Ok - I have lots to share, so be prepared for a long review!
My husband and I just returned from an 8 day stay at the Pacifica (10.3 - 10.10) for our wedding anniversary. Maybe it's because we were so ready for some good ole' R&R - but this place, just fit the bill perfectly.
Everything was spot on from past reviews I had read - the time share sharks at the aiport, the 45 minute van ride from the airport to the hotel, the wonderful lavender smell of the lobby as you walked up (by the way, you can actually buy the spray that makes the lobby smell so good, down in their spa - it's pure lavender and comes in a large bottle with an extra spray nozzle attachment, for $37. They had a smaller bottle too - I think for $16.) - and the nice, cold, lavender infused towels that they handed to you. Yes, we were hustled straight from checking in, directly to the time share ladies - but we were prepared for this, and made sure we signed up for all the goodies we wanted, upfront.
Our room - even though I requested a higher floor - ended up on the first floor...which turned out to be just fine (from the front side it was floor one, and from the side that faces the beach, it was floor 2). We had a lovely view of the pool, Siempre (their restaurant), and the beach. The room was exactly as the pictures showed - so we were not disappointed.
We did sit through the "90" minute time share presentation the very next day - which ended up being 4.5 hours instead. This is held at their sister property the Sunset - which is only about an 8 minute van ride up the hill. We were very interested in what they had to offer - and went down on our trip, with that mindset. We held off until the very end - as the offers kept getting better, and we got exactly what we wanted, and what we were expecting to pay. We feel very good about this purchase, as the PB hotel chain is directly partnered with the Ritz Carlton - and their new resort is planned to go in, right next door to the Pacifica (which will have 2 Jack Nicklaus golf courses included).
The properties are very nice and well maintained - and the staff is very friendly and knowledgable. We did end up eating one day at the Sunset (The Bistro has a very good and cheap breakfast - $20 for the 2 of us) and staying out by their pool - however, the entire reason why we loved the Pacifica so much, was because it was not crowded, there was hardly any noise (no kids under 16 allowed), there is no smoking allowed, and it just had a more relaxed energy about it. The pool at the sunset (keep in mind, they have several - but we only managed to make it down to the one by the beach...I do hear they have an adults only - but we just didn't make it up there) was very crowded - and it took us about 10 minutes to find 2 open chairs together, but couldn't find ones with an umbrella. The lounge chairs at the Sunset are plain, hard chairs - and good luck trying to get more than one towel from the towel check out! However, down at the Pacifica - they have 2 pools, both with MANY open areas to sit, both with or without an umbrella. Their lounge chairs have very nice thick pads on them, and you can get as many towels as you'd like. So while we understand the Sunset is perfect for families - great atmosphere, no doubt about that - the Pacifica is wonderful to just relax and lay back.
We also took advantage of the spa at the Pacifica - twice. My husband had never had a massage before - so we opted to have the couples massage, on 2 different days. $300 for 80 minutes (which means $150 each, both getting 80 minutes). In my mind, that's a very fair price - but then again, I'm use to paying that, plus more - up here in Seattle. They do have a 10% tax charge, and a 12% service fee - which they ask you to pay up front...so I didn't tip anymore than that, until after my service. I ended up really liking both of my massages - so we gave each of our therapists an additional tip, which would equate to them getting the normal 20% (including the 12% service fee).
Cabo Town - we ended up not really being a fan of the main town itself. It's about a 10 minute van ride via taxi, for $12 - or you can wait for the free shuttle between the PB hotels. The town is a typical town in Mexico - full of people bartering, trying to sell you anything from these annoying plastic whistles to your basic pack of Chiclets gum. I think it's probably because I was not starting to feel well, that I was getting annoyed with people interupting our dinner, to try and sell us a rose in a plastic sleeve for $5. While I know they are all trying to make a living as best they can - I found that I appreciated the protected grounds of the Pacifica more and more (as they aren't allowed on the property).
For Cabo restaurants:
La Fonda - Excellent local cuisine, and by far, my favorite restaurant. Great service, amazing food. Highly recommend this restaurant. I think our bill came to about $120 (US), but we also had 2 drinks each, an appetizer, our main courses, and dessert.
Nick San - I love sushi - and being from the northwest, I also love seafood. I thought the fish quaility at Nick San was very good - however, what they had in quality was missed greatly in presentation. Just fish on rice on a plate. Don't get me wrong, I know you are just going to eat it - but I just expected a little something more, that's all. Prices were decent - as least comparible to what I pay at home - Fresh Salmon Sushi (2 rolls) were $6, and the Tuna and Hamachi were I think a dollar more. I think our total bill was around $70 (US).
Salvatores Italian - this place came highly recommended as where we should eat, for our anniversary. So we made reservations and off we went. I think maybe we were expecting to have some sort of view of the bay - but that's definitely not what you get. The restaurant is a small, quaint spot - located adjacent to a small and cheap hotel (more like motel - think the perfect spot for spring breakers). The hot tub for the hotel, is located right in the middle of the grounds for the restaurant - which is odd, but adds to the atmosphere. The staff was very friendly (ours was from Portland, OR.) - but they are very busy and hustle about. We were there on a Wednesday night, which is their lasagna night. I took the advice of past reviewers, and my husband and I shared one plate between the two of us - which I can tell you, was the best choice we could have made. The lasagna came out on a platter - and was enough to feed (no kidding) at least 4 grown adult men. It was huge!!!! Taste wise - it was decent...it wasn't spectacular, but it was decent. Overall, I think our bill was around $40 (US).
Siempre (at the Pacifica) - we ate at the hotel restaurant several times. We tried the sushi one night - which was ok. I had their filet on another occasion - which was pretty good, and I had their lobster raviolis on another night, which I didn't care for (more shrimp in the sauce, than anything, which I wasn't expecting). The little bar at the pool serves excellent fish tempura tacos with wonderful guac and salsa (just like other reviewers have said). They have a pretty decent BLT - with a tasty side green salad...and their prices are reasonable.
By the last few days of our trip - unfortunately, I came down with the most amazing back pain and a very high fever (103.6 degrees). After one very restless night, we called the front desk and discussed what our options were in regards to seeing a doctor. They immeadiately took care of everything, and had an English speaking doctor sent right to our suite. She was able to assess all of my symptoms and explained that I had a very severe kidney infection (and possibly an infection of my appendix). She wrote out a prescription for all of the medications needed - and took it straight to the concierge, for them to pick up and deliver straight back to our room. The fee for the doctor to come to my room was somewhere around $60 - and the medications came to a total of around $90 (for 3 different types). The staff was wonderful in taking care of every need - and they stayed the appropriate distance away, when not needed. For this service alone, I would give the Pacifica an A+.
By our last day, we were amongst the few rushing to get everything together, to get out of Cabo before any storm passed through due to Hurricane Norbert. The staff double checked our flights to ensure they were on schedule, and always had an update for the weather at all times.
Net / Net: I would highly recommend this resort to anyone. If you are looking for R & R, this is definitely the place to go. While we will be going back to Cabo more often now, due to the timeshare, we will always make sure to catch the shuttle down to the Pacifica to lay by their pool.