Land's End is the star attraction, the headliner in Cabo San Lucas.
So local hotels are judged not only by the quality of their accommodations and luxurious amenities, but also by the vantages from which guests may view the 30-million-year-old granite rock formations that mark the southernmost point of the nearly 800-mile-long Baja California peninsula.
And no Los Cabos hotel has better views than The Cape: A Thompson Hotel, a boutique property that opened its doors in June 2015.
Manta at The Cape – like all of the hotel's rooms, restaurants and event spaces – features spectacular views of Land's End in Cabo San Lucas — Photo courtesy of Thomas Hart Shelby / The Cape: A Thompson Hotel
The Million-Dollar Views
In a magnificent feat of design and engineering, The Cape's architect Javier Sánchez has provided majestic views of Land’s End and its famous Arch from each of the hotel’s 161 rooms and suites, as well as its restaurants and swimming pools. Heck, even the gym has million-dollar views!
Then there's the live entertainment, too. The Cape is set on Playa Monumentos ("Monuments Beach"), one of the premier surf spots in Baja California Sur. Thus, guests are able to watch surfers riding huge waves all the way to shore.
Or, they can try their own luck. The tricky left-hand break is not for beginners, but short board rentals can be arranged through the concierge, and boards are included for guests staying in the hotel’s one-, two- and three-bedroom suites.
Vintage-Meets-Modern Accommodations
Designer Marisabel Gómez Vázquez of Arquitectura de Interiores has blended surfer chic with boutique accents to create a wholly original accommodations concept at The Cape. Photos of Sid and Nancy are interspersed with surf-themed photos and trippy non-representational art, and every room is graced with a book of vintage surf photographs from legendary photographer Leroy Grannis. Vintage is the operative word.
Retro accents like copper bathtubs give rooms contrast with modernistic layouts. In the five rooms with panoramic views, for example, showers are located in the center, so that guests may lather up while enjoying the breathtaking views.
All rooms feature terraces, either with romantic swinging daybeds or jacuzzi plunge pools. Two auxiliary buildings house what were originally intended as residences, but which have been repurposed as 46 multi-room suites. Four of these are penthouse suites, each with enough rooftop space to accommodate up to 50 guests for sunset celebrations.
Surfer chic and boutique touches like copper bathtubs set apart each of The Cape's 161 rooms and suites — Photo courtesy of The Cape: A Thompson Hotel
Pacific Rim Fusion Dining
Enrique Olvera may be the most famous chef in México, and his iconic restaurant Pujol has been rated one of the world’s best since it opened in Mexico City in May 2000. Now, Olvera is the guiding force behind Manta, the signature restaurant and marquee dining experience at The Cape.
The focus at Manta is on Pacific Rim fusions featuring fresh local seafood.
“Baja has a Pacific influence,” Olvera says. “So that’s why we’re playing around with Peruvian and Japanese flavors, because a sashimi, a tiradito and a Mexican ceviche have a common language.”
To enhance the sunset views of Land's End, much of Manta has been painted black, the idea being that the dark wood décor will effectively act as a large-scale picture frame for the artwork outside.
Special Events
One of the things The Cape has done to distinguish itself in a very competitive market is to focus on special events. Staff from Olvera’s New York City restaurant Cosme – including James Beard Rising Star-nominated Chef Daniela Soto-Innes – took over the kitchen at Manta in April 2016 for a weekend dinner extravaganza, with four-course prix-fixe menu options paired with wines, tequilas and mezcals.
The following month, the hotel hosted a surf retreat featuring pro surfers Rob Machado and Tim Curran. Sunset concerts and late-night DJ sessions remain a frequent occurrence at The Rooftop lounge.
Additional Amenities
The onsite spa, Currents, is one of the most remarkable in Los Cabos. Rather than pipe in soothing music, Currents favors the sound of waves crashing on nearby Monuments Beach, as well as natural features like vine-covered walls and sheer granite cliff faces.
All the expected facilities are on hand – sauna, steam room, beauty salon and gym – as well as a few added touches like beachside cabañas for open-air massages. Yoga classes are offered each morning.
The sunken Lobby Bar is a repository of premium liquor, with an onsite mixologist available to craft interesting cocktail combinations.
Other interesting lobby attractions include a pool table and a giant whale sculpture made from wood blown onto the beach during the 2014 monster storm Hurricane Odile. The nearby Glassbox, meanwhile, showcases a collection of top-shelf tequilas and cigars.
