Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Mexico / Los Cabos / One&Only Palmilla
One&Only Palmilla
Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico · One&Only · Grand Luxury
Founded in 1956 by Don Abelardo Rodríguez Jr. — son of a former president of Mexico — as a 15-room hideaway reachable only by private plane or yacht, drawing Hemingway, John Wayne, Lucille Ball, and Dwight D. Eisenhower in its first decades. The 1993 Palmilla Golf Club was the first Jack Nicklaus Signature course in Mexico; SEARED by Jean-Georges Vongerichten was added after a $140 million post-Hurricane Odile renovation. Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five Diamond.
- 173 rooms
- Opened 1956
- Neighborhood: Tourist Corridor
- Interiors: Jeffrey Beers International
About One&Only Palmilla
- The property includes its own wedding chapel overlooking the Sea of Cortez.
- One&Only took over management in 2002, reopening in 2004 after a $90 million renovation that preceded the later Hurricane Odile rebuild.
History
Originally built in 1956 as a 15-room private retreat by Abelardo Rodríguez Jr., son of a former Mexican president, the property was one of the first luxury resorts in Baja California and became a haunt of Hemingway, Bing Crosby, and Hollywood royalty accessible only by boat or private plane. Jack Nicklaus designed the resort's renowned golf course, which opened in 1991. One&Only assumed management in 2002 and reopened after a $90 million renovation in 2004, significantly expanding the resort. Following Hurricane Odile in 2014, a reported $140 million renovation was completed, adding the SEARED restaurant by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, a 22,000-square-foot spa, and Villa One. The resort's Spanish Colonial architecture, whitewashed walls, terracotta tiles, and hand-painted Talavera details remain largely intact.
The setting
One&Only Palmilla occupies a private peninsula on the Carretera Transpeninsular, commanding the Sea of Cortez from three sides on one of the most storied parcels on the Baja coast. The site was pioneered in 1956 by Don Abelardo Rodríguez — son of a former president of Mexico — as a 15-room hideaway reachable only by private plane or yacht, drawing early guests including John Wayne, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Ernest Hemingway. The peninsula is home to one of the area's few consistently swimmable beaches — Palmilla Beach a thirteen-minute walk — and the first Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course in Mexico, established 1993, credentials that have secured Palmilla's standing as the definitive luxury address in Los Cabos for generations. 3 km from Acapulquito Beach. 8 km from Art District.
Restaurants and bars
- SEARED by One&Only — Restaurant
- Agua by Larbi — Restaurant
- Suviche — Restaurant
Amenities
- Jack Nicklaus signature golf course
- 22,000 sq ft spa
- Private beach
- Multiple pools
- Butler service for all rooms
- Tennis courts
- Fitness centre
- Kids club
- Spa treatment villas
- Chapel
- Infinity pool
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Water sports
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- AAA Five Diamond (2026)
- Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star (2026)
- MICHELIN Two Keys (2026)
- Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards (2025)
- Mexico & Central America's Most Romantic Resort 2025 (World Travel Awards) (2025)
- Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards
- US News #1 Resort in Los Cabos
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