We just got back from a kid-free vacation to celebrate our anniversary and I am honestly not sure I’ll EVER get over the fact that we can travel to these stunning places for a FRACTION of the cost!

If you’re trying to experience Cabo on a budget, you might be thinking it’s out of reach, but with a bit of savvy reward travel intel, you can book luxurious stays like this for nearly free with credit card points.

➡️ Psst if you’re interested in MORE travel via fully maximizing your points — check out our FREE Points 101 Guide or book a 1:1 “done-for-you vacation!“

The Cape: Perfect (Ocean-front!) Mid Range Choice

Bookable with Hyatt Points

The Cape is an exceptional choice for those looking to indulge without breaking the bank…as long as you’re booking with points!

Using your Hyatt points, you can book a night here for on average 30,000 points a night, but the cash price while we were there was around $600 a night! YIKES!

So instead of dropping a few thousands, we transferred points from the #1 travel rewards card to book with Hyatt instead for 30,000 points a night!

❌ We didn’t reimburse ourselves that $600 charge using 60,000 points

❌ We didn’t use 60,000 points in the travel portal

✔️ We DID strategically maximize our Chase points by transferring to Hyatt and book for half the price! 2 nights for the price of ONE!

Design-Forward Aesthetics

We loveedddd the Cape’s modern vibes.

The hotel’s architecture and interior design are super sleek and sophisticated, offering a refreshing take on the classic beach hotel experience. If you’re someone who appreciates aesthetics, this is the place to be without a doubt!

The decor is modern and fresh and subtle cool, Mexico beach vibes. YES PLEASE.

Oceanfront Rooms and Stunning Views

Okay, but here’s where this place really shines – EVERY room at The Cape faces the ocean, ensuring you wake up to breathtaking views each morning. Total Insta-worthy shots.

If you can get upgraded to a Deluxe room, your porch will have a porch swing, which I could have just spent HOURS on.

While the food prices were typical resort prices (think $39 for a burger at the pool 😳), the stunning views definitely help make up for it. Although we can teach you alllll the ways to travel for nearly free, it is important to budget for the pricerier food at these nicer hotels!

IF you have it in your budget to splurge (and maybe you have just that because you booked your stay for free on points!), do the 5 course chef’s tasting menu at Manta on site….it is A MILLION PERCENT worth it!!

Hands down – best food we had on the entire trip. It was an incredible Mexican Asian fusion and I simply can not stress enough how incredible it was!

More Adult Atmosphere

The Cape encapsulates the contemporary Cabo vibe. We also loved it because the resort didn’t feel huge or spread out at all.

During our stay, we noticed that the hotel had a very chic, adult-oriented atmosphere. We only saw one child during our visit, making it ideal for couples or solo travelers seeking a modern retreat. So something of note!

Waldorf Astoria: A Couples Paradise

True 5-Star Luxury

Whew, y’all. Talk about a place we could NEVER afford to stay.

This place books for $1,500 per night, but again, the beauty of points – we were able to book this for FREE using a combination of Hilton Free Night Certificates and one night at 120,000 points (the resort will now cost you 250,000 Hilton points per night…YIKES).

➡️ We earned these points from elevated welcome bonuses on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card when they came with a Free Night Certificate (KEY because they are uncapped!)

Specific hotel card welcome offers can be an important part of your points strategy (especially when it comes to hotels like Hilton and Marriott, where the points redemptions are MUCH higher!)

This hotel exudes pure elegance and has a very classic Mexican feel…in other words, fancy schmancy to the Nth degree!

Elegant and Classic Mexican Feel

You won’t lift a finger here and they really have thought of your every need.

The elegant decor and careful attention to detail create an ultimate bougie vibe we all love.

Elevated Experience

This hotel is absolutely perfect for a couple’s getaway…nothing better than uninterrupted time together!..especially to the tune of, we didn’t pay $1,500 a night!

However, be prepared: the food prices here are STUPID expensive. Everythinggggg. Again $39 burgers at the pool, $24 cocktails, plan to spend $150-200 minimum for at a dinner at Don Miguels on site. So just budget accordingly.

The Waldorf does offer a complimentary golf cart that takes you through the tunnel to bring you into town if you would like to eat outside the property. However, the resort truly does feel like an oasis…so admittedly, it was hard to leave!

Family Friendly (ish)

Families are welcome, but the steep food costs might make it less ideal for those traveling with children. We honestly would probably not bring our children here, just because of the food prices alone!

Or maybe we would, but just make sure to stash a bunch of Uncrustables in the mini-fridge…kidding, NOT kidding! (is my obsessed with saving money on bucket list experiences showing?!)

However, there is a complimentary kids club for those 4 and up which would give you some kid-free time if you did decide to bring your little ones!

Food and Drink Perk

➡️ With Hilton Gold status (an included perk from holding the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card!), you get a complimentary continental breakfast, but I actually highly recommend upgrading to the full buffet for $20.

