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JANUARY – MARCH 2020
RESORTDEVELOPER.COMVACATION INDUSTRY REVIEW
El Arco, the iconic Land’s End Arch formation,
where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez
at the bottom of Mexico’s Baja California Sur
peninsula, has become this destination’s trade-
mark of success. Travelers flock to the area year
after year for a one-of-a-kind upscale experience,
making Los Cabos a top choice among Mexico
vacation destinations.
Here, where the ocean, desert, and mountains commingle in a
breathtaking setting, visitors come for world-class golf, five-star resorts,
picturesque beaches, gourmet dining, nightlife, deep-sea fishing, boat-
ing, dolphin- and whale-watching, horseback riding, diving, snorkeling,
ATV cycling, zip lining, and much more. Los Cabos comprises two
towns: lively Cabo San Lucas and its quieter counterpart San Jose del
Cabo, linked by a 20-mile (32 kilometers) corridor. The sleepy fishing
community of long ago is now lined with luxury.
All in for Expansion
With all that Los Cabos continues to offer, it’s no wonder that tour-
ism arrival figures continue to increase and the destination rises to the
occasion with more hotels and timeshare products to fill the need.
According to Rodrigo Esponda, managing director of the Los Cabos
Tourism Board, Los Cabos averages more than 3 million visitors a year.
From 2017 to 2018, the most recent time span measured, the hotel
and timeshare inventory in Los Cabos had grown 31 percent and inter-
national arrivals had increased by 4 percent. More than 2,000 additional
rooms were being added by the end of 2019.
Local hotel and timeshare associations in Los Cabos have signed
on to be founding members of a complementary trust fund, created by
Visit Los Cabos, which empowers the region’s private sector to con-
tribute financially in promoting the destination. The funding supports a
new promotional office opened in Los Angeles, California, last August.
Forty percent of Los Cabos visitors come from California and the big-
gest destination partners, such as airlines, tour operators, and travel
advisors, are also located there, notes Esponda.
Privacy and Exclusivity
The Solmar Group’s master-planned community, Rancho San Lucas,
offers a contemporary and lavish Los Cabos retreat, both private and
exclusive, for timeshare owners, private residence owners, and hotel
guests. The community, 20 minutes from downtown Cabo San Lucas
and 34 miles from San Jose del Cabo, has a direct-access highway
so guests don’t have to meander through neighborhoods or other
roadways. Dramatic desert landscapes and stunning ocean views in
a secluded luxury hideaway make this experience a private paradise
rather than just a vacation.
Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas, within the community, opened
in December 2017 with 14 studios and 38 one-bedrooms. The resort
boasts abundant aquatic amenities, including two infinity-edge swimming
pools, a swim-up bar, a saltwater lagoon, a mini water park, and a kids’
pool. The resort also has a fitness center, spa cabanas, a kids’ club, and
a beauty salon. Dining options range from a two-story fine dining restaurant
to a deli and bar grill. A gift shop, a mini market, laundry facilities, a medical
clinic, and a full concierge service round out the offerings.
Future plans for Rancho San Lucas include a state-of-the-art tennis
facility with sports complex; five total restaurants; a world-class spa; a
Mexican-style village with shopping, dining, and entertainment; bike trails;
a 15-acre (6 hectares) lake and picnic area; kayaking; and 15 miles
(24 kilometers) of jogging and mountain bike trails.
Total number of planned units for further development are 119 studios
Aneese/Getty Images; Lindsay Lauckner Gundlock/Alamy Stock Images