LOS CABOS, Mexico -- Kerzner International last month took the
wraps off the One&Only Palmilla resort in Los Cabos after an
$80 million renovation that lasted 10 months.
Kerzner International acquired a 50% equity interest in Palmilla
in 2002 and signed a long-term management contract for the
resort.
Kerzner launched One&Only as a luxury brand in Europe in
late 2002. Closer to home, the company operates the One&Only
Ocean Club in the Bahamas.
One&Only Palmilla marks the brand's entry into the Mexican
market and represents the beginning of a long-term commitment to
Mexico, Kerzner officials said.
"I think Mexico -- and Los Cabos in particular -- is an
excellent destination for the One&Only brand because the U.S.
market is an ideal source for the kind of clientele the brand is
trying to attract," said Edward Steiner, One&Only Palmilla's
managing director.
One&Only Palmilla "is a resort with a more complete set of
features and amenities and will provide an overall better guest
experience than its major competitors," said Steiner, who was
formerly the managing director for Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los
Cabos, Palmilla's main competitor.
"In terms of food and beverage, we will have no competition in
Latin America," he said.
Steiner said a major selling point for One&Only Palmilla
will be C, chef Charlie Trotter's first restaurant outside the
U.S.
The restaurant offers a variety of indoor and outdoor dining
options, including two glass-enclosed wine rooms, a private dining
space for 10 guests and a by-invitation-only "chef's table" for
eight in the kitchen.
A second, more casual restaurant called Agua is situated on a
bluff adjacent to the resort's infinity pool.
One&Only Palmilla reopened with 172 rooms, including 61
regular guest rooms, 91 750-square-foot junior suites and 20
1,400-square foot one-bedroom suites.
All rooms feature handcrafted Mexican-style furniture and
accessories, travertine floors with marble accents in terra-cotta
colors, custom-painted tiles and roomy patios or terraces.
Rooms are equipped with flat-screen TVs, entertainment units
with CD/DVD players, telescopes, high-speed Internet access and
dual-line phones with voice mail.
Butler service is provided to all rooms, with dedicated butlers
assigned to each of the suites.
The resort opened a new 20,000-square-foot Mexican-style spa
with 13 treatment rooms dubbed "spa villas" that open onto private
landscaped gardens. Six deluxe villas offer outdoor showers and
daybeds.
The spa includes a fitness center with the latest cardiovascular
equipment and free weights, and an outdoor garden where yoga
classes are held.
Other recreation includes two swimming pools, a beachside
water-sports center and the adjacent Palmilla Golf Club with a Jack
Nicklaus-designed 27-hole golf course.
Palmilla boasts a chapel that can be reserved for weddings. The
chapel was part of the original resort, built in 1956.
A 5,000-square-foot conference center includes a
3,000-square-foot ballroom and a boardroom.
Rates at One&Only Palmilla run from $475 a night, double,
for a regular room to $1,400 for a one-bedroom suite. Through
April, the resort is offering one free night with a minimum
four-night booking. Rates include roundtrip airport transfers.
For information or reservations, call (800) 637-2226 or visit
the Web at www.oneandonlypalmilla.com.
To contact reporter Jorge Sidron, send e-mail to [email protected].