While some of the resorts are more grown-up-geared (or even adults-only), we were intrigued by the special offer promising up to 40% off at Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach, which seems to be the most kid-friendly of the bunch. The 324-room resort is cut into a hillside and offers three pools (including a kids’ pool with sandy-beach entry), a kids club, spa and beach access (though it's a non-swimming beach). The special offer includes:

• Airfare for four to Los Cabos on Alaska Airlines ($266/person if booked on Orbitz)
• Lodging for two adults and two kids under 12 in a junior suite (published rate is $260/night)

When we test-booked the special offer for a three-night stay in April, departing from Southern California, the package rate came to $1,951. But the Pueblo Bonito website didn't break down prices for hotel and airfare, so it was impossible to know where—or if—there were savings. To get around that, we test-booked hotel-only rates for the same dates, and found a rate of $195—which is 25% off the published “rack rate” of $260.  We can assume that the airfare portion of this package came to at least $300 per person.

Next, we shopped around independently to find the best prices for the air and hotel components, with mixed results. On Kayak.com, for example, we found a rate of $265 a night for the hotel ($5 more than the rack rate), or $957 for three nights after taxes and fees. Meanwhile, on Orbitz we found four roundtrip tickets from San Diego on Alaska Airlines for $266 apiece, which came to $1,064. The total for this vacation when booked independently came to $2,021—$70 more than Pueblo Bonito’s special offer.

But keep in mind that if you paid the $260-a-night rack rate at this hotel and booked your airfare through Orbitz, you could get this three-night vacation for $2,104. So the air+hotel special offer saves you only $153, or a measly 7%. 

The best deal of all came when we paired the hotel's room-only rate of $195 a night with airfare from Orbitz. With that combination, the vacation price came down to $1,649. That's more than $300 cheaper than the package rate!

Deal or no deal? Don't pack your sunscreen just yet. The package didn't come anywhere near a 40% savings in our test. This is a reminder to always do your own own test-booking on any package that includes airfare, just to make sure you're really getting the best deal from your home airport. 

The spring specials are good through May 31. You can book online from either the specials page or the main reservations page on Pueblo Bonito's website. If booking by phone, call 888/205-3315 and ask for the Spring Specials for either air+hotel or hotel alone.