The Surpass also gets you:

• 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio
• 6X Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
• 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases.
• 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
• Annual Fee: $150 (Rates & Fees)

➡️ You can also get the top tier complimentary Hilton Diamond Status with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Credit Card!

The Aspire also gets you (All information about Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Wayfaren. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer):

• 14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on Hilton Purchases
• 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points at U.S. Restaurants and on Select Travel Purchases
• 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on all other Eligible Purchases
• An annual Free Night Certificate (could be redeemed for up to $2,500/nt properties!)
• $400 Hilton Resort Credit
• Annual Fee: $550 Rates & Fees

You also get complimentary chips, guacamole, and Coronitos delivered to your room around 4:30 every day which is so fun! Orrrr you can upgrade to margaritas for $10 (really Margaritas in Mexico, are ALWAYS a yes)!

Farallon on site is essentially the most iconic restaurant experience you can have in Cabo and is a total splurge meal (againnnn if you booked your room for free on pointss….) But if you’re wanting those sunset views, you’ll need to make reservations farrrr in advance for that.

Despite the high cost overall, the experience is top-notch for a couples getaway, making it worth every dollar (or point 😉) spent.

Hilton Los Cabos: Perfect Balance for Families

Great Value with Hilton Points

Our third stay, the Hilton Los Cabos, was somewhere where we have stayed before and will absolutely stay again! It offers the perfect combo of luxe AND value that is perfect for families IMO.

There are so many unique features about this hotel that make it the perfect spot to come back to over and over in Cabo San Lucas.

In one word, I would describe it as “approachable”. It doesn’t feel so fancy you feel out of place, but you still feel like you’re on a gorgeous property.

At around 80,000 Hilton points per night and $0 in resort fees, it provides a luxurious yet affordable option for travelers looking to enjoy Cabo, but not drop over $1,000/night

However, the going cash rate is still $500-600 a night which just makes me feel SO GOOD at the money we saved.

➡️ We earned the points for this stay through the welcome bonus on the Hilton Honors Business Card when it was elevated and came with a Free Night Certificate!

The Hilton business card also gets you:

• 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible Hilton purchases.
• 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on other purchases made using the Hilton Honors Business Card on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year, 3X points thereafter.
• Annual Fee: $195 (Rates & Fees)

➡️ As well, you transfer points from an American Express Membership^® Rewards earning card like the American Express^® Gold Card or American Express^® Business Gold Card at a 1:2 ratio! (so 50,000 points >>> 100,000 Hilton points once transferred!)

Good Service, Reasonable Prices

While not as fancy schmancy as the Waldorf, the Hilton Los Cabos still delivers excellent attention to detail and amenities.

The food is delicious and much more reasonable priced – and by “reasonable”…I mean here the burger at the pool was $24 instead of $36.

Again, with that Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card or Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card you get complimentary continental breakfast or you can upgrade to the full buffet for $15, which I highly highly recommend because it’s a better buffet even than the Waldorf!

(All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Credit Card has been collected independently by Wayfaren. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Credit Card is no longer available through Wayfaren.)

Our kids STILL talk about the breakfast buffet at the Hilton Los Cabos 4 years later!

Ideal for Families

Of note, the Hilton has a complimentary kids club like the Waldorf for ages 4 and up!

There are also 3 pools here – one adults only pool, one main pool, and one kids pool. And no primary colored pirate ships here! What I love about the Hilton Los Cabos is that it is family friendly…but TASTEFUL. My kind of aesthetic hotel dreammmm.

With 3 restaurants on site that are more reasonably priced than the Waldorf, you’re for sure likely to find something you and your whole family can enjoy without breaking the bank.

Also, one of the standout features of the Hilton Los Cabos is its location on one of the only swimmable beaches in Cabo. It sits on a small cove that provide the perfect more clam, shallow waters for kids to play!

Wait – Why Are the Beaches in Cabo Not Swimmable?

Most of Cabo’s beaches are off-limits to swimmers because the Sea of Cortez boasts strong waves and some powerfulllll undercurrent. Cabo’s coastline is known for its huge waves and strong undertows, making many beaches unsafe for swimming.

You’ll see what we mean once you get there- the waves are insane!

However, the Hilton Los Cabos is located on a safer stretch of beach in a little cove, providing a rare opportunity for young families to enjoy the ocean without worry.

We took this trip in late May, which was lovely and not too hot yet at all. However, our favorite time to visit Cabo San Lucas is in March! The most perfect Mexico beach weather…warm in the sun during the day, needing a light sweater in the evenings.

Choosing the Right Stay for Your Cabo Adventure

We had an amazinggggg time at each of these resorts, and I think they all have their place in a vacation for you depending on your situation! Bonus points when your stay is nearly free thanks to points!

By leveraging credit card points, you can enjoy these incredible stays without the hefty price tag, making your dream Cabo vacation a reality!