Review: Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort (Phenomenal!)

Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort (also shortened as Las Ventanas) is one of the premier luxury hotels in Cabo. It first opened in 1997, and so it has welcomed deep-pocketed guests with an eye for traditional Mexican architecture and design looking for a gorgeous, pool-oriented resort stay for many years now. 

With seemingly countless swimming pools, diverse dining options, a destination-worthy speakeasy bar, and some of the best service in the world, this hotel has been criminally underrated considering all of the attention on its competitors like One&Only Palmilla and the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the A to Z of Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort. Let’s get started!

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How to Book Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort

Las Ventanas belongs to the Rosewood Hotels brand, and our relationship as a Rosewood Elite travel agency allows us to offer our points consulting clients exclusive amenities:

• Upgrade at check-in, based on availability
• Daily breakfast for 2 people per bedroom
• $125 resort credit per accommodation per stay
• Oasis Experience Margarita & Taco Sampler from Taqueria once per stay per accommodation for 2 guests
• 3 p.m. late check-out based on availability
• Welcome amenity
• Pre-registration prior to arrival
• Complimentary wireless internet access

Best of all, Rosewood Elite rates are identical in price to the best rate you can see on the hotel’s website, so you never pay more. 

If you’re planning on staying at this lovely property, rates for the entry-level junior suites start at $1,000 per night before taxes and fees of approximately 35% (notoriously high in Mexico). During shoulder season, these go up to $1,300-$1,500 per night. During the high season, this will jump to around $2,000 per night. Finally, during the peak festive Christmas and New Year’s season, this can skyrocket to more than $3,000 per night. 

Location and Getting There

One of the many strengths of Las Ventanas is its reasonable proximity to the main international airport for commercial arrivals, Los Cabos International Airport (SJD), a 30-minute drive away. In addition, it is approximately the same drive time to Cabo San Lucas International Airport (CSL or MMSL), which is mainly used for JSX from LAX and private jet arrivals. 

Given the special occasion, we ended up splurging on a private jet to SJD (MMSD for private jets).

Our arrival was brisk and we were immediately driven to the resort passing by other properties like One&Only Palmilla en route. The drive was relatively uneventful.

Check-In

Upon arrival, we pulled into the large circular driveway. Our luggage was whisked away by the bellman and we were immediately escorted to the open-air palapa lobby, which had sweeping views of the Sea of Cortez and a good chunk of the property.

Shortly after, we were offered a cold oshibori towel along with a welcome drink, which was a delicious foamy margarita.

Notably, we had filled out our pre-arrival questionnaire that indicated all of our preferences and dietary restrictions. Our payment was already completed by the time we arrived, so we didn’t have to worry about any of the administrative tasks. We could just enjoy the property.

Las Ventanas al Paraíso Property Overview

We were offered a brief tour of the grounds near the lobby, and we snapped some pictures of the facilities.

Oceanview Junior Suite

Our room was initially booked as a gardenview junior suite, but we were excited to learn that we were upgraded to an oceanview junior suite. We were in suite 501, which was such a blessing given its close proximity to the property’s main area that included Alebrije, Sea Grill, the main pool, and the pristine beachfront.

We opened the custom wooden door into an airy space furnished chiefly with an oversized king bed.

The space was also appointed with a lounge chair and baby amenities, including a changing table.

One of the major highlights of staying here included the custom gifts we received throughout our stay, including this embroidered pillow with our son’s name! We were also provided with a high chair, baby bathtub, crib, baby bathrobe, diapers, and even a baby monitor for our use during the 4-night stay.

The personal bar, storage chest, flat-screen TV, and fireplace were located opposite the bed.

During nightly turndown service, the staff illuminated these candles, which was a nice touch.  

We could also designate special aromatherapy treatments, which would be done during evening turndown service. 

The personal bar counter had bottles of spirits, an ice bucket that was replenished daily, and a Nespresso machine with complimentary pods (also replenished daily).

Under the countertop, there was a minibar filled with various beverages, snacks, and glassware.

We were also provided with a complimentary tequila amenity, which featured fresh fruit and other pairings.

