The Top 30 Hotels in 2012: #5 One and Only Palmilla

In the last month of 2012, Five Star Alliance is counting down the Top 30 Luxury Hotels and Resorts worldwide, as decided by you, our luxury travelers! Be sure to check in with us daily to keep up with our countdown and explore a few of the absolute best and most luxurious hotels in the world for your future travels!

 #5 on our list is One and Only Palmilla. Here are few fun facts about this hotel:

-The resort was built in 1956 as a 15-room luxury hideaway by Don Abelardo Rodriguez, son of the President of Mexico.

-Hollywood celebrities like John Wayne, Bing Crosby, Lucille Ball, the former United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower are among the past guests; all attracted by the privacy of the resort as well as the region’s deep-sea fishing.

-All 172 guestrooms offer a patio or balcony, allowing optimum privacy and unobstructed ocean front or beach front views.

-Market Restaurant by Michelin-starred Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten features Euro-Asian cuisine with Mexican ingredients along with the country’s most complete wine list.

-The One&Only Spa at Palmilla offers an expansive programme of ancient healing techniques combined with cutting-edge therapies.

-After opening in 1992, One&Only Palmilla Los Cabos golf resort was Jack Nicklaus’ first signature course built in Latin America comprising a 27-hole layout with three nines, Arroyo, Mountain and Ocean.

-The One&Only Palmilla Yacht is available for snorkeling, sunset cruises, and other adventures on the Sea of Cortez. 

Explore photos, availability, and rates at One and Only Palmilla>>

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All-Inclusive Rooms with a View

With views like these, you can see why these properties are some of our most popular All-Inclusive spots.

Paradisus Punta Cana sits on the gorgeous Bavaro Beach in the Dominican Republic. White sand beaches anyone?
 

Couples Swept Away in Jamaica is an adults-only paradise.  Perfect for a kids-free getaway.
 

Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa is perched atop a scenic point overlooking the Sea of Cortez and the famous Land's End of
the Baja Peninsula.

A Hotel Love Letter: To the One and Only Palmilla

Dear Palmilla,

You are the Only One for me.  The curve of your beaches, your brilliant blue skies, the way your service always comes with a smile. It's enough to make a man blush.  Your beauty is unparalleled. I would write a poem describing it, but my awkward turns of phrase would pale in comparison to the raw, unadulterated perfection you embody, and I fear I would only stumble over my words, as graceful as my inner child, still going through the uncontrollable acne of his middle school years.

When I'm trapped at work, the spreadsheets morph inexplicably into images of your pristine beaches.  I just can't stop thinking about you. I would cross the oceans, travel to the very beaches of Los Cabos itself, just to be with you.  I know a longer relationship could never be, and our time together was always destined to be fleeting, too short to blossom into its full potential. But I hope that as time goes on my memory of you will become all the more poignant for its ephemeral nature. The possibility of seeing you again keeps me going as I slog through the world of faxes and memos; it is a spark of life that I will carry with me always.  May I see you again soon. You are the One and Only, my Palmilla.

With all my heart,

Chris

Hot off the Press: "The Most Wanted Winter Spa Treatments" by In Style Magazine

It's that time of year again. When we start bemoaning our cracked hands, chapped lips and parched winter skin, we know it's time to book a spa treatment ASAP. But where's the best place to rejuvenate with that ultimate winter pick-me up (pre- or post-fête?). In Style to the rescue. Lucky for us, the mag has put together a fab list of "The Most Wanted Winter Spa Treatments." There's the Hot Chocolate Synergy Massage, inspired by the ancient Mayans and using warm chocolate oil to enhance the mood, at One & Only Palmilla, Los Cabos; the Candy Cane Ritual at the Reliquary Water Sanctuary & Spa, Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas; the Pumpkin Nectar Facial at Remède Spa, St. Regis Mexico City; the Peppermint Pedicure
 
to sooth tired feet at Remede Spa, St. Regis San Francisco (Lady Gaga's a fan of the hotel); Santa's Little Helpers Mandara Four Hand Massage at The Cove Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas; and more! For all the delicious details, be sure to check out the article.

Escape to Cabo San Lucas: 4th Night Free at Esperanza Resort

Always wanted to plan a getaway to Esperanza in Cabo San Lucas? (Can't say we blame you; this luxury resort is a fave of Hollywood celebrities for its beautifully designed casitas and swank spa.) The property is nestled in 17 lushly landscaped acres beneath the mountains at the tip of the Baja Peninsula- and all rooms have spectacular views of the Sea of Cortez. Book the "Ultimate Escape" at Esperanza-- available until December 17, 2011-- and you'll get the 4th night free when you stay three consecutive nights. You'll also be treated to complimentary daily breakfast at El Restaurante, complimentary round trip airport transfers ($300 value), 2-$50 spa certificates, complimentary yoga classes daily, use of the fitness facility, and complimentary non-alcoholic beverages in the mini bar. Subject to availability.

Book Now: Pre-Holiday Sale at Capella Pedregal in Cabo

When summer's in full swing, it's hard to think ahead to the wintry cold. But now's the time to book your resort vacation for the holidays. Prime destinations in the sunshine, like Cabo San Lucas, can sell out. The ultra-luxurious Capella Pedregal in Cabo San Lucas is currently offering a 20% discount on guest rooms over the dates of December 15th - 23rd, 2011. To take advantage of this offer, reservations must be made by September 30th. Dodge the arctic temps and enjoy Cabo's perennially sunny and dry climate, while getting spoiled rotten by the staff at Capella Pedregal. The fine print: 100% payment required at the time of booking. All reservations made are non-refundable, thus the reservation in non-cancelable. No minimum length of stay restriction required.

Jetset Report: The $1,000 Popsicle at Marquis Los Cabos Resort

We've seen our share of pricey cocktails, cupcakes, hotel rooms. But this one truly takes the cake. At the Marquis Los Cabos--the dramatically designed oceanfront resort with amenity-loaded suites-- there's an $1,000 popsicle on the menu. Repeat: $1,000. That's because the ingredients are pretty special. 24 carat gold flakes and top-of-the-line tequila that alone costs $1,500 a bottle. The refreshing treat is served by the pool and we imagine it must melt pretty quickly in the desert sun of Baja! BornRich reports that "the current record for the world’s most expensive dessert is with the local restaurateur Serendipity of New York for making the $25,000 chocolate sundae, which comes complete with 24-carat edible Swiss gold and 23-carat edible gold leaf lining." And we thought the $750 Las Vegas cupcake was steep!