are three pools: The first two pools descending down from the resort toward the beach are family-friendly, while the infinity pool at the bottom is just for adults — and that’s where I spent the majority of my time at the resort.

The infinity pool stretches across the length of the beach and has a swim-up bar and a large deck area in the middle with first-come, first-served lounge chairs.

At many all-inclusive resorts, snagging a pool chair could be an Olympic sport that starts when the sun’s rays begin to rise, but that wasn’t my experience here. That said, the chairs in the middle of the pool did go fast, but most people seemed to stay in the water, drink in hand.

There’s a ton to do for the whole family

Sure, the infinity pool is just for adults, but kids and teenagers have plenty of space for fun, too.

For kids 12 and younger, there’s a kids club open daily from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. It hosts activities like pinata making, games and storytelling and also has its own splash pad for some safe fun in the water.

I happened to be heading to the buffet when the kids club was gathering there for lunch, and I watched as staffers helped kids decide what to eat. Considering that some of the restaurants are off-limits to kids, it’s great to know you can drop them off and go on a date night — or simply head to the spa.

Pictured above is the teens club where 13- to 18-year-olds can join dance parties, play video games or grab a pool or pingpong table for fun with new friends.

For everyone else, there’s constant programming across the resort, like cooking classes, wine tastings, mixology experiences, workout and yoga sessions and even hat painting, which my mom and I thoroughly enjoyed even though neither of us has an artistic bone in our body.

If a yoga class isn’t your preferred workout, there’s also a large fitness center with tons of modern equipment, including weight machines, free weights and treadmills.

If you want to get off the property, the resort can also arrange activities like a day off on a yacht, whale watching, off-roading on an all-terrain vehicle or a camel safari on the beach.

And if you happen to be visiting during Christmas, you can catch Santa arriving at the resort via helicopter to spread holiday joy.

Don’t miss the spa’s signature ‘Water Journey’

At many resort spas, you simply show up and have the opportunity to enjoy saunas or steam rooms on your own before heading in for your treatment. At Velas Resorts, guests can actually go on a guided “Water Journey” before a treatment. The journey involves spa staffers escorting you through a customized experience that features time in a sauna, a steam room, an ice room, a sensory shower, a polar pool and a thermal lounge.

For the uninitiated, it can be a bit of a wild experience as you drop into an ice room for five minutes before being escorted to a state-of-the-art shower you walk through with various temperatures and pressures, but trust me, you’ll feel like a new person when it’s all done. And that’s before your treatments, which range from classic massages and facials to more tailored experiences, all for an additional fee.

Accessibility

It’s important to remember when visiting a foreign country that accessibility laws for hotel accommodations vary considerably.

At Grand Velas Los Cabos, there are accessible rooms and large elevators and hallways to access various parts of the resort. To confirm an accessible room and accessibility features at the resort (or any hotel, really), I’ve found from personal experience it’s best to call on the phone to discuss room types and availability and share other personal accessibility information.

Checking out

After my two-night stay at Grand Velas Los Cabos, my heart was as full as my stomach — and that’s saying something because I ate like royalty, and I really did not want to leave.

The resort truly did live up to the hype, and there’s something so refreshing about staying somewhere with incredible food and top-shelf drinks without having to worry if you’ll need to refinance your home when you get the final bill.

From the ultra-friendly service to the beautiful building, manicured greenery and oceanfront infinity pool, Grand Velas Los Cabos checked all the boxes for what an all-inclusive resort can be.

Even better, if you’re intrigued by the idea of an all-inclusive resort but are still not sure about the sometimes larger-than-life size of them, know that Velas will soon have another option for you. The brand is opening an adults-only, all-inclusive resort called Grand Velas Boutique Los Cabos right next door to Grand Velas Los Cabos in November 2023.

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