If you’re considering spending your next holiday at a Cabo San Lucas resort, Consider the Waldorf Astoria Pedregal for your stay. It’s touted as one of the best hotels in Cabos San Lucas and even made it onto CNN’s list of the best hotels in the world. This is Luxury Travel stayed there for six nights. Read our review to find out if The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal really deserves its reputation as one of the most luxurious hotels in the world.
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Getting to The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal
Getting to Los Cabos is relatively easy, as the airport has direct flights from many places in the US. From the Los Cabos airport, it is a 45minutes drive to The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal . I booked my transfer with Airport Shuttle Los Cabos, and they were amazing. I gave them the wrong flight arrival time and only realized it after I landed. Fortunately, they were tracking my flight, and my driver, Ruben, was waiting for me. I was offered water and even a beer when I got in the car. Unfortunately, it was still too early in the morning for a beer. With Airport Shuttle Cabos, I got not only a transfer from the airport to the hotel but also a tour of Cabos. Ruben took the coastal road which takes 10 minutes longer than the direct route but is very scenic. He showed me all the new developments in the area and highlighted the various activities available. I definitely recommend this shuttle service! and you can book directly on their website: https://www.airportshuttleloscabos.com
Also worth noting that this Cabo San Lucas resort recently changed its name from the resort at Pedregal to the Waldorf Astoria Pedregal
Check-in at The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal
Check-in at The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal was very smooth, as befits a hotel with their reputation.
After going through the mountain tunnel, the car dropped me off right at the lobby. Someone came to take my luggage. I was escorted to the check-in desk, I gave them my passport and credit card, and within five minutes, I was in my room.
The butler team told me that they would assist me during my stay, but I didn’t see them for the rest of the week, so I can’t really comment on the butler service that The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal provides.
Before I arrived, they had sent me a long email asking me plenty of questions, including whether I was celebrating something during my stay. I told them I was celebrating my birthday. Yet, on the big day, no one from the hotel even wished me a happy birthday. It is probably better not to have guests fill in forms if you won’t do anything with the information provided. My advice is don’t bother with this pre-arrival information.
Review of the Rooms at The Cabo San Lucas Resort
There are 96 rooms in the resort, ranging from standard 1-bedrooms to 3-bedroom suites.
I stayed in a master suite, but it didn’t really look like a suite. It was more like a standard room to me. There was no separate living room. I have stayed at plenty of hotels that have finer rooms, so this was a bit of a disappointment. Don’t misunderstand me: the room was nice. But it is was a far cry from the suites in some of the most luxurious hotels I’ve visited, like Nihi Sumba, the Four Seasons Costa Rica or the Six Senses Con Dao in Vietnam.
My final complaint is that my room was facing the roof of the villas below, and their air-conditioning could be quite loud.
The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal ’s master suite comes with a private pool, but don’t get your hopes up too high. The “pool” is minuscule. It resembles a jacuzzi, without the bubbles. It’s also worth noting that the pool terrace has no privacy. At least eight other rooms could view my terrace, along with anyone walking on the stairs nearby.
On the plus side, the king bed was large and comfortable. I slept very well. There is a cozy fireplace in the room, which gave the whole room a sophisticated and relaxing ambiance. There is a safe in the room to provide maximum security for valued belongings. You can also choose from a wide range of pillows. The rooms are complemented by the dim lights that make the view more attractive and enjoyable. The place offers a local but abstract style for its visitors, promoting the local culture and vibes. Binoculars are available for a whale sighting from your balcony!
If you stay at The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal Cabo San Lucas resort, it is probably worth splurging for one of the beachfront villa’s. Their setting is spectacular, and you get the same great view as from the public pools, but from your private garden.
Tip: ask for a room closer to the water. If you have kids, ask to be on the right (south) side of the resort, close to the kids’ pool. If you don’t have kids, you will be happier on the left side near the adult pool.
Where to Eat When Staying at This Cabo San Lucas Resort
There are three restaurants at The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal . There’s also great food in the town nearby. The famous restaurant El Farallon is on the cliffside and is one of the best restaurants in Cabos San Lucas. It offers the most delicious seafood in town. You can also enjoy their champagne terrace. Next, we have Don Manuel’s, the signature dinner. All the dishes are exquisite, but Mexican food is their specialty, and worth ordering during a stay at the resort.
The food is at the resort is very good, but if you stay for a week, you might want to explore some other restaurants nearby as well. You’ll find more diversity, and also save a lot of money, as the prices at The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal are on the high side, even for a luxury hotel. Plenty of good restaurants are accessible within a few minutes’ walk from the resort.
Tip: You can ask a golf cart to take you to the gates of the hotel near the marina so that you don’t have to walk through the tunnel.