We enjoyed these freshly baked guava tarts, also an in-suite welcome amenity.

Adjacent to the main living area was the first vanity.

Behind the first vanity, there was a large closet appointed with a beach tote bag, bathrobes, slippers, umbrellas, and the in-room safe.

High-end Bulgari amenities were on offer at this property.

The toilet was separated by a door on the left-hand side, while the walk-in shower was next to it.

Opposite the shower was an oversized soaking bathtub, which also came with bath salts and body wash.

Finally, the second vanity was placed in a large nook between the shower and bathtub. 

The private outdoor terrace was a highlight.

There was plenty of seating space, and best of all, there was a private walkway that took us directly to one of the pools on the left and the resort’s main watering holes and socialization areas on the right with Alebrije and Sea Grill.

Junior Suites vs. Suites vs. Villas vs. Signature Villas vs. Residences vs. Signature Residences

Las Ventanas has a dizzying array of room types, and so you might understandably be confused when trying to pick out the best option for you.

The junior suites are the entry-level accommodations here, and they start at garden view then progress to ocean view (where we stayed), then oceanview rooftop terrace, and finally the oceanfront and oceanfront rooftop terrace junior suites. Next up are the larger suites, which are either 2-bedroom or 3-bedroom options. Unfortunately at this hotel, none of the entry-level suites are connecting. 

If you need large, connecting spaces but want to keep the price as low as possible, you’ll want to select one of the Residences. These residences are essentially vacation rentals with a lot more space but don’t have the same architectural wow factor due to their shorter ceilings, darker lighting, and secluded locations towards the back of the property. 

Notably, the Signature Residences were recently remodeled and have areas for indoor-outdoor living. These are recommended more for entertaining friends and family without a large pool.

Then, there are “regular” villas, which are on the older side but feature 1-bedroom or 3-bedroom configurations with a full kitchen, living room, and pantry. Some have a private Jacuzzi. 

The piece de resistance of this property, though, are the signature villas, which are remodeled and are located on the east and southeast section of the resort, tucked away in a beautifully-lit path with immaculate landscaping. These signature villas also include a dedicated 24/7 villa host, breakfast prepared by your villa host every day, a complimentary in-villa welcome massage, and much more.

Fitness Center

The fitness center is located in a separate building to the west of the reception area, and it’s chock-full of high-end Technogym equipment. This is also one of the first gyms we have seen with a smoothie bar (pictured on the left hand side below), although we did not have a chance to try any of the beverages.

Immediately on the right-hand side wall, there was a schedule of wellness classes, which are offered at an additional charge.

The smoothie bar menu was posted on the well next to the smoothie bar.

Most of the space was dedicated to exercise machines, especially near the front of the fitness center.

There were also an assortment of free weights, dumbbells, medicine balls, kettlebells, and other exercise equipment towards the back of the fitness center.

In the back of the fitness center, there was 1 private room and 1 semi-private exercise nook. The private room had a Pilates reformer (reserved for private sessions) and a Peloton bike. If you book a Private Pilates lesson, an instructor will visit from off-property. My wife reported that the instructor was sensational. We paid $164 for the class, and that included the travel fee.

The semi-private exercise nook had 2 additional Peloton bikes.

Spa

The spa was located in a complex just opposite of the fitness center, and the entrance was separated by gender.

As you enter the spa, you’ll stop by a check-in window.

Once you’ve passed the check-in window, the locker rooms are on the left and the vanities are on the right.

The spa vanities offer a variety of different high-end amenities.

As you descend further into the main spa interior, there are walk-in showers available.

Exiting the indoor spa area, there’s a number of facilities, including this open-air lounging area.

Next to the lounging area, there is a cold plunge pool and a jacuzzi.

Guests can also make use of the dry sauna and steam room.

Salon

The Salon was a separate building located between the fitness center and the spa, and it housed 2 main rooms and a shopping boutique. One of the rooms was reserved for hair treatments and the other room focused on other treatments, such as nails and hands.

