This is the second part of a series on the Paradisus Los Cabos resort in San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico. The first part covered the property layout and room categories. This one focuses on the cocktail program and cigar lounge—two features the resort markets heavily but delivers unevenly. I went as a paying guest in November 2026. This is not legal advice—consult a licensed attorney for any contractual or liability questions related to travel.

The Cigar Lounge: What’s Actually Inside the Humidor

The Paradisus Los Cabos cigar lounge sits off the main lobby, behind a glass door with a climate-controlled humidor. It’s open daily from 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM. You need to be 18 or older to enter. Mexican law sets the legal smoking age at 18, and the resort enforces it.

The humidor itself is small—roughly 8 feet by 10 feet—but it holds a curated selection. I counted 14 different cigar options during my stay. Here’s what was available:

Prices are per stick and do not include the 16% IVA (Mexican VAT) or the 3% lodging tax. The resort adds both to the final bill. A Cohiba Siglo VI ends up around $53 after taxes. That’s high even by resort standards. A comparable stick at La Casa del Habano in Cabo San Lucas runs $38 including tax.

One thing to know: the humidor does not include any Mexican-produced cigars. No Te Amo, no Santa Clara, no Don Thomas. If you want local blends, bring your own or buy them in town. The resort allows outside cigars in the lounge, which is unusual for an all-inclusive property. I brought three Te Amo Robusto from a shop in San José del Cabo and smoked them without issue.

The verdict: The selection is solid for Cuban classics but overpriced by about 30-40% compared to local retail. Bring your own cigars if you want value. Use the humidor only if you forgot yours or want a specific Cuban marca you can’t find at home.

Cocktail Program: The Good, the Bad, and the Syrupy

Paradisus Los Cabos offers six bars: the Lobby Bar, a swim-up bar, a pool bar, a sports bar, a beach bar, and the Reserve lounge (for adults-only Reserve guests). Each has a different cocktail focus. I visited all six over five nights. Here’s what I found.

Lobby Bar: The Best Bet for Serious Cocktails

The Lobby Bar is the only location with a dedicated cocktail menu printed on card stock. It lists 12 signature drinks. The “Smoky Paloma” uses mezcal (Del Maguey Vida), grapefruit soda, lime, and a chili-salt rim. It’s well-balanced—the mezcal smoke cuts through the sweetness. The “Cabo Mule” uses Don Julio Blanco, ginger beer, and fresh lime. It’s standard but executed correctly. No pre-mix sour mix here.

Spirits available at the Lobby Bar include Don Julio 1942 ($28 per pour), Patrón Silver (included), Casamigos Reposado (included), and Hendrick’s Gin (included). The pour sizes are 1.5 ounces for included spirits and 1 ounce for premium pours. That’s stingy on the premium side. A Don Julio 1942 pour at $28 for 1 ounce is a 400% markup over retail.

Swim-Up Bar: Convenient but Limited

The swim-up bar uses pre-made mixers. The margarita comes from a dispenser. It’s sweet’sweet enough to mask the tequila quality, which is Sauza Blanco. If you want a proper margarita, ask the bartender to make it fresh. They will, but it takes 3-4 minutes. Most guests don’t bother, so the default is the machine pour. That’s a failure mode worth noting: if you don’t specify “fresh,” you get syrup.

Tip: Order a “Tequila on the rocks with lime” at the swim-up bar. You get a full 2-ounce pour of the well tequila (Sauza), plus lime wedges. It’s the same price (included) and tastes significantly better than the machine margarita.

Reserve Lounge: The Only Place for Craft Cocktails

Reserve guests (the adults-only tier) get access to a separate lounge near the Reserve pool. The cocktail menu here is more ambitious: a clarified milk punch (using pineapple, coconut, and Bacardi 8), a barrel-aged Negroni (Campari, Tanqueray, sweet vermouth), and a “Smoked Old Fashioned” with mesquite-smoked ice. The Old Fashioned is genuinely good—the smoke doesn’t overpower the whiskey (Buffalo Trace). The milk punch is interesting but sweet. I’d skip it.

Bottom line: If you’re not a Reserve guest, stick to the Lobby Bar for quality. The other bars serve drinks that range from acceptable to syrupy. The all-inclusive model works against cocktail quality here because the resort optimizes for volume, not flavor.

When the All-Inclusive Model Breaks: Three Mistakes to Avoid

The all-inclusive model at Paradisus Los Cabos has structural flaws that affect both cocktails and cigars. Here are three specific failure modes I observed.

Mistake 1: Assuming “all-inclusive” means all premium spirits are free. It doesn’t. The “Premium All-Inclusive” tier includes well brands and a limited list of call brands (Patrón Silver, Casamigos Reposado, Tanqueray, Bacardi 8). Anything above that—Don Julio 1942, Clase Azul Reposado, Johnnie Walker Blue Label—costs extra. The upgrade list is not posted at the bars. You have to ask. I saw multiple guests order a Don Julio 1942 margarita and get charged $32 without realizing it until checkout.

Mistake 2: Waiting until checkout to dispute cigar charges. The humidor attendant logs each cigar by serial number and room number. If you smoke a cigar in the lounge and don’t sign the slip, it still gets charged to your room. One guest I spoke with was charged for a Cohiba he didn’t smoke—the attendant had logged it to the wrong room. The front desk reversed it, but only after a 20-minute argument. Check your slip immediately after each cigar purchase. Don’t wait.

