Las Ventanas al Paraiso - Deluxe desert digs hugging Mexico’s Sea of Cortez

*originally published in Cruise and Travel Lifestyles, Winter/Spring 2011

By Janice Mucalov

Rub shoulders with A-listers like Jennifer Aniston, Sandra Bullock and Will Smith at this ultra-posh hideaway. But be forewarned – you’ll be so spoiled that you may never be content at another resort again.

Near Cabo San Lucas on the Baja peninsula, Las Ventanas boasts 71 spacious white-washed suites with stone floors, Mexican-style porcelain sinks, beautiful built-in pebble headboards, enormous shaded patios overlooking the turquoise sea, and thick carved wooden doors; some even have small outdoor pools and/or spiral staircases to private rooftop terraces. Each suite also comes with a fireplace and huge telescope for star¬gazing and watching whales.

But what really sets this AAA Five-Diamond resort apart is its attention to detail. Pool butlers who arrange your umbrella just so and deliver complimentary ice buckets with water and Evian misting spray. Personally-sized robes and slippers based on your airport pickup host’s input. Nightly turndown service that includes two long-stem roses on your bed or an awaiting scented bath. The morning’s Times Digest printed on yellowed paper tied with raffia, and candles, candles everywhere at night.

Las Ventanas is the kind of place to forget the world and do nothing. But four golf courses invite you to try out your swing, and there’s a magnificent long stretch of golden beach to walk along. For a dip, you can choose from three infinity pools (the undertow makes ocean swimming unsafe here). The spa is a delight too – in the desert relaxation garden, an attendant plays Tibetan Singing Bowls. At the end of my massage, I felt the vibrations when a bowl set on my back was gonged.

Super wow factor: the romance director will arrange a private movie night on the beach just for the two of you. Think 50-inch plasma TV and home theater system, champagne, and your own cinema butler.