The Club at Solaz, Luxury Villas

Karla at the pool bar made our visit especially memorable. She was warm, easy to talk to, and remembered what we liked to order on the days we spent by the pool. The restaurants we tried were also very good, particularly the late-night food truck. We stayed over New Year's week, had a great time, and our room was always clean and pleasant.

We've been returning during the same weeks for years, and the whale views, beach, and plentiful pool chairs are still lovely. The service is impeccable, and the place is incredible. This time, though, all the pools felt cool, and the hot tubs weren't hot, which hadn't happened on our earlier visits. For what this resort costs, I'm not happy about that.

The property itself made the hotel feel secondary. It seemed built mainly around Club Solaz and the private residences, and several staff members stressed how separate the hotel operation was from the residences. The sales pitch felt like the real priority, while hotel guests came after. At check-in, Sergio persuaded us to attend what he called a 90-minute meeting. It ran about two and a half hours. He said there was no obligation and offered 15% off food and drinks plus 70% off activities in return for our time. Instead, we were handed from one salesperson to another, each restarting the pitch and pressuring us despite our repeated lack of interest. They pushed a membership and even two future stays. The package price swung from $120,000 to $20,000 for a so-called two-stay option, seemingly just to get us to sign something. It was exhausting and uncomfortable. At checkout, we learned the 15% food and beverage discount was only for club members, a major condition no one had mentioned beforehand. Sergio apparently could have applied it if we'd bought something, but since we didn't, he wouldn't honor the incentive that got us into the meeting. This wasn't about a few dollars off a bill. We felt directly lied to and had our time taken under false pretenses, which is unacceptable at any hotel, especially one with luxury prices. Afterward, Sergio ignored my calls and messages while speaking with another woman from the club. Hotel staff wouldn't help, escalate the matter, or take responsibility. I visit Cabo several times a year and often stay at luxury resorts. If you're spending over $1,000 a night, I'd choose somewhere that puts hotel guests first, such as Las Ventanas or Chileno Bay Resort. Luxury prices should come with honesty, transparency, and respect for guests' time. We got none of those here.

We agreed to Club Solaz's presentation because we were curious, and it turned out to take about 90 minutes. We learned a lot and left with a $300 resort credit and half off round-trip airport transportation, so we're glad we went. Still, the program wasn't for us: we don't make financial decisions on vacation and don't want to be tied to one resort every one or two years. People who like predictable Cabo trips and the GDS platform might find it useful. The GDS, or Global Distribution System, offers wholesale rates at a million properties worldwide. We looked at hotels in Paris, but most were three-star places and didn't suit the way we travel. This isn't a traditional timeshare, though Club Solaz expects members to visit every one to two years. We first encountered the Club team right after checking in, before we'd reached our room. Christian, the Club ambassador, was pleasant, though clearly focused on getting us to agree to a tour and presentation. Two days later he met us in the lobby and took us to the Club side to meet Manuel, the sales representative. The promised free breakfast was about like a Residence Inn or Courtyard buffet. Manuel and a trainee joined us, and most of the meal was spent talking about our travel habits. At the end, they suggested we tip the staff. Manuel then showed us a model room. It wasn't better than our hotel room, which had a jacuzzi and a large shower bench. The model had a full kitchen where ours had a kitchenette, but lacked those features. We also heard about future construction on the property and across the highway. The plans are impressive, though years of building remain. Buying now would mean a long period of construction noise on top of the highway traffic. The last part of the pitch happened in Manuel's office, which looked like a former beachfront restaurant; several other couples were hearing the same presentation. One thing Marriott guests should know is that about two-thirds of Solaz is already Club Solaz villas and three towers of private residences. The plan adds three more residence towers, so the hotel portion will shrink further over time.