JW Marriott at San Jose del Cabo: Experience an elegant, uncrowded Cabo

After redeeming a Marriott Travel Package in January 2017 I needed to find a Marriott where I would be happy to spend 7 days. I have a Southwest Airlines Companion Pass, so naturally I looked at Southwest's relatively new Latin American destinations. I did not consider the Scrub Island resort since I would rather sail the British Virgin Islands rather than sit at a hotel there for a week.

My wife had been asking about going to Cabo for years, so I looked into that. As it happens there is a JW Marriott in San Jose del Cabo, not too far from the SJD airport. It opened in November 2015. It's a reasonably priced Category 8 hotel (currently $350 per night including taxes and fees). At that cash price, and with a $30 per night award redemption fee it's not necessarily the best dollar value for a Travel Package. I'm here to tell you that it is nevertheless an outstanding real-world value. I deduced that you can't buy rooms at this hotel on Hotwire, which shows zero available opaque hotel options in the Puerto Los Cabos zone for any dates I tried.

The JW Marriott in San Jose del Cabo is a place you can be happy staying for 7 days. I recommend it without reservation. Almost literally. I arrived on a Sunday to find the hotel perhaps 15% occupied. Looking down at the grounds from my balcony there wasn't a customer in sight. I have never been in a hotel so empty, not even the Hilton Waikoloa when they closed the Palace Tower for lack of guests. Paying customers started arriving Wednesday evening, and by Friday evening occupancy appeared to be 75% or more. Arriving on a Sunday appears to be the magic ticket. Pro tip: Availability of award night redemption is one indication of low occupancy. That's a win-win.

Weddings seem to be a regular occurrence on weekends. One of them included a large live band and a spectacular 10-minute fireworks show following an elaborately staged marriage ceremony overlooking the ocean.

The hotel has several beautiful pools which are quite empty even when the hotel is full. There is much more square footage of pools here than in other Cabo hotels. Often you can have a pool to yourself. The adult pool looks to be about 60 meters long. There's a volleyball pool. And a salt-water pool. Or you can choose the cool pool, the warm pool, or the super-warm pool, all with great ocean views. There are two Jacuzzis and two swim-up bars.

The grounds are perfectly groomed, the hotel's design and muted color selection are aesthetically outstanding, and even the cheapest room is to die for. Don't bother upgrading.You will be happy with any room here. They are spacious and elegant.

The hotel offers a $200 to $250 per night upgrade to Griffin Club, which is like a Regency Club building with its own small pool and free drinks and appetizers all day. It has 45 rooms and is supposed to give you the feeling of being in a private hotel. However, low occupancy gives everyone that feeling.

Early November day temperatures are hot but dry and reasonably comfortable, especially in shade. At night you don't need a sweater and you can still enjoy the pools, especially the one super-warm pool.

The hotel location is remote, at the east extreme of the 20 mile long developed beach zone. You can walk for a mile or more up and down the empty beach, but the ocean here is not swimmable, nor is it most other places in and around Cabo. There's a nice public beach at Santa Maria Bay (really a cove) near Cabo San Lucas. A short walk to the west on the beach are stairs to the adjacent hotel called Secrets, but don't bother. Their only secret is that the JW Marriott is much, much less crowded and superior in every way.  

To spend 7 days here you will want to rent a car (about $200 if you refuse the hard sell for every possible add-on). You can self-park in the hotel's garage. Then you can buy groceries in town at Walmart or elsewhere and make yourself a nice picnic every day. George's Restaurant at La Marina hotel a mile or so away is charming, with excellent prices and more food than you can eat. (They will box the leftovers for you.) We did not eat at the hotel restaurants, but Cafe des Artistes is reportedly superb.

Pro tips: The Marriott staff will gladly take away the refrigerated minibar drinks so you can put your food in the refrigerator. Add an ice bucket to speed the cooling. Also, the fastest access to the parking garage is via the E building elevator, which stops at floor -1. The nearest doorway leads to the garage.

You will probably want to drive to Cabo San Lucas and check out the crowded port and take a glass bottom boat ride to see the famous rock arch or go on a scuba or sport fishing trip. Once you've done that you will be ready for more rest back at the hotel. It seems that everyone in town is trying to sell you something. The worst are the time share salespeople*, who start at the airport outside immigration and continue at the rental car facility and all over town. The Marriott is your refuge from that bombardment. Nobody here is selling anything, and they aren't even prodding you for tips. The staff are uniformly delightful. It's an island of class. Next time I visit I will stay near the hotel and skip the crowds at Cabo San Lucas entirely.

*Even if you are able to win the time share sales presentation game, don't waste your precious vacation time on them. Just say no to the whole thing. If you want to do an activity, save your time and spend your money. Just buy your tickets.

The only incongruous aspect is that the approach to the hotel looks unfinished, to put it generously. Also odd are the large luxury homes on the hill just above the hotel. I was told that their owners were extremely upset at having a large hotel constructed in the middle of their ocean view. But here as elsewhere, money talks. The only local industries are tourism, construction, and real estate sales.

If you stay at this hotel at an off-peak time you will have one of your best vacations ever. If your stay is for a peak time, your experience may differ but I'd still expect it to be outstanding.

P.S. On the way out, the airport has an excellent VIP Lounge which you can access with a Priority Pass membership card, including memberships issued through the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.