World-class hotels make it a point to transport their guests to what I term "another world," delivering ever-higher levels of luxury to the travel experience.

Such "transportation" to those higher levels is done in a variety of ways - sometimes by providing those "little extras," such as thoughtful little afternoon gifts like a wide selection of pillow types, and perhaps personal "butler" or personal assistant services.

Then you have hotels that really go out of their way, "beyond the call of duty," and literally move mountains for its clientele. Case in point is the brand new Capella Pedregal Resort, the newest in Cabo San Lucas. The builders of the resort actually spent three and a half years dynamiting through Pedregal mountain, struggling through more than a thousand feet of solid bedrock in order to make the long-held dream of Don Manuel Rivera a reality.

Anyone who's familiar with the busy, carnival-like atmosphere of downtown Cabo San Lucas and its equally-harried marina will agree that a foray into this busy maelstrom for shopping, drinks, dinner and perhaps even dancing for a couple of hours is enjoyable.

But after such a good-time foray into Cabo, I've personally had enough of the crowds and enjoy escaping the numbers, returning to the peace and quiet of Baja's beach resorts.

In mid-July I was reflecting on this, and after confirming my reservation with the guard at Capella's gate and, continued on, I rounding a rock outcropping to encounter yet one more surprise - a giant black gaping hole looms ahead of me. In all the excitement, I'd somehow forgotten about the Capella Resort's tunnel, but before I have time to think I'm swallowed into the cool darkness, smile at my surprise and see the Capella Pedregal Resort as a "light at the end of the tunnel."

A minute later, capping a long, hot 1,300-mile drive to Cabo San Lucas from Southern California, I pulled into Capella's circular driveway.

Stepping from my car, I am first warmly greeted by four bellboys who enthusiastically help me pull my bags from the car. Moments later, I am cordially approached by a dapper, official-looking gentleman.

"Greetings, Mr. Dunmire, I'm Peter Bowling, the General Manager here at Capella Pedregal. Welcome to the Resort," he says shaking my hand. "And, by the way, congratulations, you're our first guest to check-in .... Please, this way," he continues, escorting me over to their mostly-open-air "lobby," offering guests a fantastic view of the resort and the pounding Pacific beyond, before even checking in.

Check in is quick, easy and painless and I'm shown to my room. It's a wonderful, spacious bit of casual, understated and sumptuous elegance, again with a panoramic view of the Pacific, and its own plunge pool.

It's not often that one can boast about being the very first person to check into a top, new hotel. In the many years of traveling, writing and photographing, I'd never experienced this before, but after some careful (and slightly-cunning) planning on my part, such was the case last summer.

Before I continue any further, I must tell the truth - yes, there was a hint of slyness in planning my visit to Capella. I'd heard mention of this mysterious new hotel for years now, and admittedly curiosity had gotten the best of me. I'd stayed in close touch with their website, and after hearing that it would be opening in mid-July, I immediately jumped at the chance, and made my reservation. It paid off!

Sure, I had hoped to be one of the first to visit Cabo's Capella, but being the resort's very first was a dream come true! It was a travel writer's dream.

I'm finally here and, happily discovering, that just a few others are here. Although the coolness of air conditioning is a joy, I waste no time in beginning my reconnoitering of Capella. Time is short - I have just two days in which to cover the resort, so I immediately set out. Quickly I switch into my hurry-scurry, run-and-shoot mode, taking both my notebook and cameras along, and desiring to see and learn and photograph as much of the hotel as I can.

I have a few hours this morning on my hands, as I've made a lunch appointment a bit later with General Manager Bowling at the resort's signature restaurant, Don Manuel.

I go for the water first - my tour of the grounds takes me down to the free-form, asymmetrical pool, which wends and weaves its way along the hotels steep sandy beach, which is currently being pounded by large Pacific waves. Arranged along the edge of the pool are lounge chairs, with colorful, mint-green pads and shaded by decorous umbrellas. Relaxing here, one will be close enough to the Pacific in a couple of months to make winter-whale-watching easy, from the luxury of your pool-side lounge chair.

I turn my gaze back behind me and admire the steep, sheer Pedregal cliffs that tower high above and beyond Capella, and are dotted with homes. Each of the homes are architectural and engineering marvels, most of them seemingly clinging to the cliffs as if by magic. Lower, below them, is a rambling field of giant boulders, made perhaps from the rocks that were dynamited from inside the mountain, and pulled during the construction of the tunnel.

