Hacienda Encantada Resort & Residences - Hallo!
Sometimes I can’t even. After spending the better of 3 years making Powerpoints (jk, I did have fun), I thought it was time to take a bit of a break. I was actually going to book a 5 star resort, until the vacations agent convinced me to book the Hacienda Encantada Resort & Residences instead. He mentioned that the food was much better as this resort than the one which I was going to pick. Having no ability to make any decisions in my personal life, I agreed to book this cheaper one. I did come away with a relatively positive experience, and of course enjoyed the food.
Overview and Location
Hacienda Encantada Resort & Residences isn’t actually located in Cabo San Lucas, but rather a 15 minute drive away. This meant that residents and tourists got a bit more privacy, and their own little stretch of rocky beach to hang around in. On the Residences side, there were 2 to 4 bedroom Luxury Villas meant to provide a more private experience for between 8 -12 guests.
Getting there from the airport was a quick 30 minute drive - traffic was minimal, although this may have been due to the fact I came on a Wednesday in the summertime. I did see quite a bit of construction, so the area may become more crowded in the future.
Resort View
Check In
Checking in, I got the keys to my Encanto Ocean View Studio - note that check in is actually 4:00PM, and checkout 10:00AM for all inclusive stays. I had booked an All Inclusive Plan, which included the vast majority of restaurants at the hotel, along with several restaurants in Marina Golden Zone in Downtown Los Cabos. This arrangement was actually quite nice, as it allowed guests to actually spend sometime outside of the hotel without being concerned about not maximizing the all inclusiveness of their room. Apologies for the check in picture, I have included one of another sister resort with a similar décor.
Hacienda Encantada Check In
Vista Check In
Check in was overall quite smooth, and afterwards I went over to a concierge to book my trip to downtown. One note for those on the all inclusive plan: your ride to Cabo San Lucas is actually included, so see if it makes sense just to book a tour at the Marina. I found that my $20 tour was actually $8-9 at the Marina.
Afterwards, I was given a buggy ride to my studio - these buggies were a bit bigger than the ones at Al Maha, and consequently were slower (both in terms of speed, and how long it took to call one).
Buddy
As this resort was targeted towards Americans, the overall style was similar to what I would expect most Americans would describe Mexico as.
Hallways
Concurrently, there were various pieces of art depicting say “excessively positive” interactions between Americans and Mexicans / Indigenous Peoples. I’m sure actual history was a bittt different.
Room
The suite (or studio, which it technically was) was 600 sq ft in size, which to me felt like was just the right amount of space. Entering the room, I was presented with a minibar. While this was included in an all inclusive plan, I would not use this is in another plan as it costed 35 pesos for a bottle of water! For reference, a bottle of water at the grocery store would be 10 pesos.
Minibar
There was also a TV, which I find funny given our wonderous surroundings. However, I did find the table was quite useful.
TV and Table
Next up was the king bed, which was adequate.
There was an expansive sink, shower and toilet situation, and the toiletries I felt were top notch.
However, the best part of the room was the view! The hotel did give two chairs and a table to enjoy, and I spent many a morning / evening just sipping coffee sinking it all in.
While I can’t speak for all the villas, my villa was beautifully positioned to include not only a picture of the pool, but also of Los Cabo’s famous beaches.
Day View
Night View
Doing nothing is one of my talents, and I am glad to have practiced it here. Nevertheless, I did get up and decide to explore the expansive resort.
Amenities
The entire list of amenities is here; safe to say, there is enough to keep anyone occupied for at least a couple of days. Let’s start with the pools: there were 3 pools, with 2 on ground level and 1 on the upper decks of the Vista Encantada. The pool I prefer is the one below that is nearer to the ocean and less crowded relative to the other pool.
Pool
Infinity Pool
However, the pool for the best views and Instagram stories is this one on top of the Vista Encantada.
Rooftop Pool
To help tourists burn off those calories, the hotel has a pretty sizable gym (for a resort), and a trainer / yoga instructor.
Outside, there was a dedicated massage and game area that overlooked the stunning beaches.
Outside Game Area
And if you happen to want some rest after working out, there are lazy hammocks dotted around the hotel.
Hammock
Given the backdrop, this was also a popular wedding venue, although I didnt seen any happening whilst I was there.
Chapel
There was also an onsite spa, with all inclusive participants getting a minor discount. The prices were not too outrageous when compared to other resorts, but still noticeable (E.g. a 50 minute body wrap for $140).