Beach

Las Ventanas does not have a swimmable beach. However, what it lacks for on that front it more than makes up for with one of the most enviable stretches of walkable sandy beach with an enormous setback from the tide. The pools are some of the most incredible in Cabo, but we’ll touch on that in a later section.

Beachfront Cabanas with Private Jacuzzi and Plunge Pool

Las Ventanas possesses the only beachfront cabanas in Mexico with private Jacuzzis and plunge pools.

These gorgeous spaces can accommodate up to 8 guests and feature butler service, refreshing welcome drinks, iPads and iPods, sunscreen, and full food and beverage service from Sea Grill. These are available on a full-day or half-day (8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.) rental basis as shown below:

• $9,000 MXN for 2-4 people, half-day rental
• $12,000 MXN for 5-8 people, half-day rental
• $14,000 MXN for 2-4 people, full-day rental
• $18,000 MXN for 5-8 people, full day rental

Having the ability to step onto fine white sand directly on the beach while having a private space to enjoy the shade with full food and beverage service is an enormous privilege! 

Pools

Even though Las Ventanas doesn’t have a swimmable beach, it offers an incredible array of 8 indulgent pools on the property. 

The main resort pool is an iconic, infinity-edged masterpiece located next to Alebrije and Sea Grill. It’s the main social area of the resort, and it also boasts a large Jacuzzi area on the left side and a swim-up bar serving refreshments and bites from Sea Grill.

To the left of the main pool was a large area appointed with numerous sun loungers and umbrellas, all situated on an oversized grass patch with unfettered views of the Sea of Cortez.

If you’re looking for peace and quiet, 2 adults-only pools are located on the eastern beachfront adjacent to Sea Grill. These twin pools are also located directly in front of the property’s adults-only accommodations (200 and 300 suites):

• Oceanfront Junior Suite
• Oceanfront Rooftop Terrace Junior Suite

There are also a handful of pools dotted around the property, each furnished with sun loungers and cabanas. These felt like private pools given that they weren’t ever crowded when we walked by.

This lagoon-style pool was located directly in front of our suite, and we always felt like we had the whole pool to ourselves.

One of the most thoughtful features about pool service was the call buttons that were made available to each guest sitting at the main pool, Oasis (the kid-friendly eatery and pool with a lazy river), and the twin pools (adults-only). 

At the main pool, we didn’t need to stress out about flagging down our butler to order tacos and a burger. 

Kids Club

Las Ventanas has a reputation for being a couples-oriented resort, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Between the signature villas offering plenty of space for the entire family and the lazy river at Oasis, this is absolutely one of the top destinations for families.

The Kids Club is smaller at Las Ventanas than at One&Only Palmilla, but it was completely decked out with decorations, activities, and games.

It was separated into 2 distinct rooms (one for babies and toddlers) and one for children aged 4-12.

The Kids Club for babies and toddlers had lots of toys and play areas to maximize exploration. It also had a large outdoor play area with a small trampoline and more. We had a blast letting our baby (~10 months old at the time) crawl around and explore this area. 

We also had a chance to meet other parents here.

The Kids Club for older children had a foosball table, air hockey table, beanie bags, video games, oversized Jenga, card games, and much more.

We also found a bulletin of summer activities for the kids, and we enjoyed the treasure hunt at the lobby and pizza making at Oasis.

Tennis and Pickleball Courts

As an avid tennis player, one of the most important criteria I use to decide where to go is the quality of the tennis program. Although I knew the property had 2 hard courts, I had no idea the property took their tennis management so seriously, and I’m all about that. 

The courts are immaculately surfaced, the nets are perfect, there’s a sturdy umbrella for court shade, the lights are bright for nighttime tennis, the court rentals are complimentary, there’s cold towels, ball baskets, ice-cold water, insect repellent, and above all else, there are a handful of different rackets depending on your level of experience. 

Here, I was able to find a Wilson Pro Staff 97 finished with poly string (which is the configuration I use at home), which I’ve never been able to find elsewhere at any other resorts. 

I paid for a private, 1-hour hitting session with the tennis pro, who also came from off-property, for $156. 

Mini-Golf

Las Ventanas also has a mini-golf course near the Oasis pool area.

