by Angela Fairhurst
Opened in 2017, the $150 million beachfront oasis Grand Velas Los Cabos on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula is located between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Grand Velas Los Cabos all-inclusive resort emerges organically from its environment amidst the luscious beaches, rocky scenery, desert and deep blue sea.
Ricardo Elias, principal of Elias and Elias Architects in Guadalajara, designed the over scaled curved, half-moon design of the hotel that stands out along a corridor of other resorts with a three-story high open air grand entrance, over 300 ft. above sea level. The curvature of the building mimics white sails, linking the resort to the sea. The walls were designed to give an impressive scale to the space as well as block the wind currents and provide shade to make the lobby a comfortable space. The covering of the walls is wood-textured ceramics in colors of clear and dark sand, reflecting the character of the area.
All 304 ocean view suites are over 1,180 sq. ft. each and have private terraces and dramatic ocean views. Elias used dividing walls between the balconies of each of the rooms to give a unique character and interesting rhythm to the façade of the hotel. Some suites have personal plunge pools and the duplex wellness suites have designated wellness amenities and in-suite juice bars.
Grand Velas Los Cabos features five gourmet all-inclusive restaurants with an extensive beverage program, highlighting fine wine selections inspired by the resort’s proximity to Mexico’s viniculture region. A first for any hotel, the interiors, furnishings and decoration of the various restaurants and public areas of the hotel were commissioned to five different interior design firms.
Piaf Restaurant, the resort’s fine-dining French option, was designed by Larissa Garcia of Cassal Diseño Designs. The design inspiration is a modern twist on France in the 1940’s to 60’s, when Edith Piaf was at the top of her artistic career. Additionally, Diseño designed the resort’s duplex Wellness Suites and multi-bedroom Governor Suites.
The Koi Bar nightclub; Cocina de Autor, a venue offering an 8-10 plate tasting menu; and oceanfront Velas 10 for seafood and meat, were all conceived by Ernesto Vela of Ernesto Vela Architects. Vela also led the contemporary Mexican interior design for the Ambassador, Grand Class, Presidential and Imperial Suites. Each space offers a unique and distinctive personality conveyed by the mixture of shapes and the selection of materials.
Renowned interior designer Melín Castro of Melín Castro Designs, was in charge of the design of the striking Lobby, Se Spa, Kids’ and Teen Clubs, Amat Coffee Bar and Boutique. The Boutique is inspired by contemporary Italian design, with a combination of materials like wood, marble and quartz.
The pastel decorated Kids Club is a small tribute to the streets of Paris and the vibrant atmosphere of the cafes that bring together locals and visitors in that cosmopolitan city. The state-of-the-art Teens Club offers an urban / street look and feel, including graffiti painted by artist Luis Macías.
SE Spa by Grand Velas is 35,000 sq. ft. spa with a state of the art hydrotherapy facility with 16 treatment rooms. There is a Technogym Fitness Center with personal trainers, exercise programs, yoga, Pilates and meditation; and recreational activities program. Additionally, the resort has three pools (one of which is adults only); with pool and beach concierges.
Ezequiel Farca, of award-winning design and architecture firm Ezequiel Farca + Cristina Grappin, designed Frida, which offers authentic Mexican food with a twist. Frida features an environment of the art deco motifs of the late forties in Mexico. Farca also designed Lucca, the resort’s traditional Italian gourmet restaurant. It incorporates a contemporary luxury feel with glossy metal details.
Niz + Chauvet Architects brought in the sea to Azul restaurant, the resort’s open all-day buffet restaurant with a nautical design that blends seamlessly into the restaurant’s oceanfront location.
The resort has three pools (one of which is adults only); with pool and beach concierges.
Most importantly, service is the key factor at Grand Velas. There is a staff ratio of 3 to 1 with a 24-hour personalized butler concierge service; and 24-hour in-suite service.
