A basic trip to Los Cabos, Mexico implies a large hotel room with a view of the beach. Within minutes of putting your bathing suit on, you'll have sand between your toes. This sort of baseline can make it tough for a hotel to stand out. If every one is within striking distance of that lovely turquoise water – and each has an attentive staff and cozy digs – what can one hotel do differently? Upon entering my room at Hoteles Marquis Los Cabos, I learned the answer: everything.

You realize that Hoteles Marquis is a special resort when you pull into the driveway. A covered outdoor lobby is framed by a dramatic space, with the curved walls leading your eye to a carefully designed display that links the statue to the pool to the water ... and ultimately to the horizon. Practicality is not sacrificed for the sake of design, however, as cool air is corralled to offset the powerful Cabo sun only footsteps away. The registration process is as swift as it can be, and a refreshing drink makes it a bit more enjoyable. Hey, forms have to be filled out and credit cards imprinted – nature of the beast.

"I'm sorry if you'll be sore tomorrow," the massage therapist informed me unprompted, "but you needed it."

Set foot in the Spa at Esperanza in Los Cabos, Mexico, and you will encounter professionals who know their jobs cold. Surrender yourself to their capable hands, and you will not be disappointed. From the front desk, where your order for a post-treatment beverage is taken, to the gender-specific and general relaxation areas to the treatment rooms, you will be treated to the sights and sounds of trickling water, stone-based décor (commonplace in this part of Mexico) and a staff that is singularly focused on relieving you of the emotional baggage that you carried onto the plane en route to Baja California Sur.

The Spa at Esperanza, part of the Esperanza Resort, offers a wide selection of treatments, including facials, massages, manicure and pedicure packages, private yoga sessions and couples options. In addition to the basic presentations of these themes – such as the Esperanza Massage, the deep-tissue treatment I enjoyed through which I persevered – twists are available to suit your mood or help you connect more closely with the part of the world you're visiting. The Corona Beer Face Lift, Papaya Plus Enzyme Peel and Avocado Butter Mani/Pedi, for example, feature local color that you're unlikely to encounter back home. Spice up your revitalization a bit with the Esperanza's local expertise.

In the last five years we've seen the Los Cabos area of the Baja peninsula in Mexico go from spring break headquarters to a luxury hot spot. The newest entry into this crowded market is Quivira Los Cabos, $1.5 billion luxury residential resort community launching this spring. Quivira is 1,850-acres of property that includes three miles of beaches. Qivara will be home to a Ritz-Carlton resort on the ocean as well as Ritz-branded private residences. There will also be two Jack Nicklaus-designed courses on the property and it is already home to the Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Holistic Retreat and Spa, a highly-rated destination spa. Estates, villas, condos and home sites will all be offered for sale.

How's this for a second home? The Baja peninsula in Mexico is experiencing a real estate boom and this home is a classic example of the new luxury south of the border. Casa Angel is a resort home in Los Cabos with views of the Sea of Cortez, the mountains and a Greg Norman golf course. The home is part of a master planned community which will eventually have a 535-slip deepwater marina, two eighteen hole championship golf courses and a series of gated residential subdivisions with beach clubs, waterfront retail, restaurants, and four hotels. Features of the home include a gourmet kitchen,three guest suites, a heated infinity pool, a private sundeck, terraces and patio space and a separate studio area. It is listed at $4.5 million. After the jump, your lounge chairs are waiting.

A trio of new resorts are coming to Cabo San Lucas in 2006. The Tesoro Resorts will consist of the Tesoro Los Cabos which is located near Cabo San Lucas marina with 286 rooms and suites, Tesoro Manzanillo, a 331-room property above a beach and Tesoro Ixtapa, a 170-room hideaway located further down the coast. The resorts will be high-end all-inclusive concepts with tropical gardens, swimming pools, restaurants, and spa menus. The Tesoro group grabs up existing properties and then renovates and relaunches them.