Bahia Hotel & Beach House
Brand Positioning, Brand Pillars, Audience Profiles, Brand Story, Brand Spirit
The Bahia Hotel is a little hotel with big heart. Moments after arriving at the boutique hotel just off Cabo San Lucas' Medano Beach, you know you're somewhere special. But the website and other promotional materials for the hotel and its highly regarded signature restaurants, Bar Esquina and SUR Beach House, weren't communicating the magic of the Bahia experience. They asked me to articulate their brand story and write materials that captured the spirit of the place and its team. The Bahia family—and the work I created for them—will always be close to my heart.
Brand Story
There’s nowhere like Baja. Where mountains meet desert, and desert meets sea. Arid yet abundant; safe and civilized, but with the appealingly untamed atmosphere of a new frontier. On these 747 miles of peninsular playground, the opportunities for cultural and recreational discovery are endless. At its very tip, Cabo San Lucas – land’s end – where the tumultuous Pacific meets the tranquil Sea of Cortez. A place so teeming with life that Jacques Cousteau called it the world’s aquarium. In Baja, it feels like anything is possible – because it is.
There’s no containing the boundless possibilities of Baja within the walls of a resort, no matter how many stars it has. So we don’t try to. Much of the Bahia experience is about being anywhere but here – whether up a mountain or out to sea – and it’s our job to make getting there as easy, safe and enjoyable as possible. Because we’re surfers, paddlers and foodies ourselves, our team is sincerely invested in helping you experience the best of Baja: to see every species, sample every flavor, and conquer every exhilarating challenge. Looking for Baja’s best tacos? Best trails? We’ll show you. Want to swim with whale sharks? We’ll make it happen.
And at the end of each day’s adventures, we’re here to welcome you home. You’ll find that Bahia feels deeply personal – because it is. One of the first hotels on vibrant Medano Beach, Bahia was purchased in 2007 by a group of American investors, including on-site partners Lee and Meredith Vosburgh. For Lee and Meredith, what began as a real estate investment became home; what began as staff became familia. Bahia proved impossible to leave, so they didn’t.
There will be days when you’ll find the same – when the comforts of Bahia will feel more compelling than the call of adventure. So you’ll stick around, enjoying the peaceful poolside atmosphere, or take a wander to SUR, our stone’s-throw-away beach house on Cabo’s most swimmable stretch of shoreline. At each location, in every interaction, our passionate and personable staff will make sure you feel at ease and right at home. You’ll refuel, recharge, and regale us with tales of your adventures. You’ll disconnect from the grid and connect with what really matters; remember the joy of interacting with people rather than pixels.
It’s this part of the Bahia experience that we’re most proud of – the genuine connections our guests find with each other, with our team, and with this spectacular place we call home.
Some kind words from Bahia
"Chelsea's work on our brand strategy and story have been invaluable to Bahia and its associated brands. Before we began working with her, our digital presence didn’t reflect the polished in-person experience we offer. Chelsea immediately got to the heart of who we are, and created a brand story that captured "us" in a way that resonates with our guests. We're a boutique hotel in a destination known for all-inclusive resorts, and the brand strategy Chelsea created helped us position that as something to be celebrated. We know her work has been a major contributor to our growth and success in the years since we began working together. We hope to continue working with her for years to come.”
—Felipe Rebelo, Managing Director & Partner, Bahia Hotel & Beach House
Brand Experience Pillars
An internal tool, these pillars are about the overall experience—not so much amenities themselves, but what those amenities mean for and to Bahia guests. And although not everything here is exactly unique to Bahia, taken together the pillars are meant to differentiate them from their competitors.
Explore
Our guests are happy to be right in the Medano mix, with convenient proximity to swimmable sea, first-rate food, and Cabo’s icons – but they’re just as happy to get away from it all. For them, time in Cabo is about experiencing much more than the Bahia property. They’re here to take full advantage of the Baja’s endless opportunities for cultural and recreational exploration. One day, they’ll go high into the mountains; the next, deep into the sea. They’re eager to see every species, sample every flavor, attempt every activity. We’re here to make it all happen, effortlessly, ensuring that every moment of their stay is spent making memories, not plans.
Our guests leave us with exhilarating stories to tell – and photos to share – of the beautiful bounty of Baja.
Connect
Our hotel feels deeply personal – because it is. Every detail is chosen, designed, or built right here, by our team, creating next-level investment in our property and our work. We’re passionate about what we do, and we show it in every interaction. Some resorts require their staff to be resolutely robotic, silently serving without showing a glimmer of their personality. Not us. We believe our people are what makes the Bahia experience exceptional, so we encourage them to act like, well, people. The result is an authentic, open atmosphere where staff members learn guests’ names – and stories – and guests learn theirs in return.
Our guests leave us feeling like they’re part of la familia – and eager to come back soon.
Taste
It’s no secret that good food brings people together – and we work hard to do exactly that, serving some of Cabo’s best food and drink. Influenced by international flavors but grounded in the traditions and tastes of Baja, the food at each of our restaurants is inventive, unexpected, and delicious. Bar Esquina and SUR are proud to be part of a gastronomic scene that earns accolades on an international stage. With so much goodness just seconds away, many of our guests choose to eat every meal in our restaurants. But if culinary curiosity pulls them off-premises, we’re happy to connect them with the best of Los Cabos cuisine – making reservations and calling ahead to ensure they’re taken care of.
Our guests leave us with full bellies and full hearts.
Unwind
Sophisticated but never stuffy, our property is deliberately designed to make our guests feel safe, comfortable and at ease. From the lobby to Bar Esquina to the beach house to the pool, Bahia feels like home – if home came with a full household staff. Our team’s attentive and intuitive service means our guests get to spend their escape experiencing Cabo – no headaches, no hassles. We take care of everything, allowing our guests to adventure with carefree abandon and make the most of every precious minute.
Our guests leave us feeling refreshed and restored, not from days spent luxuriating on a lounge chair, but from having the freedom and the space to just be.
Celebrate
Looking for Spring Break shenanigans? That’s not us – but that doesn’t mean we don’t like to have a good time. Whether our guests are celebrating a marriage, an anniversary, a holiday, or any old Saturday, we cultivate conditions that invite revelry – but evolved revelry. Our parties and events are gatherings for grown-ups, all about good food, good drinks, good music, and good company. Mexicans are revered the world over for our gusto, and never is our spirited approach to life more evident than when we have something to celebrate. And if you ask us there’s always something to celebrate.
Our guests leave us feeling like they’ve had a lot of fun – but not too much fun.
