Where to go to get a whopping dose of your All-Inclusive luxury!
Le Blanc Cabo, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways! This place is now my favorite Adult-Only All-Inclusive resort in Los Cabos, Mexico. And although I haven't been to all the resorts that are in this area, I have been to several over my lifetime. Granted at different ages, I was into different things. And at different ages, I was also working with a different travel budget. But now in my 50's, when I go for a warm-weather vacation, I want to relax, enjoy great food, and spend some quiet time with my husband and... I want to do all of that without kids splashing around the pool or crying in a restaurant. Don't get me wrong. I love kids. I just prefer not to travel with them. And I'm willing to pay extra for that. So with that in mind, let's cut to the chase and tell you all the great stuff that makes Le Blanc so special. And why I think it's worth the extra pesos to stay there. Let's go to Cabo!
NOTE: I paid for both my stays entirely on my own and was offered no incentive for this review. This is simply my experience and information I wish to pass on, to make it that much easier for readers looking to travel to this area.
Getting there
Le Blanc Cabo is located on the coastline fairly equidistant between Cabo San Lucas (a more lively, 'party' type atmosphere) and San Jose del Cabo (which has a more laid back, art-gallery vibe to it). You can take a taxi to get to the resort. But if you stay at least four (4) nights at Le Blanc they include shared transfers to and from the airport in a really nice Cadillac or Mercedes SUV.
Upon arrival at the airport, you'll go through the arrivals hall, past all the vendors trying to sell you something (best not to make eye contact) and go completely outside the airport to the numbered transportation stand that Le Blanc will designate in your transfer booking confirmation. We were advised in advance that we may have to wait up to 30 minutes for our vehicle once there. But on our trip, we only waited about 5 minutes.
Although the airport transfers are supposedly shared, it was just us on our recent trip to the resort. And on the way back to the airport, we shared the ride with just one other couple.
TIP: In either your booking confirmation email or the pre-arrival email, there will be a link to book your airport transfers in advance. Make sure to do this once you know your flight details.
TIP: If you stay only three (3) nights and don't qualify for the included resort transfer, I've used this family-owned company several times in the past for private transfers to and from the airport. Their prices are a lot more reasonable than what resorts may charge for private transportation.
How long should I stay?
This really depends on what you want to get out of your Mexico trip. Is it a romantic getaway? A rest and relaxation trip? A much-needed break from winter cold? A group birthday or wedding celebration? Or is it a combination trip where you can work remotely a few of the days? The resort is on the coast about a 15-minute drive from the major tourist hubs. So unless you plan to get off the resort for some water-based activity or to explore nearby towns, you may be a bit bored if you stay in one location (any location really) for more than a week. Although there are daily activities offered on the resort, the general atmosphere is pretty 'chill', as I describe in more detail below. For me personally, I do enjoy the beach and relaxing by the pool, but can get the rest and relaxation I need in 4-5 nights. But I'm also only a few hours fly-time from Cabo, so I can get there easily when I need a break. If you're traveling a further distance or coming with a group, maybe a longer stay makes more sense. When I go with a group of friends next year for my birthday, my husband and I plan to arrive one extra day ahead of the others to sort of decompress and get settled before the rest of the group arrive. So our stay will be six nights total. But some of our friends plan to stay an entire week.
Arrival at the resort
As your driver checks into the property, they radio in your arrival so you are welcomed by name. The checkin process was fairly quick and efficient, supplemented with a welcome beverage, a warm compress for your shoulder and a beautiful white rose. Then you get a wrist band that also acts as your room key, Brilliant! I have yet to see this at any other resort.
Before you're escorted to your room, you'll have a brief checkin with one of the concierges to make sure you have restaurants, spa times and any desired activities booked. This is also their opportunity to introduce you to their 'Vacation Club' membership and try to entice you to sit through a presentation by offering all sorts of 'gifts' and discounts. Personally, we have no interest in timeshares or Vacation Clubs and so politely turned down their offers. They respected our polite, yet firm 'no, thank you' and quickly moved on.
Getting around Los Cabos
You can rent a car or have the resort arrange transportation. But it's just as easy (and sometimes more cost effective) to simply use UBER - which offers black car options as well as standard rides. Both times I went to Le Blanc, my stay was only 3-4 nights. So I didn't leave the resort. But if you're staying longer, I definitely recommend getting off resort to walk the gallery district of San Jose del Cabo or doing a snorkeling or other water-based activity.