A trio of waterfalls plunge off the Lobby-level Spa roof into yet another pool, yielding a soothing, restful sound that complements that of the Pacific. I'm drawn to Capella's spa by its sounds and scents.

At the Auriga Spa, I meet Todd Shaw, their Director of Wellness, who enthusiastically takes me on a tour of the 12,000 sq. ft. facility. He explains that Auriga's treatments stem from and integrate together the "uniquely Bajan vision" of water, local Mexican healing traditions and the phases of the moon. I ask Shaw to give me an example. "Well, for instance," he says, "it is recommended that you cut your hair during the full moon. All Auriga treatments begin with a foot cleansing."

We walk through the plush, silent, scented facility's ten treatment rooms, and he tells me that Cabo's Auriga Spa is the first spa designed in Mexico by renowned designer Sylvia Sepielli, adding that the Auriga Spa in their Austrian Capella property was recently selected Europe's top spa.

Before visiting, I'd read that the Capella concept also includes a residential property component, and special "extras." It's just a short walk to their residential segment where 31 three- and four-bedroom suites are comfortably wrapped around several more beachfront pools and overlooking the Pacific.

At lunch, I meet up with Peter Bowling, Capella's aforementioned GM at Don Manuel's Restaurant. I have a lot of questions to ask of him, and he has all the answers. The colorful restaurant is named after the owner, Don Manuel Rivera, who along with his family have developed both the Capella Pedregal Resort, as well as the massive, awe-inspiring Pedregal community of luxurious homes that I'd admired from the pool earlier this morning.

The restaurant is located poolside, with a great ocean view, and even while posing my many questions to Bowling, I can't help but admire the striking, colorful, and slightly quirky décor. Upon the ceiling are hundreds of plates, artistically arranged. Artist Joe Norrie designed the plates that embellish Don Manuel's ceiling and also the dining tables, and he also designed and custom crafted the sinks in each of the resort's rooms.

Our conversation covers many topics, from the history of Capella Pedregal to the extreme rigors of building the resort's tunnel. I am told that the Rivera family has even named their tunnel, Dos Mares, or "Two Seas," most likely describing the fact that one side of the tunnel is nearest the tranquil Sea of Cortez, and the hotel side of the tunnel opens onto the thundering Pacific Ocean.

While touring and photographing the grounds, I've met and spoken with two Capella employes, Bibiana and Natalia, and each matter-of-factly mentions that they are part of a team working to make Capella Pedregal not only the best hotel in Cabo, but also "The Best in the World." I'm duly impressed by their shared goal.

Quite an aspiration and a mighty lofty goal, I observe. Bowling agrees, further explaining that, to this end, they'd interviewed 1,200 applicants in order to fill the 120 positions that were available
at Capella.

Capella has been a long time coming, he sighs, having personally been on the site for the past year. Just gaining mere access to this private stretch of beach presented a major logistical challenge - a tunnel needed to be made, and it required "three men, four years and a lot of dynamite," laughs Bowling. And then, another three to four years of painstaking construction was undertaken before the completion of the Capella Pedregal.

Back at my room, I settle in and revel in the crisp coolness of the room's air conditioning. I'm quick to enjoy the room's private plunge pool - each and every one of the 66 rooms here has its own pool. Room décor is subtle and understated, but rich, regal and comfortable. Both the architect and interior designer of Capella Pedregal was designed and decorated by the same who did Las Ventanas al Paraiso, one of Los Cabos' other five star favorites.

Cooled down now, and relaxed, I'm ready to head back out, see and photograph more. Later, I return to Don Manuel Restaurant to see it in the glow of twilight. I meet the restaurant's manager, Alejandro Enriquez, who proudly takes me on a tour of the restaurant and lobby bar. Adjacent to these is the Casona, a colorfully tiled kitchen where breakfast and pre-dinner hors d'oeuvres/appetizers are available. Alejandro then takes me for a behind-the-scenes look at their wine cellar, masterfully crafted in dark woods, and their small, intimate tequila/wine tasting cove, located at the end of the cellar.

Bowling had told me that there's a wide selection of rooms at Capella: Various levels of suites, also "casitas" and "casonas." Bibiana Silva took me on a tour of an Estrella Suite, an elevated, corner room with a large, comfortable separate living room and two separate balconies for sunning and entertaining.

