In late 2022, we saw the opening of Rancho Pescadero, a Hyatt Unbound Collection property in Baja California. Several months later the hotel shut down, after two Americans were found dead, due to an alleged case of carbon monoxide poisoning. If you’ve been curious about what the future holds for this property, now we know (thanks to Corey for flagging this).
Hyatt’s Rancho Pescadero becomes Kimpton’s Mas Olas
Kimpton Mas Olas is accepting reservations for stays as of April 1, 2024. The resort is located in the small village of El Pescadero, Mexico, in Baja California Sur. The resort is a roughly 70-minute drive from Los Cabos International Airport (SJD), and just a little bit closer to Cabo San Lucas.
Kimpton Mas Olas is a 30-acre oceanfront property, where the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains meet the Pacific Ocean. The property features 103 rooms (including 13 villas), three restaurants and bars, a coffee shop, a 25,000 square foot spa (including a gym and lap pool), pickleball courts, pilates and yoga studios, and more.
Kimpton is of course IHG’s high-end lifestyle brands, so you’ll be able to earn and redeem IHG One Rewards points for stays here.
Regarding this opening (and the controversy surrounding it), IHG has issued the following statement:
IHG Hotels & Resorts and its brands were not affiliated with the resort when the unfortunate incident occurred. Kimpton Mas Olas Resort & Spa is now led by new brand management and leadership. The resort underwent a rigorous top-to-bottom re-inspection of all hotel safety processes and operating systems, including mechanical equipment, and continues to invest in the latest technology and processes to ensure the safety of our guests and employees. All changes and improvements have been validated by IHG Hotels & Resorts’ safety and risk team as well as third-party experts and meet local government safety requirements. Our goal is to bring the IHG and Kimpton experience to travelers traveling to Todos Santos through the resort’s beautifully designed spaces, opportunities to relax and indulge, and expertly crafted restaurant and bar experiences. We look forward to welcoming guests through our doors soon.
Would you stay at a resort with this history?
I’m curious how OMAAT readers feel about this situation. Ever since the hotel closed about nine months ago, I was wondering what would become of this property. I figured it would reopen eventually with a different name, though I wasn’t sure if it would be independent, or if another hotel group would be willing to sign the property. For what it’s worth, it’s my understanding that the hotel still has the same owner.
With that in mind, I’m curious, would you stay at this property? I imagine the resort is safe at this point, in the sense that any carbon monoxide concerns have been addressed (at least I’d hope so — though you can always bring your own carbon monoxide detector, just to be safe).
However, personally I couldn’t bring myself to actually stay here. The negligence shown by the people running the hotel the first time around disgusts me beyond words. It’s one thing if the death of two guests was an honest mistake that no one could have predicted, but clearly that wasn’t the case.
A former manager at the property had revealed that the carbon monoxide detectors at the property sounded frequently over a period of several months, and after repeated complaints from guests about loud alarms, the property reportedly decided to disable the detectors.
Other employees claimed that management ignored complaints about the strong smell of gas from both guests and employees. For that matter, a few days before the two guests were found dead, a housekeeper cleaning that same room reportedly fell ill because of suspected gas poisoning.
As much as I adore Baja California and would love to visit this property in general, I just don’t think I’d actually enjoy myself, knowing what I know. But that’s just me.
Bottom line
Kimpton Mas Olas is accepting reservations for stays as of April 1, 2024, and it’s a beautiful resort in Baja California. The catch is that this is the former Hyatt Rancho Pescadero property, where two guests died due to carbon monoxide poisoning, in an entirely preventable situation.
I was curious what would become of this property, and now we know. Personally I’m steering clear.
What do you make of Kimpton Mas Olas? Would you stay here?
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