If you’ve been to Cabo you know about it – Palmilla we mean. Founded by the son of an interim Mexican president in 1956 with just 15 guest rooms, its earliest guests could only arrive by yacht or private plane, thus making it a favorite retreat for Hollywood celebrities and savvy travelers alike.
The privacy of the resort and the region’s deep sea fishing drew guests including John Wayne, Bing Crosby, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Dustin Hoffman, Ernest Hemingway, even President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Once the Transpeninsular Highway was built in 1970, the hotel became increasingly popular and more guestrooms were built, offering 53 rooms by 1984 and another 18 shortly thereafter.
Cabo thenbecame a golf destination as well. In the early 90s, the Palmilla Golf Club, the first signature Jack Nicklaus golf course in Mexico, opened and the property was again expanded to 116 rooms and continued to attract a very high-end, discriminating clientele who value its privacy, graceful Mexican charm, and its beautiful, secluded locale.
In 2004, it closed yet again for an extensive $90M rebuild in line with it’s new owner’s One&Only luxury resort hallmark of excellence. Set in some of the most beautiful locales in the world, each of their award-winning resort offers guests a distinctive style and personality borne of its local culture, a genuine hospitality and a lively energy that is unrivalled. With a room count that needed to top 172, and all be incredibly spacious and have a magnificent view of the Sea of Cortéz, Dallas based Paul Duesing Partners were called in on the design as were Palo Alto’s Hill Glazier to man the architectural helm.
The challenge throughout the years and the renovations has been maintaining that classic Mexican ambiance which has made it a favorite for the who’s who, while recreating the history-drought property for a new generation of travelers.
They wanted to celebrate the history but introduce modern notions inside guest rooms, public spaces and the spa, yet restore the gracious old world architecture with the thick walls, heavy doors, intricate ironwork, archways and broad overhangs.
When it’s time to wind down, guests retreat to their rooms and suites, set along the coastline in single- and three-story buildings called “casas.”
Designed in a comfortable, elegant style with decidedly Mexican touches including hand-crafted furniture and accessories, travertine floors with terra cotta-colored marble accents, custom-painted tiles and sinks, wrought iron-studded doors, and roomy outdoor terraces or patios facing Palmilla Beach, one of the region’s few swimmable waters.
Bathrooms are equally spacious, with the suites offering “wet rooms” with a large window.
The tilework in the bathrooms was fabricated in Guadalajara, as were the hand-hewn wood doors and vanities with hand-forged clavos. The design team strove to maintain the past but added details so that it would continue to be sought out by travelers who want to experience the uniqueness of their destination. To have true artsts and fabricators come together and work on a project like this is a wonderful experience.
Paul Duesing has a fascination with British colonial style, yet when he designs a five-star resort or spectacular private residence, his approach is anything but imperial. Instead, he’s determined to let the local talent shine and to make sure that even if a guest does not leave the resort they will feel and see the history and culture of the local area; a successful project is not only for the guests who go there, but for locals to be proud of too. Hear his take on creating Palmilla by clicking the image below
Click this Image to Hear Paul Duesing Talk About Designing the One&Only Palmilla
Our favorite addition to each room – a telescope! How often have you been standing on a hotel balcony wondering what in the world ‘that’ is?!
Seeking a casual atmosphere for the outdoor areas, the designers and architects broke away from the Old World architecture and masnry that comprises the rest of the resort. To convey a relaxed island mood, palapa-style structures made of Mexican fan-palm fronds and peeled-tree colmuns, shade the pool, bar and spa areas, as well as the resort’s open-air “Mexierranean” resaurant, named Agua.
Last fall, 2014, Hurricane Odile walloped the shores of Mexico taking the One&Only Palmilla in its path.
Although the hotel could have closed down forever, they used the opportunity to rebuild and expand their property, which just reopened this April. Instead of just rebuilding everything exactly as it was, the property used the renovation as an opportunity to change things up. Guest rooms were completely refurbished and redecorated…
a new steakhouse SEARED takes the total restaurant count to six…
a new fitness center was added …
and 1,000 palm trees were replanted to replace what was lost during the storm!
Although the resort’s sandy beaches, crisp blue waters and swaying palms speak for themselves, it is the essence of the resort — true to its past while embracing the future — that makes Palmilla second to none. This unique environment incorporates an incredible landcape and beautifully apointed exterior with a contemporary Mexican feel. Did we mention you can bring your pets to the beach?!
PS If Cabo San Lucas is on your bucket list we can’t suggest Lux Life enough. Your LLV Concierge will ensure your stay is spot on!
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