Luxury Travel Advisor - July 2008 - (Page 29)

RANCHO LAS CRUCES is set on a fabulous stretch of sand in the south- ern portion of Baja California (opposite). ACCOMMODATIONS are spacious and inviting. Shown at right is the liv- ing room of the four-bedroom Lordan House (top) and the living room of an Ocean-front Casita (center). THE SWIMMING POOL conjures up images of Old Hollywood, when movie stars flocked to this exclusive resort (bottom). has bred an easy intimacy that is the essence of Las Cruces and the reason owner Niki Rodriguez (Rod’s son) still favors the private club model. This allows the almost unheard-of policy of not issuing room keys. That’s right: no locks or keys on any of the doors to the rooms, suites or cabanas. But instead of being worrisome, the feeling is oddly liberating: There are no keys to lose or keep track of, and no concerns about security. Las Cruces is accessible only by private airstrip—long enough for private prop jets, or short air-taxi hops from the international airports of La Paz (closest) or San Jose del Cabo (a 25-minute flight)—or after a 45-minute drive on a dirt road whose entrance to the property is barred by an elaborate gate. The staff, many of whom live on the premises, are devoted; some have been with the resort since Niki was a boy, or are second-generation employees. Indeed, it is the meticulously trained staff that is the key to Las Cruces’ pampering environment. Of course, the rooms are beautiful, comfortable and classy. But it is not the in-your-face kind of lavishness reflected in brocaded furniture or multi-layered curtains. It is, rather, the understated elegance that comes from perfectly crafted and finished wood furnishings that are worthy of gracing the homes of Spanish colonial nobility. The real luxury of Las Cruces is the service that caters to every spoken and unspoken wish. Enjoying a drink before dinner? No sooner are you finished than a refill appears silently at your elbow. Need some laundry done? Just leave your dirty clothes on the floor; they’ll be cleaned and returned before you’ve realized they’re gone. There is no extra charge for laundry service; it is included in the rates, as are the three delicious meals served up every day (drinks from the bar are extra). There really is no way to tabulate this kind of service—service such as the kitchen remembering exactly how you like your homestyle food prepared. Or resident masseuse Lupe Miranda knowing exactly how to get your body to relax (massages are the only spa treatments). Or the general manager himself acting as concierge, arranging horseback riding for all levels of riders or boat excursions for sportfishing, whale watching or swimming with dolphins. For reservations and more information, contact General Manager Fernando Poucet at hotel_las_cruces@hotmail.com or (858) 764-4122. —Buzzy Gordon www.luxuryta.com July 2008 | LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR 29 http://www.luxuryta.com

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Luxury Travel Advisor - July 2008 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter California Coast Tuscan Villas Ranch Vacations Gansevoort South Rancho Las Cruces Reserva Conchal Spas of the Maldives St. Lucia A Gentleman's Touch The Pulse Just Back Sightings Source List

Luxury Travel Advisor - July 2008

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