ld World tradition and modern-day luxury marry on the Baja peninsula at the One&Only Palmilla resort in Los Cabos, Mexico. Situated amid sweeping desert mountains and the azure blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez, this five-star resort appears as an oasis of tranquility.
Originally built in 1956 by Don Abelardo Rodriguez — the son of the president of Mexico — as a 15-room luxury resort, Palmilla was frequented by the likes of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Bing Crosby and Lucille Ball.
In 2004, the resort was purchased by Kerzner International and became part of the One&Only resort brand, undergoing an extensive, $90 million-rebuilding and expansion project — inside and out.
“Palmilla has such a rich history and we wanted to celebrate and maintain that feeling but also introduce modern notions,” says Vanessa Redman, principal of Paul Duesing Partners — the Dallas-based firm responsible for the interior redesign of Palmilla’s guestrooms and suites, the spa and its public spaces.
Palo Alto, Calif.-based Hill Glazier Architects carefully re­tored the gracious exterior of its Old Mexican architecture, “whose influences can be seen in the thick walls, heavy doors, intricate ironwork, archways and broad overhangs,” says principal Bob Glazier.
Added were 90 spacious guest­ooms and suites, world-class restaurants, a conference center of grand ballrooms and boardrooms, and private beach coves and infinity-edge pools that share the horizon with the sea. A 27-hole Jack Nicklaus-signature golf course, dotted with centuries-old cardon cacti and etched with deep-canyon arroyos, and a 22,000-square-foot spa, enhance the resort’s offerings.
Here, blossoming gardens surround 13 spa villas, inspired by haciendas with their red-tile roofs, whitewashed walls and cascading fountains. Redman calls the spa a “true escape for travelers who yearn to transcend reality for a while.” With massage pavilions that open to tropical gardens, waterfall showers, sensory float beds, a tranquil yoga garden, and treatment rooms that offer ancient and modern healing, this harmonious escape balances body, mind and soul.
Seeking a casual atmosphere for the outdoor areas, the designers and architects broke away from the Old World architecture and mas­nry that comprises the rest of the resort.
To convey a relaxed island mood, palapa-style structures made of Mexican fan-palm fronds and peeled-tree col­mns, shade the pool, bar and spa areas, as well as the resort’s open-air “Mexi­erranean” res­aurant, named Agua. De­igned by Adam D. Tihany, the al fresco setting mixes Mex­can, North African and Mediterranean motifs.
For more formal dining, Charlie Trotter’s signature res­aurant, “C,” also designed by Tihany, offers guests a choice of a 110-seat, dinner-only main dining room, a 10-seat private room, a semi-private cellar room and a Chef’s Kitchen Table.
When it’s time to wind down, guests retreat to their rooms and suites, set along the coastline in single- and three-story buildings, appropriately called “casas.” All rooms include exterior sitting areas and private terraces facing Palmilla Beach, one of the region’s few swimmable waters. Eclectic furnishings and materials native to Mexico enhance the interior’s authentic Old World ambiance. “The tilework in the bathrooms was fabricated in Guadalajara, as were the hand-hewn wood doors and vanities with hand-forged clavos,” Red­an says. “The design team strove to maintain the past but added details so that it would continue to be sought out by travelers who want to experience the uniqueness of their destination. To have true art­sts and fabricators come together and work on a project like this is a wonderful experience.”
Edward Steiner, reg­onal vice president and managing director of Pal­illa, says his staff seeks to “establish an emotional con­u173 ­ection with their guests, creating memories they carry home.”
Although the resort’s sandy beaches, crisp blue waters and swaying palms speak for themselves, it is the essence of the resort — true to its past while em­racing the future — that makes Palmilla second to none. “This unique environment,” Steiner says, “in­orporates an incredible land­cape and beautifully ap­ointed exterior with a contemporary Mexican feel.”
Selected as one of the best resorts in the Amer­cas in Conde Nast Trav­ler’s annual “Readers Choice Gold List” in January 2006,  and listed as one of the World’s Best Hotels in Travel + Leisure’s annual T+L 500, Palmilla is just “one” of the One&Only, award-winning luxury resorts found throughout the world.
To learn more, visit www.oneandonlyresorts.com.