7 things to know before booking a stay at Breathless Cabo San Lucas Resort & Spa

With seemingly endless possibilities when it comes to hotel accommodations, restaurants and fun things to do in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, an all-inclusive resort might be the last thing on your mind. After all, you're incentivized to spend as much time on the property as possible because you paid for, well, everything in advance. But if you're a solo traveler looking to mingle or a couple seeking a fun getaway, the adults-only Breathless Cabo San Lucas Resort & Spa may be worth considering.

Here are seven things to know before booking a stay there — and why my husband and I are already planning our next trip.

Cost

Room rates for a standard suite with a king-size bed and a marina view range from $450 to $1,150 per night. Alternatively, you could redeem between 21,500 and 29,500 World of Hyatt points per night. If you can spare them, aim to use your points on pricier nights. Doing this can get you a value of almost 3 cents per World of Hyatt point for each night you stay, which is well above the 1.7 cents per point TPG values World of Hyatt points at.

Standard room rates include meals at every restaurant except Ocote, the only Mexican eatery on-site, where meals cost an additional $40 per person unless you're staying in an accommodation with Xhale Club access. The room charge also covers most drinks (including those made with premium liquors like Anejo tequila when staying in an Xhale Club room or suite), plus $200 in resort credits that can be used for the spa, meals at Ocote and excursions. I was unaware of the latter when we made our reservation.

For what it's worth, I didn't see many people in the Xhale Club lounge, and the resort wasn't full enough to feel like the potential exclusivity the space offered would have been worth the increased expense. That said, I was disappointed to not have Anejo tequila included in the standard drinks package.

Pros

• The service was fantastic. Employees knew our names and checked in throughout our stay when they saw us in passing.
• I was pleasantly surprised by this property's food and drinks. They were delicious enough that I didn't think I was missing out by not leaving the resort.
• The main pool (and party) are far enough from the guest rooms that you'll enjoy plenty of peace and quiet when in your room.
• Every accommodation has a view of the marina.

Cons

• The aforementioned resort credits cannot be used retroactively on things like prepaid spa treatments. I did not know about the credit until arriving at the resort, so I booked and paid for spa treatments in advance based on advice noted in pre-travel emails. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a refund or credit.
• The hotel is housed in two buildings, so while the distance between the party areas and the guest rooms was great for relaxing, it wasn't always convenient to go back and forth.

Vibe: Party scene

While there were two main areas of the resort to visit, the section with the larger pool was the place to be. There was an all-day DJ until the party moved upstairs to the rooftop in the evening hours. At the pool, there were cabanas and lounge chairs facing the water, plus chaise lounges positioned to offer picturesque ocean views. Additional seats without umbrellas or palapa-style coverings were also available for those who just wanted to sunbathe.

Servers were around to take drink and food orders, but you could also grab breakfast and lunch at a poolside restaurant with a full menu.

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If you are not necessarily looking for a full-blown party scene while on vacation, you could spend time at the quieter pool at the main building. This pool also had a DJ, but there were fewer guests and the view was of the marina instead of the beach.

Room

Every room at Breathless Cabo San Lucas Resort & Spa has a marina view — and it's beautiful. The bed faces the marina so you can watch boats come and go with your feet kicked up.

Our 484-square-foot Allure Suite came with a king-size bed flanked by nightstands, as well as a balcony with a bistro seating set and a bathroom with a large shower and double sinks. The oak wood wall decor and door that separated the front of the room and bathroom from the main bedroom and balcony were a nice touch that brought a sense of calm to an otherwise stimulating environment. I loved sitting out on the balcony first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee made with the in-room coffee maker.

In the room was a smart tablet for ordering room service and finding hotel information. It was immensely convenient to be able to order room service from the tablet instead of having to call it in.

A minifridge stocked with a few local beers, water and miniature cans of Coke products was also available by the coffee maker for whenever we wanted a quick refreshment.

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Dining and drinking

The food and drinks at the resort exceeded my expectations. I'm never sure what to expect with hotel dining, but I think that the relatively small size of this resort and the clientele allowed for inspired menus and palate-pleasing culinary options.

Our first stop was at Bites, a tapas restaurant with delicious appetizers, seafood and drinks. We arrived at the hotel before our room was ready, so after leaving our bags at the front desk, we were escorted there for lunch. It was a great way to begin our time at the resort. We had fresh guacamole and chips and shrimp ceviche. The margarita was made with freshly squeezed limes — no premade mixes here. We especially enjoyed our lunch here, as well as the internationally influenced breakfast we had at Spoon.

Again, the size of the resort came into play at breakfast when there wasn't a line for the omelet station at the buffet. The servers were also very attentive and we had coffee and fresh orange juice waiting for us when we came back from getting our food.

We dined at the Italian restaurant Spumante once during our stay and I was pleasantly surprised by how fresh and delicious our meal was. Room service was also fantastic. We conveniently ordered from the tablet on our nightstand and there was hardly any wait at all. Within 30 minutes, our food was delivered and set up on a table at the foot of the bed overlooking the marina.

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As this was a party resort, I can't leave out Foam, the pool bar. While not a swim-up bar, servers were there to take orders so you never had to leave the water — or your cabana — if you didn't want to.

Activities

The resort doesn't specialize in many on-property activities unless you count the spa and the gym. The gym is located in the same building as the pool and most of the restaurants, a short walk from the main building and closer to the beach. The spa is also in this building and overlooks the pool and beach. There is a deck with lounge chairs that visitors can enjoy after their service.

There was a DJ at the main pool each day that we were there and sometimes a staff member would hype the crowd up with some choreography. It was actually a lot of fun.

You can use your included resort credits for off-property excursions like all-terrain-vehicle drives and a booze cruise that can pick you up at the marina. These credits could also be used toward the spa, but just remember to wait until you arrive at the hotel to reserve your spa time. I made the mistake of making a reservation before I knew I would be receiving resort credit and they couldn't give me a refund.

You can also hit up the beach, which is outfitted with lounge chairs and umbrellas, should you wish to soak up some sun.

Recommendation

I loved my time at Breathless Cabo San Lucas Resort & Spa, so much so that my husband and I plan to go back for two nights sometime next year. With the option to book our stay with World of Hyatt points easily transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards, there's no reason to spend cash (unless, of course, there are no award rooms available on your preferred dates).

Given that our lives are anything but a party when we travel with our two young kids — unless you consider kids clubs, shallow pools and nap times a particularly good time — we loved the lively atmosphere available here. The close proximity to our home in the Bay Area also meant that we didn't have to travel too far to feel like we got away.

If you're looking for a great time, fantastic food and a beautiful room with a view, Breathless Cabo San Lucas Resort & Spa is worth a visit.