There is nothing like a quick trip to the tropical seaside with gorgeous views to soak up the sun, swim in the warm ocean waters, enjoy some good food, recharge your energy, and simply have a good time.
Cabo San Lucas is the closest Mexican resort destination to the San Francisco International Airport, but somehow we had never been there before. We did not want to spend hours on a plane, and the direct SFO-SJD flight was only 2.5 hours to the beautiful Sea of Cortez, so The Cape, a Thompson Hotel, seemed like a perfect choice for a short vacation.
The Cape from the Thompson brand, owned by Hyatt, is a Category 6 five-star luxury beachfront retreat situated at the junction of the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. This hotel is relatively new and was built in 2015, with a rather compact layout consisting of 161 rooms, suites, and villas. The hotel features an on-site spa, a beautiful infinity pool with a swim-up bar, and oceanfront accommodations.
Booking
We booked a Standard Room for five nights using 21,000 Hyatt Points per night (September is off-peak, and the standard rate is 25,000 Hyatt points per night). In total, we paid 105,000 Hyatt Points; the cash rate for the Standard Room was $1,098.33 including taxes and fees per night, one of the best Hyatt redemptions we have had so far!
💡Good to Know
Check out the Points Calendar (on the Hyatt website) for off-peak nights so you can enjoy your stay for fewer points redeemed.
Don’t forget to check the weather forecast, though; sometimes, the rate is off-peak for a reason.
Getting from airport
We landed at the Los Cabos International Airport (SJD), which is located about 45 minutes from the hotel.
The Cape offered an airport pick-up for a $140 fee. Instead of opting for the hotel shuttle, we booked and pre-paid for a private shuttle online. If you search on Google, it gives you a variety of shuttle company options. We picked Cabo Airport Shuttle because their prices seemed the most reasonable (only $76 for the four of us), and their website seemed well-designed. This was the first time we had used this service, and we highly recommend it. We had a friendly driver who helped us with our luggage, offered us refreshments, and drove us comfortably to our hotel.
Check in
As you approach The Cape, you drive through a gated security area, where the guard would verify your name and your room number in order to let the car drive in.
Upon arrival, you’re greeted at the entrance and getting helped with your bags. When you enter the lobby, its open concept sweeps you away with gorgeous ocean views. There is a really cool whale statue in the corner made from driftwood!
We proceeded to the check-in to see what room they had for us. While the front desk employee was working on our room, we were offered refreshing chamomile water garnished with a dehydrated orange.
As you probably know, as a Globalist, you are eligible for room upgrades upon availability. Since we booked a standard Two Queen Beds room, we inquired if the hotel had any upgrades available. We didn’t get a free upgrade but were offered an upgrade to an ocean-view Junior Suite with a private plunge pool for just $67 per night. It was an incredible offer, considering that the cash rate per night would have been $1,719, and we gladly accepted it.
The room wasn’t quite ready yet so we proceeded to explore the grounds.
Right there in the lobby, there is a desk with Concierge services to help you learn about the area or simply make restaurant reservations.
The Room
We got a spacious 839 sq. ft. ocean view Junior Suite with one King bed, a sofa, and a balcony with a private plunge pool. As for the girls, we requested a crib and a roll-away bed; both fit in the room without cramping it out.
The midcentury-inspired design with nautical accents, wooden decor, and tiled floors looked very stylish and modern. The wide windows allowed plenty of natural light to come in, giving the place a bright and airy feel.
The hotel staff left us a complimentary bottle of tequila and cupcakes for the girls (how cute are those?).
Bathroom
The bathroom area was very unique, just check out this copper-covered oversized soaking tub in the middle of the room!
It faced a wall-height giant mirror, and behind, there was a double sink counter and a separate toilet room with a door.
The bathroom also had a separate shower area which was extremely spacious with a rain shower and full-size toiletries. The hotel staff even left us complimentary toiletries for the kids, including a toothbrush and toothpaste!
Balcony
Our private balcony faced the hotel’s pool and, of course, the ocean. The setup included two lounge chairs, a small dining set in the corner, and a plunge pool. The private plunge pool was a game changer for us to be able to use at the end of the day to relax; just imagine taking an everyday quick soak before going to bed while enjoying the views and listening to the waves breaking ashore; it was incredible.