Time of year
I've traveled to Cabo both in January/February, April and October. The biggest difference is the humidity in October (after hurricane season) is higher than earlier in the year. But the hotel blasts air conditioning and there are plenty of ways to find shade around their gorgeous pools, so really either time of year is great. But if you go December through April, you'll have a good chance at spotting whales from the resort or your balcony.
The Property
This is a mid-size resort that has a decor style I'd call "desert chic"- clean lines, lots of white marble, gorgeous onyx lighting as accents, as well as lots of xeriscaping. The colors in the rooms and restaurants are primarily modern, neutral tones with occasional 'pops' of color in gorgeous velvet cushions. The rooms are lovely and of the same blend of neutral tones. But quite honestly, I think they could stand a few of those color 'pops' like the Lobby Bar does so beautifully.
The Beach
The one down-side of many resorts in this area of Cabo is the surf is too powerful to swim in. There are beach chairs and umbrellas for sitting down near the water. But if you're a swimmer, it will have to be in one of the pools at this resort. That being said, the beach is well-maintained and you'll enjoy a romantic stroll on it, watching the sunrise or just sitting and listening to the water.
The General Vibe / Guest demographic
My first trip to Le Blanc was as a weekender with some girlfriends. And on my second trip I stayed Sunday to Thursday with my husband. Weekends are busier, probably due to the average guests work schedule. But if you have flexibility and visit the resort during weekdays, it's far less busy but with the same level of fantastic service.
Both times I was there, I saw young honeymooners, world-travelers, mixed-sex and same-sex couples, friends traveling together, couples celebrating anniversaries or birthdays and many, MANY repeat guests. It's hard to estimate average age of the guests at this resort. But if I had to, I'd say that the majority of guests when we were there seemed to be couples between the ages of 40-65 years old.
I would describe the common theme at Le Blanc to be relaxed, refined luxury with more sophisticated food and entertainment. Le Blanc is not a pool party or late night party place. So if you're looking for that, this isn't it. In fact, although there's a bar that shows sports and has weekly karaoke, it's strategically located indoors and in an area that prevents auditory intrusion to other guests. I never heard it used except when I passed by on my first trip and a wedding party was just starting to up-level their celebration. In general, the resort is pretty quiet after dinner hours.
Is it worth the higher price?
Personally, I say yes. But everyone has their own unique barometer on what's 'worth' a certain price. Le Blanc is more expensive than other all-inclusive resorts in Mexico. But it's still far less than staying at the 5-star resorts in the area (One & Only Palmilla, Four Seasons, Las Ventanas, Montage etc) and then paying for food and drink on top of your room charge. Those other resorts are also gorgeous and no doubt have excellent service and food. But they're also designed for families and kids, in addition to adult couples. So for us, we sort of fall into the category of frequent travelers who enjoy adult-only luxury and are willing to pay for it but.... as long as it doesn't blow all our travel budget on one trip. So for this reason, the price of staying at Le Blanc is right in line with our travel profile and delivers a high quality of food, service, perks and amenities for the price.
TIP - If you get on their mailing list, they usually send out booking specials a few times a year. So if you're not in a hurry to book your dates, wait and see if they offer a special rate. It's possible to find a better room price on sites like Expedia or Orbitz. But you may not get the perks offered by booking directly with the hotel. So do a little cross-comparison before you book. And if it's close, I always support booking directly with the hotel and getting the perks.
The Rooms
The resort in shaped like a big "U" around the pools. Most guest rooms are in the building at the back of that "U". So on the website, you'll see rooms that are Ocean View but not Ocean Front. The Presidential Suite ($$$$) actually may be ocean front. But from what I could see, the two side buildings are reserved for events or for Vacation Club (Time share) members. So when you pick your room, the price difference is really about what floor you're on. Most rooms are similar size. But the view is of course better the higher up you go. I stayed in a Royal Deluxe room with partial ocean view on the 8th floor one visit. And on the second trip, I got a great upgrade rate a few days before our arrival, so we stayed in a Royal Honeymoon room. The rooms were the exact same size and layout on both floors.The view was just better on the higher floor. Now, if you bump up to the Suite level rooms, that's when the square footage of the room increases, as does the price.
