How To Live Your Best Luxury Life in Cabo, Mexico
It’s no secret that Americans are flocking to Mexico to scratch their itch for international wanderlust. Mexico is one of the few countries accepting Americans without a Covid test so getting in is a seamless process. After not traveling internationally for 7 months (the longest in four years), I chose to live my best luxury life in Cabo. I’m all about experiencing luxury on a budget and getting the most value for my money. So I snagged a $400 flight with Delta from NYC to Cabo. My Cabo experience was unmatched. Here is what I did:
Used Points to Stay At a High End Hotel:
With the help of the points system on my American Express Platinum card, I was able to stay in a ocean view suite at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. This hotel experience was flawless from the views, to the decor and to the food. We ended up choosing this hotel because it gave the most value for the money with all things considered such as points value, room type, property amenities, etc. When you book a room for two nights as a platinum member, you also get the 3rd night free (luxury hotels only). The total cost for two people came to 70K points plus $700USD which came to only $350 per person. Breakfast was included with our stay and we received a $150 resort credit (also a perk with the Amex Platinum card).
TIP: When booking hotels with points, try to find one where the points are a one-to-one value. Ex: $312 per night should equate to 31,120 points per night. This is getting the most value for your points.
Visited Other Luxury Hotels:
Since we chose the Waldorf Astoria, we decided to visit the other high end hotels that we didn’t go with. To get a taste of the property, we decided to have dinner at two top locations. We had dinner at the restaurants at Viceroy (Nidos) and Las Ventanas (Arbol). I would recommend calling the hotel and making your dinner reservations as these places do tend to fill up. Both of these hotels are extremely beautiful and the food was great. Each place gave pretty good portions and I didn’t spend more than $30 which included an appetizer (to share), an alcoholic beverage, a main course and dessert.
TIP: Some luxury hotels offer day passes to visit the property, lounge at the pool and to book a spa appointment. This is a good alternative to see other luxury hotels without breaking the bank. If day passes aren’t available, have dinner or brunch.
Rented a Yacht:
Head to the marina and use your best haggling skills to negotiate a yacht for the day. I’m not the best at this type of thing but Abi is a complete pro. After talking to several different boat companies, we were able to rent a small yacht for 3 hours and paid $300 (this was done the day before sailing).. We sailed around the beautiful waters of the Pacific Ocean and passed by the famous Arch. The only problem for me was the waters were pretty rough this day. I get severe motion sickness on rough waters so unfortunately I was not able to enjoy this experience very much.
TIP: Booking excursions online in advance will result in you paying more money. You are better off showing up and negotiating if you want to save a few dollars.
Spent Time at The Marina:
Out of 4 nights in Cabo, 3 of them we ate at luxury hotel restaurants: Waldorf Astoria Restaurant, Viceroy and Las Ventanas. So for the 4th and last night we decided to keep it simple and budget friendly by heading to the marina for some authentic Mexican tacos at Tony’s. If you’re looking for good tacos, nachos, and frozen margaritas at affordable prices make sure you go here for dinner (NOTE: due to Covid-19 restrictions, establishments in Cabo close by 10pm).
TIP: Ask one of your hotel employees or your Airbnb host for a restaurant recommendation. You will never go wrong with this route.
For those looking to visit Cabo but would rather not stay at a luxury hotel, there are plenty of mid and low range hotels in the area. Some other tips to experience luxury on a budget are:
Mix and Match Your Accommodations: Stay at a luxury hotel for 1-2 nights and spend the rest in a budget hotel. This way you get the best of both worlds.
Enroll in hotel loyalty programs: All hotel credit cards offer generous sign up bonuses when you spend a certain amount over a 3 month period. Some of these amounts can be as low as $50-$100 to qualify for bonus points towards a free stay.
Celebration Dessert: When visiting a high end restaurant, tell them you are celebrating an event (ex: a birthday) and they will give you a free dessert or a glass of wine or both.
Happy luxury living!
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