Butlers, Bidets and that Bon Vivant Feeling At Garza Blanca in Los Cabos.
The sun was shining bright, and the temperature was a comfortable 80 degrees as Ronda and I lounged at the adults-only rooftop infinity pool at Garza Blanca Resort in Los Cabos, where we visited in February. I considered jumping into the deep end but realized the splash potential, and the possible ruination of margaritas sitting poolside. I took the steps down, and as I did, I heard Ronda shout, ‘Look, a whale!’
I felt the name-calling was uncalled for, until I saw where she was pointing. There was a whale in the ocean, not in the pool, and I looked in time to catch its fresh-blown spout hanging in the air, as it arched its back and flipped its tail to dive.
“He’ll come up again, and there’s more, like a whole family of humpbacks,” said a helpful guest two chairs down. “See, there’s another one.”
If you fix your gaze just right, with your eyes at water level, it’s easy to imagine whales actually in the infinity pool, as the liquid edge blurs into the sea. This illusory trick became one of my favorite pastimes at Garza Blanca, where for the next three days we lived like billionaire bon vivants, with butlers and bidets.
Garza Blanca is a 5-star, 315-room gem positioned where desert saguaros meet the Sea of Cortez, offering refined luxury, gourmet dining and highly personalized service in this spectacular setting. The resort successfully caters to all manner of pleasure seekers. It is both a romantic getaway for couples and a family vacation resort. And it can be both at the same time thanks to the family program, the kids club, a dedicated kids pool and babysitting service (for a fee).
Kid friendly is not just a marketing buzzword here. Bring the little ones and you will see how Garza Blanca got its reputation for being the most child-focused luxury resort in Los Cabos. Kids eat free and stay free. And because much of the child-care paraphernalia is provided, you can pack light and avoid the luggage hassle involved with family travel. The resort provides a baby bottle sterilizer, a baby bouncer, a bathtub, child car seats, and strollers. Call ahead and it’s in the room upon arrival. Free stuff for the kids to have and take home includes plush toys, coloring books, a handcrafted Mexican toy, a jute backpack, and kid-sized robes and slippers. All of the above in the family program applies to a family stay in at least a one-bedroom suite, with a 3-night stay. For details: https://cabo.garzablancaresort.com/family-program.
Suite options for families (or any group) start with the one-bedroom, 1313-square foot luxury flat for up to 4 (where we stayed), and go all the way up to the two-level four-bedroom oceanfront penthouse that accommodates up to 10 with 6500 square feet, 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths, and a hot tub on the wraparound terrace that offers sweeping views. All suites and penthouses have large terraces with hammocks, gourmet kitchens, washer and dryer, luxury baths with stand-alone bathtubs, and a Toto bidet toilet that you will want to take home with you (this is not advised). Other suite exclusives include butler service, in-suite dinner with a private chef, in-suite breakfast, mixology class or tequila tasting, and an aromatherapy menu.
Garza Blanca fronts a wide soft-sand beach (not swimmable), that is great for a special dinner, a stroll, or for fat-tire bike tours, a free resort activity. Or you can just hang out on the day beds or lounge chairs on the sand. Another beach hangout is provided by the Food Truck, adjacent to a shaded deck with a bar and kitchen that provides craft cocktails, and raw bites, like sashimi and ceviche.
There are 6 different restaurants, as part of the all-inclusive plan: the Food Truck, the Rooftop, Hiroshi (featuring sushi), Bocados (a steakhouse with dry-aged beef), Blanca Blue (Mexican, and the site of the breakfast buffet), and NOI (Italian, located on the Rooftop). Late last year Garza introduced at Bocados steak house Meat Sommeliers. Similar to a wine sommelier, knowledgeable Meat Sommeliers are available to guide diners through the intricacies of meat selection for a highly personalized culinary experience.
Our most memorable dining experience was the fine dining on the beach. Sitting at a table with our toes in the sand, bistro lights hanging from poles arranged like teepees, serenaded by the sound of the surf, we enjoyed a chef-prepared three-course dinner, featuring sea bass with shitake mushrooms, and we added a bottle of Veuve Clicquot.
Garza Blanca, which means “great white egret” in Spanish, is one of those places you go to and never want to leave. You might go there thinking it will be a jumping-off point for whale watching, or golf, or hiking on Land’s End. We like to go fishing for dorado when we go to Los Cabos. But when we tasted the food, soaked up the views of the Pacific, and settled into our posh room, we realized we had a special thing going on here. We abandoned any plans to go off property. We had two wonderful butlers, Taisha and Omar, who were always no further than a WhatsApp text away: “Omar, we are running late for the sushi-making lesson, please tell them not to wait for us.”
“Will do, Mr. Tierney.”
There are 8 pools, an oceanfront Jacuzzi and an otherworldly hydrotherapy system in the spa with all manner of water features that showered, doused, soaked, flushed and squirted us. We shocked the hangovers out of our bodies by heating up in the sauna, then stepping into the cold plunge pool. Spa Imagine is considered one of the most complete and luxurious spas in the area. Pro tip: Book a spa treatment and you get the hydrotherapy no charge.
Turndown service and in-room surprises were fantastic. Forget the chocolate mint on the pillow. Garza went all out with a white-and-dark chocolate sculpture that says, “Welcome to Garza….” The next night, the bed was covered with rose petals arranged to spell out “Happy Birthday!” Another night, a tequila bar was left in the living room.
It’s easy to get to Garza, which is one of the big attractions. From Orange County, it’s a 2.5 hour nonstop flight to Los Cabos airport, and from there it’s a 35-minute drive to the resort. For guests staying in suites, ground transportation to and from the airport is provided at no charge. Any month is a good time to visit this part of the world. June is wellness month, with a full schedule of bike tours, yoga, Pilates, stretching classes and healthy dining. cabo.garzablancaresort.com
Written & Photographed by Randall Tierney
Leave a Reply