All rooms have Chrome Cast TV setup and the hotel WiFi is strong and easy to use anywhere on the resort. You can view the restaurant menus, your bill and all other services using the in-room television, as well as the resort app.
As I described, the rooms themselves are modern in style, mostly neutral in color and the bed was one of the most comfortable I've ever slept in. I even pulled the bedding apart searching for the brand name in case I could replicate it at home! The balcony and its furniture are pretty simple. This is not the hotels strongest feature. But it maintains the external aesthetic and still offers a terrific place to enjoy a view with your morning coffee. You'll also get twice a day maid service - once to tidy the room and again while you're at dinner with a turndown service. (with house-made chocolates!)
NOTE: The bathrooms of some of the larger suites are smaller and only have one sink, where as the standard Royal suites have two sinks and seem to have larger bathrooms. Sharing a sink with someone for a week may not be a big deal for you. And the extra square footage in the room may compensate. But check the floors plans for whatever room you book to make sure.
The Food
Le Blanc has several wonderful restaurants, some are only open for dinner, others for lunch and dinner, and a few serve breakfast as well as dinner on certain days of the week. We tried to eat at all of them at least once. I only missed trying the Le Blanc steakhouse restaurant. Here's a brief run down of my experience for each restaurant I dined at. And before you ask, YES - there were vegan and vegetarian options on all the menus I saw. If they don't, just ask. Le Blanc will no doubt be happy to accommodate your diet.
Yama - Yama equals YUMMY! I was in heaven when I saw I could get Toro here. This is a beautiful, tranquil dining area and the menu offers rolls, sashimi as well seafood mains and noodle dishes
Habibi - our second favorite (okay, it was a close tie). This Lebanese restaurant had wonderful, diverse dining options that even newbies to middle eastern food will enjoy. The staff is terrific, the skewered meat is fantastic. I would dine there twice if I had more time.
Lumiere - This French restaurant books up quickly and has some tasty dishes. On my first visit, I wasn't 'wow-d' by this restaurant. But on the second trip, I ordered some different dishes, including the souffle for desert - fantastic! Portions are 'french-typical' and small. But we enjoyed our meal. In my opinion, the ambiance here could stand to have more cosy and romantic lighting.
Bella - Our favorite. The ambiance at this Italian restaurant was romantic and the food was on point. Go. Just go. You'll love it.
Ocean - this seafood-focused option is the one oceanfront, outdoor-casual restaurant. We only ate here for lunch and breakfast, both of which were excellent. The lunch menu differs from the dinner menu. We loved the carnitas tacos and the fried red snapper at lunch.
Le Blanc Pizza - I had my doubts about getting a good 'zah' in Mexico. But I was happy to be proven wrong! This restaurant does a great job with their wood-fire pizzas and has a really good caesar salad.
Kakau Coffee shop / bakery - so although this is not a restaurant, I frequented this beautifully designed coffee bar every day. The fresh-made pastries, the cold brews, daily baked cookies and individually-made coffees made this my most-repeated area of the resort. Every morning as the sun was coming up (and it was cooler), we'd get our double americanos (much better than the regular drip coffee btw), try a new pastry and find a spot on the terrace before most of the resort was even awake. It was delightful. Then we'd either sneak in an early morning pool dip, or go back to the room for a second sleep, and then order room service for breakfast.
Room service
Room service is offered 24 hours a day at Le Blanc. And unlike many resorts with skimpy, basic menus, Le Blanc's rooms service menu was pretty dang extensive! Again, you can easily order through the app, or pick up the room phone and just call it in.
TIP: Use the app to make restaurant reservations before you arrive! Restaurants seem to staff and book tables based on resort occupancy, so some restaurants (Lumiere) will fill up time slots quickly.
TIP: If you're there on a Tuesday or Saturday, Habibi has a belly dancer that starts at 6:30 pm. So book a table there on one of those nights for a fun, lively dinner show.
Drinks
Top shelf alcohol is available in your room and in all bars for those who drink. All the cocktails I ordered were beautiful and well-made. I love champagne and the house bubbles they served was pretty darn good. Meals have pre-selected, house wines included. And you can also order from an extensive wine and champagne list (but you pay for that). The Lobby lounge is beautiful and there are many places to sit and enjoy a sundowner in a refined atmosphere.
