Nobu Los Cabos

Nobu Los Cabos is a feast for all of the senses.

It brings the group’s trinity - calm, contemporary design, soulful service and sense-teasing fusion food - to the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. 

Beachfront Nobu Los Cabos joins a string of seductive stays with some seriously tantalising ingredients. It draws design inspiration from a particularly sophisticated palette that alludes to the aesthetic of the Nobu brand, as well as the unique elements of Cabo San Lucas. This is Robert de Niro and celebrity chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa’s first Nobu hotel venture in Latin America, and it certainly leaves an impression on you. It features straight-lined, modernist, whitewashed buildings with immaculate cactus gardens, four pools and a completely empty beach. It is the perfect blend of architectural elegance and laid-back luxury.

Nobu’s design hinges on its details - meticulous, meticulous details. Everything is deliberate, nary a pillow out of place: from the jaw-dropping open-air lobby with its sweeping balcony with fire-pits and views straight out to the ocean, to the guest room’s river-stone paved shower accent wall. It’s sleek, clean and very much Japanese minimalist in its design. And though certain details claim to give it a Mexican motif (a sandy-hued palette, artwork by Mexican artists, and fire elements throughout the property), the only thing truly Mexican about Nobu Los Cabos is the address.

LOCATION & HOW TO GET HERE

Constructed of local white travertine and dark woods, the property sits atop a wide-open beach directly next door to the just-opened Hard Rock Hotel. These are the only two resorts on the 2.5km coastline of this new development called Diamante, a gated community of luxury homes surrounded by several golf courses designed by Tiger Woods and Davis Love III. It is peaceful and isolated - off the route to Todos Santos and La Paz. It truly feels like a world away from the well-trodden tourist corridor on the Sea of Cortez. 

Nobu is a 15-20 minute drive from busy downtown Cabo – a slight mission if you’re looking for bars, shops and restaurants, but with the pay-off of an often empty stretch of Pacific coast (though ocean swimming isn’t recommended). It's approximately a 45 minute drive from Los Cabos airport.

THE NOBU EXPERIENCE

In a place that’s already teeming with high-end luxury resorts, you might be asking; what makes the Nobu stand out? In a word: Hollywood. Thanks to the involvement of De Niro and Teper, Nobu Los Cabos brings with it the kind of glamour and status that renders it the A-List’s luxury Mexican hideaway. Despite having 200 guest rooms, you don’t feel as though you’re in a mega resort - thanks to some very careful planning and clever landscaping which helps bring the destination into sharper focus. The architecture and landscape of Nobu Los Cabos were carried out by Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo. They xeriscaped the grounds with a series of sand-filled Japanese-inspired zen gardens, and planted native Mexican cactus, agave and flowering sotol, to subtly remind guests that, in fact, we are not in Kyoto, but in the rugged wilds of the Baja Peninsula. 

The accommodations are interwoven throughout four swimming pools, and some rooms even have direct swim-up access with their very own private entry. The party pool on the “Cortez” side of the resort is just adjacent to the Playabar, where the bubbly flows and the music pulses. Over on the “Pacific” side of the resort, you’ll find lush foliage and semi-enclosed cabanas. The pool farthest from all of the action is the infinity pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean in front of the signature Nobu Restaurant, which is a calming oasis of Zen, and the only designated adults-only area on property. As well as four swimming pools, including a beachfront infinity pool, there’s a well-equipped gym and Esencia Spa (which has a white slightly clinical look), a sauna, steam room, 13 treatment rooms and well-trained therapists.

One of the many highlights of our stay at Nobu was the personalised luxury experience that the resort offered, including yacht excursions, private beach dinners, and custom-tailored experiences to make your stay truly memorable; together with a stellar concierge service that truly goes above and beyond what most resorts offer. The staff here are exceptional and so warm and welcoming, from the moment you check-in to the time you check-out. 

LUXURY SUITES & ACCOMMODATIONS

 The guest rooms emanate Nobu’s signature minimalist design; an Asian-inspired medley of muted natural hues and eye-soothing neutrals, dotted with intentional pops of intrigue (such as abstract Japanese art), harmonises with the handcrafted décor by local artisans and adds to the calming ambiance. In each of the hotel’s 200 rooms and suites, guests will find true zen while sleeping in oversized plush white bedsa or sitting out on the furnished patios overlooking the ocean. Yet the real tranquility comes when guests enter their accommodation's bathroom.

We were shown to our suite by our private butler, and it immediately became clear that this place was going to be rather difficult to leave. Welcome to the exquisite Sake Suite; an open concept corner suite with truly spectacular views of the swaying palms and the crashing waves of the Pacific. With neutral shades and wooden handcrafted furniture highlighting the Japanese influence, it was an incredibly calming and relaxing space. The suite had electronic curtains and large sliding doors which opened out to our own private terrace with sun loungers. Now, the bathroom was a personal highlight of mine. The palatial bathroom features a wall of hand-stacked grey river stones serving as a striking backdrop to a traditional Japanese Onsen Teak wooden bath and an open rain shower. 

FOR THE FOODIES

Nobu needs little introduction when it comes to food; and it is a big reason for you to be here. The Japanese cuisine at the Nobu restaurant is a welcome break from typical Mexican cuisine, while still sourcing ingredients locally. Plus, if you’re not a fan of tequila, you’ll appreciate the expansive selection of sake. While the Nobu restaurant is the crown jewel of the resort, Japanese food is certainly not the only option here. The Pacific restaurant offers fine-dining Mexican, with everything from guacamole to aguachile, and original jalapeño margaritas; while Nobu’s farm-to-table restaurant Malibu Farm serves up healthy options, with its signature avocado pizzas, and even more avocado in the bulging burritos and tacos at breakfast, alongside American breakfasts, Spanish omelettes, quinoa oatmeal and gluten-free vanilla pancakes. Even ordering poolside snacks as simple as pizza and French fries are elevated here — every outlet at the property churns out top-notch fare; though I was more taken by the novelty of ordering Nobu delicacies from the comfort of my guest room.

WHAT TO KNOW

LOCATION: Nobu is roughly 50 minutes from Los Cabos International Airport. Even just getting in and out through its gates can add 15 minutes to your journey. The good news is that nearly everything you need is directly on the property: pools, coastline, a spa, five dining and drinking outlets and an array of outdoor activities.

THE BEACHES: While the coastline is scenic and peaceful, like many of the resorts in the area, Nobu Los Cabos does not have a swimmable beach.

THE SPA: The 13,691-square-foot spa provides 13 treatment rooms, a hydrotherapy garden and a service menu consisting of blissful, Asian-inspired therapies that incorporate Natura Bissé’s famed product line.

DAY TRIPS: Todos Santos, the bohemian artist community with the original Hotel California, is an hour north of the resort and great for a day trip of shopping and exploring.

GOLFING: The adjacent Diamante Cabo San Lucas Resort complex features golf courses from Davis Love III and Tiger Woods.

NIGHT LIFE: Nightlife at Nobu is mostly limited to the action at the restaurants, but if you need to get out, the property sits 30 minutes from Cabo San Lucas’ club scene. 

Visit https://loscabos.nobuhotels.com to check their availability or visit their Instagram page @nobuloscabos.

I was hosted as a guest of Nobu Los Cabos, however, all the opinions expressed in this article are, as always, my own.