Review: Four Seasons Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol

It’s not every day that a hotel check-in stirs my emotions, but there I was at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol, wiping away a tear as I juggled my toddler and our homemade popsicles. 

Moments before, our family of four was presented with a tray featuring paper fortunes. While I was reflecting on how perfectly each fortune matched us — revealing a key personality trait or an area of growth — the front desk team was processing our stay. I was only vaguely aware of this, which is part of what makes this new hotel (launched in May 2024) so special. Here, guests are constantly treated to an unexpected sensory experience that is rooted in the beauty of Mexican folklore and tradition. 

The Influence of Mexico’s Pueblos Magicos

According to staff, the hotel’s welcome ritual is inspired by Pueblos Magicos — Mexican towns recognized by the government for their magical qualities of beauty, historical significance or natural wonders, such as Todos Santos and Tequila. Mexican heritage, as seen through the luxury lens of Four Seasons, inspires this property in major ways. For starters, there’s the resort’s vibrant, modern hacienda-style architecture and decor, featuring arches, colorful handmade tiles, vibrant textiles, indigenous materials, terracotta roofs and white stucco exteriors alongside modern floor-to-ceiling glass and steel doors that tuck into the walls for uninterrupted ocean views. 

The whole entrance area is not unlike a Mexican zocalo (town square) and features the lobby; Mercado, the coffee shop; the boutique, featuring beautifully curated local wares; the activity center; and El Taller Art Studio, which offers complimentary classes for guests. At Mercado, I was equally spellbound by the market’s homemade churro-and-ice-cream treat as I was with the two murals made of Michoacan tiles depicting the Mexican harvest. 

Meanwhile, the art studio enveloped me in rich color, from artwork by the artisan-in-residence to organic materials such as crushed lapis lazuli. On Fridays, the whole area comes alive with local artisans, tequila tastings and live mariachi music.

Because of how artfully Four Seasons weaves in local culture, the new property stands out among a tough comp set of luxury hotels in Los Cabos, including another Four Seasons resort. According to the brand, research showed that guests at Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas in the East Cape were usually extending their stays in the area with visits to the Golden Corridor between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, giving the brand an opportunity to expand its reach with a resort in the heart of the action.

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Restaurants: Coraluz, Palmerio and Cayao

Indeed, Four Seasons Cabo del Sol is an easy drive to Cabo San Lucas and San Jose. It is also a place to see and be seen, and to soak up ocean views, great food, warm service and a sense of place.

The restaurants showcase these points of focus, which was apparent at our first lunch after arrival at Coraluz, where we dined alongside stylish young families in a boho-beach-club atmosphere. In between bites of guacamole, chips dipped in a salsa flight and quinoa-tofu-mango bowls, we took breaks to swing on the restaurant’s woven hanging-egg chairs and admire the interiors, including a groovy, wave-like mosaic made up of tiny square tiles of teal, orange and turquoise.

And during dinner at Palmerio, serving Mediterranean-meets-Baja cuisine, we were struck by how beautifully the staff treated our restless kids, even bringing over a wooden maraca for each of them to shake mid-meal, and ever-so-discreetly sweeping away my toddler’s discarded scraps throughout dinner. 

Here, too, we could enjoy grounding ocean views during cotton-candy sunsets and walk among floating candle lanterns when it was fully dark out. And I’m so happy I listened to our server’s suggestion to end our exceptional meal of homemade burrata, pastas and Baja prawns with a carajillo, an espresso-and-liqueur cocktail that is popular in the area.

But it was at Cayao by chef Richard Sandoval where I overheard regular visitors to Los Cabos swoon hardest and declare a new favorite in the area. It was easy to see why folks are smitten with the Nikkei cuisine concept, a combination of Peruvian and Japanese flavors, with dishes that are unexpected but delicious. 

Seafood lovers are in luck, with ceviche and sushi options dominating a lot of the menu, but the meat eater, the vegetarian and the picky kids at our table were all wowed by dishes including the woodfired sweet potato with preserved eggplant, aji yogurt dressing and miso crumbles; and the organic chicken with aji green curry, bok choy, sweet potato, snow peas and criolla salad.

For families, morning room service cannot be topped, with memorable dishes such as Mickey Mouse-shaped pancakes for the kids, and the shakshuka rancheros, two of my favorite tomatoey egg dishes in one.

Guestrooms

The resort offers 96 guestrooms and suites, plus 61 residences, villas and estates. Guestrooms here start at 847 square feet, meaning they are impressively large, even for travelers accustomed to luxury stays. Our Ocean-View Casita Room, a 1,173-square-foot one-bedroom suite, was the perfect choice for our family, giving us two distinct sleeping areas (one with a sofa bed) and a bath, a walk-in shower and a balcony that could comfortably accommodate multiple people. 

We particularly loved how every time we entered the room, the curtains would automatically open so we were welcomed by our ocean view. Also worth noting is the outdoor shower area, which almost felt like a small backyard.

Papalote — A Kids for All Seasons Kids’ Club

Another memorable moment at check-in was when a member of the Kids for All Seasons club, called Papalote (kite), welcomed my 4-year-old daughter and 17-month-old son by name and presented them with a schedule of all the week’s complimentary activities, along with a rainbow for each kid. 

RELATED: Review: Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita for Families

Featuring a custom-made, climbable wooden pirate ship and a treehouse at its center, Papalote is a visually inviting place for the day’s scheduled activities to unfold, whether it was painting a crab covered in real sand or crafting figurines with clay. And my toddler — chaperoned by me, my husband or a babysitter — enjoyed digging into the club’s toys and playing in the sandpit and water play area outside.

Refreshingly, there wasn’t a screen to be found. In fact, the kids’ movie night was a full-on outdoor affair, complete with a projector and Moroccan-style floor pillows.

Other Amenities

When both kids were at Papalote, my husband and I made a beeline for the adults-only pool, where we laid in semi-submerged loungers at the foot of the infinity pool. If we had more time, I would have tried out the hotel’s Tierra Mar Spa, which features 10 standalone bungalows situated in a botanical garden, and treatments with local roots. Other areas earmarked for a return visit include the fitness center, designed in partnership with Harley Pasternak, and the Sora Rooftop Bar for creative cocktails, with a side of tarot card reading on Saturdays. 

We also managed to spend a lot of time together as a family thanks to the beach and family pool. During our stay, a storm was brewing nearby, so the water at the usually swimmable (but rocky) beach was choppy. Luckily, the pool more than made up for this, with a splash pad area and an extensive Baja shelf that runs the entire perimeter of the pool.

When we needed a break from the sun, our family cabana felt like an outdoor extension of our guestroom. We colored at the oversize coffee table, enjoyed quesadillas and guacamole and delightfully accepted treats from staff members wheeling around a popsicle cart.

My son brought forward his popsicle to toast it with mine, smiling as he realized his luck. Our fortunes seemed to be coming true. What could be sweeter?