One popular way to travel amid the coronavirus is by vacationing in villas. They provide more space and privacy than traditional hotel accommodations, so you can safely stay with a larger group and have plenty of room to sprawl out. Plus, they are equipped with everything from pools to kitchens, so there’s little reason to leave your bubble.
The best way to enjoy a villa is to select one in a beachy locale, like Los Cabos. The Mexican paradise makes an excellent destination, since it’s open to domestic and international travelers, including Americans, and doesn’t require quarantining upon entry (after landing at the airport, you’ll undergo a thermal temperature scan and answer a questionnaire on your mobile device; you must don a mask).
We scoured the region and found sweeping Los Cabos villas with unusual amenities, from fireworks to screening rooms, along with sun and surf.
Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort’s Ty Warner Mansion
“Mansion” is a fitting descriptor for this 28,000-square-foot Mexican abode. It boasts two master suites adorned with silk Indian saris, a talavera-tiled kitchen with a wood-burning pizza oven, a rare tequila collection and a movie room with a 90-inch flat screen. A sinuous infinity pool resembles a moat around the beachfront escape, which overlooks the Sea of Cortez. There’s also a rooftop terrace with a glass-bottom lap pool, glass-sided whirlpool, putting green and pool table for your enjoyment.
Plus, you will get a dedicated personal assistant, butler and chef; chauffeured car service; and your own fireworks display to start the trip with a bang.
Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection’s Brisa Del Mar
You’ll feel right at home at this six-bedroom, 6.5-bathroom villa along the sand. Kick back on the terrace with some margaritas at the bar and shoot some pool. Or head for the water and wade in the waves at the private beach or dive into the outdoor pool (afterward, wash off in the alfresco shower).
Inside, you’ll discover a fetching design with natural stone and wood, Mexican fabrics, original artwork, handcrafted local furniture and a white spiral staircase. There’s also an elevator if you prefer easier access to the second floor, where a rooftop terrace allows for nightly sunset viewings followed by stargazing.
Montage Los Cabos’ Casas
Circling Santa Maria Bay, this serene sanctuary blends into the desert landscape. For its finest accommodations, choose among a trio of casas. Each has a different layout and features — there are two five-bedroom casas and one three-bedroom option; two have garages. But every casa features a stylish contemporary Mexican aesthetic, courtyards, at least one infinity-edge pool and Jacuzzi and beautiful bay panoramas.
The casas also share premium perks. In the casas, there’s daily breakfast prepared by a chef, a barbecue experience, a mezcal tasting, butler service, two spa treatments and a nightly aromatherapy menu. For active pursuits, make use of the complimentary daily private fitness class and beach cabana.
Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort and Spa’s Penthouse Suites
Drink in the unbeatable Pacific Ocean vistas afforded in all four bedrooms and the sitting rooms in these penthouses. (They are best enjoyed with the chocolate-covered strawberries that will be delivered to you.) The tucked-away beachfront haven sits on the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula, and it’s the closest hotel to the iconic El Arco rock formation.
Accommodating up to 12 people, the 6,232-square-foot units also come with an elegant dining room, a fully equipped kitchen, five bathrooms with Bvlgari amenities and an expansive terrace with an ocean-facing pool and Jacuzzi. The rooms are drenched in shades of tan and cream with bright pops of terra cotta and aqua.
Solaz, A Luxury Collection Resort, Los Cabos’ Residences
Choose your dream setting in these luxurious three-bedroom residences: your own oceanfront garden and infinity pool or a hidden-away rooftop pool with breathtaking views. Either way, the 5,080-square-foot accommodations all share soothing modern Mexican interiors from Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos with parota wood and gray marble, a dining room that accommodates 10 and a master bathroom where you can gaze at the outside scenery from the tub.
The wraparound terraces facing the Sea of Cortez will beckon you outside, where a grill station and hot tub make it all too easy to linger there all day long. Some residences have their own alfresco bar, firepit and pool, too.
Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal’s Presidential Suite
Expect VIP treatment as a guest at this three-bedroom beachfront villa. At the airport, you’ll gain entry to a special lounge. Upon arrival at the hotel, you will be greeted with Clase Azul, fruit and nuts.
When you want to get some sun and sand, a dedicated beach butler will set up chaise lounges or a hammock and keep you supplied with sunscreen and refreshments. Every afternoon, chips, guacamole and Coronitas will be delivered to your villa, and you are guaranteed reservations and preferential seating at the hotel’s restaurants. And if you come with children, they have complimentary access to the kids club.
Esperanza, Auberge Resorts Collection’s Haciendas
Among the cliffside Los Cabos hotel’s 45 villas, the Haciendas are the most spacious and lavish accommodations, measuring 5,500 square feet. They are ideal if you’re traveling with a group, but want some privacy: the main house contains three bedrooms, and there’s a detached one-bedroom lodging.
Everyone can gather in the private pool and hot tub under the palms, or play ping-pong, corn hole and other yard games. A stay in this villa includes airport transports and use of a golf cart while on property. A host will take care of all of the other details, from organizing local excursions to planning special occasions.
Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas’ Villa #11
If you seek seclusion, visit this East Cape hotel, which will soon debut its Private Retreats Collection. Set inside a 1,000-acre private beachfront community, coveted Villa #11 encompasses nearly 10,000 square feet of living space, two master suites with bathrooms and four guest bedrooms (each with its own bathroom). The interiors are fresh and modern, and the wall of windows in the living room allows for uninterrupted vistas of the water and the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. You also can soak up the scenery from the alfresco infinity pool and lounging areas.
The villa comes with its own staff: a private chef, a residential assistant and adventure concierge guides.
One&Only Palmilla, Los Cabos Resort’s Villa One
When the hotel reopens in the winter, this hilltop two-story, four-bedroom villa will be waiting. Sliding glass walls allow for breezy indoor-outdoor spaces. There are also top-of-the-line kitchens inside and out, and two chefs ready to prepare your feast.
There’s much to do in the 14,950-square-feet villa: take in the coastal panoramas from the glass-walled, infinity-edge pool, hot tub or cocoon swing; have a daily workout with a personal trainer or yoga instructor; unwind with a massage in your own treatment room; or cozy up to a cushy low-slung lounger in the cinema to watch a movie from the 2,000-film collection.
Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve’s Grand Reserve Villa
The luxury hotel re-created the desert in its design with a sand-colored palette and natural materials like stone and wood. But this is more like an oasis in the desert with two spacious bedrooms, five lounges, a Jacuzzi, a gym, a living room, a kitchen, two full bathrooms (the master has an outdoor shower) and two half-bathrooms. Of course, just outside the villa doors, the pool and sea await, and you’ll have all the beach day essentials, from wide-brimmed hats to after-sun lotion.
If there’s anything else you need, a tosoani (which means “dream watcher”), or private attendant, is at your beck and call.