Hurricane Season
Now, shortly before our trip, we learned that a storm was forming in the Pacific and that Cabo San Lucas could be affected by it. The forecast showed that a possible hurricane would still be far from land and should only bring some rain into the area.
As we considered our options and weighed the risk, we decided to take our chances and followed through with our vacation plans nonetheless. It was not that we were deliberately flying into an eye of a hurricane 🤓.
We arrived at The Cape a couple of days before the weather turned for the worst. This was the first time that we’d been in a hurricane warning situation, so we were pretty nervous, especially after seeing the waves that the storm was kicking up.
The day the hurricane hit, the wind was blowing hard and the rain was pouring, but we felt completely safe inside the resort. The resort is located on a cliff, which means that we had a great view of the water and the storm. As the hurricane got closer, we could see the waves crashing against the rocks and the water getting choppier and choppier.
The hotel staff took the hurricane warning pretty seriously and it seemed like they knew the drill, as they told us that storms like this happen at least once a year.
Twice a day, we would get an update about the hurricane status, and the hotel even provided us with a flashlight in case of a power outage. The lower restaurant and the pool bar were closed, and only one restaurant (Manta) served all meals with a limited menu.
The hotel staff actually stayed on the property so that they would not be stranded on the roads trying to get to work. Plus, if the hotel was cut off from electricity, they would need personnel to deal with the consequences.
This year’s hurricane was not as severe as some in the past. It brought high winds, big waves, and some rain, but did not cause widespread damage or destruction.
Once the hurricane passed, we were able to get back to our activities, and the weather was great for the rest of our stay.
Dining
As mentioned above, the Cape does not sprawl across acres of land, but it has so many dining options that you can basically grab a bite or drink anywhere in the hotel. The options range from quick bites to full-on fine dining, and there’s all the in-between. There’s also 24-hour room service, too, so you can order in at any time.
💡Good to Know
The Cape offers a good amount of gluten-free options, including pancakes and churros, so if you’re allergic to gluten, you won’t be missing out on any of the delicacies.
The Ledge
Breakfast
Breakfast was served from 6:30 am to 11 am at the restaurant called the Ledge. It had both indoor and outdoor seating, with breathtaking ocean and El Arco views.
As Globalists, we got a daily complimentary breakfast for the four of us. There were many options available from the buffet breakfast, including a selection of fruits, yogurts, cereals, baked goods, and hot options, as well as a full menu. The menu had items for any taste, with oatmeal, bacon, and eggs, a traditional Mexican breakfast plate, and our favorite Lobster Benedict.
The staff at The Ledge was very friendly and accommodating, and they made sure our breakfast experience was top-notch.
On Sundays, you can enjoy breakfast / brunch with a special food station and live music but you can still order from the menu.
Lunch and Dinner
The Ledge also serves lunch and dinner. Our favorite was the shrimp tacos!
Manta
Manta is a fine-dining restaurant that is only open for dinner from 5:30 pm to 11 pm. The menu at Manta includes fresh seafood, steak, and pasta, as well as a variety of decadent desserts. The restaurant also has a wine list with over 100 different wines. The atmosphere is very upscale, and the service is excellent. Reservations are recommended.
The Rooftop
The Rooftop bar and lounge operated from 6 pm until midnight (or until 1 am on Friday and Saturday). It had an open concept with plenty of seating and fire pits; it was the perfect place to watch the sunset and the city lights. Not only could you grab a drink and enjoy some music from a DJ, but also have dinner with a full menu.
Sunken bar
The Cape’s Sunken Bar is located in the lobby and is a comfortable place to relax and enjoy a drink with friends. The wooden furnishings and the warm lighting create an inviting atmosphere. The bar featured a wide variety of refreshing cocktails and tasty snacks, as well as a wide selection of fine wines and champagnes.
Point Break (Pool Bar)
This more laid-back dining spot allows you to dine in the pool at the swim-up bar, on your lounge chair, or on the little covered patio behind the pool bar.
The Point Break menu includes items such as sushi, ceviche, and tacos. If you crave a specific sushi roll, they will make that happen as long as they have the ingredients.