SPECIAL NOTE FOR NON-DRINKERS AND BIG KUDOS TO LE BLANC
Le Blanc proves that an all-Inclusive resort can be just as enjoyable for those who don't drink alcohol, as it is for those do! My husband doesn't drink alcohol and I'm a light drinker. And these days, there's a growing number of travelers who are more focused on health or becoming 'Sober-Curious' and opting for alcohol- free beverage choices, other than just soda or juice. Le Blanc didn't miss a beat in this area. When I informed the pre-arrival concierge of our preferences, we arrived to find our room fridge filled with non-alcoholic beers. In addition, around the pool each day, I could easily ask for a "Mojoto-zero", a "Paloma-zero", an alcohol-free Pina Colada or a Mudslide "sin alcohol". And no one even blinked at my request. Pretty much any tasty cocktail or poolside drink you can think of, can be made without alcohol, and with equal quality. At dinner, if I didn't feel like drinking alcohol with my meal, they quickly provided a sparkling water, beautifully filled with fruit, cucumber or lemon wedges for decoration and extra flavor. That's a class act right there.
Music/ Activities
Music by pool is pretty chill, not the house-pumping DJ type like many other All-Inclusive resorts. You're more likely to hear saxophone, electric violin, Spanish guitar, flamenco, jazz or light pop music.
The Fireside lounge had live entertainment at 8pm each night we were there. So you can enjoy it before or after your dinner.
Periodically, there are different activities like Wine-and-Paint, Ping Pong tournaments or Mexican handcrafting offered. There are also paid activities you can do outside the resort. You can arrange this through your butler, through the app, or on-site concierge.
TIP: It's worth downloading the app. Even if you typically don't see yourself as an 'app' person. Just do it. It's super intuitive, and a portable way to make plans, reservations, butler requests and see what entertainment is going on throughout the resort that day and evening.
Pool area / Fitness
There are several options on site if you're active and want to get in a workout. From a well-equipped gym, a pickle ball court and paddle board yoga to water cycling, TRX classes and pool volleyball, the resort does a good job at offering different ways to work off all the terrific food they offer.
There are several pool areas, with the ocean front infinity pool being the most popular. Like many resorts, people get up early to save chairs. But there really isn't a bad spot to spend the day. Shade umbrellas are plentiful. And there are a few chairs and umbrellas also set up on the beach. There are several cabanas that are 'first come, first served' and free for guests to use. There are also paid cabanas with televisions in them for larger parties ( see photo of pricing tiers further down ). There are two gigantic hot tubs in the pool area, but I didn't see them used much during the day.
Spa
The spa at this resort is really beautiful! And many of the rooms booked for at least four nights will receive a spa credit that can be used on treatments. As example, on our last visit, the room level we booked offered a $250 spa credit. So we only had to pay the difference over that amount for the treatment we selected.
TIP - Look on the website to see all treatment options as the app does not show all treatments available. You can either book ahead of time with the pre-arrival concierge or through your butler.
The Hydro Circuit
One of the best perks of staying at the resort is the free use of the hydro therapy! The routine goes something like this: 10 minutes in a dry sauna with cucumbers on your eyes, 5-10 minutes in a cold room, then 10 minutes in a steam sauna, followed by a cool shower, and then relaxing on a warm table while an attendant gives you a neck and scalp massage. All that comes with little, refreshing 'shots' of health drinks followed by relaxing as long as you want in the indoor pool area (which has a hot tub, cold plunge and a warm pool with different water jets). You can even go and do this circuit every day if you want to! The women's dressing rooms and saunas are separated from the men's - so couples do this first part individually. But then you can meet each other in the shared pool/hot tub area afterwards.
How to maximize your All-Inclusive benefits
As a summary, here's some of what's included aside from food, drink, exercise classes and entertainment. So make sure to use them during your stay:
Included shared airport transfers - book through the app or using link sent in your confirmation email once you have your flight schedule. At most, you will have 2-3 others in your vehicle. And you may even end up getting a private transfer like we did, if no other guests are on your flight.
Included beach bag - one is provided which you can keep, no need to bring one.
Included hydro therapy - as described above. No need to book, just show up.
Spa /resort credits - use them!
Forgotten items - if you anything like a razor, or toothpaste, go through the app under 'butler' and 'amenities' and ask for it.
Included Aroma therapy - tell your butler which scent you prefer and they will spray your pillow pillow each night. They also offer a selection of hand cut soaps with different scent combinations. Get one! They're really nice.
