Paradero — Hotel in Baja California Sur

The place looked so different, compelling and interesting- I just had to check it out for myself. When I first arrived I thought 5 stars for sure as the General Manager greeted us himself, and everything looked so chill and serene. I’m a super positive person, don’t complain, and find silver linings… so I dont give negative reviews lightly… but so many things happened to just keep lowering the bar. I researched hotels in Cabo, San Jose, todo santos and el pescadeo for months- so it was a big deal to settle on Paradero as well as foot the price tag. For being a “5 star super expensive luxury place” I just do not get it. |Well I love The roof for the big skies and panoramic views… and the bedroom is “nice” , it is not big, there is no coffee maker (or tv) but the biggest thing is the bathroom is separate so you do walk outside to walk across to your bathroom. Keep that in mind for the colder months. Thumbs up for the nice hot water in the shower to keep me warm in the morning as the room is pretty cold as it doesn’t get the sun light. |We were excited our first night to try the Michelin rated restaurant… but at 7pm they were already out of chicken and shrimp and clams and for a very limited menu as it was- we ended up leaving to find a place in town. For breakfast the next day we ordered 3 items. We waited over for 45 minutes for them to bring two items. The third item (avocado toast) only came AFTER we had finished the first two items AND paid the check and asked them 3 x to cancel the order. They kept saying it was almost done and they still brought it to my husband who at this point was at the pool. There were bugs flying around and I took It back to them an hour later because he didn’t want to eat it anymore and they didn’t offer to take it off bill… I had to ask and I still dont think they did. I would chalk it up to a bad day BUT the SAME thing happened this morning! We ordered 3 items.. it wasn’t nearly as long as a wait today but they still only brought two of the items! We had to remind them about the third item and don’t even get me started about how long it took to sign the breakfast bill today. I know we were not the only ones cause you could see how many people were waiting for food, bills etc and it was a big deal at checkout with people complaining about it. |The breakfast was not wow for the rating this place gets and the service fell was short. I did enjoy my juevos rancheros, but the avocado toast is just sliced avocado with one small poached egg.. don’t expect a mash or anything else on it. Also they charge for coffee fyi which wouldn’t be a big deal IF they were not charging over $1100 a night to stay there in the first place! |Yesterday I asked if they had the menu for dinner last night for New Years Eve.. this was around mid morning. Come to find out that they were planning a special NYE event .., dress code White and Gold, fixed menu with two choices, and $195 per person and to sign up ahead of time… wait what? If there is a dress code and that’s the only option could t they inform us BEFORE we pack AND at least upon check in if nothing else? That was not welcome news … especially after panicked research yesterday learning lots of restaurants were going to be closed last night, and the others all had expensive very limited menus. And had I not inquired I would not have even known because it wasn’t until 4:30pm yesterday that the hotel had sent a what’s app informing guests that the restaurant would be closed for dinner due to a NYE event. I’m glad we left the property because reading one of the reviews from last night’s event on google it looked like it def wasn’t worth the price tag. |Two days ago the wellness class chalkboard showed that meditation yesterday was at 12:30pm. I signed up and even proactively confirmed on what’s app yesterday morning that the time was 12:30 for meditation. I got there at 12:28 and meditation was ENDING. I went To the front desk to ask about this… (I showed them my what’s app message) they said there was a mistake and that the meditation had started at 12pm, and that sound healing was at 12:30 (which I would Have loved to do and the instructor was there) BUT they cancelled it because everyone had cancelled (but it was never on the chalkboard that it was even happening). Given I was there and the instructor was there I dont Understand why they didn’t just go ahead and have the class. |From the time we asked for help with bags to leaving the property was 45 min. Check out took a longggg time / the ppl in front of me were complaining and I felt bad for the lady…. But even then at my turn myself it took so long - and we had prepaid so our only cost was $18. The printer stopped, things needed to be reset etc. I heard the guy beside me saying that he was being charged for 4 old fashions that were not his, and the guy in front of me was upset that the for a 5 star place he couldn’t believe the dinner situation last night.|I had emailed ahead of time and told the manager and the front desk at check in that it was our anniversary too today- and well I never expect any special anything usually a 5 star place writes a note or sends an amenity… but nada here. Again for over $1100 it’s the extra touches that go a long way. |The place is a unique design but has a lot of work to do to get it to being the 5 stars it could...

We stayed at Paradero for four nights in late October ’22. Here’s a quick synopsis to help you decide if Paradero is right for you.

Do stay here if: You appreciate architecture (Architectural Digest agrees) You want to decompress and relax Connecting with nature is something you enjoy You enjoy wellness activities A romantic, cultural experience is something you seek

Do not stay here if: You are looking for a party atmosphere You are on a limited budget and need to know the cost totals ahead of time You have a fear of bugs and critters You require snappy service and are a picky eater A TV or phone is a requirement for you in your room

The grounds are extra-special – the architecture and grounds were a sight to behold. I wished we could have fit the architecture tour into our time there.