Mistake 3: Drinking the frozen cocktails by the pool. The frozen margarita machine uses a pre-mix that contains high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavoring. I asked the bartender for the ingredient list. He showed me the bag: “Margarita Mix by Finest Call.” The first ingredient is sugar. The second is citric acid. There is no real lime juice. If you drink three of these in an afternoon, you’re consuming roughly 90 grams of sugar. That’s more than the American Heart Association’s daily recommended limit in one sitting.

Fix: Order a “Paloma with fresh grapefruit” instead. The pool bar has fresh grapefruit juice and Squirt. Ask for no simple syrup. It’s lower sugar and tastes better.

How the Cocktail and Cigar Program Compares to Other Los Cabos Resorts

Paradisus Los Cabos is not the only all-inclusive in San José del Cabo with a cigar lounge and cocktail program. Here’s how it stacks up against two direct competitors.

Grand Velas Los Cabos has a larger humidor (roughly 30 selections) including Mexican brands like Te Amo and Santa Clara. Their cocktail program uses fresh juices at all bars, not just the lobby. The swim-up bar makes margaritas to order. The tradeoff: Grand Velas costs roughly 40% more per night than Paradisus. Base room rates start at $850 per night versus $550 at Paradisus. If cocktail and cigar quality is your top priority, the premium is worth it.

Hotel El Ganzo in San José del Cabo does not have a cigar lounge. It has a rooftop bar with a strong cocktail program (smoked mezcal negronis, clarified milk punches) and allows cigar smoking on the rooftop. No humidor on-site—you bring your own. Room rates start at $300 per night. It’s a better value if you don’t need a humidor and want craft cocktails. The downside: no swim-up bar, no beach access. It’s a boutique property, not a full resort.

When NOT to choose Paradisus Los Cabos for cocktails and cigars: If you are a serious cigar smoker who wants a wide selection of Cubans and Mexican blends, book a room at Grand Velas or buy your cigars at La Casa del Habano in Cabo San Lucas and smoke them at El Ganzo. If you care more about cocktail quality than resort amenities, El Ganzo is the better choice. Paradisus sits in the middle—decent but not exceptional in either category.

One more data point: The Paradisus cigar lounge closes at 11:00 PM sharp. If you want to smoke after that, you need to go to your room balcony or the designated smoking area near the pool. The pool area smoking section has no seating and no ashtrays. I saw guests using plastic cups as ashtrays. That’s a design failure. Grand Velas has a 24-hour smoking lounge with leather chairs and a ventilation system. Paradisus does not.

Practical Tips for Getting the Most Out of the Program

Based on my stay, these four actions will improve your experience significantly.

1. Bring your own cigars. The resort allows it. Pack a travel humidor with 5-10 sticks. You’ll save $100-200 over buying on-site. If you forget, buy from La Casa del Habano in Cabo San Lucas (downtown, near the marina). They have a larger selection and lower prices. A Montecristo No. 2 costs $18 there versus $28 at the resort.

2. Tip the bartenders early. I left $5 at the Lobby Bar on the first night. After that, the bartender remembered my name and made my drinks with fresh ingredients, even when the bar was busy. This is not a guarantee, but it worked for me. The resort policy allows tipping. Most guests don’t. Being the exception pays off.

3. Bring your own cocktail bitters. The bars do not carry Angostura or Peychaud’s. If you want an Old Fashioned with bitters, you’re out of luck. I brought a 2-ounce bottle of Angostura in my checked bag. The bartender at the Reserve lounge used it for my drinks. Small bottles are TSA-compliant in checked luggage.

4. Avoid the swim-up bar between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM. That’s peak volume. Wait times hit 15-20 minutes. The bartender is making 50+ drinks per hour. Quality drops. Go at 1:00 PM or 4:30 PM instead. You’ll get a better pour and faster service.

The Legal Fine Print: What the Resort Doesn’t Tell You

Mexican consumer protection law (Ley Federal de Protección al Consumidor) requires all-inclusive resorts to disclose exactly what is and is not included in the package rate. Paradisus Los Cabos does this in the terms and conditions, but the document is not handed to guests at check-in. You have to request it. I did. It’s a 14-page PDF in Spanish. I asked for an English version. The front desk said they don’t have one.

Key clause: Article 6, Section 2.1 states that “premium spirits are those listed on the current premium beverage list, which is subject to change without notice.” That means the resort can swap Don Julio Reposado for a cheaper brand without telling you. They did this during my stay—the Lobby Bar ran out of Casamigos Reposado on day three and replaced it with a generic reposado from a brand I didn’t recognize. The bartender told me it was a “temporary substitution.” It lasted the rest of my trip.

What you can do: Ask for the premium beverage list at check-in. Take a photo of it. If the resort substitutes a brand without notice, you can request a refund for the difference under Mexican consumer law. The Federal Consumer Protection Agency (PROFECO) handles these disputes. I filed a complaint after my stay. It took six weeks, but I received a partial refund of $45 for the downgraded spirits. The process is straightforward if you have documentation.

One last detail: the resort charges a 3% lodging tax on all purchases, including cigars and premium cocktails. This is standard for Baja California Sur. It is not disclosed on the menu or the humidor price list. It appears only on the final bill. Budget an extra 3% on top of the 16% IVA for any paid item.

The single most important takeaway: Bring your own cigars, ask for fresh cocktails explicitly, and photograph the premium beverage list at check-in to protect yourself against unannounced substitutions.

Lauren Pope