My husband and I just returned from a 2-week stay at the Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach. Although we had booked a 1-bedroom, 2-bath executive suite, upon checking in we were upgraded to a super-executive suite -- which has basically the same floorplan, except for an EXPANSIVE terrace equipped with its own jacuzzi. We would strongly recommend this upgrade if available. Also, we discovered that some of the newer buildings (we stayed in building 22) are, in fact, wired for internet access. So if internet access is something you think you would need, make sure to ask for a room in one of these buildings. Otherwise, wireless internet access is available in the common areas, where we would frequently come across guests sitting with their computers in their laps.
Like others before us already stated, Sunset Beach seems to cater to a slightly older crowd and is a little removed from the restaurants, bars and shopping in Cabo San Lucas. It is also a little cooler and more windy than its sister resorts Rose and Los Cabos, but that actually turned out to be a plus given the hot summer weather. However, if we were to go back in the cooler winter months, we would probably consider the more sheltered location of the Rose. Compared to the Rose, where their only pool was always packed, Sunset Beach's five pools were airy and accessible all day long. Obviously, the Rose has the swimmable beach, which we took advantage of on a couple of occassions. Speaking of which, if you don't want to be bothered by the beach vendors, I would recommend getting some chairs on the second row inside the cordoned off area, a little further away from the sea, but also a little further away from the beach vendors.
On most afternoons, we took advantage of the free shuttle to the Rose and from there we walked to the Marina and the Puerto Paraiso Mall. On our first such walk, we retraced the route that the shuttle bus had taken. But we then discovered that it's shorter to walk from the Rose to the Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos (which is adjacent), then past it and into what looked like a residential area. That way, after another 2 or 3 blocks you can reach the Puerto Paraiso Mall and the Marina, all in under 15 minutes. Speaking of the shuttle bus, we found that it's best to get shuttle tickets in advance, say in the morning or a few hours before the departure. If you are told that the bus you wanted to get on is full, which happened to us once, just hang around until all the ticket holders get on board and see if there are any seats left. If yes, the driver will accommodate you.
While we loved the resort, the climate on the Pacific side, and certainly our fabulous suite, we found the golf carts rather annoying. With very few exceptions, we walked everywhere, so we can't comment on how easily available or convenient they were or weren't. But you could certainly smell the exhaust fumes while walking up and down the hill and even from some of the swimming pools, such as the adult swimming pool. I wish the resort relied on electrical carts instead.
Another area that could use some improvement is the gym. While it's large, modern and very well equipped, it seems to have close to no air conditioning. You could kind of feel a breeze when you walked in, but all the treadmills, ellipticals and bikes were pushed against the windows overlooking the ocean, which was great, where the air was very stuffy and warm, which wasn't so great. Luckily, some of these machines had their own tiny fans, but even so the air circulation wasn't great.
All in all, we would both go back to and recommend this resort. Just make sure you have the right expectations and understand that some of its characteristics, such as location and layout, may make it a less than ideal choice for some. As for us, while we didn't consider it to be a 5 star experience, we would probably have given it a 4.5 if the rating system allowed.
