CONNECTIONS October 2016 issue 17 The Presidency

CONNECTIONS Issue # 17
than considered. However, a few
havens of style have kept the
neighborhood from going to the
coyotes.
TOP RESORTS Esperanza The
Technicolor sunsets look digitally
enhanced at this lavish 56-room resort
on Punta Ballena, or Whale Point,
which lives up to its name when the
humpbacks arrive for the winter
season. What Esperanza lacks in
shoreline—it has two tiny coves—the
resort compensates for with rare
tequila tastings, Baja lime-scented
bath products, and a spa where garden
paths are illuminated by candles after
dusk. Esperanza's huge, airy rooms
blend folksy (woven Guadalajara
carpets, paintings by emerging
Mexican artists) and modern
necessities (wide-screen TV's). Ask for
a top-floor room: the private terraces
have infinity-edge hot tubs and
unobstructed views of Land's End. Km
3.5 Carretera Transpeninsular; 52-
624/145-6400 or 866/311-
2226; www.esperanzaresort.com;
doubles from $550.
Hotel Twin Dolphin Even after 26
years, this white-on-white retreat
remains the most unpretentious in
Cabo San Lucas. Isolated on 135 acres
of the Sonoran Desert, the hotel has an
angular Frank Lloyd Wright starkness
to its open-air lobby, lounge, and 50
one-story casitas. Despite some
cracked walkways and tattered
slipcovers—the hotel will soon be
undergoing a renovation—such icons
of cool as Bob Weir of the Grateful
Dead and designer Kate Spade are
regulars. Km 12 Carretera
Transpeninsular; 800/421-8925or 52-
624/145-
8191; www.twindolphin.com; doubles
from $250.
Las Ventanas al Paraíso The 61-
suite "window to paradise" has a
muted Mex-Med vibe. A Zen-inspired
raked-sand entrance opens to beach
views from the restaurant, private
rooftop patios, and infinity-edge pools,
where butlers clean SPF smudges off
your Silhouettes. Suites have pebbleinlaid
headboards, hand-carved cedar
doors, wood-burning fireplaces, and
telescopes for stargazing. At night,
waiters set up tables in the alfresco
restaurant with embroidered Otomí
cloths from Guadalajara. (Order pastry
chef Steven Lindsay's silky Baja lime
pie—it's worth every calorie.) Km 19.5
Carretera
NATIVE CHARMER Casa
Natalia Nathalie and Loïc Tenoux
have fashioned a contemporary
enclave facing a quiet square in
historic San José that's for people who
don't require ocean views or 24-hour
butler service. What you get instead is
a courtyard shaded by palms, with
cascading waterfalls and terraces
swathed in bougainvillea. The 16
rooms have regional flair, with
embroidered pillows, Talavera pottery,
and hand-hewn beams. 4 Blvd.
Mijares, San José; 888/277-
3814; www.casanatalia.com; doubles
from $240.
15