A Luxury Travel Advisor’s Review of Grand Velas Los Cabos, Mexico's 5-Star All-Inclusive
Grand Velas Los Cabos is a 5-star resort built around the idea that all-inclusive doesn't have to mean a compromise on quality. Here's my honest review of this property as a luxury travel advisor, along with everything you need to know before booking your own stay.
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My Review of Grand Velas Los Cabos
I've been sending clients to Grand Velas for years, and heard nothing but amazing things from other travel advisors and industry professionals. Even though the "all-inclusive" label is something that usually gives me pause, I was genuinely excited for my visit to Grand Velas Los Cabos with my family in December 2025.
Unsurprisingly, Grand Velas exceeded my expectations. I'm absolutely planning to return and will continue to recommend this resort to my clients. The three things I care about most on any resort stay — food, service, and the spa — were the best version of each I've experienced at a five-star property, all-inclusive or not.
Service
If there's one word for what Grand Velas got right across six nights, it's attentiveness, at every level. You could lounge by the pool with your eyes closed and not feel like you had to be alert to flag down a waiter. The service here makes you feel like you don't have to chase down or keep asking, which is how I'd define five-star service.
From the moment we arrived, our butler was there for anything we needed. Housekeeping was consistent and unobtrusive. Staff greeted us by name. Drinks and food arrived quickly and at the right temperature, which sounds like a small thing until you've experienced getting a cold taco plate from the poolside bar.
Food & Beverage
At Grand Velas, there were varying menus, different wine lists, and different cocktail programs. For a food-focused traveler, the dining here was memorably good, which is something you don't always get at an all-inclusive. Because sometimes, even though there are different places to eat, the food all comes from the same kitchen. I didn't get that sense at Grand Velas.
We ate at 6 of the 10 restaurants between the main and boutique properties, and each time it felt like a distinct dining experience. From a Michelin-starred tasting menu to casual poolside ceviche, each bite was memorably unique.
Spa & Wellness
When I go back to Grand Velas, the thing that I will be most excited about is the spa. This experience might have ruined all other spas for me. I visited the spa three times across six nights and would have gone back more if I didn't have my kids with me.
When you book your stay through a Virtuoso travel advisor like myself, you get an 80-minute complimentary hydrotherapy session with any spa treatment you book. So what would be a 60-minute massage or facial becomes almost three hours of total wellness: sauna, steam room, ice room, sensorial shower, jacuzzis, cold plunge. If you take any piece of advice from this review, book your spa treatments as early into your trip as possible—you'll probably want to repeat!
Main Resort or Boutique — Which Experience Fits You?
Grand Velas Boutique is just a 300-meter golf cart ride away from the main property, but each has its distinct ambiance. No matter where you sleep, you're not locked in, as you can move between each property freely. Here's how I'd recommend each to my clients::
The Main Resort
This is where we stayed with our kids, and it's the right call if you're traveling with family or want more direct access to activities and restaurants. If you enjoy having a drink at the bar at night or enjoy a more lively ambiance, this is where I'd send you.
There are three pools, a bigger breakfast buffet, and seven restaurants, and some of the bars here have karaoke and DJs on weekends.
The Boutique
Grand Velas Boutique Los Cabos only opened a couple of years ago and feels like its own retreat: 79 rooms, adults-only, with a much quieter vibe that's immediately noticeable. If you're celebrating a milestone as a couple, or you simply want a resort stay with fewer people around and nowhere you have to be, the boutique is built for that.
There are three restaurants on-site (one is where I had my favorite meal of the trip), but you can also cart over to eat at the main property. The spa here has its own hydrotherapy circuit, a little more intimate with just four treatment rooms.
What's the Dining Like at Grand Velas Los Cabos?
Between the main resort and the boutique, Grand Velas Los Cabos has 10 restaurants:
Azul (Main Resort) — International buffet and à la carte fare with an oceanview terrace, casual enough for breakfast through dinner.
Cabrilla (Main Resort) — A relaxed, poolside spot for ceviche and fresh seafood.
Velas 10 (Main Resort) — This casual-elegant restaurant is the only oceanfront dining setting on both the main and boutique properties. It serves fresh seafood and a variety of steaks. Choose directly from the meat case and seafood tanks and enjoy beach views while you dine.
Cocina de Autor (Main Resort) — This Michelin-starred restaurant opens with a cocktail from the in-house mixologists before an 8-10 course culinary journey. Elegant attire and reservations required; open to adults and minors 18 and older only.
Sen Lin (Main Resort) — Taste your way through Northeast and Southeast Asian flavors in this elegant, family-friendly restaurant. Reservations are required for dinner.
Lucca (Main Resort) — This unique Italian-Mediterranean restaurant features a petrified wood bar and displays its collection of 2,500 wines. Enjoy wood-fired pizzas, handmade pastas, steaks, and seafood. Family-friendly and elegant-casual, Lucca requires a reservation for dinner.
Frida (Main Resort) — Honoring the spirit of painter Frida Kahlo, this restaurant celebrates Mexico's gourmet traditions with dishes built on dried chiles, wild herbs, and mole. Family-friendly and elegant-casual, Frida requires a reservation for dinner.
Loto (Boutique) — This robata grill fuses Japanese and Mexican flavors, at the direction of a 2-Michelin-star chef. Open-fire cooking accentuates flavors of premium cuts and fresh seafood. Casual-elegant attire, exclusively for adults 18 and older.
Del Mar (Boutique) — An oceanside breakfast spot with expertly crafted dining options to start your day.
Roca (Boutique) — This relaxed terrace restaurant serves freshly prepared ceviche and drinks with Sea of Cortez views.
