Setting the chessboard
Cabo's top hotels, Kauai real estate, Wilde's, Four Seasons Jackson Hole, FOUND subscribers' favorite restaurants, MORE
GETAWAYS • Baja, Mexico
Cabo, reconsidered
Cabo can get a bad rap. The bachelorette bloat, the airport arrivals margarita maelstrom, the sunburned deep‑sea fishermen in wraparound shades. But underneath the clichés, there’s also a live case study in luxury brand strategy and a high‑stakes battle for affluent loyalty.
Let’s start with the Auberge resorts, which are executing well in the corridor with a two‑pronged approach:
Esperanza (above) plays the discreet card: low‑profile, carved into the cliffs, framed by crashing Pacific drama. No swimmable beach, but that’s missing the point. The tone is more subdued, the crowd (somewhat) considerate, and the service is thoughtful, particularly at the adult pool, without being obsequious. The new general manager, Fernando Flores, formerly of the Waldorf nearby, brings strong market experience and operational polish. He’s new at the property, but he has the touch. It’s a resort for people who know what they like, and who want to be left alone to enjoy it.
Chileno Bay, by contrast, is the extrovert. Modernist architecture, bright edges, white walls, and a clean design language skewing younger — more ‘Rivian driver.’ It sits on a (rare for the area) swimmable beach and delivers the kind of energy Esperanza avoids. It’s also home to Comal, where chef Yvan Mucharraz is making the best food in Cabo, full stop. Not “good for a resort,” but actually good. Bonus: guests have access to the Discovery Land golf course nearby, otherwise off‑limits to most.
Meanwhile, the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal is playing its own game, perhaps the most engineered luxury experience of the bunch: private tunnel entrance, cliffside rooms, plunge pools, exceptional butler service, and arguably Cabo’s best spa (with long-tenured therapists and herbaceous sensory touch aplenty). The entire property is intentional, precise, confident. The Waldorf’s surprise standout is Neutral Café, a superb coffee shop for a morning cup. Guests can also indulge in a guided coffee tasting that dives into altitude, climate, origin, and processing. It’s as thoughtful and nuanced as the entire experience.
But for what’s next, you need to leave Cabo entirely, at least in spirit. Drive east from the airport on a nicely maintained road (watch out for the cows) and you’ll eventually hit Costa Palmas, home to the Four Seasons East Cape. Entirely different in feel, it’s the inverse of Cabo proper: quiet and remote. The beach is perfect white sand, swimmable, and a short boat ride from a protected marine reserve, a haven for scuba divers.
The Four Seasons is the first mover, and current star GM for the brand Sandra Oliva is managing the large property well. The chessboard is also being set within the larger developments. Aman is opening next door with a smaller footprint, plus residences. It’s been announced Raffles will soon join the mix. What’s emerging is a new axis of Baja hospitality, calibrated for people who want remote beauty minus the Cabo buzz.
There’s no single right answer. But there are more solid options than ever. –Colin Nagy
REAL ESTATE • First Mover
Three for-sale properties in Kauai that came to market in the last 30 days.
→ 3275 Kalihiwai Rd #A & B (Kilauea, above) • 4BR/5BA, 4539 SF 2-unit CPR • Ask: $9.699M • sweeping views with separate cottage, easy access to Anini Beach • Days on market: 8 • Agent: Rick Kepler, Coldwell Banker Island Properties.
→ 4271 Anini Rd (Kilauea) • 2BR/2BA, 2109 SF house • Ask: $5.4M • classic Hawaiian-style on quiet end of Anini Beach • Days on market: 18 • Agents: Chadd White & Donna Apisa, Sotheby’s.
→ 2540-C Halaulani Rd (Kilauea) • 3BR/4BA, 2502 SF house • Ask: $4.475M • contemporary Bali-inspired with no other homes in sight, 1200 SF lanai • Days on market: 23 • Agents: Tiffany Spencer & Ben Welborn, Hawai’i Life.
