Updated: Dec 30, 2019

Best all inclusive vacation in Cabo San Jose, Mexico.

Airport

Los Cabos, Mexico International Airport – SJD

(See Picture Below) That was the line on a Thursday afternoon! It’s Times like this I wish I had Global Entry so I could skip the lines. We stood in line for over 2 hours. It’s a popular destination since Southwest Airlines now flies direct. You will run into a ton of people from California and Texas while in Cabo.

**Make sure you keep all your paperwork that you fill out on the airplane, including the paperwork customs does not take when you enter.** Otherwise, when you return to the airport you will pay $35 for that same sheet of paper. We made that mistake and it sucks! I’m still upset with Southwest Airlines for not telling us to keep all the paperwork when they were making all the announcements over the intercom. That paperwork is important if you want to re-enter the US.

DO NOT, FOR ANY REASON, STOP TO TALK TO SOMEONE ON YOUR WAY OUT OF THE AIRPORT! The airport is full of timeshare sharks! They will pretend to work for the hotel or for a transportation company. Just keep walking. You will thank me later.

Transportation

Amstar is the company the hotel uses for its’s customer’s transportation needs. Let me just say they are not organized. I paid for a private Mercedes van for me and my friends. I wanted to surprise them at the airport. After exiting the airport, I was told my name was not on the list for private transportation nor do they even have a Mercedes van. I had to show them online where I ordered the private Mercedes van. The van was listed on their website. Long story short we ended up in a Toyota Van with a bunch of other hotel guests. Amstar never reimbursed me for the difference. I argued and pleaded. Their response each time was you got to the hotel right? Yes, but I want to be reimbursed for the difference. Round and round I went. My advice to you…just order standard transportation when using their service.

Hotel

Reflect Krystal Grand Los Cabos

This hotel is pleasing to the eye, plus it is in a great location in San Jose. You are in Mexico, so keep in mind the hotel lobby and some restaurants do not have air conditioning.

Swim-Out Room

We paid a little extra for a swim-out room and it was 100% worth it. We had friends who were staying in the room next to us (per our request when we booked online). It was funny because a couple of times I fell asleep with the patio door open, and my friends were in the pool outside asking me to wake up so I could join them in the pool. When we were booking the trip, I was wondering if we would actually hang out in the swim-out pool and if it would be worth the extra charge. Yup, we were in the swim-out pool almost every free minute we had.

They have a fully stocked fridge in the room with water, soda, and beer. The bottled water is perfect to take on your excursions. Or you can be like my husband and take the beer on them instead lol.

Club Level

The Club Level rooms have swim-out pools and suites with a view of the ocean. I think this is ideal for couples who want privacy. They have their own rooftop bar that has some amazing views. Honestly, we have stayed club level at a lot of hotels. At some resorts if you do not have club level, it seems like you’re missing out on a lot of luxurious items. At this resort I’m not sure that’s the case.

Beach

What I like about this hotel is you can swim in the ocean. Yes, the waves are 8 feet tall and the water is freezing (it’s on the Pacific side). My friends and family enjoyed battling the waves. They spent countless hours in the water letting the waves throw them around. Most of the beaches have a no swim policy, so it was nice our beach allowed for swimming. However, if you have small children, this isn’t the best spot for them. I would suggest finding a hotel with a cove. The best part about having cold water is…. the beaches are empty.

** You see fish jumping around in the water, but it’s actually stingrays. **

Panhandlers on the Beach

We only came across one guy selling items on the beach on our first day. He was selling dollar bracelets which wasn’t that bad of a price. Luckily, I believe Cabo has the panhandler situation under control.

Drinking Age

It’s 18 and up. This was my daughters first adult Pina Colada at check-in.

Breakfast

The Breakfast buffet is very satisfying. You could find my husband at the omelet bar.

You could find me scarfing down Chilaquiles.. Yummy!

