Cabo Was Cute, But I Won’t Be Back

I went for the views, but left missing the real Mexico

If nobody is a fan of Mexico, then I must be dead—because I ride hard for this country. I’ve traveled all over Mexico and always walk away with a new favorite spot. So when I finally decided to check out Cabo, I was curious more than anything. Everyone talks about it like it’s the go-to luxury escape. And since I’m Hilton Diamond, I figured it was time to book a stay at the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos—it's constantly listed as one of the top hotels in the area, so I thought, why not?

Here’s the thing: I’m big on finding a beautiful resort and planning everything around that. I don’t usually go somewhere just for the destination—I go for the full experience. And the WA Cabo is stunning. It’s located in Pedregal, which sits high up on a mountain. Once we arrived, the views made it worth it.

We were greeted with non-alcoholic margaritas (shoutout to my concierge who emailed a week before to ask for preferences), and the moment I walked into the room, my jaw dropped. It was gorgeous and decorated as a birthday surprise. It was organized by the person I was dating at the time. Every room includes a complimentary bottle of Clase Azul—you can enjoy it during your stay or take it home with you. Additionally, every room has a private plunge pool.

That night we had dinner at El Farallon, the cliffside restaurant on the resort. It was three courses, and I ordered lobster. When I say huge, I mean dinosaur-tail level. Delicious. The setting alone was worth it.

The next morning, I woke up to the news that we’d been upgraded—for free. The room was insane.

And everywhere I went, people wished me a happy birthday. Multiple cakes showed up, from breakfast to the room. I felt spoiled in the best way. The breakfast was amazing!

I also got a floating breakfast!

Now, with all that said, you might be wondering—why wouldn’t I go back?

Here’s the honest truth: Cabo felt… too American. Like, there’s a Costco. A lot of the places I went charged in dollars instead of pesos. And if you’ve been to other parts of Mexico, you know how rare that is. It took away from the authenticity I usually travel for.

Also, everything was far. I wanted to check out Nobu—45 minutes away. We made a dinner reservation at Rosa Negra, which has locations across Mexico and is hyped everywhere. But the experience? Uncomfortable. The waiter kept trying to upsell us tomahawk steaks and premium dishes even though we were clearly full. It felt pushy and performative. Not my vibe.

Even the activities off-resort felt transactional. Sure, they offer things like camel rides, ATV tours, and boat excursions (I did the boat one and it was cute), but I heard you can’t even use your own camera on the excursions because they want to sell you their photos. Everything just felt overly commercialized.

While Cabo is beautiful and the resorts are world-class, it didn’t feel like Mexico to me. I prefer places where I can actually immerse myself in the local culture.

So as much as I enjoyed my stay—I probably won’t be back. I’d rather keep exploring the rest of Mexico. Because trust me, there’s so much more to love.