On the terrace overlooking the Pacific Ocean, I stood with a crowd, spellbound as dozens of blue and white-hued drones floated into the air and then danced across the dark night sky to Coldplay’s infectious “A Sky Full of Stars.”
The drones created images of whales, a swordfish and dolphins before spelling out “Solmar Hotels & Resorts.” Friends and family were gathered on the 50th anniversary of the Solmar Group, founded by husband and wife, “Don Luis” Bulnes Molleda and Concepción “Conchita” Malo Hernández.
The celebration took place at Grand Solmar Land’s End. Solmar Group’s first hotel was built close to downtown Cabo San Lucas. Located on the southernmost tip of Baja California, the hotel sits on a promontory where the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean meet. With a view of the famous rock formation called the Arches, the hotel is so close to the water that from the end of November through March, guests can whale watch from their balconies.
The drones reminded everyone that when Land’s End was built, Cabo San Lucas was focused on commercial and sports fishing. Today there is still fishing, but the area is one of the world’s fastest growing areas for hospitality. Hotels, resorts, spas and golf courses have spread from the beaches to the rocky hills.
Grand Solmar Pacific Dunes
Two days before, after an easy two and a half-hour flight from Los Angeles, I landed at Los Cabos International Airport.
Excited to begin their vacations as soon as they could, many people on the plane were already wearing swim suits, flip flops and straw hats. Inside the terminal, the crowds moved quickly through immigration and customs.
Leaving the airport, my driver drove thirty-minutes west across a landscape I love, a desert expanse with weathered cacti and bordered by dusty mountains in the distance. We left the toll road when we reached the turnoff to the Solmar Golf Links and the Grand Solmar Pacific Dunes, Solmar Group’s newest properties. I relished the desert solitude of an elegant hotel built across sand dunes, facing the Pacific Ocean.
With a choice of studios, master suites and luxury suites, Grand Solmar Pacific Dunes’ one hundred and forty-five rooms occupy buildings on a rise, giving every guest a view of the beach, the pools below or the sand dunes surrounding the resort.
I opened the door to my fourth-floor room, pushed my rollaway into the bedroom, quickly pulled back the curtains and opened the sliding glass doors. On the balcony I had a clear view of the wide beach and the Pacific. Seeing the Instagram-perfect ocean stretching to the horizon, I was eager to go for a swim.
As beautiful as the water looked, I knew from past visits to the area that the rip tide is so treacherous, the ocean is too dangerous for swimming. Even walking in the bubbling, swirling surf is not safe. So, as the saying goes, I knew to look but not to touch.
Swim, read and relax at poolside
But my swimsuit would not stay packed. The resort guaranteed that since the ocean isn’t available, I could still enjoy a rich variety of water activities. The heart of the resort is the recreational area of fresh water pools and the salt water lagoon. Taking a cue from the surrounding natural landscape, the pools and Jacuzzi are bordered with rough-hewn stones and landscaped with elegant palm trees. A mix of native and flowering plants add color. The lagoon and pool areas are a quiet, restful oasis with an abundance of chaise lounges, comfortable chairs and sheltering umbrellas, perfect for relaxing and reading.
The resort also offers families a recreational area of their own. A tall wall baffles the happy sounds of children enjoying two water slides, a wading pool, sandy beach, snack bar and kids club.
Before I went for a swim, I stopped at the entertainment booth next to the salt water lagoon. The blackboard listed the day’s activities. I could play cards, learn new handicrafts, try my hand at beach volleyball, take a yoga class or sign up for water aerobics. Two pickleball courts were available on the dune side of the pool area. If I felt brave enough, I could even try singing a favorite song during Friday karaoke night. Maybe everyone will want to hear my version of the Beatles “Good Day Sunshine.” Maybe not.
For an added fee, I could enjoy self-care and wellness in the Spa by the Ocean. I could choose from a menu of massages, facials and body treatments offered in the open-air, thatched roof cabanas with views of the beach and ocean. Also, for an added fee, private pool cabanas, outfitted with chaise lounges, chairs and tables, were available where guests can order food and beverage service and relax in comfort.
