How To Feel Pampered in Cabo Without Overpaying

You can enjoy an amazing sunset right from your balcony.

Los Cabos, Mexico, is made up of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. If your main priority is partying (which can be amazing), go to Cabo San Lucas. But if you want to truly relax and feel pampered, go to San Jose del Cabo.

Casa Maat

Of course, there are many hotels in the area at a variety of price points. While Casa Maat may not have the big names of some other high-end hotels in the area, the property is wonderful and the staff will make you feel so special. If you have Marriott Bonvoy points, this is a particularly good property to use them at because you get such great value here.

Casa Maat is an approximately 40-room boutique hotel that is part of the JW Marriott. I’ve been there seven times now, and it’s never full. We love to spend each day at the Casa Maat infinity pool, where you can cool off in their pool or relax in the hot tub, all while watching whales dancing in the ocean (should you go during whale season). There is a dedicated staff person to help you select your lounge chair and dress it up in multiple towels to make you feel perfectly comfortable and motivate you to take a dip. There are also multiple staff on hand during the day to bring you drinks.

And here’s what might be the best part—the extremely reasonable room rate includes daily breakfast, free beer and wine all day long, daily ceviche and guacamole platters delivered right to your lounge chair, full open bar from 6-8 pm, and daily dinner (featuring different daily menus from around the world).

Who wouldn’t love waking up to this view?

Dining

All of the food is exceptional. Breakfast includes the usual American and European breakfast items, fresh pastries, a fresh fruit juice bar, and a chef making eggs however you’d like them and delicious sweet breakfasts too! And, after a day or two, the staff always seems to know your drink order or how you like your eggs, and usually will bring it over before you have a chance to ask.

If you don’t feel like staying at Casa Maat for dinner, you still have access to all of the great restaurants at JW Marriott. This includes Cafe des Artistes, one of the most renowned restaurants in San Jose del Cabo. And you also get access to other Marriott amenities, like a large exercise room and a spectacular spa.

After a long workout, I treated myself to both French toast and an egg white omelet!

Off-resort

If you are looking to totally leave the resort for an evening, there are amazing farm-to-table restaurants that are a short Uber ride away.

I also highly recommend taking a slightly longer Uber to the Gallery District of San Jose Del Cabo. On Thursdays from November through June, the street closes to cars for gallery-hopping, live music, street performers, and dining, showcasing local art from paintings to sculptures. Afterwards, I recommend going to one of the Gallery District restaurants like La Lupita and Sage.

With all of these great opportunities for food and relaxation, you will feel truly pampered!

• Even though I wrote mostly about relaxation, there’s still plenty of ways to add more active moments to your trip, like a whale watching boat ride, fishing trip, golfing, or a cruise to the Arch.

• I recommend going in December between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The prices are lower than in January (which is more in the heart of whale watching season). The weather is perfect, it’s a bit less expensive than going in January, and you can still see plenty of whales.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our San Jose del Cabo page.