Adrian Grade
4.2 out of 5 Stars
Overview
This luxury adults-only all-inclusive resort is located in the Los Cabos area of the Southern tip of Mexico. Known for its year-round sun, stunning beaches, and natural beauty it’s a very popular sun destination.
With a 4.5 rating from 3,000 reviews on Tripadvisor, you know that this resort means business. But as you know review sites can’t be taken as gospel as they are over longer periods of time and that rating may not reflect the current offering. We are here to describe our experience to help you understand if this is the resort for you.
The resort is definitely on the smaller side so it really gives a more exclusive feel to it and we visited during Covid, so this only heightens that experience. With the smaller size of the resort, we had expectations of a higher quality of food compared to larger-scale all-inclusive resorts, which we will delve into later.
The aesthetic of this resort is traditional Mexican and it is beautifully designed and furnished. The views and aesthetic of this resort make it a real contender if you’re looking for a luxury all-inclusive resort.
Top Tips
- As the waters are so choppy and the current is so strong at this beach, the areas to swim are really limited. There is one designated area that the resort has where swimming is permitted. It’s about a 10-minute walk from the main resort beach area and is located in the most sheltered part of the beach. So, if you’re really craving an ocean dip, you can do that in this area.
- This resort is the perfect option for honeymooners, couples, and groups of friends that are looking for a luxury all-inclusive resort set in a stunning location.
- Getting tables at the restaurants can be difficult here, if you don’t book ahead you can be waiting an hour to get a table. This wasn’t the worst as we could scoot off to the bar for another round. Just make sure to be prepared and book ahead if you fancy a specific restaurant that evening.
- If you like nothing more than relaxing on a pool float and soaking up the sun you will have to either bring your own or purchase one of the resort shops. These cost $15. We were a little surprised that the resort didn’t provide these.
- They do have a poolside food service menu, which we consider table stakes for luxury resorts. There are all of the typical poolside treats you would expect, such as pizzas, tacos etc. The service is a little slow though as there is no poolside bar/restaurant.
Check-In
The check-in process is as smooth as can be. As you pull into the resort the first thing you will notice is the stunning views through the massive archway to the ocean below. There is a lovely seating area and a stunning infinity fountain that looks out onto the sea.
You are met with a tasty welcome cocktail. You will do your check-in process in the main area. For us, the process was really quick. We were on our way to our rooms in a matter of minutes.
Location
Located in the Baja California Sur peninsula, Los Cabos is a super location. Los Cabos is really just a marketing term from the local tourist board for two main cities that have a high volume of tourists. These are located in the Baja Peninsula and are the cities of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.
So it’s described as being in Los Cabos if it can in fact be in either of those cities. Cabos San Lucas is the area where the majority of the resorts are and San Jose del Cabo is where the main nightlife area of Los Cabos is.
The airport is a short 30-minute drive away, which is super convenient. You can catch a short taxi ride to San Jose (10 min) or the town of Cabo (20 min). It’s a great location.
As you pull into the driveway of the resort you’ll get your first glimpse of the stunning ocean view through a courtyard. The resort is perched on an impressive hill overlooking the waters below. It is definitely the most stunning approach to a resort we have seen and once you get through to the main area of the resort. The views keep coming.
Is the Resort Child Friendly
This is an adults-only resort, so nobody under the age of 18 can book into this resort. There are a few options at this price point in Los Cabos. We suggest looking at the Playa Grande Resort & Grand Spa.
Amenities
Overall, the volume of amenities is a little bit limited compared to most of the other all-inclusive resorts that we have been to. There was definitely enough to keep you occupied, but it was one of those resorts that had a massive slate of things going on.
Day Activities
The entertainment at this resort is a little more reserved, which we actually appreciated. It really added to the relaxation element of the vacation. That’s not to say that there aren’t any activities and entertainment. There is a range of things going on throughout the day. From Rifle shooting, beach volleyball tournament, corn hole, and ping pong. There is also a basketball/tennis court, so there are more than enough things to keep you entertained.
Evening Entertainment
The entertainment at this resort is right up our street. They have the typical theme nights but had no tribute acts and the entertainment was a lot more associated with the local cultures. Things like Mexican dancers and singers were the entertainment for two of the nights we were there, which gave a nice glimpse of the country we were visiting.