Looking to expand my experiences with off-property activities, I could check with the concierge. On a longer stay, I would happily go on a luxury whale watching cruise, go horseback riding, enjoy snorkeling on a sunset sail in the waters off the coast or go on a noisy off-road dune buggy adventure, to mention a few.
While the rest of Cabo San Lucas bakes in the summer heat, an ocean breeze cools Grand Solmar Pacific Dunes. For a time during May and June, the wind can be a constant presence, so visitors need to take that in mind when booking a reservation.
Facing the ocean, a spacious room with a full kitchen
My fourth-four master suite was large and comfortable, designed in a contemporary modern décor. The balcony was outfitted with a table for four and two large chairs that faced the wide beach. Inside, the suite had a spacious kitchen and living room with a large screen TV and a well-designed bedroom with a king-sized bed, an adjoining bathroom and a second TV.
I enjoyed the room’s many creature comforts. The master bathroom offered the convenience of a two-sink bathroom counter and the luxury of a bathtub and an adjoining glass-enclosed shower with a separate closet for the toilet. Quality amenities by Vert de Terres were waiting for me on the bathroom counter.
I appreciated the large ceiling fan over the bed. The tasteful furnishings included lovely details like the table lamps on the two side tables decorated with delicate white calla lilies reminded me of Diego Rivera’s famous “The Flower Seller” painting.
For families and friends on vacation together, no need to request a rollaway bed. Each room is outfitted with a Murphy bed, concealed in the wall and easily deployed. In addition to 24-hour room service, the rooms also have either compact or full-sized kitchens for in-room food preparation, perfect for daily meals and entertaining. As general manager Pablo Marconi explained, every effort is taken to make the resort a “home away from home.”
On a longer stay, serving meals in my room would have been easy. The large kitchen had a full-sized electric stove and refrigerator and all the cooking utensils, small appliances, cutlery and dishes that I would need to make delicious meals. Marconi said that a pre-arrival option allowed guests to stock the refrigerator with goodies.
Golf like a champion
The Cabo San Lucas area is home to many first-class golf courses designed by celebrity golf pros like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. The Solmar Group engaged Greg Norman to build a golf course that combined recreation and conservation.
Norman came to design the Solmar Golf Links by accident. Nubia Sarabia, the Director of Golf, told us the story. During a sports fishing visit, Norman met Don Luis. In one of those curiously fortuitous meetings that happen in life, Norman told Don Luis that this was a perfect location for a golf course.
Norman said the area reminded him of golf courses in Scotland. He designed the 18-hole, 7,260-yard, par-72 on the model of Scottish links which were built on dunes, on a rise with a view of the ocean. Norman and Don Luis agreed that the links would be built to engage with nature by leaving the landscape as undisturbed as possible. Sarabia said the objective was to “control but not to disturb the natural landscape and plants.” So that the area maintained its natural look, only the greens, ponds and landscaped areas would be irrigated and only with recycled water.
To create a championship experience, the greens were planted with SeaDwarf Paspalum grass which is kept emerald green by a sophisticated watering system. A delight to golfers, the putting greens are ironed with a roller so the balls roll faster.
Sarabia told us that Solmar Golf Links was the only Mexican golf course to receive an Audubon International certificate for protecting the environment. As if on cue, she pointed down below where we were standing. Four deer walked casually across one of the greens. Two golf carts were stopped nearby, waiting for the deer to pass.
For an up-close view of the course, we hopped in golf carts. Our tour took us on a winding path, passing close to the beach before heading away from the ocean. At one of the comfort stands on the course, we had a delicious snack of tamales and empanadas.
In addition to the spectacular views, another feature attracted Norman to the property. The wind. Like the original Scottish links, Solmar Golf Links is built on a rise with views of the ocean where wind is a factor.
We stopped to watch a threesome on a challenging hole as a father and two adult sons teed off. Sarabia had told us that everyone playing the course had to take the wind into account. As if to demonstrate what she meant, the sons, strong, tall men, hit their balls hard and high. The wind carried the young men’s balls away from the green where they dropped into a pond. The dad addressed the ball, also striking it with force but angled flat and low. Just as Sarabia predicted, the ball cut through the wind and landed close to the hole.
