Casa Luna Escondida: A Manse with Magnitude

Take in the sweeping views of the Sea of Cortez with an entourage of your favorite people. This is a villa over the waters that sleeps as many as 20 guests in a spread that leaves nothing for the wanting.

THE EXPERIENCE

It’s not often you get the chance to live out a fantasy vacation with loving family and friends in a togethering that offers as many ahs and wows as it does precious relaxation spots. Casa Luna Escondida at Villas Del Mar in Los Cabos, Mexico keeps the margaritas flowing in an expanse that brings endless places to connect with conversation and coves for savoring the solitude. Eight bedrooms, nearly all with private terraces and balconies, make it quintessentially comfortable to plan a calming vacation with friends and family. There is room for everything – meals together, sharing favorite films, lounging, swimming, reading, working, and idling the time away while making important memories. The decor here is stately with textured fabrics, ornate crystal chandeliers, decorative ceramic tiling, marble counter accents, and thickly woven carpets. At one moment you might feel as if in a royal castle, in another you are in a five-star hotel. No matter what the moment, each room is its own world of wonders. Let the magic begin.

Size at Casa Luna Escondida matters and that means 12,000 square feet of interior space to roam and another 6,000 square feet of exterior space to explore around the pool and garden grounds. There is no shortage of places to enjoy as you while the day away – including a covered island in the middle of the pool with a hanging opium bed. Dip into the infinity pool – one of three pools on the premises. Of course, it is the grandest with panning views of the wide coastal horizon. Take a few steps down to the sunken garden settee that can seat the whole party. Cozy cushions invite members of the party to watch the stars with you around a magnificent firepit.

Several casual open and airy spaces offer shade and cooling on plush rattan chairs for added indoor/outdoor living. But guests can work on their tans with abandon on thick, oversized loungers around the pool. Inside, bedrooms open up to marvelous terrace elements and many some with whimsical furnishings, such as a set of hanging retro-futuristic plastic pod chairs. Others make it more traditional with deep rattan chairs, as well as daybeds and loungers. Three private casitas, two with their own exclusive plunge pools, complement the sleeping arrangements, and ensure everyone gets a special villa experience. Several of the bedrooms are suites with petite beverage bars and spacious bathrooms that add to the villa’s allure. A grand kitchen, the quarry of the villa’s private chef, is stocked with modern gourmet appliances and even has two kitchen bars – one to work on and one to stage the feasts for guests. Steps away is a formal, as well as casual, dining table for 12 illuminated by two wrought iron chandeliers. The dining room is a palatial living room with an oversized couch and an area for games against a wide wall of windows opening to the expansive views and cool breezes. The cathedral ceiling adds to the grandeur. Guests can also head to the media room to watch films or satellite TV. Or linger outside as the sun’s last rays give into a welcoming sea of stars.

What’s to Love?

Each room is its own personality with plenty of panache to spare. Patios are anterooms sparking lazy thoughts of lounging and reading in complete comfort. Special touches include the suspended opium bed arrangement over the pool, perfect for a shaded break from the strong rays along the Tropic of Cancer. Large bathrooms, oversized soaking tubs, an infinity pool big enough for true swimming satiate the call for sybaritic moments. Outdoor fireplaces and the outdoor firepit add warmth to the wanderings where every room has a purpose and every space, its own awe factor. Having a dedicated chef and butler to manage all matters for the sizable group of guests means that no one has to worry about the details and everyone gets a chance to relax and actually enjoy their vacation.