We just returned from a very special family vacation at Dreams (8/26 - 9/6). We are a family of four; our children are 13 and 9. We were there for Hurricane John and the hotel staff could not have taken better care of us – this is true before, during and after the hurricane! (Dreams Los Cabos took better care of their guests during the hurricane than the other hotels – they evacuated us to another hotel in La Paz where we stayed as their guests.)

Hotel and rooms: We loved the resort from the minute we stepped out of the shuttle. When we checked in early they said just one of the two rooms was ready when in fact they both were. The concierges welcomed us so warmly and always made sure our requests was either granted or redirected to better options. We found the hotel beautiful, clean, and very enjoyable. We loved the touches that the maids would add to the rooms with their creative towel designs. Our rooms were in the newer building overlooking the quiet pool and the beach. We did not find our rooms to be musty smelling or to have any smell at all. There were no ants or any problems of any kind. The beds were comfortable and Dreams offers different pillow types to suit your tastes. The timeshare folks are in the lobby but they respected a firm “no thank you” the first time and never asked us again. While the hotel is big, it doesn’t feel like a big hotel. The service was always personalized and attentive. The clientele was a nice mix of families, honeymooners and couples.

Location: We loved the location of the hotel; not too far from either San Jose or Cabo; very close to two of the best snorkeling and swimming bays and real close to the golf courses. The beach was beautiful. Yes, you can’t swim in the water, most of the coast is that way. You can walk to the cove by the Hilton (about 15 minutes and a pretty walk). The vendors on the beach were never a bother.

Food and drinks: The restaurants were delicious: Portofino and Oceana in particular (unfortunately we didn't get the opportunity to try Himitsu); we loved the breakfast buffet and omelet bar at El Patio. All of the wait staff were professional and accommodating (too many names to mention but some do rise to the top -- Roberto at Portofino and Jose, Rene and Lorena at El Patio breakfast; Jaime and Elsa at the Barracuda Bar). The drinks were great; they made them as strong or weak as you liked.

Pools and activities: The Entertainment Team of Blair, Eduardo, and Miguel were fabulous at encouraging guests to participate in the activities. Our boys loved the water volleyball and the putting competition in particular. We did two beach walks which were wonderful – the swimming cove is a lot of fun as there are wave runners and a parasailing boat. We did one beach walk before the Hurricane and the other afterwards – what a change in the shoreline and the temperature of the water! The pool areas were clean, beautiful and so relaxing. Our preference was to sit by the beach and access the infinity pool. I did spend one afternoon at the quiet pool and enjoyed that as well. Oh, and those beach hammocks, do I need to say more? We played tennis a number of times and found the courts to be in good condition (we brought our own rackets but used their tennis balls). The gym was clean with up to date equipment that was placed well in the room. My husband and our sons golfed twice at the Mayan Resort (formerly the San Jose Golf Course and were going to play at Palmilla but the Hurricane nixed that) – this was all arranged by Enrique, head of Concierge Services. You can be as active or as non-active as you like; Enrique and Mario can arrange all sorts of outings.

Spa: The spa was clean and relaxing, the services were great – recommend any of their special treatments and massages!

Recommendations: We did bring lots of ones and fives to tip; while I can’t say we saw a difference in service, we knew tipping demonstrated our appreciation of the quality of service. Also suggest that you get to know the concierges (Enrique and Mario) very well and realize that you are not in America – it’s Mexico; everything is different; rent a car so that you are not at the mercy of taxis – particularly good if you want to drive around the coast or play at different golf courses. We highly recommend Dreams Los Cabos to families of all ages and as well as to those who just want a special get away.