My favorite restaurant in town was Bajo La Luna. It is a cute local restaurant with simple Mexican food. I had their delicious tacos. Their specialty is the Bajo Luna shrimp or lobster wrapped in bacon and mozzarella. Mouthwatering! They also have a good meat selection. They open at 2 pm, but it is probably more enjoyable to go in the evening as they have live music. It is about a 10-minute walk from The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal .
Review of the Facilities at The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal
What makes The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal unique is its location near the Sea of Cortés. You get a lot of privacy and an exclusive feel, as the hotel is nestled behind a cliff, but it is also very close to downtown Cabo San Lucas and its marina.
The Cabo San Lucas resort offers a world-class experience to its visitors with its dramatic cliff setting. The buildings are nicely landscaped along the cliff so that most rooms and public areas have a beautiful view of the sea. The resort area is very built up. They have built on almost every square meter of land available, including very close to the beach, so the beach is much more narrow than the beach at the hotel next door.
The swimming pools
The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal is primarily a beach hotel that calls you to relax. The waves are powerful, so the ocean isn’t suitable for swimming, but it creates a dramatic effect of waves crashing on the sand. The sound of the waves throughout the whole hotel is extraordinary.
The two beachfront pools are stunning, and could easily be on a list of the best pools in the world. The pool on the north side is adult-only and tended to get very busy. The pools at resorts where most rooms have private pools are usually very empty. This is not the case at The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal . This is due to the public pools being so spectacular, in combination with the fact that the private pools are disappointing.
It was sometimes infuriating to find out that people would reserve their seats by the pool in the morning. By 9 am one morning, the pool was empty, but that all the seats were reserved by a series of books, hats, towels and whatever else you can imagine ( see the picture below) . I could not find a single lounge chair by the adult pool. I retreated to the kids’ pool, thinking that this is not what I was expecting from one of the best hotels in the world. My stay was at the end of July, which is the off-season, so I can’t imagine the fight for a lounge chair that must happen during the busy season.
The public pool was very festive, with a swim-up bar that was busy most of the day. The service by the pool was truly outstanding. The pool towels were luxurious and plush, and pool attendants would replenish complimentary cold water bottles throughout the day.
The gym at The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal
The resort offers a great fitness center for all the fitness freaks who do not compromise their well-being even on vacation. The gym has the best and latest equipment. The resort also offers yoga and Pilates classes. I did a course every morning, and all the teachers were great. The classes ranged in size from 3 to 8 people when I was there.
TIP: Some yoga classes do get booked up, so it is better to book them as soon as you arrive to avoid disappointment.
Exploring the Marine Life Around Los Cabos
When staying at The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal , it is easy to get sucked in by the spectacular pool and just hang out there all day. However, the Baja Peninsula is a special place teeming with marine life and, and you’ll miss out on some amazing experiences if you don’t leave the hotel. While in Los Cabos, we swam with manta rays, sea lions, sharks, and millions of other fishes.
Many tours can be done over a half-day so that you can still enjoy some time by the pool. I recommend the following tours.
Snorkeling and Kayaking by the Arch
This short tour takes you to the most scenic point in Cabo San Luca. It is an excellent morning exercise, and you can meet sea lions and a variety of fishes. Read my review here. This tour departs from the Cabos San Luca marina which is a 5-minute walk from The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal , so it is very convenient.
Diving in Cabo Pulmo
Many locals consider Cabo Pulmo as the best diving area around Los Cabos. It is a long day trip. We departed at 6 am and returned at 6 pm, but it is worth it if you are into diving. Read my review here.
Shark Dive Snorkeling
The Shark dive trip is a half-day trip where you get a chance to swim with sharks and other large pelagics. We encountered two sharks and two manta rays, but if you’re lucky, you may get to see some whales or dolphins. Read my review here. This tour also departs from the Cabos San Luca marina.
Chileno Beach
While the hotel beach isn’t suitable for swimming, you’ll find the best place for swimming in the sea and snorkeling only 20 minutes away. There are showers and bathrooms available on the beach.
Conclusion of This is Luxury Travel’s review of The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal
I had high expectations for this resort, and they were partially met. While there are much nicer hotels in the world for a relaxing beach holiday, The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal is a perfect gateway to the town of Los Cabos and the incredible marine life that the Baja Peninsula offers. The public pools have an incredible scenic view of the ocean, and the service is top class. It would be an even more delightful resort if it were less built up and offered more lounge chairs to guests, but don’t let that stop you. I had a great vacation at The Waldorf Astoria Pedregal, and I hope you will too!
I really loved the pool here at Waldorf Astoria Pedregal , however, I wish there was a better system of reserving the lounge chairs.. it doesn’t seem fair if you’re ready to sit down, yet no one else is using the chairs…
I had no idea there was a Waldorf Astoria in Cabo San Lucas. The cooking classes are something I would sign up for, the hard part would be choosing which item to learn how to prepare. In that case, I would probably have to do multiple classes. I love the pool that’s by the ocean. Looks so peaceful. I didn’t know that the waves could be rough in Cabo!