RESTAURANTS • Los Angeles
Wilde life
By 530p on a recent rainy Saturday night, a long line of hopeful diners formed outside the door of Wilde’s, the new British-inspired restaurant in Los Feliz. The restaurant glows through its windows from the soft warm light of candles, every coveted seat occupied. Upon finally reaching the host stand, some of those in line are told that a table would be available in three and a half hours, making that cozy dining room somehow glow even more.
In late October, childhood friends Tatiana Ettensberger and chef Natasha Price opened the doors of the spot they’d been dreaming up since they were kids. Thirty years after those dreams, Wilde’s has come to life at just the right time, in a neighborhood clearly hungry for it. “It’s a phenomenon!” says Ettensberger, who seems genuinely shocked by its reception
Humbly described in few words on the menu — ‘Welsh rarebit,’ ‘bangers and mash,’ ‘battered skate and mint,’ ‘meat pie for two’ — the food is both of LA and the taverns of rural England. A meal might start with kanpachi crudo topped with thinly sliced fennel and horseradish, or bright and bitter chicory salad with satsumas, toasted hazelnuts, and sheep’s curd. These produce-driven small plates are welcome counterpoints to the rich British fare that follows. The bangers are made brat style with whole mustard seeds, and the addition of sweet mostarda complements the traditional dish. It’s very difficult to decide between Eton mess and sticky toffee pudding for dessert. –Heather Platt
HOTELS • Jackson Hole, WY
Teton two-step
Switching into mountain mode is easy when you arrive at the Four Seasons Jackson Hole. Maybe it’s the crisp air, the top-tier service, or the location, with stunning views of Rendezvous Mountain and the most direct access to the lifts of any hotel in Teton Village.
This was my first visit to the Four Seasons since the renovation of the guest rooms in 2022, which resulted in noticeable upgrades to the furnishings, millwork, and decor, as well as new dedicated work areas. Our room proved a lovely place for breakfast — so lovely, in fact, that I ordered room service most mornings.
Skiers in Jackson are notoriously hardcore, rarely willing to waste a minute off the mountain. If this sounds like you, you’ll love the Base Camp ski concierge. The team takes care of your gear — warming boots each morning, tuning skis and boards, sharing insider tips on mountain conditions, and stationing the equipment just steps from the lifts. This amenity is what really sets the Four Seasons apart. –Sarah Jackson
AROUND FOUND • Other Notable Intel & Recs
→ YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS: FOUND revealed subscribers’ favorite restaurants this week in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and London. (Methodology: in each city, we’ve been asking new subscribers to tell us their favorite restaurant when they subscribe. Et voila!)
→ NEW YORK: Launched last month in the General Motors building at 59th Street just off Fifth Avenue, YŪGIN is serving one of the city’s most exciting omakases. The work of 10-year Masa vet Eugeniu (Yugin) Zubco, the counter features a refreshingly original, daily-changing menu built on the world’s best ingredients: Japanese seafood, truffles, and caviar.
→ LONDON: Chef Robin Gill took an early punt on Nine Elms, the neighbourhood between Vauxhall and Battersea that was sparked by the new US Embassy there. When Gill opened Darby’s beside the embassy in 2019, his neighbours were mostly building sites for Battersea Power Station and fancy apartment blocks. Six years on, Nine Elms feels much more ‘lived in,’ with Darby’s at its centre. In September, in an adjoining space, the team opened a casual spot inspired by the small plates cultures of Venice and San Sebastian: Bar Brasso.
→ PARIS: Hôtel 48 Nord calls itself a “landscape hotel,” and the name isn’t a metaphor. Wooden hyttes — minimalist Scandinavian cabins — dot the Alsatian hillside, discreetly blending into a Natura 2000 reserve. Each one is angled toward the horizon, their giant bay windows becoming a living frame of mountain and meadow.
ROUTINES • Getaways
Select answers to the FOUND Routine query, What was your last great vacation?
→ REBECCA ZLOTOWSKI, film director (Paris): The Italian Alps, Hotel Bellevue, in Cogne. Snow, landscapes, raclette, cute outfits and uniforms for everyone in the hotel, an amazing spa, and a kids’ paradise.
