Checking into the Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort, we were prepared to be underwhelmed. With the exception of a few truly unique properties, the Hilton brand has been firmly mired in what we’d call upper-mediocre. Following a multi-million dollar renovation in the wake of the devastating Hurricane Odile that hit in 2014 however, the Hilton Los Cabos has joined the elite few. A standard-bearer of what the Hilton name might regain in terms of luxury, service and great design, the renovation has put Hilton Los Cabos in direct competition with the resort community’s two crown jewels, One&Only Palmilla and Las Ventanas. Any lingering skepticism is easily dismissed when you find out that this is the destination Hilton executives unerringly pick for their own vacations – out of the 500-plus properties they own worldwide.

All phases of the renovations, which took a year and a half to complete, are now up and running. Enhancements and upgrades were needed property-wide following the near-total destruction wreaked by Odile, from which some of the area’s resorts are still not, and may never be, fully recovered. New to the Hilton Los Cabos are the La Vista Club lounge along with 65 Club-level suites, comprising a sort of hotel-within-a-hotel; an impressive 7,000-square-foot spa and salon; reimagined culinary and bar concepts; and private cabanas and hammocks and expanded green spaces by the picture perfect beach and infinity pools. The resort already had the distinction of fronting one of the destination’s only beaches suitable for swimming, and it is now equipped to stage events on the beach making full use of its revitalized services and especially the new culinary food and beverage teams.

One of the key points in the resort’s revivification is that it’s new interiors were not selected by some overly budget-conscious committee, a true danger in brands of Hilton’s size. Acclaimed hospitality design firm Hirsch Bedner & Associates (HBA) of Santa Monica was brought in to redo the property’s spaces from scratch, with a brief to engage and celebrate Mexican heritage in every element of the redesign and above all to make full use of the site’s prime ocean views and sunlight gracing every area. HBA commissioned artworks, natural architectural details, custom carved woodwork, and handwoven Mexican textiles in a extremely tasteful palette dominated by neutral tones but with bright pops of color, never overwhelming.

There are now a total of seven restaurant concepts at the resort under the direction of Executive Chef Mauricio Lopez, including the new Mio swim-up bar, Azul lobby bar, La Onda beach bar, and Vela restaurant, backed by complete re-dos of the resort’s existing El Meson and Madero dining venues. Mio’s focus is on light, healthy fare, while Azul, which now ranks among Mexico’s best hotel bars, bowls you over from the moment you enter with dramatic ocean views and a massive terrace for making the most of it. Azul’s focus is on tequila and mezcal, of which is now boasts the largest selection in Los Cabos. The cocktail program has been brought up to par with a world-class luxury resort as well. And one alluring feature is the unique wood paneled wall which was in fact created with repurposed cupboard, dresser and armoire doors salvaged from antique pieces that didn’t survive the hurricane intact.

Mio, Madero and La Onda offer casual fare for those who like to stay close to the beach and pool. El Meson and Vela, the property’s fine dining restaurants, again have knockout terraces that are equally appealing in the daytime as at night. All of the venues, but El Meson and Vela in particular, benefit from the incredible abundance of fresh local ingredients from farms in the fertile valleys just beyond the confines of Los Cabos. With so much to choose from their chefs can afford to be particular about getting the very best, and have forged arrangements with growers of incredible organic fruit, vegetables, herbs and more that serve as the ingredients for the inventive dishes they concoct on a daily basis. That allows for true farm-to-fork breakfast and sea-to-table dinner menus.

One of the most recently completed upgrades is the new La Vista Club, which features a collection of 65 premium guest rooms and suites with access to the all-new La Vista Club Lounge – formerly the General Manager’s private office suite – adjacent to Azul and with a fantastic view of the Sea of Cortez, and its exclusive perks. Again this is a feature which elevates the Hilton Los Cabos into a new category. La Vista Club guests receive a pre-arrival consultation from the hotel’s VIP Experience Concierge, who then follows up with on-site assistance to customize their experience with activities on property, offsite excursions, dining reservations, and more. The Lounge itself offers complimentary snacks and drinks throughout the day and serves as a private refuge for its members in residence. The spacious club-level rooms and suites feature extended balconies, custom made furnishings, marble baths and special amenities.

Perhaps the most impressive result of the new renovations is a brand new 7,000-square-foot spa and fitness center focusing on holistic health and wellness, with the ability to configure various spaces according to guest’s needs. It features 15 treatment rooms, three pedicure stations and four manicure tables, as well as a new Zen Garden and 650 square foot Movement Studio for spinning, TRX, Zumba, Arial Yoga, and more, offering an array of classes with the ability to move exercise equipment into different positions throughout. Certain treatments incorporate local Mexican techniques that are not found anywhere else. And as another example of what the property’s new food and beverage teams can do, guests can arrange to have events catered on the spa’s terrace itself, with menus and even cocktails using ingredients selected at the farm that day designed with a health-conscious lifestyle in mind.