6 Best Hotels in Ensenada, Los Cabos and the Baja Peninsula

As Ensenada's only boutique hotel, this historic home (circa 1887) also happens to be Baja’s oldest, with five English-style rooms named after the original owner’s favorite flowers---Daisy, Lily, Gardenia, Rose, and Jasmine. Each room has a sweet personality, with wooden floors, antique furnishings, footed tubs in private baths, and subtle touches to remind you of the past when Adelina and her banker husband lived here. In 2016, the “casa” saw new life as a B&B thanks to Adelina’s grandson who saved it from the wrecking ball. Walls are adorned with black-and-white photos of the original home, and in the study you’re likely to find first-edition books by Charles Dickens and other authors. Included in the unbeatable rate is breakfast, or you can pop into the attached café-bistro-bar "Barlina" serving sandwiches, salads, and artisan drinks.

The most upscale hotel in Ensenada has a swanky "Mad Men" vibe, right down to the golden pillars, art deco terrace, and paintings of pin-up girls adorning the lobby and suites. Three restaurants pull out the stops, including Acueducto, which serves a sprawling Sunday brunch. Lucerna is the hotel to see and be seen, especially in the lobby where a tuxedoed pianist tickles the ivories at a blaring level, which is fine since the clientele seems to enjoy it while working their way from the bar to the pool deck. Dapper rooms are spacious and comfy with narrow balconies and soft white bedding. Request an ocean-facing room; although there’s no direct beach access, the views are spectacular. A spa, gym, pool, and business center are just a few of the creature comforts that will have you rethinking your checkout day.

Families love this long-standing resort on Ensenada's top beach, especially because of its private location and endless activities like horseback riding, tennis, volleyball, kayaking, and Jet Skiing. Behind the secure grounds are the resort, an RV park, and a retirement community, all with access to a swimming pool, two restaurants, and a children's playground. The best rooms (some with kitchenettes) are by the sand and have sliding glass doors that lead to private patios where you can watch dolphins and seals swimming in the bay. Be sure to check out the outstanding collection of pre-Columbian artifacts in the resort's small museum. Midweek winter rates are a real bargain, and there are other frequent specials on the website.

In addition to its own marina and artificial beach, this all-suites resort has indoor-outdoor pools, a spa, tennis courts, a water-sports center, and a sports bar overlooking the bay. The horseshoe-shape layout means that every room has a marina view, but corner suites on either end are by far superior. All guest quarters have refrigerators, coffeemakers, lounge areas, balconies, flat-screens, and either a king-size bed or two full beds. Even the most basic rooms are surprisingly large. Rates drop substantially midweek and between October and March. For those traveling to and from San Diego, the hotel has a shuttle service for $550 for a 10-passenger van. For a sampling of the hotel without the full bill, just $30 will grant you day access to the pools, sauna, and grounds.

This intimate hotel north of Ensenada has rooms facing the ocean, but it's the infinity pool spilling into the sea that will take your breath away. Paying tribute to "Las Rosas," the atrium lobby has rose-color walls and mint-green railings leading to rooms on four floors. Those on the top have A-frame ceilings and the best views, but all rooms have queen beds with white duvets, flat-screen TVs, green tiled bathrooms, and small balconies facing the ocean. The pool, bar, spa, tennis court, and restaurant will likely keep you out of your room, many of which have an '80s feel that will take you back to when the hotel was in its prime.

In one of Ensenada’s most beautiful settings, this 27-room hotel has charm and tranquillity to spare with spacious rooms that have balconies facing the ocean. A long driveway leads to a modern glass-walled lobby and three buildings housing rooms with flat-screen TV’s, minibars, and Wi-Fi. Those in building No. 2 are slightly larger and have direct views of the pool and ocean. For outstanding seafood, visit the restaurant where you can enjoy a refreshing cocktail and watch the sunset. Unlike other hotels in the area, this family-owned property is set far back from the main road for the ultimate peace and privacy.