Other Recreation

Although many guests focus on relaxation and wellness when staying at Las Ventanas, there are even more activities and experiences you can book. For example, we saw many guests book a horseback riding experience along the beach. 

There were also 2 ATVs parked near the hotel entrance, which are presumably used for ATV tours booked by guests.

Shopping Boutiques

If you’re in the mood for shopping, there are a number of shopping boutiques located 1 floor below the main reception area. Here, you can buy local artwork, clothing, and much more.

ATM

If you’re short on cash, you can make use of the ATM next to the shopping boutiques.

Las Ventanas al Paraíso Restaurants

Las Ventanas possesses a handful of dining options. A few of these are signature restaurants that attract off-property diners. In fact, the first restaurant we’ll discuss, Arbol, is one of the hottest tickets in town. 

Although dining at each of the restaurants was memorable in their own way, we visited Arbol twice for dinner during our 4-night stay. Even though we are traveling foodies, we found that some of the items we ordered were fantastic, while some of the items we ordered were just acceptable. 

Hopefully this section will offer some recommendations on dishes to try at each restaurant.

Arbol

Arbol is arguably the resort’s signature restaurant. The ambiance and scenery is unparalleled, and the dining focuses on Southeast Asian delicacies with a nod to traditional Indian recipes.  

The sunken table just can’t be replicated anywhere else — this is a bookable experience that includes an unlimited a la carte dinner, a bottle of Dom Perignon Champagne, a bouquet of 250 roses, and a 1-minute fireworks display. How’s that for a romantic experience?

There’s also a raw bar display, an extensive wine room, and an electric cocktail bar.

Our meal both nights started off with an amuse bouche.

We ordered off-menu mojitos and juices to start.

We enjoyed oysters on both nights, complete with a phenomenal yuzu ponzu.

We ordered assorted sushi on the first night, although we didn’t repeat the second night.

For our baby, we ordered rainbow sushi off of the kids menu.

We ordered the following items during our time here:

• North Indian Chicken Makhani (delicious!)
• Charred pork belly (tasty!)
• Chicken achari tikka (decent)
• Pad thai (surprisingly tasty!)
• Stir fried wagyu beef (tasty, but difficult to mess up)
• Lobster fried rice (tasty!)

All in all, we enjoyed our 2 dinners at Arbol. In particular, the chicken makhani (butter chicken) was the most memorable dish. What a treat to savor tasty Indian food in Cabo!

Alebrije

Alberije is the resort’s traditional Mexican restaurant. It’s located next to the resort’s main pool. It’s one of the two breakfast outlets (the other being Sea Grill). 

We enjoyed breakfast here twice. We started off each morning with a fresh cappuccino, juice, a fruit plate, and a pastry platter, which was always elegantly presented.

Here, the emphasis was on Mexican dishes, including:

• Pancakes Mexican style
• Machaca
• Breakfast burrito
• Chilaquiles
• Eggs acuyo

We dined at Alebrije one night, and we had a blast. We started with a couple of cocktails and an amuse bouche.

We moved on to the guacamole, which was excellent, before enjoying our main courses.

For our main course, the 20-day aged New York steak with manchamanteles mole was incredible. We don’t usually like the smokiness of mole, but we were blown away by the relatively mild smokiness and insanely complex fruit flavor of it.

We also ordered the suckling pig tamal, which was decent but not quite what we were expecting.

For dessert, we had a fantastic chocolate souffle with black sesame ice cream.

We were celebrating a special occasion on this trip, and so the Alebrije team put together a chocolate pinata arrangement, which was a fun take!

Sea Grill

Sea Grill is the beachfront, breezy yet contemporary restaurant serving fresh cuts off of a mezquite grill. Dinner and breakfast are both served here. We ate here for 1 dinner and 2 breakfasts  

The ambiance during dinnertime was stellar with the sound of waves. 

The entire kitchen is an open-concept, which was fun to observe.

We were big fans of the Apple Spritz mocktail and the Frutos del Bosque margarita.

