Last week, I was at the Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos for our annual company retreat. While I’ve been to a few off-sites with my team – Denver last December and Seattle in May – this was the first time I was told to leave my laptop at home. Unlike our off-site events, this trip to Baja California Sur was not meant to have a focus on work. Instead, since my company is totally remote, it was a chance to bring a large group of us together for team bonding and relaxing ahead of the holidays. What a concept!
What made this a little tricky is that I’m in my third trimester now, so traveling is even more involved than in my first and second. Fortunately, I got approval from my doctor to make the trip, so long as I continued my current medication regimen and wore compression socks on the plane. They typically don’t recommend traveling after 32 weeks of pregnancy, so I was in a sweet spot at 29 weeks – it was definitely my last travel hurrah before this baby is born!
I’m so glad I was able to make it work logistically because it was a great trip. Aside from leisurely hanging out with my coworkers (definitely a perk), these are the highlights from Cabo:
• Staying at the Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos. I’ve never stayed at an all-inclusive resort before, and I’ve gotta say – would recommend! Even though I couldn’t “make the most” of my all-inclusive experience, as I’m not drinking, I still really appreciated all the amenities. I definitely enjoyed getting drinks and food delivered poolside (as well as from the swim up bars), as well as convenient room service when I was resting in my room. I felt very well taken care of the whole time.
• Getting a facial at the Rock Spa. Part of our retreat experience was to pick an activity, which ranged from a spa treatment to ATV rides. I opted for a facial at the on-site spa, and I’m very glad I did. It was my first one ever, and I found that the experience was incredibly relaxing. I was laid out on a table like for a massage (unexpected for me), and then wrapped up in a warm blanket while my face, neck, and shoulders were tended to for about an hour. I definitely carry some tension in my neck and shoulders, so this helped work some of that out!
• Eating dinner at Sunset Monalisa. This restaurant was not part of the Hard Rock, so we took a ~30 minute bus ride to get there for a truly beautiful dinner. The restaurant is located on what feels like the side of a cliff and offers amazing views of the ocean and beach. We watched the sun set over us before finally eating dinner, which was quite tasty. They were also super considerate of my current dietary needs! I would absolutely consider this an amazing option for a destination wedding.
• Drinking piñatas at the pool. Just because I’m not drinking alcohol doesn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy some frozen beverages from the swim up bar! I learned on our last day there that the staff often refers to the virgin piña coladas I’d been enjoying (which were very refreshing when laying out in the sun) as “piñatas,” which made the experience that much more delightful. I’m not a heavy drinker even when I’m not pregnant, so I really appreciated that they made my drinks accessible and fun as well.
My slight sunburn has officially faded to a light tan, but I’ll be thinking about this trip for a long time. Unfortunately, I’m missing a smaller team off-site to Scottsdale, Arizona, next month, but I figure if I had to miss one of these, I’m glad it was the one in the city I’ve been to several times before! I’ll just be imagining I’m poolside with a piñata until then…