Guest rooms range from 600 square-foot suites to the resort's monstrous 4,000-square foot Presidential Suite. Three spacious Beach Casitas sit on the sand, opposite the Spa, and are decorated with hand-painted ceiling frescoes, and each comes with its own pool.

If you think you might be interested in visiting Cabo and Capella often, you might consider investing in one of their Residences. Along with property ownership comes membership in their Capella Yacht Club, which enables the use of one of their yachts, with captain and crew. No yacht charter fees are charged, and members need only pay for fuel and provisioning, Bowling explained.

Late in the afternoon of my second day, I have an appointment back in Cabo San Lucas town, and so leave the Capella property. I head back through the tunnel and travel the short mile or less back to Marina Cabo San Lucas for the interview.

Darkness falls, and I finish with my meeting, and head back to Capella. As mentioned, the resort is but a short drive from the hustle and bustle of Cabo town. After checking in with the guard at the gate, I continue down their entry drive, around a curve and approach Capella's tunnel. The tunnel was tame by the light of day, but now, however, I'm given a stunning image. In just the few hours since I've been gone, and with the arrival of darkness, the tunnel has taken on entirely another, unexpected sensation.

Spaced evenly down both sides of the tunnel is lighting, but not your normal, run-of-the-mill electric lights. Instead, the tunnel has flickering, glittering gas lamps lighting my way.

I'm mesmerized by this unexpected sight, and slow my car down to nearly a crawl in order to behold this surprise - glad that I've the tunnel to myself.

So unexpected is the "fire show" that as I pull into the Capella traffic circle, I make a decision. I call "Hola, buenas noches" to the valet who approaches to help with my car. I've made up my mind to take another lap in the tunnel.

"Otra vez mas," I call out to him, circling my finger, "another time."

Driving back through the fire-lit tunnel this second time, I'm reminded of the difference between a hotel and a five-star resort.

As previously mentioned, it's the unexpected things, large and small, that make the difference. We're literally not much more than just a hop, skip and a jump away from the carnival-like town of Cabo, but quickly, unexpectedly I've been transported into another world - Capella's world.

I recall my lunch conversation with Bowling, wherein he referred to the construction of Dos Mares tunnel, slightly jokingly, as "perhaps the Eighth Wonder of the world?" He's right.

So surprised and relaxed now am I after my "illumination" in the tunnel, I realize I'm hungry - very hungry. In my haste, I've not eaten all day, and, famished, decide to return and dine at Don Manuel's Restaurant.

After another delicious dip in my plunge pool, I head over. The restaurant, too, has undergone a similar character transformation. Glowing onyx combines with hundreds of flickering candles for light.

And those plates on the ceiling! The design idea is stunning.

I settle down to an exquisite dinner, drinking in the peaceful ambiance. Alejandro suggests a Spanish "Exaltos" wine to accompany my tasty Beet Salad, and later a white Rutherford with my filet of cabrilla, local sea bass.

Finally, as I salivate over my "Pastel de aceite de Olivos," an incredible dessert concoction of olive oil cake, varied chocolates and mole, I think back to the day's pleasant flaming surprises. And dinner plates on the ceiling! I come to the realization that every once in a while we actually deserve to experience this.

For me, it's been a "travel-writer's dream," the first guest to sign in at Capella.

Throughout the day, I've asked around at the hotel, making inquiries about the origin and significance of the hotel group's name, Capella, and shoulder shrugs are all I get.

With just a little bit of "googling," I find that, astronomically speaking, Capella is the brightest star in the Auriga constellation. That makes sense, after learning from Capella staff of their desire to give their guests an "out of this world" experience.

Capella, the star, is 45 light years away from Earth. But Capella the resort is right here, very near Land's End in Cabo San Lucas, should you wish to have an out of this world experience right here on Earth....

All that's necessary in order to experience this illuminating version of Capella is fly to Cabo San Lucas, continuing through Cabo town and along the northern perimeter of the Marina. Make a right turn at the Pedregal gate, check in and then treat yourself to a slow, en-trancing drive through the Dos Mares tunnel.Voila - you're entering "another world," and we're just beginning.

For information on reservations at Capella Pedregal Resort & Spa:

Call: Mexico 52-624-163-4300 or USA 877-247-6688
Or Visit: www.capellapedregal.com

For Ownership Opportunities at Capella Pedregal:

Call: Mexico 52-624-172-0374 or USA 866-956-7222
Or Visit: www.capellacabo.com