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In 2014, the One&Only Palmilla marked its 10-year anniversary with reason to celebrate. The Mexican resort ranked 35th on Travel + Leisure‘s “Best Hotels in World” list and was also the recent recipient of the prestigious AAA Five Diamond Award. Considered by many to be one of the finest resorts in Los Cabos, let alone all of Mexico, it also boasted an impressive and recurring guest list, composed of presidents, A-list Hollywood actors and global sports stars.
Then on September 15, at 4:45 a.m., Hurricane Odile hit the tip of Baja California Sur with peak winds nearing 140 mph. It was one of the worst storms the region had ever seen, and the results were catastrophic: flooding, a sweeping loss of electricity and 15 deaths. The One&Only Palmilla, like much of Los Cabos, was left swimming under water with its doors closed. But on April 20, 2015, after seven long months of repairs and renovations, the resort reopened to loyal patrons hoping it was as good as they remembered. Fortunately, it was better.
The infrastructure of the One&Only Palmilla resort dates back to the 1950s, when Don Abelardo Rodriguez, the son of the Mexican president at the time, built a 15-room mansion at the very end of Baja California, looking out to both the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. Early guests included John Wayne, Bing Crosby, Lucille Ball and former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower, drawn by both is remoteness and the sport of deep-sea fishing — still a major tourist attraction to Los Cabos. Following the resort’s initial $90 million renovation in 2004 after One&Only purchased the 250-acre grounds, the hotel is made up of 173 rooms. Every single one of them offers scenic terrace views facing out toward the sea.
In a nod to old-world hospitality, every guest at the One&Only Palmilla is assigned a 24-hour butler.
Today, the resort makes up the coastal edge of the Palmilla community, the halfway point between the infamous party town Cabo San Lucas and the new budding cultural center of San José del Cabo. Year-round good weather, lush beaches and easy-going vibes have all made Los Cabos destination-worthy over the years. Resorts like the One&Only Palmilla have made it one of the world’s finest.
Arrival here begins with a gesture: a hand over the heart, an informal greeting among staff members that hails from Guadalajara in mainland Mexico. It’s a simple but endearing symbol that distinguishes the resort within a cultural context. Most of the employees that work here, natives of the region and well versed in the flavor hidden outside the resort grounds, are proficient in both Spanish and English and do well to greet every guest by name. Another part of the welcoming tradition is a complimentary Mexican tequila tasting waiting for guests once they drop their luggage.