Pools
The pool areas here are stunning. In total there are three pools in the resort. This may not sound like a huge amount, but considering the size of the pool, there is more than enough space to find a relaxing spot.
What this resort lacks in its beach. It makes it up and more with their pools. Our favorite spot was definitely the infinity pool that has an unobstructed view of the ocean. It’s a sprawling pool that runs pretty much the length of the resort. It’s the perfect spot to unwind for the day. Due to the lack of ability to swim in the ocean. It would have been nice if one of the pools were a saltwater pool, to replicate swimming in the ocean, but I’m really nitpicking here.
One of the main issues that we found with the pools was that there was no poolside bar. So when you ordered a drink at the pool. The wait staff had to go back to the main building in order to get your drinks. Which was a longish walk away. This meant that you would be lucky to get your drinks within 20 minutes of ordering.
There is also no swim-up bar at the resort which was a little disappointing.
Gym
The gym here is very well equipped and it’s a really decent size considering the resort is on the smaller side. You will never have any issue getting a treadmill or a good workout in. It’s located in the Spa and was never too busy.
Golf
Los Cabos is the self-proclaimed “Green Capital of Latin America” and it’s hard to argue with that because there is a huge amount of top-notch courses in the area. Within a 10 minute drive of the resort, there are two solid courses. The Cabo Real golf club and the El Dorado Golf & Beach Club
The Cabo Real course is definitely the strongest option for serious golfers. Similar to the Marquis resort the course is perched on the side of a hill, so there are panoramic views of the ocean below. This par 71 course is wonderfully designed and ranges in price depending on the time of year you are visiting. Greens fees range between $130 and $200 around. The course is part of the Questro golf chain of courses. If you’re keen to get out on the course a few times then check out the Questro website as you can buy multicourse packs at a discounted rate.
Weddings at the Marquis Los Cabos
They do cater for weddings here at the Marquis and depending on the volume of guests that will be attending the prices range from being complementary to paid. This obviously depends on the type of wedding package you’re looking at.
Beach
Visually the beach and where it’s located is absolutely stunning. The white sand, turquoise waters, and stunning unobstructed views of the water make it a really special spot. The one thing that is a little annoying about beaches in the Los Cabos area is that for a large amount of them, you actually can’t swim in the ocean due to the strength of the currents. Sadly the beach at the Marquis is one of those beaches where swimming isn’t allowed. So, if going for a dip in the ocean is a high priority for you, this will not be the resort for you.
They have made a concerted effort to replicate that beach feeling you get with a number of infinity pools overlooking the ocean.
The Service
Without a shadow of a doubt, the service here was one of the best that we have ever experienced. Everywhere you looked there was a staff member nearby waiting to help. As the resort is on the smaller side it almost feels like a boutique hotel. There seemed to be a large number of staff for the number of guests that were staying in the resort. We did visit during Covid, so this probably contributed to the wealth of staff with the limited guest capacity.
The only gripes that we had been on a few occasions the wait staff by the pool were quite slow at getting our orders back to us. We waited around 30 minutes on one occasion which wasn’t ideal, but this was more due to the lack of a bar by the pool.
Tipping
Although gratuities are listed as being included in your all-inclusive package we highly recommend that you tip the staff individually for their excellent service. In general, we aim to give $1 tip per drink that we order and $5-$10 per meal depending on the level of service and if it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Cleanliness
As we mentioned in the service section there is an incredible amount of staff to guest ratio. We reckoned there were at least 2 staff members to every guest. This means that the place is kept incredibly tidy.
There are never any empty glasses left by the pool and your plates are promptly collected when you have finished your meals. The rooms are immaculate when you arrive and they are cleaned twice a day by the housekeeping crew. Housekeeping is very efficient and they came at the same time every day, which was convenient for knowing when to vacate the room.
Booking During COVID
The Marquis chain of resorts has a great lineup of precautions and benefits for guests that are booking during Covid. Onsite antigen testing is available at the resorts if this is needed to get back into your country.