There are also six bars on the main property, all either 18+ or adults-only. They capture a range of ambiance, from the upscale lounge at Koi Bar to the sand-at-your-feet bonfires of Miramar to the sweeping open terrace at Sky Sports Bar.
If I had to pick a favorite out of the six restaurants we tried, it's Loto, the boutique's Japanese-Mexican fusion spot. I loved every dish, especially the mix of raw beef and seafood alongside the Japanese grilled skewers. We actually went back for a second meal! Cocina de Autor was a close second, though it's more of a once-per-stay experience, as the tasting menu is the kind of meal you savor rather than repeat. The wine pairing was a lovely addition to an already wow-factor evening. I'd save it for one of your last nights as a celebratory way to end the trip. Velas 10 also stands out, both for its menu and oceanfront views. If I went back, I'd have the crudo and beef tartare to start, then the bone marrow and steak. And their wine list was my favorite of all the restaurants.
Rooms and Suites — What to Know Before You Book
At the Main Resort
All 307 suites here are over 1,100 square feet with ocean views, private terraces, and a 24-hour personalized butler. Beyond that baseline, the categories split pretty clearly by who they're built for.
Best for couples: Grand Class Suite and Grand Class Corner Suite. Both are capped at 2 adults and come with your own plunge pool on the terrace, ideal for a romantic, adults-focused stay.
Best for families:
Family Duplex Suite — A two-story layout with a jacuzzi, private plunge pool, and a popcorn machine, built for 2 adults and 2 kids ages 0-15.
Ambassador Pool Suite and Ambassador Sunrise Suite — Both ideal for 2 adults plus 1-2 minors.
Ambassador Two Bedroom Family Suite — Sleeps up to 6 adults or 4 adults and 2 kids, with an in-suite teepee and a baby concierge for parents traveling with infants.
At the Boutique
There are three areas of Grand Velas Boutique where rooms are located: the back building, the first-floor pool suites, and the ocean front rooms. Choosing between them comes down to view versus quiet.
For the best views: Book Sunrise or Ambassador, towards the back of the building and on the highest floors (6-11). The tradeoff is you might hear noise from the highway behind the resort.
For the most quiet: Book a first-floor pool suite.
For quiet and a view: Book an ocean front room. The most expensive, but you get the best of both worlds..
For more space: Book a Grand Class King. It's the third-highest room tier at the boutique and bigger than the other categories. You can request a top floor for better views (based on availability).
One thing to know before you book: the garden view category is the only one with two queen beds (however, max capacity is 3 people). I'd only choose this category if the queen-queen setup is a must and if you don't need an ocean view.
A few more details worth knowing: every room comes with either a jacuzzi or a temperature-controlled plunge pool (with a fire pit nearby). And since the boutique is adults-only, every room caps at three adults.
How Much Does a Stay at Grand Velas Los Cabos Cost?
Rates at the main resort start around $800 per person, per night, based on double occupancy (so roughly $1,600 or more a night for two guests), and can climb past $3,000 per person, per night in peak season. At the boutique, rates start at $600 per person, per night, on the same double-occupancy basis, so plan on $1,200 or more a night minimum for two guests. Both rates include your meals, drinks, and most on-property extras.
That starting price can feel steep next to a typical all-inclusive. But once you factor in what a comparable five-star hotel would cost per night, plus what you'd spend separately on meals, drinks, and spa treatments over the course of a stay, the total tends to land in a similar place. The main difference is how you pay for it: all at once upfront, or spread across the trip.
Why Book Through a Travel Advisor
When you book a hotel with a travel advisor versus an online booking engine or even direct, you can often unlock exclusive upgrades (subject to availability) like early check-in/late check-out, on-property credits, and room upgrades. Plus, you have the peace of mind knowing that there is someone in your corner to handle any issues and advocate on your behalf with the hotel team. I have spent years fostering relationships with hotel teams around the world, and that consistently shows up in my clients' experience.
If you'd like me to look into a stay for you, you can book through my Virtuoso page or reach out directly.
Who Is This Resort Right For?
There are nearly 200 resorts in Los Cabos to choose from, which means you have flexibility to choose the one that works for you. If that isn't Grand Velas, I can recommend the best choice for your trip.
This property is ideal for:
Travelers who prioritize food, service, and an excellent spa
Anyone wanting a stay where you don't have to make a lot of decisions and can truly relax
Those who'd rather stay put and sink into the on-property experience than come and go
I'd recommend alternative resorts if you're looking for:
A walkable or swimmable beach
A hotel that's more of a home base while you explore the area
Final Thoughts
I honestly loved my stay at Grand Velas Los Cabos. Grand Velas Los Cabos is a property worth a return visit, and after my stay I'll keep recommending it to clients.
If this resort is somewhere you want to book a sunny, relaxing getaway, reach out early. Rooms at both properties book up well in advance, especially in peak season and around the Michelin-starred tasting menu at Cocina de Autor. I'd love to help you plan it. You can book directly through my Virtuoso page or reach out to my team for a more personalized booking experience.
Whitney Shindelar
Undiscovered Sunsets was a long time in the making, even if I myself didn’t realize it. During my time at the University of Northern Iowa, I studied abroad in New Zealand. Upon graduating, I bought a one-way ticket to France, lived with a French family and studied with classmates from Turkey, China, Russia, Germany, Italy, and everywhere in between. In 2010 I began teaching English as a foreign language. This job quickly took me to China, where English teachers were in high demand and within three years, I began working in a 5-star hotel, speaking Mandarin throughout most of my day. In total, I lived abroad for 7 years.
I consider Undiscovered Sunsets to be the perfect mélange of my personal experience traveling the world and my professional experience working in the hospitality industry.
I look forward to designing your next adventure!