→ LILAH RICHCREEK ESTRADA, actress, A Man on the Inside (LA): We love to travel, and pre-baby, we did a lot! Most recently, we visited the town of San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. We stayed at a boutique hotel called Casa de Sierra Nevada, which was amazing. We spent four days sightseeing within the city itself. We did a tequila tasting at Casa Dragones, which included an architectural tour of the home it was held in. The location was a key spot during the Mexican Revolution, which made it pretty cool all around. As far as meals, the city is known for its rooftop restaurants, but the two standout ones we visited were La Unica and Quince.
→ MICHAEL LAMPARIELLO, director, Domino Park (NY): We recently went on a great trip to Blackberry Farm in Tennessee and we’re plotting a 40th birthday trip back to the Fasano Rio de Janeiro and UXUA in Brazil.
GETAWAYS LINKS: The Big Island’s sleepy east coast is waking up • Rocco Forte Hotels launches The Carlton Milan, Forte’s 10th Italian address • Sneak peeking Eha, new Nordic wellness retreat coming summer 2026 to a remote Estonian island • Will dressing up fix flying?
WEEKEND ROUTINE • Puerto Rico
Gut instincts
ANABEL GONZÁLEZ • founder • Good Bacteria
City you live and work in: San Juan, Puerto Rico
It’s Friday morning. How are you rolling into the weekend?
I usually save Fridays for creative work and try to stay off calls. Today I’m finalizing a campaign for Good Bacteria’s educational content. Fridays are my bridge between full-time work mode and mom life. We also just got word that we’ll be in Pop Up Grocer in January, which is pretty exciting! I’m a big fan.
Where are you drinking or dining this weekend?
I’m dying to try Cocina al Fondo by chef Natalia Vallejo in San Juan, Puerto Rico. They won a James Beard Award and serve traditional Puerto Rican food sourced from local farmers and fishermen. I may go out on the strip of Calle Cerra, full of lively bars and loud music. La Disquera, a record house, is one of my go-tos. Puerto Ricans are low key — we don’t need much to have a good time. The energy here is always warm and booming.
How about a little leisure or culture?
If I wasn’t working through the weekend, I’d be on a boat to Culebrita with my family, blasting Bad Bunny and pretending emails don’t exist. When I’m on land, I love spending an afternoon at Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, one of those places that reminds you how much beauty lives on the island.
Any weekend getaways?
Next up is New York City. I went to college there, and every time I go back — coffee in hand, headphones on, laptop in bag — I feel like I’m 20 again. There’s this unstoppable energy that comes with being in motion in that city. I’ll be staying at The Ludlow Hotel, and am meeting a friend at Sunn’s, a cozy Korean spot for banchan in Chinatown. My little sister’s in college in the East Village, and I’m taking her to Date Night at The Met on Friday!
What was your last great vacation?
Sakura Ridge, a bed and breakfast in Hood River, Oregon — tucked between orchards and mountains, and super quiet. Once in a while, I like to step away from mom life and spend a couple of days there with fresh air and tons of local produce. The gorge there reminds me of New Zealand in its scale and overwhelming beauty.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
I’m not much of a shopper these days, but I like to splurge on skincare. I’ve tried just about everything, and OneSkin has been the closest thing to a magic potion — and no, this isn’t sponsored. I swear by the OS-01 FACE Topical Supplement. I also used to have eczema and healed my skin with Ceramedx, just a basic ceramide cream, but it’s done more for me than expensive serums. At night, I’ll usually do an active serum, then ceramide lotion, and finish with Trilogy Rosehip Oil to lock it all in.
What store or service do you always recommend?
Breathwork apps. They’ve helped me reset between meetings and unwind at the end of the day. I use Othership’s the most.
Where are you donating your time or money?
El Josco Bravo, an organization in Puerto Rico dedicated to ecological education, sustainable agriculture, and reconnecting people to the land. Puerto Rico has such rich soil yet largely depends on the U.S. for food — this organization is helping empower people to bring agriculture back to the island.
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