An important thing to note is that there is a fee for the antigen tests. For guests that test positive for Covid, you will be covered to stay 7 extra nights in the resort free of charge. There is also travel insurance available to all guests. This coupled with all of the cleaning and precautions at the hotel gives guests the confidence they can have the safest vacay possible.
Price Range
The resort is definitely luxury and the price point reflects this. It averages around $400 a night to stay here. If you booked through a travel agent that price will probably be lower, but the nightly rate is a good indication of cost. Los Cabos as a whole is on the more expensive side when you compare it to the likes of Cancun or Playa Del Carmen.
What’s included in the all-inclusive package
All meals, the majority of drinks, use of amenities, stocked mini-bar, and room service are included in your package.
Food + Restaurant Options
The food experience as a whole was good, but not the best. There were some shining stars, but over the course of the week, we were left a little disappointed with the output. As the resort is on the smaller side there isn’t a huge amount of choices of places to eat each night. There were about 3 options open each night from the 5 total restaurants on the resorts. The Canto Del Mar is actually a paid option as well, so it’s not included in the all-inclusive price.
Ranking the Restaurants
- Dos Mares
A cantina-style restaurant was our favorite restaurant in the resort. They nailed the Mexican food here, which surprisingly isn’t generally the case for Mexican all-inclusive resorts. We found the food to be really authentic and the flavor was fantastic.
- Pergola
This Italian-style restaurant served up all of the favorites you would expect to be served on the street of Napoli. From fresh pasta, wood-fired pizzas, and some lovely fresh cuts of meat, we found the food here was very good. The pizza we got was cooked to perfection and the pasta dish we had was perfectly cooked with an al dente texture.
- Vista Ballenas
As with all buffets at all-inclusive, they offer a wide array of foods and typically have a lot of the same dishes that you can get in the other restaurants. The outdoor seating area in Vista Ballenas it’s really nice. We like nothing more than drinking a fresh coffee and feeling the ocean breeze in the mornings. The standard of food here was pretty good for a buffet. We have to give a shout-out to Adriana who worked here. She was so welcoming and always brought us to our favorite table on the patio.
- Sakke
We were a little disappointed with the quality of the food here. Although the menu and the aesthetic of the restaurant were really nice the food did not match up. This Asian restaurant serves a wide range of dishes.
This is the main buffet area of the resort and is probably the restaurant that you will eat a lot of your meals in. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The selection here is really great.
From sushi, curries, ramen, and pad thai. There is a lot on offer here. We got a mix of dishes which included some Dragon sushi rolls, tempura, and teriyaki chicken. The sushi was mainly rice with minimal fish, which was disappointing and the tempura batter was way too thick.
There is also a hibachi experience in this restaurant. It’s not open every night and you need to book to get a seat at the table. So, if you’re interested try and book on the day you arrive so you guarantee that you’ll get to try it. We didn’t eat at a hibachi table but heard from other guests that it was a good experience and the food was good.
Other Food + Drink Options
Canto Del Mar (Additional Cost)
We did eat at this restaurant once during our stay. It worked out to be around $60 per person. The was meant to be a fine dining experience and honestly, we were pretty disappointed with the offering here
Espresso Cappuccino
Serving up all of your caffeine-infused drinks and a range of sweet treats. The coffee shop is typically a spot we frequent a lot when we visit all-inclusive resorts. We were pretty disappointed with the standard of the coffee here. The espresso and Americano tasted watered down and awful, so we never really went to this spot after the second day.
Room Service
Available from 7 am -11 pm the room service menu has breakfast, light snacks, and dinner offerings on their menu. We ordered from the room service menu once for dinner. We had a long relaxing day at the beach and just felt like chilling out for the night. The service again was really good.
From putting in the order to the knock on the door was about 25 minutes. When the food arrived it was hot and well cooked. We order fish tacos, a steak, and some chips and dip. Everything was delicious. The room service staff will also deliver drinks to your room if you ask them nicely so we got a round of Pina Colada with our order. There is no delivery fee for room service at this resort.
Mini-Bar
The mini-bar was pretty stacked with beers, sodas, water, and snacks. Everything that you really expect to be on offer was in this mini-bar. It was restocked daily.