The Beach
The hotel does not have a swimmable beach, and in addition to that we were there during high tide, so there was practically no sand to walk on, and the waves were only good for surfing.
If you’re at The Cape during low tide, you can walk on the sand along the ocean, but you have to go through a rocky area to get to the sand. In this shot above, Sophia was running to a dryer sand patch while the wave was retreating 😅.
Amenities
Main pool
The main pool is a long infinity pool with a swim-up bar (with full food and drinks menu, see the Point Break information above). The ocean’s proximity made you feel like you were in the open water rather than a pool. The left corner of the pool (by the swim-up bar) smoothly transitioned into the spacious hot tub. The hot tub was large enough for a group of people and the water was very hot.
There were always plenty of empty lounge chairs if we needed them or cabanas.
Right next to the pool bar there was a little DJ station where the DJ played music from 12:30 pm to 4 pm.
Saltwater pool
There was also another smaller pool with saltwater. It was almost always empty, maybe because it wasn’t connected to a bar 😅. It was quite relaxing and peaceful there and the shimmering turquoise water looked amazing.
Gym
This time we even had time to check out the onsite gym. It had a few machines and weights and was not crowded. The gym featured two stations with wipes and a water dispenser.
Spa
Right behind the gym, there was a spa with a steam room and three different temperature pools. Unfortunately, it was not included in our stay and was $40 per person.
Is the Cape kid-friendly hotel?
Before planning our trip to the Cape, a Thompson hotel, we read mixed reviews about whether this hotel would be suitable for a family of four with two little ones. Let’s say the hotel does not offer kids activities per se (such as a kids club or water slides), but our kids and we felt very welcome there, and the kids had a great time as much as we did:
- Both pools are family-friendly, with no adult-only areas. The girls spent a good amount of time in the pool with no problem.
- Every restaurant in the hotel had a kids’ menu (with items such as a mini burger, chicken fingers, pasta, rice, and fruits), and they were also happy to modify any item on the menu for the kids. They also provided highchairs upon request.
- The kids could go to any restaurant on the property, whether a pool patio at 10 am or the Rooftop lounge at 8 pm.
- The hotel left complimentary kid’s toiletries, even a PJ Masks toothpaste and a toothbrush in our room.
Area Attractions
El Medano Beach
A couple of times, we took a taxi to El Medano Beach just to swim in the sea. We simply asked the front desk to get us a taxi, and they arranged that for us. The ride was only about 15 minutes.
💡Good to Know
A cab to the city is around $20-25 for a minivan or a full-size SUV that can take up to eight people.
El Arco De Cabo San Lucas
The other day we decided to see the famous El Arco De Cabo San Lucas. It’s a beautiful rock formation that sits at the entrance of the Sea of Cortez. The only way to get there is to take a boat tour that you can easily book from a plethora of boat tour operators offering glass bottom boat rides from El Medano beach.
We hopped on a small tour boat and cruised around the coast before arriving at the massive rock. We were able to get up close and take some great pictures. We saw some amazing sights along the way, including pelicans, sea lions, and of course, El Arco De Cabo San Lucas.
It’s up to you if you want to make a roundtrip trip to El Arco or stop on the way back at one of the beaches along the rock formations to swim in the pristine waters or snorkel. Just let the boat tour operators know the time you want to be picked up and taken ashore.
It was a fantastic experience, and we would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Cabo San Lucas!
Bottom Line
Overall, our stay at The Cape was fantastic and we couldn’t be happier. The room was great, the views were amazing, and the food was delicious. We were right on the beach and had a full view of the ocean, sunsets, and stars at night. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, making us feel welcome and comfortable throughout our stay. We appreciated the fact that the hotel was not too large so that it didn’t feel crowded or overrun by tourists. We would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a relaxing and enjoyable experience.
On Points With Kids Summary
For five nights at the Cape, a Thompson hotel we paid 105,000 Hyatt Points. The cash rate for five nights was $5,491.66 ($1,098.33 per night on average, including taxes and fees), which equals 5.23 cents per point, an outstanding value!
You can apply for the following credit cards to earn Hyatt points that can be redeemed at the Cape, a Thompson hotel:
- Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card application
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card application (Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to the World of Hyatt program)
