Waltzing down an opulent marble corridor at Todos Santos Boutique Hotel, I glimpse the last tangerine streaks of sunset through the restored brick arches of the outdoor hallway, making silhouettes of the dozens of swaying palms that tower above the heated outdoor pool. After a few obligatory photos (and visions of what it must have felt like to be an heiress in a past life), I arrive at the lobby. The hostess says they’re ready for me, before escorting me down a flight of stairs and into a hidden room: an oak-wood wine cellar holding around 240 vintages from Mexico and beyond.
There, I’m greeted by Cesár Caro, a sommelier from Los Mochis along the coast of Sinaloa with over 15 years of experience; he’s led openings at the top hospitality concepts in Baja California Sur, from Costa Palmas in East Cape to Chileno Bay in Cabo San Lucas. For the next hour, he enthusiastically guides me through the pantheon of Mexico’s finest wines. There’s a citrusy sauvignon blanc produced by Bruma in Valle de Guadalupe, a rosé made in the countryside of San Miguel de Allende, and my favorite: a velvety red blend by Megacero from Chihuahua, a region I had no idea even produced wine.
After the tasting, I walk a few steps into the hotel’s restaurant, 1890, and to what feels like an opulent Madrileño steakhouse. My dinner is a euphoric affair of oysters Rockefeller, creamy ravioli with ricotta and sage, potatoes boulangère, and buttery wagyu. Caro is back at my side between every course with a wine pairing, down to the dessert round: a Port from the Douro Valley to go with a lemon tart, sticky toffee pudding, and a trifecta of housemade ice creams in strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate. Blame the generous pours or copious sugar intake, but I find myself mesmerized by the entire experience—and even more so when I excuse myself to the ladies room. It’s perhaps the most beautiful bathroom I’ve ever seen, and it’s decorated with paintings of chimpanzees dressed in ballroom attire.
To say I went to bed dreaming of decadence would be an understatement. The newly-opened Todos Santos Boutique Hotel is fanciful, luxurious, and perhaps even a bit over-the-top for its destination, a desert town located about 90 minutes north of the Los Cabos area that’s more known for its surf breaks and cliffside hikes. I have a house in San Pedrito, about 20 minutes away from downtown Todos Santos, and I often come to the area with a one-track mind: to be outside as much as possible, playing beach volleyball, hiking, and surfing.
Following 2020, the area exploded with visiting foreigners, mainly Americans, and a slew of wealthy Mexicans who were visiting the region—some for the first time, due to trips abroad being suspended. Because of this, interest in Baja California Sur’s real estate surged and small towns like Todos Santos are now seeing the result of that in an uptick in residential developments and luxury openings such as Todos Santos Boutique Hotel, which was purchased and renovated by a Mexican family from the northern mainland state of Coahuila. From this stems some controversy, as well as a lot of “save our town” messaging, that mostly—and very ironically—comes from Americans who have transplanted to the area and speak little to no Spanish.
When I first arrived at the hotel—originally constructed in 1890 as an estate for a Spanish countess—I felt underdressed, as I’m used to running around town and the various beaches in my swimsuit and kaftan. During a tour of the grounds, I learned the landmark building was carefully preserved and elevated with neo-colonial style by Oficina Sarmiento Legorreta, with the lead architect Alejandra Sarmiento at the forefront of the project. It now includes 10 suites, each with brass detailing, canopy oakwood beds, and hand-painted murals of Todos Santos circa the 1930s by the artist Nef Espino, from perleros harvesting pearls to vaqueros attending to their cattle. In my room, named Francisco, I was welcomed with a vase of pink roses and a bottle of Clase Azul tequila reposado, a spirit with flavors of honey and cinnamon.
Throughout the weekend, I experience even more of Todos Santos Boutique Hotel’s bespoke experiences. This includes an afternoon with Elizabeth Ibarra, the owner of the Agricole farm project, where the hotel sources its produce. Born and raised in Ciudad Constitución and beginning her project in 2014 with a roadside stall, Ibarra has since grown her business into a 37-acre field that produces chard, squash, carrots, strawberries, and more. At the restaurant, she tells me her origin story while treating me to yet-to-be-named cocktails over housemade tomatoes and burrata and beets topped with yellow flowers. (I then tell her that when I first arrived at the hotel, I immediately opened the in-suite snacks by Agricole: candied pecans and spiced mango slices.)
On my last day, I’m chauffeured about 90 minutes northeast to downtown La Paz to catch my ride: a 57-foot Chris Craft yacht first built in the 1960s and lovingly restored by New School Yachts. Once the preferred yacht of stars like Elvis, Katherine Hepburn, and Frank Sinatra, the nearly $1 million renovation reminds me a little of the hotel: both were reimagined by true aesthetes who went even further beyond each project’s original grandeur. We navigate to the paradisical, cacti-covered island of Espíritu Santo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and national park offering white-sand beaches and volcanic rock formations. Though the water is crisp, its translucent turquoise waves make it all but impossible not to take the plunge. I swim to shore and lay on the sand, spending about an hour fanning through it—rich with shells, coral, and tiny bits of driftwood.
I don’t usually depart hotels in the evening, but my last moments at the property are spent admiring the grandeur of La Copa, the property’s cocktail bar. With its green velvet lounge chairs and Damask-fringe chandeliers, it’s reminiscent of an Old World speakeasy. I order the house signature—the Margaret—and take sips between bites of olives and crispy chips.
When it’s finally time for me to go, the concierge points me to the entryway wall where 16 bullet holes are visible. He tells me the shoot-out happened around 100 years ago when the building was a tienda de raya, where the former hacienda’s staff received their wages and bought groceries and alcohol. Even though I’ve just spent the weekend indulging in life’s fineries, the story is a neat reminder that even though this diminutive desert town is very much in the midst of change, the roots of Todos Santos are still very much quintessential Wild West.
