Glorious Solo Stay at LVP

Usually check in is accomplished with a brief (but too long for me) welcome featuring an exec, a few staff, one's butler, a mariachi quartet [!], and a small glass of something chilled. My illustrious TA, knowing of my distaste for fou fou, arranged a skip of this so straight out of the luxury SUV, into the arms of butler (Enrique) who escorted me to the villa and into a pitcher of rum punch. A short form was left on the dining table to sign at my convenience.

Villa 11 is an oceanview two-bedroom villa with 2.5 baths, gated patio entrance, foyer, full kitchen, large living room, large shaded terrace, smaller sun terrace, private pool with embedded jacuzzi, firepit

The master bath is gargantuan and features dual sink st, a vanity, jacuzzi tub for two, expansive outdoor shower/ patio with tropical foliage, large indoor shower/steam room with bench (and a view!), Toto toilet alcove, walk-in closet and sufficient space to stage a small dance. Each night, candles flicker above the jacuzzi

Master bedroom features sumptuous built-in king bed (as often is the custom in Mexico); side surfaces with accessible electrical outlets, lamps; fireplace, shelving furnished with books and chatzkahs, ceiling fan, two floor-to-ceiling glass walls with simpatico views and sliding doors, flat-screen TV, bedside light controls. It is set up so that, in amenable weather, both glass walls can be retracted entirely leaving the room open-air. Never have stayed when sufficiently cool to do so but makes super photos for marketing material.

Second bedroom is a simpler affair with king bed, walk-in closet, vanity, en-suite bath, ceiling fan, no view.

Living room includes foyer, built-in couch, two easy chairs, coffee table, dining area with large round marble table, large flat-screen TV, shelving with  books and Mexican art, two glass walls with sliding doors. Half-bath just off the living room.

Kitchen: Large and stocked with every imaginable amenity, untensil, glassware, diningware. Large fridge with ice cream drawer, ice freezer, etc. Stocked with beer, water, soft drinks, water and anything you ask for.  There is a wine mini-closet with bottles charged to account. Gratis snacks (smoked salmon, homemade bread, lots of fruit, all the limes in the world, tortilla chips, potato chips, etc.) and for-purchase snacks (nuts, chocolate and what-have-you)

Outdoor areas: Huge shaded terrace off the living room with built-in couch, two easy chairs, built-in coffee table, two lounge chairs with table, ceiling fan (needed!), lighting, Mexican decor. It's a lovely area. Pool accessible here. It includes an embedded jacuzzi and a table surface.  varying depths ans in-water lounging areas. Another, smaller, terrace off the master bedroom has two (clunky, I fear) sun loungers with knee pillows (!) and two shade umbrellas. Tropical planting. Pool accessible from here as well.

In a word, stellar. The Signature villas come with a decicated host/butler. For my four visits here, that person has been Enrique and he is unobtrusively brilliant, has an extra sense that intuits when a service might be welcome and the discretion to know when to disappear (e,g., when I want to skinny dip). He arranges for and contributes to housekeeping, mixes drinks and pitchers, cooks breakfast, orders room service meals. He would arrange expeditions but I never go anywhere. Can't bear to leave the villa. 

All other staff encountered are lovely but never obsequious. In these pandemic times, I was often geeted with "Thank you for coming."

When (my beloved demented) Jim traveled with me, Enrique was unfailingly engaging with him which took some of the stress off me and, for certain, was above-and-beyond the call of duty.

An example of their superlative service. The master bed is very high. I am short. I usually resolve this problem by getting a running start, then jumping up on the bed. Can’t do that here because bedroom configuration doesn’t permit a running start. Also, I’m getting older and running is contra-indicated. 

There are many thick books in the villa, mostly style and photography books (not my usual literature but useful in this case). I grabbed several, piled them up next to the bed and, voila, a very literate step stool. The following morning I neglected to pick them up. The housekeeper noticed, shelved them, then provided a tailor-made step stool. I am not their only short person.

OK, this is where Las Ventanas falters. Breakfast (in this case prepared to order by Enrique the host) is super, and so generous lunch never rears its head). Drinks, also crafted by Enrique, are very good. He introduced me to the Mezcalito and, oh my, it's wonderful

Dinners via room service varied between yikes and pretty good. Do NOT order curried anything. Seafood and steaks were the better choice. Best scallops ever but shrimp was overdone. Excellent oysters on the shell; could have been served better chilled. Good salads, great guacamole. Keep in mind not all their kitchens were open. Yet, historically, this has been a weak point

It's Cabo -- Gringo Town. Suburbs of LA and Houston. Plus there's Cabo Wabo and Senor Frog's and their Spring Break Get Drunk mentality. I go to Cabo because it's a short, nonstop flight from SFO and because it's in Mexico, a country I have loved all my life. I get to practice the Spanish I learned as a child. It's got ocean and pools

Other Mexican locales I love: Zihuatanejo (La Casa que Canta), Costalegre (Las Alamandas), Oaxaca (the town), Playa del Carmen (Maj

San Jose del Cabo, an actual old Mecican town is worth exploring the zocalo, the church, the handicraft shops and galleries. A lovely boutique option on the zocalo in this authentic town is Casa Natalia, excellent. Cabo San Lucas is an ersatz town full of not-always-well-behaved American tourists and best avoided. There is no there there.

Beaches are gorgeous but most are not swimmable due to lethal rip tides. I'm told surfing is decent and fishing is marvelous. But I'm just a hunker-down-by-the-water person with a penchant for margaritas, rum punch and guacamole.

Gosh, I think I just about covered everything in the sections below, which, see.This was my fourth stay at Las Ventanas which now is my go to place in Cabo but have not always been able to afford it. Overall, we've been to Cabo 12 times including other ostensibly lux venues (Esperanza, Chileno, Pedregal) and less august accommodations

In truth I was trepidatious about this trip because I was traveling solo and feared I would just sulk. But I LOVED this much-needed respite and was pleased with my own company and Enrique's intuitive attention.