Arizona Foothills Magazine

Let’s start just a hop, skip and a jump across the U.S. border in North Baja. Here, a familiar name is building a gleaming condo-hotel hybrid a mere 30 minutes south of San Diego. Yes, “The Donald” has gone international with the launch of his Trump Ocean Resort Baja Mexico. When completely built out (the first tower is scheduled

to open later this year), this cliffside 526-suite residential resort overlooking the Pacific Ocean will feature posh amenities like gourmet French-Mex dining, a stylish lobby bar and lounge, an infinity-edge resort pool and a fitness center with tennis courts and walking trails.

Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a vacation home without a pampering spa facility, and the Trump Baja won’t disappoint thanks to a planned ocean-view spa featuring a stone bridge spanning serene water ponds, a relaxation room, women’s and men’s outdoor warm soaking pools, a meditation garden, a steam cave and a therapeutic outdoor Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall backdrop. Real estate offerings include studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom hotel-condominiums, and prices start in the mid-$300,000’s.

Now let’s motor roughly 1,000 miles due south to

Los Cabos, a fast-growing outpost located on the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. Consisting of two towns—Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo—and connected by a 20-mile shoreline filled with golf courses and high-end resort and real estate developments, Los Cabos has emerged as a world-class vacation destination. Enter Querencia, a lavish 1,800-acre gated golf community located just southwest of San José del Cabo—a charming colonial fishing village replete with cobblestone-lined plazas and a thriving arts scene. Querencia tempts buyers with a members-only Tom Fazio-designed championship golf course and a 58,000-sq.-ft. Club Village offering multiple dining venues, an extensive wine cellar, an infinity pool, and spa and wellness services. Real estate offerings include canyon-view three- and four-bedroom homes starting at $1.2 million; golf-course-view Club Villas ranging in size from 4,000 to 4,500 square feet and starting at $2.3 million; three-bedroom, three-full-bath condos starting at $1.2 million; and newly released water-view custom-home lots ranging from $550,000 to $2 million.

Alternately, if you’re looking for a true turnkey vacation home, you might want to look into the many fractional ownership options at Los Cabos’ various residential resorts, including Villa La Estancia Los Cabos. Offering luxurious one-, two- or three-bedroom villas, each features commanding views of both the Sea of Cortez and the iconic Los Arcos rock formation at Land’s End. Fractional and whole ownership are priced at $800,000 to $3.5 million.

Hopping an imaginary ferry boat across the Sea of Cortez—imaginary because the real ferry stopped operating years ago—we arrive at the famed Mexican getaway of Puerto Vallarta. Tucked inside the dramatic Bahía de Banderas (Bay of Banderas), Puerto Vallarta’s 25 miles of sandy beaches have been a Hollywood hot spot since its starring role in the 1964 classic “The Night of the Iguana.”

Today, another international superstar has set up shop in Puerto Vallarta: designer Philippe Starck. Renowned for his distinctive modern yet fanciful aesthetic, Starck’s designs have graced everything from South Beach’s Delano Hotel to his eponymous line of housewares at Target. In Puerto Vallarta, Starck’s been charged with crafting the interiors at ICON Vallarta, a 343-unit, three-tower luxury condominium complex under construction on five oceanfront acres just outside of downtown. “Starck-ian” touches here include a shallow stream flowing right through a tower lobby, a bistro and bar featuring tables set within a pool, and “Alice in Wonderland” elements like an eight-foot vase and a 20-foot floor lamp dropped amid normal-size chairs and tables. Upstairs, the one-, two- and three-bedroom residences feature 10-foot ceilings, limestone flooring and terraces enclosed with undulating glass railings; residences are priced from the low $200,000’s up to $1 million.

Just past the Sierra Madre Occidental and Oriental mountain ranges lies Cancún, a perennially popular paradise on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. Perched on the northeast tip of the massive Yucatán Peninsula, Cancún and the adjacent Riviera Maya might be the most scenic stretch in all of Mexico. Aside from the verdant rainforest inland dotted with crystal-clear freshwater swimming holes or cenotes, the extensive shoreline and its powder-white beaches, aquarium-like waters and brilliant-color coral reefs are always postcard perfect.

Unfortunately, Cancún’s popularity with spring breakers and its abundance of cookie-cutter mega-resorts have given the area a bit of a downscale reputation. Fortunately, a new generation of hoteliers, restaurateurs and real estate entrepreneurs are working hard to restore Cancún’s top-drawer status. Take Spain-based hospitality heavyweight Sol Meliá and its posh new ME Cancún. Formerly known as the Meliá Turquesa, this 448-room property was completely reinvented in 2006 as a hip, loft-style resort featuring a supersleek 11,000-sq.-ft. spa and a see-and-be-seen lounge run by nightclub impresario Rande Gerber, aka Mr. Cindy Crawford. And just last year, ME Cancún started offering one- and two-bedroom member ownership opportunities through the Sol Meliá Vacation Club. Prices vary based upon seasonality and number of weeks purchased; e.g., $31,500 locks in one non-holiday week inside a one-bedroom suite for the next 50 years, while $45,000 allows members to spend the next 50 holiday

seasons inside a spacious two-bedroom suite. All include access to The Level, the resort’s exclusive V.I.P. area offering a private whirlpool, aromatherapy products, complimentary cocktails and Wi-Fi.

Despite Cancún’s newfound upscale ambitions, there’s no denying that Mexico’s destination du jour is now the Riviera Maya, a scenic shoreline stretching 80 miles south from Cancún. Located just outside the delightful beach town of Playa del Carmen, Mayakoba is a 600-acre, $2.4 billion eco-friendly resort complex housing the finest names in hospitality, including Banyan Tree, Fairmont, La Casa Que Canta, Mandarin Oriental, Rosewood and Viceroy. We won’t spend too much time here because AFM featured Mayakoba extensively in its September 2007 issue; however, we recently received the update that the Viceroy has broken ground on 120 lagoon residences (studio, one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom), as well as 44 beachfront residences (studio, one-, two-, four- and five-bedroom). Fully furnished, these resort residences start at $995,000 and top out at $2.5 million.

Last but no longer least, let’s head back to the northern terminus of the Sea of Cortez and the once sleepy village where overheated Valley dwellers have been cooling off for decades. Yes, Puerto Peñasco, aka Rocky Point, has gone decidedly upscale with developments including the Las Palomas Beach & Golf Resort, a 350-acre golf community lining the famed Sandy Beach. Featuring AAA four-diamond cuisine from Executive Chef Patrick Louis, a links-style 18-hole golf course, all-suite accommodations, a fitness center and multiple infinity pools strung together by a lazy river, Las Palomas plans to open an additional 500 condos, golf-course homes and town homes over the next couple of years. Pricing ranges from $269,000 to $1,347,000.

Joya Spa Giveaway