Can any of the new hotels in Los Cabos beat the views you get of the iconic “Arch” at The Cape Cabo?
We doubt it.
This edgy hotel (properly called The Cape, a Thompson Hotel) is just outside the town of Cabo San Lucas.
And when checking in, we couldn’t help but gape at El Arco across the ocean bay, bathed in gold as the sun set behind it.
Those views are the first thing we cover in our review of The Cape (below)!
El Arco – if you’re not familiar with the resort destination of Los Cabos, Mexico – is the distinctive granite rock formation at the tip of the Baja Peninsula.
Everyone who visits can’t wait to see the Arch up close.
A popular way to see the Arch is to take a water taxi or glass-bottom boat ride from the Cabo San Lucas Marina. (It’s one of the most fun things to do in Cabo!)
The Cape Cabo opened its doors in late June, 2015.
It’s the first Mexican venture for Thompson Hotels, which manages a collection of deluxe boutique properties in cities such as New York, Miami, London and Toronto.
The luxury hotel brand was acquired by Hyatt Hotels in 2018, which is growing the brand.
The Cape Cabo: Review
The hotel is 5-star.
But with a hip contemporary vibe, it’s quite different from other high-end hotels in Cabo, like the One & Only Palmilla and Las Ventanas al Paraiso (both of which we’ve also stayed at and reviewed).
Those hotels fall more into the “traditional luxury” category.
The Cape Hotel in Cabo, on the other hand, targets couples with a more youthful outlook seeking hotels with a thought-provoking design.
It’s also at a mid-luxury price point, not the splurge end of the scale.
It was the first time we’ve stayed at a Thompson hotel – and we don’t think it will be our last!
Here are seven things we love about The Cape in Los Cabos:
1) Every room has a smashing view
Yes, that’s right.
All 157 guestrooms, suites and villas have views of El Arco beyond the glittering bay.
Totally awesome, OMG, in-your-face views that you never get tired of gawking at.
2) It’s fun to swing on your day-bed
The Cape Hotel in Cabo has two buildings with guestrooms.
We prefer the main building – in large part because all rooms here have terraces with hanging cushioned daybeds.
In the late afternoon, when it was too warm to lounge at the beachfront swimming pool, we retreated to the shade of our terrace and enjoyed listening to the waves while swinging gently on the big daybed.
We stayed in a first floor Grand Terrace room, where the unique terraces are all black (black walls, black floor, black ceiling).
These terraces were designed like an old-fashioned camera to direct the eye straight out to the sea. Quite clever!
Room tip:
Go for a Grand Terrace room on the first and second floors of the main building, as they have larger terraces.
Or if a private pool is calling out to you (and you don’t mind spending more!), then book a suite with a private plunge pool on the balcony.
3) You get a hand-etched, crystal bottle of tequila
We thought we’d sip just a little (and save some to bring back home).
But the extra-smooth, blue Agave tequila – distilled exclusively for The Cape – was so good that even though we’re not tequila lovers, we couldn’t resist finishing it.
All guests receive the tequila as a welcome amenity, accompanied by a platter of orange slices and chili-spiced Sal de Gusano (or “worm salt,” a smoky salt made from the gusano worm).
4) Manta at The Cape Los Cabos – tasty fusion food
Los Cabos has great restaurants. One is found at The Cape.
The Manta restaurant in Cabo is the resort’s dinner-only restaurant.
Featuring Peruvian, Mexican and Japanese fusion food, Manta is one of the most avant-garde restaurants in Los Cabos.
Chef Enrique Olvera – who opened Pujol in Mexico City, widely regarded as Mexico’s best restaurant – oversees the kitchen at Manta at The Cape Los Cabos.
And the dishes he and his team whip up are light (no heavy cream sauces), healthy and tantalizingly tasty.
We were especially taken with the cactus salad, grilled octopus with chorizo mayo, and fresh fish with a ginger-garlic foam.
To go with the interesting food, a curated beverage menu focuses on mezcals, tequilas and sakes. Maybe start with one of the interesting Mexican margarita cocktails?
Or you can choose a fine Mexican wine (the Valle de Guadalupe on the northern Baja coast is producing some great wines).
Other diners rave about the restaurant too (see TripAdvisor reviews).
Another great Cabo restaurant: Do yourself a favor and dine at the beautiful farm-to-table Flora Farms restaurant.
5) The Cape is pet-friendly
Well-behaved pooches may stay with you (request a pet-friendly room).
We saw at least two small dogs being walked on their leashes from the hotel to the beach at front.
6) The Cape Hotel, Cabo San Lucas, has a sexy spa
We didn’t use the spa, but we had a peek at it.
It’s a very Zen space with seven treatment rooms (softly lit with dark charcoal grey walls and minimal art) and two oceanview cabanas for al fresco massages.
We could feel our bodies going “Ahhhh…” just walking through the spa out to the warm, freeform, saltwater pool that it overlooks.
7) You can see the sea from your bathroom
Many guestrooms have free-standing, copper-leafed bath tubs. They’re positioned in such a way that you can see out from the tub through the bedroom to your terrace and ocean view beyond.
We could also spy seagulls and the ocean from our glass-walled shower.
Do you love “wow” bathrooms? Then take a peek at 18 of the most stunning hotel bathrooms in the world!
If you stay at The Cape, Cabo San Lucas
Location:
The Cape is on the outskirts of Cabo San Lucas, about a $15 to $20 USD taxi ride away from town.
Be aware:
The splendid infinity pool gets all-day sun.
For shade, we could always find an empty curtained cabana. But when the hotel is busy, will there be enough cabanas for the guests who want them?
Last words: The Cape, a Thompson Hotel, reviews
We’re not the only ones impressed with The Cape in Cabo.
Most recently, it was named one of the best 15 resorts in Mexico in the 2022 Conde Nast Traveler “Readers’ Choice Awards.”
Love this hotel? Then save our review of The Cape Los Cabos for later on Pinterest!
Photo credits: 3, 4, 6, 9, 11 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | Remaining photos courtesy The Cape, a Thompson Hotel