One hundred and seventy-four casitas, suites, and villas on a private Sea of Cortez beach. Open since 1956 — the original Cabo luxury resort, now One&Only's flagship Mexico property.
"Open since 1956 on a private Sea of Cortez beach. 174 casitas and villas. The original Cabo luxury resort — now One&Only's Mexico flagship."
One&Only Palmilla opened in 1956 on a private Sea of Cortez beach near San José del Cabo as Hotel Palmilla — Don Abelardo Rodríguez's vision of Cabo as a luxury fishing destination, when Cabo was still a fishing village rather than a resort town. The property is the original Cabo luxury resort and has hosted, over its sixty-eight years of operation, the kind of guest list (John Wayne, Bing Crosby, the Rat Pack, Hollywood, US presidents) that essentially built Cabo's destination identity. One&Only acquired the property in 2004 and runs it as the brand's Mexico flagship.
The 174 accommodations split between Casitas (the original 1950s-era beachfront and oceanview rooms, refurbished consistently to current luxury standards), Suites (one- and two-bedroom configurations with private terraces), and the multi-bedroom Palmilla Villas — three- to five-bedroom standalone properties with private pools and butler service. The Casa Tortuga (a five-bedroom standalone villa with private beach) is the property's flagship single accommodation. Every room has Sea of Cortez or Pacific Corridor views.
The grounds — the property's private beach, the four restaurants, the Espa Spa, the Jack Nicklaus Ocean Course at One&Only Palmilla (an 18-hole course with seven oceanfront holes), and the Rocco Forte-designed gardens — make Palmilla one of the more comprehensive integrated luxury resort properties in Mexico. The property's spiritual centre — the original 1956 chapel where the Rodríguez family had family events, and where guests can now be married — is a unique cultural anchor.
Dining is at four restaurants. SUVICHE is the headline Peruvian-Japanese fusion. Seared by Jean-Georges Vongerichten is the steakhouse. Agua by Larbi is the Mexican fine-dining. Breeze is the all-day beach. The wine and tequila programmes are deep. Service is the consistent global One&Only standard delivered by a heavily Mexican team. Palmilla is the historic, polished, integrated luxury Cabo property — and the property where Cabo's destination identity was effectively written in 1956.
The Cabo honeymoon at the property where Cabo as a luxury destination began. Book a Casita Suite on the Sea of Cortez side. The combination of Jean-Georges, the spa, the chapel for vow renewals, the Jack Nicklaus golf, and One&Only's service standard makes Palmilla the polished, all-inclusive-feel-without-being-all-inclusive Cabo honeymoon.
For milestone anniversaries the multi-bedroom Palmilla Villas are the right scale. The property's chapel is where many guests choose for vow renewals. The 1956-2026 institutional memory and the One&Only operational discipline together produce the most polished anniversary stay in Cabo.
The KidsOnly programme at Palmilla matches the brand's strong family-luxury proposition globally. The multi-bedroom Villas, the calmer Sea of Cortez side (versus the rougher Pacific corridor), the Jack Nicklaus golf course, and the comprehensive integrated resort make Palmilla one of the best family-luxury Mexico choices.
Carretera Transpeninsular Km 7.5
San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur 23400
San José del Cabo, on Sea of Cortez side; 25 min from Los Cabos International (SJD)
174 casitas, suites, villas
Ocean View Casita from $1,400/night
Ocean Front Casita from $1,800
Two-Bedroom Suite from $3,500
Palmilla Villa (3-bed) from $7,500
Casa Tortuga (5-bed) from $25,000
Check-in: 4:00 PM
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Minimum stay: 2 nights
Open since 1956
Jack Nicklaus Ocean Course (private)
Seared by Jean-Georges Vongerichten
SUVICHE (Peruvian-Japanese)
Original 1956 chapel for ceremonies
Open year-round
Peak: December–April (book 4 months ahead)
Best value: May–November (warmer, occasional rain)
High-speed WiFi throughout
Reliable signal in all rooms and across the property
In-villa office setups on request
From $1,400/night. Multi-bedroom Villas book 4 months ahead. The Casa Tortuga and other large villas need direct One&Only contact.
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