Finally, there was a desk which helped people book award excursions. Note that this wasn’t actually the exact desk that did it (its a little bit further down the hallway), but I forgot to take a picture of it. Whilst the resort doesn’t require residents to overpay that much, remember all inclusives get free shuttles to Downtown Cabos San Lucas. This means that you can save roughly $15 a person by taking the shuttle, and going to the dock and booking your own excursions.
Front Desk
I did a boat tour, and thoroughly enjoyed it - one of the benefits of this resort is that there are shuttle buses to downtown and complementary restaurants there, and so one doesn’t feel obligated to stay in the resort all the time.
Mexican Birds - From the Tour Guide
The Food
Speaking of which, let’s move onto the food! Many of us are used to all inclusives being stringy on this, whether it is watering down drinks or creating food with subpar ingredients. I am thankful to say this is not the case. Note dinner typically requires reservations, whilst it is a more free for all for breakfast / lunch.
My first meal of the day was at the El Patio Snack and Pool Bar. You know, the generic American Mexican Food that people think of when they think of all inclusives. I had a quesadilla and a pizza (how original), but given I was hungry, having arrived a couple hours after I was supposed to have lunch, I did not complain. While I appreciated the food was freshly made, both had a little more carbs than I would have liked.
El Patio Food
I also had a tequila tasting in the vening - however, I forgot which one I liked the best.
Tequila
The next day, I had some of the best filet mignon I have ever eaten. While there was a bit too much sauce, the meat was seasoned and cooked to perfection.
Steak and Pasta
The restaurant kindly corrected it later than night, and so I again had some really good steak.
Steak and Pizza
A tad concerned I wasn’t eating enough like healthy food, I went to grab some seafood at the sushi bar called Sr. Sushi. While this wasn’t exactly advertised on the website, it was included for all inclusive guests. For those who are paying their way, this isn’t worth it: I ate over 1,500 pesos worth of sushi, or around C$100. The quality was slightly better than store bought, but given this in the middle of Mexico we will cut it some slack.
Sushi
To cap it all off, I went to the stunning Mestizo del Mar. All inclusive guests are offered a 3 course set meal, which consisted of a starter, shrimp linguine and a desert. Not wanting to waste stomach room, I decided to only eat the pasta. While delicious, there was too much sauce, a recurring theme for this hotel. However, there was some toasted cracker, and avocado on the side that helped cut through the sauce.
Shrimp Linguine
The Hacienda Encantada Resort & Residences doesn’t hold back on the drinks. I first started out with the Smiling Watermelon, which tasted better than it looked.
Smiling watermelon
I next and tried out a twist on a classic, the Encanto Martini. While a bit slushier than I was used it, it was great sipping and checking out the sunset. That, until my fellow travel blogger called me.
Encanto Martini
On another night, I ordered a Pina Colada, and thoroughly enjoyed watching the resort sinking into darkness.
Pina Colada
One final thing remains: the breakfast buffet. Las Marias is the main breakfast restaurant, but there are grab and go options / a more refined experience at Mestizo del Mar. I thought the breakfast buffet was quite varied, with a pretty basic but sufficient quality for food. And although I didn’t try it, there was a omelet station.
On my last day, I did the classic eat a late breakfast then not eat the entire day. What I enjoyed the most is that the hotel offered both Mexican and American dishes, and didn’t cheap out on the hot dishes.
Breakfast
The Service
I found that service at the Hacienda Encantada Resort & Residences was good, but not exceptional. This isn’t a critique, more that to keep your expectations in line with the fact that this is a 4 star resort in a popular tourist destination. For example, while I was always able to get a buggy to take me around the resort, it did take a bit longer given the sheer number of guests. Similarly, it took a while for drinks to come (although food was surprisingly quick) as bartenders were balancing many thirsty guests. There was also a bit of variety in how each staff member delivered their roles: some were quite enthusiastic, while for others it was just more of a job.
On tipping: in many tourist destinations in Mexico, it is customary to tip. However, the amount varies depending on the city, type of destination and activity. I found that the service at the resort was good regardless of tipping - nevertheless, please tip a US$1 or 50 pesos for good work.
Beach View
The Point
I have been often asked whether to go Cancun or Los Cabos. Personally, I prefer Cancun, mainly due to the fact there is more to explore outside the resort and the beaches are more swimmable. That being said, this is also location dependent: there is no point to fly 5 hours from the west coast just to go to Cancun. In that case, the Hacienda Encantada Resort & Residences is a relatively affordable yet good value choice. With all inclusive rates of around $250 a day during summer time, and escalating to $400 during the winter time, I think this is a good first time choice for those in Los Cabos. Concurrently, I would suggest booking a hotel later in the city center just to explore that, as the Marina also has some spectacular views!
Rocks that people keep talking about
