The One & Only Palmilla
Soon after it opened, in 2004, the One & Only Palmilla became the darling of Hollywood by hosting a surprise party for John Travolta's fiftieth birthday; guests included Barbra Streisand, Sean Penn, Oprah Winfrey and several hundred other boldfaced names. The bash made People magazine, and the resort's occupancy has been sky-high ever since.
The One & Only Palmilla is the $90 million reincarnation of Palmilla, one of Los Cabos's oldest (1956) and most beloved resorts. Today it is primarily owned by South African entrepreneur Sol Kerzner, who also owns Atlantis, in the Bahamas, as well as One & Only resorts throughout the world. Kerzner purchased the property in 2002 and lured Edward Steiner away from Las Ventanas to install him as managing director. In 2003, most of the old buildings were razed. To create a lush tropical enclave reminiscent of Hawaii, management planted palm trees, bougainvilleas, birds-of-paradise and ginger.
With 172 guest accommodations, all with views of the gulf, the 250-acre property is considerably larger than Las Ventanas or Esperanza. Guests have access to three restaurants, two bars and the resort's twenty-seven-hole Jack Nicklaus golf course. The pace here is faster than at the other two resorts, the ambiance more energetic. For those who like action and a see-and-be-seen scene, the One & Only Palmilla is the place. It also has one of the few beaches in Los Cabos that are safe for swimming.
A supervised program for children and a kid-friendly pool make Palmilla perfect for families. Parents can drop their little ones off at the Kids Only camp, then indulge in treatments in the 22,000-square-foot spa. Or perhaps try a "floating beach bed": a canopied king-size mattress suspended from poles on a secluded stretch of beach.
Throughout the resort, thick white adobe walls, heavy wood furnishings and wrought-iron trim conjure a Spanish colonial hacienda — except at C, the restaurant that Chicago chef Charlie Trotter oversees. There Adam Tihany created a contemporary glassed-in space with cylindrical aquariums dividing the dining area from the kitchen. C's cuisine is fusion with flair: charred Chilean salmon with dashi–red miso broth and serrano chilies, for example, and spit-roasted Thai duck with a sweet-potato-and-wild-rice pancake. Maybe because C felt more like a restaurant in Las Vegas than one in Mexico, I preferred to eat at Agua, Palmilla's Mexican dining spot. Also a Tihany design, Agua has an expansive patio that overlooks the sea, along with a tiled fountain and a bar with a palm-leaf roof.
What's most impressive about the One & Only Palmilla is its guest rooms. Our 750-square-foot junior suite had a king-size bed with an ornately carved wooden headboard. A secretary desk concealed the minibar, and the curtained patio contained a pillow-strewn daybed. The decadent bathroom had a double vanity with hand-painted sinks and a marble tub. No wonder I bathed three — no, make that four — times a day.
In high season (November 16 through May 14), double rooms from $575 to $800, suites from $875 to $2,400. 800-637-2226; oneandonlyresorts.com.