Room service - its 24 hours here and the menu is one of the most extensive I've seen.
Restocking of room items - use the app to get more coffee pods, snacks etc.
Two (2) shirts pressed for free - we almost missed this one! Again, under 'butler' and 'laundry'.
Your Butler - we probably didn't use our butler as much as other guests might. They will even unpack your bags and draw you a scented bath if you want one! But our butler was super helpful in getting restaurants seating times changed, for arranging birthday surprises and for changing our return time to the airport. There is a butler team for each floor. And although you can correspond through the app, it's much faster to correspond through WhatsApp. So if you don't have it on your phone yet, get it. You can always delete it after your trip.
Little things that make Le Blanc stand out
Aside from what I've already mentioned, there are a lot of little details that I really appreciated at this resort. I love the ease of the wristband door key and QR codes on wooden blocks around the pool for menus. I loved that they have churro stands, taco stands and even ice-cream sundae stands outside by the pool on different days. For the ladies, the bathroom products are BVLGARI and they include a flatiron and really good hair dryer in the bathrooms. They provide 50 spf sunscreen by the pool and hand-made chocolates when you check out. And the lobby always smells so good! I'm sure there are more. But overall, the details and the level of service are the best I've yet to experience at an All-Inclusive resort.
How to Dress and Packing tips
Men - all the restaurants except the pizza place and Ocean do not allow flip-flop sandals. Pressed shorts and collared shirts are great. But many men wore slacks or 'Dockers' as well. No jacket needed. But this is definitely a place to dress nicely (resort smart casual) for dinner.
Women - Work it girl! Le Blanc is a great place to wear refined resort wear, more elegant midi or maxi dresses and to dress up for dinner. Granted, you won't see 'nightclub' wear and mini-dresses as much as you will see more upscale, resort style elegance. But you also don't need to look like you stepped off the runway. I wore dresses most nights, and linen slacks and a blouse another. The resort is 'friendly' to high heels, as well as wedge and post-heel sandals.
Packing - save luggage space mostly for evening clothes. You'll be wearing the same thing poolside each day. And you can get by with 1-3 outfits for day time activities.
You can leave at home: sunscreen (they have 50 SPF at poolside), beach bag, flatiron, dryer, lotions, and shampoo.
TIP - ladies, Cabo in the Fall can be humid. If you have a special conditioner or hair product that helps manage 'frizz', bring it.
What's the story on tipping?
So tipping extra at an all-inclusive resort is really is up to the individual and can vary by level of service. Here's some thoughts to consider and then you can do as you please.
Technically, there is no need for tipping at all-inclusive resorts. That being said, we have done high-end cruises or been guests at some pretty incredible all-inclusive hiking lodges where the service by particular staff has been exceptional. In those cases, we were given an opportunity at checkout to add extra tips for this above-and-beyond service. Typically, we added the extra tip by credit card at the end when we checked out. And then whatever we left is dispersed to all staff equally. At Le Blanc, I noticed that more often guests carried small bills to tip individual staff throughout their stay: poolside service, maid service, your butler, etc. If you choose not to tip extra, it's not a crime. It's really up to you. But I know it's very much appreciated, especially in countries where the average income is typically low.
Here's what we did: for a 4 night stay, I brought about $150-$170 USD extra, broken mostly into $1's, $5's, and $10's. I folded each bill individually so it was easier to pull out discreetly, instead of sorting through a cash roll in public. We tipped $1-$2 for each delivery of poolside drinks and food service, if the service was consistently attentive. We tipped $5 for seated lunch service and brought a $10 to dinners. I also left $5 a day in my room for the maid. And we gave the butler an extra $20 after our stay. I think we also tipped $5 each way to our airport transfer driver. Now, those amounts may seem like too little to some people, and too much to others. But for us, it worked and we only gave it when the service really warranted it. So use that as an example. But feel free to do what feels right for you and your travel budget. The service will be excellent regardless.
Okay, that's it! We will definitely be back to Le Blanc Cabo. And hope this review gets you excited about planning a future trip.
Reminders - Before you leave home
Reserve your airport transfers
Book restaurants
Spa booking - look on website for full menu
Bring some some bills/ cash if you want to tip.
Get ready to have some fun!
Cheers!
Nic and Jen
Feel free to read some of our other cruise and resort reviews here.
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