Architectural firm Sordo Madaleno has a distinguished history in Los Cabos, dating back to its iconic arch-like design for the Westin Los Cabos, which opened in 1993. In recent years, Sordo Madaleno has also designed the luxury resort Solaz Los Cabos and served as lead architect on the Park Hyatt Cabo del Sol, one of several exciting new projects at Cabo del Sol, a 1,800-acre luxury resort and residential community six miles outside Cabo San Lucas.
Sordo Madaleno is also responsible for the newest eye-catching design to arrive at Cabo del Sol: a boutique shopping destination for over 80 luxury brands.
Ánima Village opens in Los Cabos
The first phase of Ánima Village premiered at Cabo del Sol in early December 2025, with over 1,500 guests showing up to celebrate the opening. Already open are more than two dozen shops featuring brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Guess, Hugo Boss, Lululemon, the Mac Store and Nike. More upscale brands are on the way in the next phase, scheduled for later this year, including Cartier, Dior, Prada, Valentino and Louis Vuitton.
When complete, Ánima Village will be by far the most sophisticated shopping destination in Los Cabos. In addition to its anticipated 84 luxury brands, it will feature diverse dining options, art exhibitions, open-air walkways with botanical gardens and a range of regular events and programs.
“Art and culture are central to Ánima Village’s identity,” notes SOMA Group, the Mexican real estate development company led by members of the Sordo Madaleno family that operates Ánima Village. “The project features Arte Abierto, a dedicated gallery space that hosts rotating exhibitions, permanent installations throughout public areas, and an active cultural program. This initiative invites visitors to engage directly with the creative process, making them part of the ongoing artistic narrative.”
Of course, given Sordo Madaleno’s architectural reputation, this aspect, too, is first-class. Buildings “rise and fall in volumes ranging from 6 to 9.5 meters, creating a dynamic rhythm reminiscent of a coastal village. This stepped geometry not only frames shifting views of the landscape but also incorporates passive climate strategies — terraces open to public plazas, while shadows and landscaping provide comfort and shade, encouraging visitors to pause and enjoy the environment.”
Despite being located beyond the gate at Cabo del Sol, Ánima Village is open to the public daily between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.
The history of Cabo del Sol
Cabo del Sol owes its existence to the visionary foresight of legendary Los Cabos developer Don Koll. During the mid-1980s, the Southern California real estate heavyweight made a series of moves that would forever change the landscape of Los Cabos. In 1985, he purchased the land for what would become Cabo del Sol in partnership with Robert Addison Day from Bud Parr, another Los Cabos pioneer. The next year, Koll bought the landmark Hotel Palmilla (now One&Only Palmilla) and brought in Jack Nicklaus to design golf courses for both, the first world-class layouts in the area.
“Koll knew from time in the area developing Palmilla Hotel resort that this property [Cabo del Sol], with its gradual sloping terrain and two miles of pristine ocean frontage, was the best property in Cabo,” Day told Cabo Living Magazine in 2019. “Anywhere you put your finger on the map, you had an ocean view from the property. So Don and I struck a deal to buy the property in a joint venture between our two companies. Don took the role as operator and lead developer in those years, leveraging the expertise and team they already had in place at Palmilla and immediately began adding value.”
Two parcels were sold off to hotels for capital: the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar (now the all-inclusive Hacienda del Mar) and Grand Fiesta Americana, both of which opened in 1999. Accompanying these early Cabo del Sol tent poles were Jack Nicklaus’ stunning Cabo del Sol Ocean Course (now the Cove Club), which opened to acclaim in 1994, and Tom Weiskopf’s Desert Course, which followed in 2001.
Koll may have been the visionary, but Day was, practically speaking, the most important figure in Cabo del Sol’s history. The grandson of William Myron Keck, founder of Superior Oil Company — later sold to Mobil for US $5.7 billion in 1984 — Day made his own fortune, selling the Trust Company of the West, which he founded in 1971, for $2.5 billion. The Oakmont Corporation, which he began in 1980 and for which he served as CEO, would later buy out Koll for ownership of Cabo del Sol and oversee its development for decades before Day passed away in 2023.
Cabo del Sol’s revival
Cabo del Sol’s golf courses were designed to sell the accompanying real estate, which they have been doing for 40 years and counting. But over the last few years, a series of luxury resort openings, along with Ánima Village, have ushered in what can only be called a resurgence. This has been led by the arrival of several properties from big-name hospitality brands that not only provide stylish accommodations to visitors but also amenities like restaurants and spas that residents can enjoy.
The first to open was Four Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas at Cabo del Sol, which premiered in May 2024 with 96 guest rooms and 61 branded residences, the latter including luxe villas and estates. The following year, saw the announcement that Hacienda del Mar would transition to an all-inclusive resort, as well as the opening of Park Hyatt Los Cabos at Cabo del Sol, with its 163 guestrooms and enormous 59,000-square-foot fitness and wellness center, the largest in Los Cabos.
This year, trendy Soho House will open its first phase at Cabo del Sol, showcasing 15 bedrooms, 12 casas and three spacious casonas, along with a branded Soho Health Club. Phase 2, still to come, will feature 45 private residences, ranging from two-to four-bedrooms and five villas with three and four-bedrooms. Yes, Soho House, too, is being designed by Sordo Madaleno.
This flurry of openings, combined with the arrival of Ánima Village, has established Cabo del Sol, 40 years after its birth, as the most impressive resort and residential community in Los Cabos. Interestingly, perhaps, given this ascendance, Oakmont Corporation sold a controlling interest of 51% in Cabo del Sol holdings to RLH Properties, a Mexico City-based asset management company in September 2025.
But that doesn’t change the resort inventory or the many real estate offerings still available. Or the location of the best new shopping destination in Los Cabos.
Chris Sands is the former Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best and writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook. He’s also a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily.
Source: Mexico News Daily