Be aware, they have a huge bee problem in the sitting area outside the breakfast buffet. If you are allergic, then stay inside.

I was delighted that they had a juice bar by the breakfast buffet. Be prepared, they ran out of items, so the selection can be limited. However, the juice is delightful.

The view at breakfast. Pinch me!

Things to do at the hotel:

Free Activities & Entertainment

Everyday they put out a daily activities itinerary. This was the first time we stayed so busy at the pool with friends, that we never participated in the activities at the resort. I feel like a slacker when it comes to my blog regarding the free activities. I did show up for the Yoga on the Beach at 8am, but sadly the instructor never showed. I waited and waited. A group of us had to call the lobby to ask and they couldn’t find the instructor either. I was really disappointed because I was looking forward to Yoga on the beach.

Gym

Sadly, the gym does not have a view, but it has enough equipment to get the job done. Bonus points for the place smelling fresh and clean. For your notes, the entrance is hidden! I had to get an employee to help me find it.

Kids

They have a wonderful waterpark and playground for the kids. Also, the main pool is for the kids and adults. They have Movie Night every evening at 8pm. I even came across kiddie itinerary that I wish I would have taken a picture of. This resort is 100% kid friendly.

Pools

Swim-Out Pool

The only people who have access to this pool are people staying in a swim-out suite.

Main Pool

This is a kid friendly pool. Do not worry, the bar is only few steps away. Also, this is where you can find the fajita stand and the lunch-time grill. Yum!

**This pool is closed at night.**

Adult Pool

This was our favorite spot, because we could swim up to the bar. Please note, the bar closes at 7:00pm.

Bonus points for the hot tub always being empty.

Nightclub

There is one nightclub at the hotel. We never went but we thought about it. I heard if you are looking for the bar scene then a hotel in San Lucas is perfect. Rumor is you can walk to the city nightclubs if you stay in a San Lucas hotel.

Street Vendors

In the evening they allow street vendors to come and sell their items. The vendors are friendly and are not pushy at all. Make sure you wheel and deal. Never accept full price.

Lunch

The lunch buffet is horrible. I suggest ordering from the bar by the pool or getting fajitas from the stand by the pool.

Dinner

You have the following to select from:

Dinner buffet- No reservations

My husband said the food was horrible.

Mexican- No reservations

This place was delish and my favorite. Keep in mind it’s all-inclusive. If you want two appetizers then order 2. If you want two meals then order 2.

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Italian- No reservations

This place was really amazing and my second favorite. Who knew Mexico could do Italian! The restaurants have a dress code. Even children are required to follow the dress code.

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They even have pizza at the restaurant, and it’s scrumptious!

This drink they serve is Amazing! I have no clue what it is called.

Hibachi Grill– Requires Reservation for the Grill, unless you want to buy a bottle of wine and lobster.

In order to get a reservation, you must show up to the restaurant at 3pm and put your name on the list. My husband was there by 3:15 and it was too late. We ended up just taking a table since no reservations are required for that. The food was damn good. My daughter who is a sushi snob thought their sushi was delicious.

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Grill- No Reservations

This is their steak house and the food is yucky. The restaurant is outside by the ocean and the view is breathtaking. You can try it, but you may end up at the dinner buffet afterwards like my husband.

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I had Sangria at all the restaurants ,and they were not sweet at all. Totally not worth the calories.

Coffee Shop

If you love Starbucks or specialty coffee, then you will love this coffee shop.

Excursion

Cabo Adventures

The resort gives you a wide selection of excursion companies to pick from. The company we selected was Cabo Adventures because we heard they are the best. We were able to book our excursions at the desk in the front. We worked out a deal that was three excursions for the price of two.

Make sure you go to the correct table first, because we ended up at the timeshare desk and that was torturous. They keep trying to negotiate great deals on excursions, if you visit a hotel for a “couple of hours”. If you have ever been to timeshare events, it’s never a “couple” of hours. It takes the entire day and it’s impossible to leave. Stay away from this desk.