Eat, Drink and Massage
I was joined by a new friend for breakfast at Anica Restaurant,. A sparrow landed on the chair opposite mine. Because of the restaurant’s open-air design, sparrows are frequent guests. I tossed him a piece of bread as I waited for my breakfast to arrive. The small bird watched attentively as the waiter served me a plump torta ahogada. The shredded pork carnitas on a soft roll with avocado and pickled onions with Chipotle sauce was one of six dishes from the Rincon Mexicano side of the menu. And, icons they were.
Besides the torta ahogada, I could have a chile relleno, chorizo burrito, steak and eggs with ranchero sauce or scrambled eggs with mole. The torta was delicious as were the eggs with mole that I ordered the next morning.
In addition to the Mexican dishes, the menu offered a lot of choices, from a selection of fresh fruit plated elegantly with granola and whipped cream, avocado or smoked salmon toast, bagels, French toast, waffles, an American style breakfast with eggs and bacon, smoothies, shakes and freshly squeezed juices. As with all my other meals in Anica, the food was well-prepared. I appreciated the use of fresh, quality ingredients and the always friendly service.
Besides Anica, which is described as serving an international menu with a Mexican accent, there were half a dozen other cafes and restaurants at the resort. Some were close to the pool. Some were up the hill, close to the lobby where I checked in. Solmar Group also owns other restaurants that are not on the resort property. One of those, Picaro Garden Cuisine, an Italian-Mexican fine dining restaurant, is a five-minute drive from the hotel.
Surrounded by native plants and towering cacti, Picaro has an open-air feeling, ideal in a climate where there are only four or five rainy days a year. Located on top of a hill, the restaurant balconies run along two sides so diners can look down on the coastline in the distance on one side and, on the other side, a desert expanse.
I arrived with several colleagues just before sunset. Everyone agreed that booking a table at sunset was an ideal way to enjoy the spectacular view. We toasted the sunset with a lemon-flavored tequila cocktail called Papalote (“kite”) as the departing sun turned the desert landscape golden.
Picaro is a collaboration between Matias Forte, executive chef of all the Solmar Global off-property restaurants, and Christian Ricci, chef of Picaro. Originally from Rome, Ricci talked about being “trained by his grandmother,” something I’ve heard from many Italian chefs. For them, cooking means not just technique, but sharing a love of food.
The meal was an exhilarating tour of the cuisines of Italy and Mexico. The dishes were paired with a selection of Mexican and European wines and spirits. We were served appetizers that ranged from homemade charcuterie, Oaxacan tlayuda corn tortillas, sweet corn empanadas and raw oysters with butter, garlic, guajillo chili and mezcal. After two salads, the main courses arrived from the kitchen.
Chef Ricci brought out a plate of rigatoni with smoked tomato, ricotta and ‘nduja, the home cured pork sausage from Calabria. Next, a moist lamb chop, seasoned with garlic and rosemary, served with sauteed Swiss chard on a roasted cauliflower puree. The catch of the day was grouper on creamy polenta and vegetables that included deliciously sweet charred onions. A moist pork shank came in a house cider sauce with Brussel sprouts and roasted apple. The meal concluded with a crunchy profiterole topped with a chocolate-espresso sauce, paired with a glass of 2017 Oremus Tokaji, a Hungarian late harvest wine.
With so many dishes, I assumed there would be left-overs to take back to our rooms. But our group enjoyed everything, so the only thing I brought home that night was the memory of a wonderful meal.
Relaxing and eating well were part of the pleasure of staying at the resort. Next on my list of-to-dos was a massage. All three Solmar resorts offer massages. I booked the Signature 80 massage at Grand Solmar Playa Grande.
Guadalupe (“Lupita”) introduced herself as my massage therapist. She directed me to lie face-down on the massage table. The massage began after she rang a small brass cymbal four times and placed hot stones and towels on my back. She spread warm lavender-scented oil over my legs and arms as she massaged my tired muscles. She asked, “Is everything the way you like it?” I was so relaxed, all I could say was, “Yes.”
