The Cape, a Thompson Hotel

“The Cape, a Thompson Hotel” is the sort of name that pretty well sums the place up — if you know that the cape in question is Cabo San Lucas, and if you’re acquainted with Thompson’s brand of luxury boutique hospitality, then you more or less know what to expect. The first Thompson hotel in Mexico is blessed with a first-rate location, right on Monuments Beach, with views of the famous Arch across the bay. And the design, by the Mexico City–based architect Javier Sanchez, blends a hand-crafted local look with a bit of a SoCal modernist vibe.

As high-end hotels go, the Thompsons have always erred on the side of stylishness rather than ostentation. Here the materials are rich, but not glitzy — timber walls, leather headboards, hand-painted tile floors, and free-standing copper-bottomed bathtubs. Every room has a private terrace with a view of the water, and space is plentiful, especially in the two- and three-bedroom offerings.

The Cape’s public spaces, though, are probably the larger part of the story. Manta, the flagship restaurant, is overseen by chef Enrique Olivera, a James Beard semifinalist from Mexico City. And among the hotel’s handful of bars is the Roof Top, which somehow manages to be Cabo San Lucas’s first rooftop lounge — needless to say, it’s a pretty hot ticket. Add two stunning pools, one freshwater and one saltwater, and a fairly capacious spa, and you’ve got yourself a properly swanky Baja beachside experience.

How to get there:
The Cape is approximately 20–30 minutes' drive from Cabo San Lucas International Airport via Federal Hwy. 1.