The exclusive West Coast of Mexico was our family’s Summer reward after wintering in Colorado and North America. With so much choice, I went through my usual process of finding places that I loved the look of then thinking, what can I find that’s even better? I investigated dozens of hotels, looking for luxury with local flavour where my whole family could soak up the sun, visit a coastal town and share our last days of a huge journey together.

Esperenza had already got my attention because I had seen the Ben Stiller comedy, “The Heartbreak Kid” only months before. I liked the dramatic rows of date palms and great common area with its high-thatched roof. But in the end this resort seemed a bit busy and built up. I don’t love mid-rise 3-story buildings and couldn’t get beyond the scale issue. I have subsequently discovered that they do have stand-alone ‘casitas.’

I loved photos of the luxurious “LAS VENTANAS”. The simple white purity of the stone architecture, round towers and vaulted ceilings really appeals to me. The super chic design sensibility of LAS VENTANAS also drew me in. It has beautiful blues with that layer of Mexican texture that Sheira and I instantly respond to, such as mosaic tile bedheads, wrought iron chandeliers and mattresses on sculpted, white stone platforms.

The interesting architecture goes beyond the rectangle: it is very low rise and tiered, with curved walls, pillars and a beautifully lit pool area. There was a fresh, modern look about it.

“The One and Only” seemed more child friendly, couldn’t possibly be anywhere else but Mexico and was consistently referred to as the Number One Resort in this part of the world. In the end, I knew we just had to try it !