Cabo Adventures has really nice transportation. Their vans are everywhere.

Cabo Adventures Zip Line Outdoor Adventure

This is my favorite excursion. The zip line tour was amazing. We had a group of young men who handled the entire excursion for us. They were super nice and I felt safe in their hands. We were highly impressed. The zip line course is one of my favorite courses. It takes several hours to complete and it never gets boring.

You are not allowed to take your camera on the tour. Cabo Adventures pulls this crap at all their excursions. They always say it’s for “safety reasons.” Instead, they have someone who follows the group around and takes pictures. Of course, at the end you can buy the pictures. We paid for the pictures and we worked out a deal to get the videos for free.

You scale a wall. This part was extremely hard for my daughter and I. We got stuck several times and I thought we would never make it to the top.

You can even jump off the bridge.

You can propel off the side of a mountain.

At the end is the Superman zipline, which goes up to 60 miles per hour. If you watch my video, I’m going so fast spit is running off my face. Also, you can see my name on my helmet. I thought our tour guys were so sweet for remembering everyone’s name. After watching this video I was like duh, we had our names on our helmet.

At the end, you get to ride around in ATVs for about 40 minutes. It’s like a mini bonus excursion. Yes, it’s dusty! They give you googles and bandanas to cover your face. I went to shower right afterwards and it felt like I had gallon of sand in my hair.

After the excursion you can buy a small lunch for $1. It was really good and worth the $1. Yum!

Cabo Adventures Outback and Camel Ride Safari

You start the excursion with pictures with the camel. Yes, you have to pay for the pictures. They will NOT allow you take pictures with your own camera.

You can even kiss the camel. They give you fruit so the camel leans in for a kiss. My husband was too close and the camel bit his lip. Just keep your distance when letting the camel kiss you.

After the pictures, you head out for an hour ride around the park and beach. They have a photographer who walks around and takes pictures. They even have a drone that follows overhead taking pictures. Again, you are not allowed to take your own pictures for “safety reasons.”

After the excursion, the staff takes you through the desert park and discusses the desert vegetation and animals.

Afterwards, you get a free lunch (chicken mole) along with a free tequila tasting.

Cabo Adventures Snorkel & Land’s End Arch on a catamaran

You meet up at La Marina Cabo San Lucas BCS.

The adventure starts when you board the catamaran.

Everyone receives Mimosas and you cheers to being on a boat instead of in the office.

They provide a generous sized snack to start the trip and they remind you the bar is all inclusive.

First stop, is Land’s End March where they take pictures. Yes, this is where they try to make you buy pictures again. No cameras are allowed during picture time by the arch due to “safety reasons.” At this point, we were done with buying pictures so we skipped picture time.

The ride to the cove takes around 30 minutes. This is where you can snorkel and paddle board. You are not allowed to go to the beach, it’s for hotel guests only.

Honestly, I jumped in the water for about 10 minutes and scurried out. The water was freezing cold and I only saw about 3 species of fish. The snorkeling in this area was horrible. My daughter spent at least an hour trying to figure out how to paddle board. She had a blast.

They provide a desirable sized lunch on the boat before heading back to the docks. The food and cocktails were really good.

My biggest complaint about this excursion is the tour is over at 4:00pm, but the transportation does not come until 6:00pm. Under normal circumstances this wouldn’t be an issue for us. However, we had been on a boat all day in the sun and we were exhausted. We just wanted to go back to our hotel ASAP. We were stuck hanging out in the Cabo Adventures lobby for two hours. I was highly upset and exhausted. I think if we had been more mentally prepared it would have made the wait easier. We had no clue we had to wait two hours until we got to the lobby.

Overall our vacation was the perfect getaway. I suggestion adding Cabo to your bucket list. It’s not your typical Cancun or Cozumel vacation. It’s a chance to see another side of Mexico.

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