We ordered the glazed octopus, seafood black pappardelle, and flank steak with potato wedges and chimichurri. Looking back, we wouldn’t have ordered both the glazed octopus and seafood black pappardelle because both of them had octopus (unless you can’t get enough of octopus).  

For dessert, we had a banana split!

We enjoyed 2 breakfasts at Sea Grill, and this was definitely more on the American style of breakfasts while Alebrije offered Mexican breakfast.

We started each breakfast with the usual assortment of fresh juices, espresso drinks, fruit plate, and pastry platters.

After that, we had the Riviera avocado toast, smoked salmon bagel, and cold cuts with cheese and toast. 

We ordered a farm eggs breakfast with bacon, too. 

Oasis

Shortly after we arrived to the resort, we made a beeline to Oasis, which is the family-oriented pool near the back of the resort next to the residences (read: large but more affordable vacation rentals as opposed to posh signature villas). Oasis also has a casual taqueria, a lazy river with a grotto and in-grotto hot tub, and a breezy rolled ice cream and cocktail bar. 

There are complimentary floaties available here, too!

Diners can sit under a shaded pergola with misters and enjoy a casual meal here, too.

We visited Oasis twice during our stay. Pool service was available and top-notch on both days. We enjoyed many tacos here.

Tequila & Ceviche Bar

The only major eatery we didn’t visit was Tequila and Ceviche Bar. This eatery was located closer to the fitness center and main reception area, and although we saw people eating here, we didn’t try it out ourselves for two reasons:

• There weren’t any views
• The area felt hot and humid whenever we would pass by it

Here, it’s essentially a raw bar for a quick bite with a focus on ceviche, sushi, and rolls.

La Botica

La Botica is one of the signature amenities that set Las Ventanas apart from the rest of its competition. Although we could not personally try this experience ourselves due to its adults-only theme, we took a tour of the place. Located near the Tequila and Ceviche bar to the west of the reception area, La Botica is an incredible Prohibition-themed speakeasy cocktail piano bar with Rosalia de Cuba (the first Artist in Residence at Las Ventanas).

The exterior entrance leads to a hidden door accessible only by entering a code into the retro typewriter. Needless to say, the interior is gorgeous.

Although not pictured here, the liquor shelf is actually hidden and opened only by remote control!

Beautiful vibes!

In-Room Dining

On one day, we enjoyed a meal through in-room dining. The delivery was quick, and the staff even left the food in the room service trolley warmer box in our terrace to avoid disturbing our napping baby.

We ordered a club sandwich, pizza, and cookies. Delicious! 

La Cava

La Cava is a wine cellar that serves as a private dining venue. We didn’t have a chance to visit this space personally. 

Las Ventanas al Paraíso Personal Butlers and Service

During our stay, we were assigned 3 personal butlers, each alternating to support us 24 hours a day. We were able to reach out to our personal butlers via WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

One of the aspects of Las Ventanas that impressed me time and time again was the attention to detail that the butlers and the rest of the staff paid to us. For example, during our stay, we were spoiled with bathrobes being laid out on our bed, slippers being arranged, and signature mini-gifts throughout our stay. 

The staff was incredibly accommodating and friendly!

On our day of departure, the Las Ventanas team greeted us with a wagon of Ty Beanie toys, and we could pick 1 to take home with us. 

Even though we’ve almost become accustomed to an elevated level of service at luxury hotels, Las Ventanas will be a property that we remember for the rest of our lives, not just because of Colby’s custom bib, embroidered pillow, beanie toy, or the homemade magnets, but because of the warmness of the team there. 

This stay was our first, but it will definitely not be our last.

Wrapping Up

Having been to Cabo multiple times, I found myself half-expecting to get bored for our 4-night trip to Las Ventanas. But because this property had a variety of activities, dining options, and places to go, boredom did not even cross my mind.

Instead, the level of service spoiled me, I felt a sense of warmth from the staff, and I truly had an opportunity to rejuvenate myself on this special, special trip. This resort is sometimes left out when deciding which property to stay at in Cabo. And it’s completely undeserved and almost criminal. 

If you’re a high-end traveler, you absolutely need to make a visit here. 

Featured Image Credit: AuPACS