We arrived in San Jose del Cabo in 1991. Like the Gray Ghost on the marina in Cabo San Lucas, the Howard Johnson hotel across from the golf course in Finisterra had been abandoned. I recently visited the now Casa Nima to get a little of the history of the property and to view the current state of the project. The original Howard Johnson’s was built and opened in the early 1980s. Due to financial trouble, the property ended up closed and abandoned in 1990 as the company that built it when bankrupt. It stayed in that condition until another group of investors bought in the early 2000s and began the process of renovation into a condominium complex, pre-selling a number of units. Unfortunately. Hurricane Odile hit in September of 2014 of the property suffered a lot of damage. The developers had very good insurance and when the payout was received were able to refund deposits and buyers and recoup the money that they had spent on the renovation. At that point, they decided to walk away from the project and it was once again abandoned for the second time.

Pepe, of Quatro, the current development team, with investors started to rebuild the project and named it Casa Nima. Quatro has with over 25 years of experience, Quatro has a portfolio of multiple premium developments such as Resorts, Retail, Residential, and Corporate, in strategic and iconic locations. Together with Central de Arquitectura, Quatro is one of the strategic partners that are part of the history of Casa Nima. It was decided to not just renovate but start from scratch in much of the rebuilding of the property. The company maintained the look and feel created by the original architect of the project. However, they made major changes to the units. Starting by completely replacing the floors, electrical and plumbing installation and fixtures. Balconies were added on the units and elevators were installed in the buildings. Two of the corner buildings on the southeast side of the complex were torn down and are going to be constructed with views of the Sea of Cortez and the Vidanta Golf Course (the older buildings had no windows on that side of the buildings so the view was only of the interior of the complex.

The developers wanted to make Casa Nima a self-contained resort community. Once fully completed there will be 150 units – one-bedroom casitas, two-bedroom units and three and four-bedroom penthouses. The prices range from the mid $300,000s to just under $1 million. An important component of the plan was to have great amenities for the residents. There is a state-of=the-art gym, a yoga studio, two pickleball courts, a kid’s room, a game room with a pool table, ping pong table and foosball, two swimming pools (kids and adults), a jacuzzi, and a restaurant on the premises. The complex also has a community work area with conference rooms and meeting spaces for the residents to work remotely, All the units look down toward the pool and restaurant area as well as having views of the Sea of Cortez. Walking around the interior of the complex provided a real sense of the atmosphere that the developers are trying to create. With gardens, a pet park and sculptures and fountains, they have truly created a lifestyle complex rather than just a condominium community. Casa Nima also has an onsite rental program for the units to maintain the quality and consistency of the experience when visiting.