We stayed in a Cacti Sky Suite. The second level is the room and the bathroom. They are separated with an open-air view to the landscape of saguarro cacti. Looking down you can see the back patio areas of the lower rooms - “garden view”, I believe. The room is beautifully minimal and very feng-shui. A ledge runs along the north wall and a collection of pillows gives you a place to lay there by the window and take in the nature. As stated above, there is no TV or alarm - digital noise is not the vibe they are going for here. While you can curtain off the west-facing glass wall, the north-facing window allows the natural daylight in, so total darkness is not possible in the rooms. Access to the sky net and roof is available via a stairwell to the third level. A great view of the surrounding area can be seen from the roof. While the net is incredibly novel and a neat feature, we mostly used the pillow/chairs on the roof to stair at the stars in the evening.

The food here was creative and tasty. The kitchen and bar are integrated into the same open space. Most cooking appeared to be on natural wood burning heat sources. The smell of smoke from the woods permeated the area, which we enjoyed. While we are not Spanish speakers, we tried to communicate that way as much as possible. We enjoyed our conversations with our server Victor - who was happy to talk to us about the culture of the area and a variety of other interests. For drinks - I highly recommend the first Mezcal-based cocktail - I think it was called “La Paz”? - that was a work of art and so very tasty. For breakfast we both liked the Chiliquiles the best and the coffee was fantastic. There were plenty of good creative dinner options.

We tried the following experiences: group meditation, bike and e-bike adventure, virgin beach, sunset beach, excursion to Todos Santos, and a spa treatment. The bike experience (a workout) takes you to a beautiful and mostly secluded beach. Priscilla and Lu were our helpful guides along the way. If you want to avoid the hassles of the sand - go with the e-bike experience. The spa was nice. The masseuse listened to our pressure and needs requirements and followed through. Our beach concierge was Ivan - he was super attentive and helpful - he and the surf instructor helped set up or private tent area on Cerritos beach, a nice public beach with great sands and opportunities for surfing. Ivan provided drinks from the hotel, but there were also vendors on the beach if you wanted cocktails. The sunset beach experience ranks really high for romance. A private small table, lantern and bottle of wine for us to enjoy while watching the sunset on a practically private beach. Our favorite experience was the group meditation. Clara was our instructor and we learned something we can use the rest of lives, and left wishing we could somehow continue to join her for her lessons. Many thanks to her!

I know value is a subjective term, but expense aside, if your goal is to relax and maybe learn a thing or two along the way then I highly recommend a visit to Paradero Todos Santos. For us this was a magical experience and we...

BEWARE BEFORE BOOKING.

Unfortunately, our experience at Paradero was subpar (to say the least) - we wish we had listened to the many negative reviews we had seen online and also heard from friends.

The problems arose right from check-in. We eagerly ordered our Margaritas (which never arrived) and sat down for our welcome chat by the community manager. Our smiles quickly eroded from the process of discussing and signing so many unnecessary legal documents. As others have noted, the 16% service charge they try to make you sign up front is ridiculous. Very soon into your stay will you realise that you have the option to tip every time you make a purchase and therefore you’ll end up double tipping just so you can directly tip your favourite staff.

Secondly, the service is absolutely appalling for a hotel purporting to be a luxury establishment. The senior members of staff we interacted with (community manager and reception) had a negative tone and were disinterested in us. Simple requests we had such as for a list of activities and restaurants in town, received no follow up. The only solace to this were the less senior members of staff - shoutout to the biking instructor and waiters!

Thirdly (and perhaps most importantly) is the complete farce of Paradero being an “experience hotel”. As both active and conscious travellers, we were excited by the promises of Paradero in connecting us to the land and culture of Baja through its various experiences. The more interesting activity listed on the board (ocean safari) was unavailable (or so we presumed, as we again received no follow up from the CM). Out of the free experiences that we tried: 1. Biking: The route was pretty unexciting - we biked around the property, under highway overpasses. 2. Yoga: We were met at the beautiful yoga setup at the pool… with a sweaty yoga instructor who had just finished giving a HIIT workout class. We hope that Paradero considers reallocating to higher quality and more varied experiences to ensure that guest expectations are met and that they aren’t leaving dissatisfied.

Ultimately, the final point that led us to leave the property early was the handling of a simple request. Rooms don’t have curtains on the window facing the garden, and if you are a light sleeper, you will not be able to sleep after sunrise. We highlighted this to the community manager after our first night and asked if there was a solution. Later that day, she texted us with a picture of the window which was half covered with a white towel stating the issue was fixed. When we told her that this did not solve the issue, and that we had come to Paradero with the intention of a restful stay and were considering checking out early the next day, she was entirely dismissive. She said (over text) “You won’t be disturbed at night”. That’s it. Not even a “sorry for the inconvenience” or a call to figure out another solution. The lack of care was also evident at check out, when we asked to share feedback with the manager. We were told she was away and that she would reach out to us. Of course, no one did. Paradero’s model is simply to have a large marketing budget, cut costs to an extreme level in context of what’s being promised, and bump up all pricing to disproportionate levels to breakeven on the initial investment asap.

One positive aspect of Paradero we must highlight is the architecture and layout which are absolutely beautiful. The materials used and layout seemlessly flow with the land - we imagine that once the farm has matured, Paradero will be a great place to connect with Baja’s landscape.

Other issues to highlight: Rubbish strewn in the field behind our room (which was never picked up throughout our stay) and smell of sewage Although not a big deal to us but perhaps important to note for a luxury hotel - it was apparent that the wait staff were inexperienced, both in their inability to talk us through the menu or wine options, and their lack of...