5 Things Americans Should Not Do At Los Cabos Resorts According To Staff

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I remember when I first started flying down to Los Cabos from LAX over twenty years ago. The Baja peninsula was a little simpler back then. But as this destination has evolved into a mega-luxury hub for American travelers, the resorts have transformed right alongside it.

I always want to be a good traveler, especially when visiting a place I consider a second home. On my most recent trip down to Cabo San Lucas, I hopped around and stayed at three different all-inclusive properties. During my stay, I made it a point to pull aside the bartenders, concierges, and housekeeping staff to ask them a simple question: What makes your job harder that U.S. travelers consistently get wrong?

Behind the scenes of every perfect poolside margarita is an army of dedicated hospitality workers. If you want to be a favorite guest and ensure a frictionless vacation, here are the top five things you should absolutely avoid doing at a Cabo resort, straight from the staff themselves.

1. Don’t Try To Sneak In Unregistered Guests

It is incredibly tempting to invite a friend who rented an Airbnb up the highway or is staying at a cheaper hotel to come check out your resort’s amazing infinity pool. But attempting to sneak them in is a massive mistake. Cabo properties strictly monitor capacity and on-site consumption through wristbands and room-key systems.

“Guests often try to walk their friends in right off the sand on Medano Beach,” explains Carlos, a front-gate security supervisor at a major Cabo San Lucas property. “We know exactly who belongs on the property. When we catch unregistered visitors, it creates a highly embarrassing situation for everyone, and the guests are forced to either pay a premium for a day pass on the spot or leave the property immediately. Just go to the front desk and buy the pass.”

2. Don’t Assume ‘All-Inclusive’ Means ‘No Tipping’

One of the biggest selling points of an all-inclusive package is that your meals and drinks are paid for before you even leave the States. However, that does not mean you should leave your cash in the room safe for your entire trip. If you think inflation has hit hard stateside, the cost of living in Los Cabos has skyrocketed, and hospitality workers feel it the most.

“A lot of visitors think that because they paid thousands for their flight and room, they do not need to tip,” says Maria, a veteran lobby bartender. “While tipping is not mandatory, it is the core of our livelihood. Leaving a few dollars, or a small tip for the housekeeping staff, makes a massive difference for our families. Plus, the guests who take care of the staff are always the ones whose drinks arrive before they even have to ask.”

3. Don’t Leave Your Valuables Out In The Open

When you check into a high-end luxury resort in the tourist corridor, it is easy to let your guard down and feel like you are in a completely protected, private bubble. However, leaving high-priced electronics or your travel documents exposed is a recipe for disaster.

“We find iPhones, designer sunglasses, and wallets left entirely unattended on pool chairs while guests are in the water for an hour,” says Diego, a beach concierge. “Even in the rooms, guests will cash or their U.S. passports right on the nightstand. While our staff is incredibly honest, these resorts are huge, sprawling properties with thousands of people coming and going. Use the in-room safe for your passports, and don’t bring your most expensive belongings down to the pool if you aren’t going to keep an eye on them.”

4. Don’t Ignore The Door Signs

It sounds incredibly simple, but failing to use the small signs provided in your room causes endless headaches for the housekeeping departments and often leads to unnecessary front-desk complaints.

“I cannot tell you how many times a guest will call furiously complaining that their room wasn’t cleaned, but they left the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door all afternoon,” explains Rosa, a housekeeping supervisor. “On the flip side, Americans on vacation love to sleep in. They get very angry when we knock on the door at 9:00 AM to clean, waking them up, because they forgot to put the sign out. If you want to sleep off last night’s tequila, use the sign. If you leave for a morning excursion and want fresh towels, put up the green ‘Make Up Room’ sign. It solves ninety percent of our daily issues.”

5. Don’t Yell In English When You Are Frustrated

Travel can be stressful, and things go wrong. I can’t believe I am going to admit this, but there was one time I completely lost my cool on a trip. My room service order was taking over two hours. I finally called down to the kitchen and was speaking so fast and so angrily about the delay. It wasn’t until after I aggressively hung up the phone that I realized they probably didn’t understand a single word I just said.

“Most of the resort staff speak conversational English, but we are not native speakers,” says Luis, a guest services manager. “When a guest is angry and starts yelling at a very fast pace in English, their accent and speed make it almost impossible for us to understand what the actual problem is. The staff will freeze because they don’t want to give the wrong answer. If you have a serious issue, ask to speak to a supervisor, and explain the problem slowly and calmly. We genuinely want to fix the issue for you, but we can only help if we can understand exactly what you need.”

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