Dress Code
There is a dress code in place for this resort, but overall it is pretty relaxed. At the restaurants, the only place with a smart casual dress code is the French restaurant Canto Del Mar. All of the other restaurants are categorized as casual.
Bars and Drinks Offering
There is only one main bar in this resort, even though it’s on the smaller side we didn’t think this was enough to cater for all of the guests. It resulted in the service being on the slower side at the pool.
Rooms Types
When we stayed we were in the most basic suite. This is a junior suite with an ocean view. The room was well sized and followed the aesthetic of the rest of the resort with a luxury hacienda vibe.
The one thing that we weren’t mad about with the room configuration. There was a lack of privacy for the restroom. You can see through from the bedroom into the main area of the bathroom and there is a glass between the main bathroom and the toilet, so the privacy is minimal.
Some of the Junior suites don’t have ocean views, but there are only a handful, so make sure you book an ocean view one if you can. Given the stunning views of the ocean, it’s definitely worth pushing the boat and getting one. We had a lovely balcony with a small seating area that looked out to the beautiful ocean below. It’s such a nice way to start your day with a coffee and a beautiful view.
The great thing about this resort is that there is effectively one main building. The majority of the rooms in this resort have a fantastic view of the ocean below. As the resort is situated on a hillside the views are something to behold.
There is a wide variety of room types available, as we mentioned nearly all of the rooms have ocean views, so no need to shell out extra cash for these.
- Junior Suite
- Master Suite
- Casita
- Presidential Suite
Master Suite
If you enjoy having a little more space in your room to chill out and relax then a master suite is a good option for you. The master suites come with a spacious living area and a really expansive balcony that has a seating area and a plunge pool. It’s a very private spot and when you couple that with the stunning views you’re on to a winner.
Casita
What is a Casita you may ask? It’s basically an expansive suite. These suites are really huge at 1670 sq. ft, so bigger than a lot of 3 bedroom houses. The Casita’s have a large open-plan living, dinner, and wet bar area that leads out to a lovely balcony. There’s one main bathroom that has his and hers sinks and a massive tub. This is still a one-bedroom suite but it’s advertised as sleeping three.
Off the bedroom, there is a lovely balcony with a stunning private pool that runs along the whole front of the suite. The Casita is located in smaller buildings in the resort, so not all of them have as complete views as the buildings in the main building. So we advise going for a Casita with an ocean view.
Excursions
There is a huge amount to do and see in Los Cabos. This part of the world is truly stunning and there are a wide variety of options. The area is home to beautiful nature and wildlife. We have been to Los Cabos on a few occasions and done a range of Excursions. Our two favorites were definitely the whale watching trip and a visit to El Arco which is a truly stunning rock formation. It’s been the location for multiple Hollywood films, so you have definitely come across it before.
Conclusion
Overall, this resort was of a very decent standard, but it did not live up to the expectations that we had from reading reviews on watching Youtube videos of the resort. We’re not sure whether it’s because we visited during Covid or the cracks are beginning to show in this resort.
If you’re looking for an adults-only resort that has that 5-star luxury feels to it, then you can’t go wrong with the Marquis Los Cabos. The aesthetic, location, views, and service lived up to the billing, but the standard of food really let the side down.
The other negative we had was the beach and the fact you can’t really swim in the ocean, but that is just a product of Los Cabos as a location in general, and if you have visited before you will be well aware of this.
FAQ’s
Q. Does the Marquis Los Cabos offer a shuttle service from the Airport
A. The resort itself doesn’t have a shuttle service, but there are companies that offer shuttle service to all of the resorts in the area. Your best bet is to get a taxi. This should cost you around $60 and is around a 30-minute drive from the airport. With a Taxi, there is no need to wait for other guests to get on the bus before leaving.
Q. Is parking available at the resort
A. Free Parking is available at the resort
Q. Is Wi-Fi included
A. Yes, Wi-Fi is included in the price of your package. It is available throughout the resort and we found that the strength to be very good. We had no issues streaming Netflix at the pool and making Facetime calls from our room.
Q. What local attractions are there? A. Los Cabos is a wonderful destination. From natural beauty and excursions to wonderful golf and vibrant nightlife. There is so much to see and do in this area. For a great list of things to do and see, check out Sandinmysuitcase.com
