Hotel San Cristóbal, the Bunkhouse group’s first international property, has revealed a handful of new additions to the boutique property. We stepped inside for a closer look…
Initially opened in 2017, the latest additions to Hotel San Cristóbal mark a new chapter for the 32-key beachfront hotel and includes the debut of an al fresco restaurant, Cosecha, along with new oceanfront guestrooms featuring private saltwater plunge pools with enlarged patios overlooking the ocean. The introduction of Cosecha and private plunge pool rooms furthers Bunkhouse’s reputation for building memorable experiences that are rooted in the communities in which they exist.
Image credit: Hugo Campoy
Located down a winding dirt road about an hour north of Cabo on the coast of Todos Santos, Baja California Sur in Mexico, Hotel San Cristóbal overlooks picturesque Punta Lobos beach and the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains, providing a serene setting where sea, desert, and mountains all converge. Alongside the opening of Cosecha and the new plunge pool rooms, the hotel features two additional dining concepts, an emerald-green infinity pool with two jacuzzis, a stand-alone retail shop, a dedicated beachfront called La Playita and additional public spaces such as a library and chapel.
Image credit: Carlo Mercado
“Both of these projects have been in the works for several years now and we’re all so thrilled to finally see them coming to fruition,” said Bunkhouse Hotel’s President, Lisa Bonifacio. “The new room types and restaurant add so much to an already exceptional guests experience, affording our guests the opportunity to get even more up close and personal with the flavours of Baja and beauty of the surrounding landscape.”
Image credit: Carlo Mercado
Located in the hotel’s front garden, Cosecha is a new 52-seat restaurant offering a true garden-to-table dining experience helmed by Chef Ramón Monteverde, who has travelled throughout Mexico to work at top kitchens such as La Postrería in Guadalajara. Alongside Benno, the property’s oceanfront restaurant inspired by the flavours of Baja with a Mediterranean sensibility and the Pool Bar, a casual concept for bites from ceviche to tacos and salads, the addition of Cosecha expands upon Hotel San Cristóbal’s distinct culinary offerings.
Where Benno is a celebration of the bounty of the sea, Cosecha elevates the ever-providing earth and our role as caretaker in this thriving ecosystem. Spanish for ‘harvest’, Cosecha’s menu is inspired by the seasonal harvest and ingredients found directly in the garden, with large format, family-style dishes such as bountiful fresh salads and freshly caught, whole cooked fishes caught right off of the hotel’s beach.
Image credit: Hugo Campoy
Designed by Bunkhouse, the al fresco destination restaurant seamlessly merges the essence of Hotel San Cristóbal and Todos Santos. Steps from the hotel’s entrance, a plant-lined pathway dotted with solar-powered lanterns leads guests through an array of thoughtfully cultivated fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables, offering a chance of reflection before enjoying a meal centered around this local produce.
The restaurant design embraces and celebrates the scenic and natural surroundings by utilising thoughtfully crafted sustainable materials native to Mexico to build the restaurant’s outdoor structure and furniture, such as seating designed by Mexa Design with woven palm backing, mirroring the architectural shade structures above and custom dining tables from Guadalajara featuring a playful tile top that infuses the color of the sea into the desert setting. The native materials continue in the fully outdoor kitchen, boasting three wooden pieces of furniture including a stone oven and stove serving as a comal and grill.
Image credit: Hugo Campoy
“The sea has always been such a source of inspiration for our menus, especially at Benno, but there is so much more to Baja and Todos Santos, beyond the bounty of the ocean,” said Ramón Monteverde, Chef de Cuisine, Hotel San Cristóbal. “Cosecha showcases the flavours of our garden and of the seasonal harvests that it yields, telling the story of our culinary culture through my team’s spins on traditional dishes and cooking styles.”
Image credit: Hugo Campoy
In addition, Hotel San Cristóbal has unveiled six luxurious oceanfront guestrooms which now feature private, newly enlarged patios with saltwater plunge pools and built-in seating, providing an intimate oasis to unwind and connect with nature. Surrounded by lush landscaping designed with local species such as Pandamos and Carissas, the patios were built out to be even closer to the ocean, boasting shaded, built-in sofas, alongside new dining tables, chairs and sunbeds all newly fabricated by Mexa Design based in Guadalajara. San Cristóbal’s signature tiles were preserved and incorporated alongside local, natural materials such as arena lavada to extend the patios and shape the plunge pools.
The interiors of the guest rooms and suites feature Guatemalan fabrics and unique Mexican ceramic and light fixtures, along with custom-designed furniture by Guadalajara designers and premium mattresses handcrafted by Cocomat, made of coconut fibers, cactus, and seaweed. Several of the bathrooms feature outdoor showers, while all include Waterworks bath fixtures, hand-painted traditional Mexican porcelain accessories and bath products from Malin + Goetz.
Bunkhouse currently operates six (of its ten) hotels in Texas, including five in Austin and one in San Antonio, and recently announced two Houston projects, Hotel Saint Augustine which is set to open in fall 2024 in the Montrose neighbourhood, along with Hotel Daphne, set to open in 2025 in the Heights neighbourhood, while having recently expanded to Louisville with Hotel Genevieve and Mexico City with Hotel San Fernando.
Main image credit: Hugo Campoy