Then she raised the sheet on one side and asked me to turn over. With a warm towel covering my face, she placed hot stones into my upturned palms. She spread heated oil over my chest. That’s when I fell asleep. I only realized the massage had ended when I heard the ringing of the brass cymbal again. Lupita leaned close and whispered that it was “time to slowly get ready to leave. Are you happy?” I was so very relaxed. I said quietly, “Yes, very. Very happy.”
For my last breakfast at Anica, I ordered my favorites, the fruit cocktail and the scrambled eggs with mole. As usual, a sparrow joined me at my corner table with a view of the pool. The day was sunny with a cool breeze coming off the ocean. The forecast was for another pool-perfect day. Unfortunately, today was a travel day. It was time to leave for the airport. I took a last bite of delicious mole and tossed the sparrow a piece of watermelon so we would both begin the day with a good breakfast.
When you go
For information about the area, please consult the Visit Los Cabos website. The Los Cabos area can be easily reached by boat or flights landing at Los Cabos International Airport. Be advised that if you bring banned substances into Mexico, they can be confiscated and you can be arrested. That includes THC gummies.
Grand Solmar Pacific Dunes, Carretera Todos Santos Km 120 #1, Cabo San Lucas, BCS, C.P. 23473 México, +01 877 24 56 973, [email protected]. Check with the resort about the cost of a hotel stay or the purchase of a time share. Rooms can be booked to include meal plans. WiFi is complimentary. Visit the Market opposite the Deli for travel essentials and a lovely collection of local handicrafts.
Over time, the resort will expand across the dunes, with a goal of creating almost 600 rooms. On the model of the complex where I stayed, each grouping of new guest rooms will surround pools and restaurants, so that even when the resort grows in size, the guest experience will remain intimate. As part of the expansion and renovation of existing rooms, suggestions from long-time guests are being incorporated. The Murphy beds will be replaced by sofa beds. The kitchens will be outfitted with stove tops and air fryers instead of with stoves with ovens. To enhance the guest-experience, if you don’t see housekeeping and maintenance staff in the hallways, that’s because tunnels underneath the resort allow staff to do their work without disturbing guests. The tunnels also protect the staff during turbulent weather.
Picaro Garden Cuisine, Carretera a Todos Santos km 120, 23473 Cabo San Lucas, BCS, C.P. Mexico, +52 (624) 68 900 50. In addition to dining areas outside on the terraces and inside, there is also a lively bar in the middle of the restaurant facing the open kitchen with a wood burning oven. Reservations on OpenTable are recommended.
Solmar Foundation, created by the Solmar Group, the award winning, non-profit Foundation provides health services and educational programs for the local community.
Solmar Group, a family affair, originally led by husband and wife, Don Luis Bulnes and Doña Conchita Malo. Over time the company has expanded and is now led by their daughter, Charo Bulnes Malo, President of the Solmar Group, together with Director of Operations, Mauricio Salicrup. Grand Solmar Land’s End, Avenue Solmar 1A, Centro, Cabo San Lucas, BCS, C.P. 23450 Mexico, +01 (210) 7561470. Playa Grande Resort & Spa, Playa Grande 1, Centro, 23453 Cabo San Lucas, BCS, C.P. Mexico, +01 (210) 7561470.
Solmar Golf Links, Cabo San Lucas, Carretera a Todos Santos Kilometro 120, Cabo San Lucas, BCS, C.P. 23473, Mexico, +52 554-172-4653. Open to the public with seasonal discounts given to Grand Solmar Pacific Dunes guests. Check the website for a schedule of fees. Many of the holes have a view of the ocean. Five holes are on the ocean. The fee to use the greens includes refreshments during play that are served in the snack bars and club house.
The Arch of Cabo San Lucas (“El Arco” or “Land’s End”). Although attached to the land during low tide, the Arch is only accessible by boat. A popular destination for snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding, many visitors enjoy the Arch in less active ways by sipping a glass of wine and taking photographs as the sun sets. The concierge can help you book a tour to the Arch.
