Drift, San Jose del Cabo
We had no idea how much we’d like San Jose del Cabo. In fact, we hadn’t really thought much about it at all. Mostly, we just thought it would be a good place to regroup after several weeks of driving around Baja California Sur. We planned to stay for two nights before catching our flight back to NYC. In the end we stayed for much longer — an entire extra week to be exact. And even then we didn’t really want to leave.
Part of the reason — okay, a lot of the reason — was because of Drift. To put it simply: We fell in love with the place. It's the kind of hotel that feels like home the moment yo arrive. Not your real home, mind you, but the shimmering, sun-kissed home of your dreams.
Tucked behind a high white wall in the historic Arts District of San Jose, it also feels like a really good secret. There's no sign — just a small lighted marquis with the outline of a bull's head over the solid front gate. Once inside, you’ll find a shaded courtyard with a small swimming pool. It’s around this communal space that Drift’s eight gorgeous guest rooms face, and it’s in this space where guests gather after sunset around the fire or at the candlelit bar to sip mezcal.
Community is at the very heart of Drift. It's the gathering of like-minded travelers and wanderers that makes the place so special and so damn fun. You'll definitely make a new friend over coffee or while pressing oranges for juice in the central shared kitchen, or while watching the sun set from the rooftop in the late afternoon. You might even end up hitching an impromptu ride to an undiscovered surf break with the guy staying in the room next to yours. It’s a bit like a grown-up hostel in that sense. But despite the fact that a night at Drift costs much less than you'd expect, it is not a hostel, make no mistake. Drift is leaps and bounds above anything like that — especially when it comes to looks. Because, in case you couldn't tell by the photos, it's gorgeous. Owner Stu Waddel has carefully designed and curated every square inch of the bright, clean-lined space, and the result is a succulent-accented feast for the eyes that never once feels overwrought or over the top. Hammocks sway between doorways, candles flicker on table tops... but you might not notice them right away because they so seamlessly fit in. The sum is greater than the parts.
The mezcal bar.
The communal kitchen has free coffee and DIY orange juice in the morning and an honor system "mini super" stocked with snacks. A hand-drawn map features recommendations for restaurants and nearby shops.
