For as long as I can remember, I’ve always thought how amazing it would be to take a warm-weather vacation at Christmastime. Living in Ohio all my life, winter can really suck sometimes. I become a real-life hermit and I’m not afraid to admit I usually suffer from mild seasonal depression once it gets super cold and gray outside.
PLUS, since having kids, I’ve really tried to shift my perspective of the holidays to be focused on spending quality time together as a family. I know that sounds SO cliche, but how many of us REALLY feel like they got enough fully present, undivided time together as a family unit over the past few weeks? I know I never do! The craziness of the holidays always seems to take over, whether it be over-scheduling activities, too many family gatherings, hosting, Christmas parties, etc.
Last spring, we decided we were going to do it this winter. We talked a little bit about how badly we wanted to escape as a family for a week, and be void of any holiday obligations with anyone else but the four of us! A true family vacation to relax, hang out and connect with each other, and celebrate what I think the holidays are truly about: family time.
We honeymooned in Cabo at a place called the One and Only Palmilla (you can read more about our honeymoon here). We had the most incredible experience ever. It is truly paradise, and the service is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Every single staff member on the resort knows you by first and last name, and they will do absolutely anything in their power to make sure you enjoy every minute of your stay. Don’t believe me? Just ask Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, DJ Khalid, Oprah and John Mayer… they are all known to frequent and love it too 😉
When we were on our honeymoon, our butler showed us all of the family-friendliness that O&O had to offer because he knew we had kids. Depending on the accommodations you book at the resort, some of the packages come with a dedicated butler. It’s 24/7 access to someone that’s completely dedicated to you and your family around the clock. Anything you can possibly need? Just text or call him on your “butler phone” (a separate iPhone they give you upon arrival, just to communicate with him).
We knew we wanted to bring the boys back with us someday, and Claudio had shared with us how magical it is around Christmastime. It was a place we couldn’t stop dreaming about ever since we left our honeymoon, so we decided it was where we would take the kids this year!
The flight and time change are both pretty easy in my opinion. From Columbus, it’s an hour flight to Atlanta, a quick layover, and then about three hours from Atlanta to Cabo (SJD is the airport code). Both of our kids did surprisingly well on the flights there and home! The layover breaks it up a bit, and we tried to time it with Benjamin’s nap time so he would be nice and tired and sleep for a while on the longer flights. The time change is only two hours behind us, so within about two days both of our boys were adjusted!
Now for the details on the actual resort!
ROOM DETAILS:
We stay in one of the “casita suites“, which has its own infinity pool and hot tub that looks right out onto the ocean. It’s seriously so freaking beautiful it’s hard to put into words. I’ll be completely honest though… you get what you pay for. This place is NOT cheap in any way/shape/form. But, there are smaller rooms that aren’t as expensive as the suites! They don’t have their own pools, but a lot of them are very very close (within steps) to the family pool… and no matter what room you stay in, you’ll be facing the ocean. You can view all of the different room options here.
The suites have a living/dining room area, a bedroom with a King size bed, a massive bathroom with both a shower and a stand-alone tub, and a full patio/pool/hot tub. One of the couches in the living room pulls out into a bed. Upon our arrival, they had placed a crib in the master for Benjamin (along with an adorable little gift bag with baby lotion, soap, and some toys). They also had two perfect little cupcakes waiting on the table for both boys! Oh and added bonus– they even unpack your suitcases for you and organize your belongings perfectly in the drawers.
RESORT LAYOUT:
The resort is pretty huge. One thing that we really love about it is how secluded it is, so it feels very safe. You have to go through multiple security guarded gates to even get onto the property, and it sits back far away from the main road.
The side that our villa is on is more of the “adult” side of the property. There is an adults-only pool/bar just steps outside our room, which is where we spent the majority of our time on our honeymoon.
A little further down a gorgeous path that you can either walk on, or ask a staff member to give you a ride down via golf cart, is the spa, the kid’s club, the giant life-sized gingerbread house, access to more of the different guest rooms, the family pool/bar, and access to the beach.
The Palmilla also has one of the only swimmable beaches in Cabo! They call it Pelican Beach. In most places in Cabo, they don’t recommend you swim in the ocean because the of the super strong tides/huge rocks in the water. But you can actually swim in this area of the beach, and they also have water sports available to use.
We had a beach day one of the days and it was so much fun. We had a little tiki hut of our own, and the staff brought the boys lots of toys to play with in the sand. There is food/beverage service down at the beach as well!
KID FRIENDLY HIGHLIGHTS:
Before I go into all the details on the kid friendliness of the resort, I will just say that no matter how old your kids are, you can’t go wrong here. From tiny babies to older kids, they are truly so accommodating that there is no way you wouldn’t enjoy yourself if you brought your baby/child!
KidsOnly: This is a “kids club” designed to keep kids occupied/having fun, and also to give parents a break! It’s available to kid ages 4-12 and is open from 9am-7pm week days and 9am-9pm weekends. The club itself is so much fun– they have a game room, a library, and mini theatre and an outdoor playground (it’s fenced in tight so they can’t run away- lol!). They also do fun activities on a regular basis, like pizza making and movie nights. If your child is under 4, you can hire a babysitter as well. All of the sitters are extremely qualified and actually work at the resort.
OneTribe: This is a program designed more for teenagers (ages 12-17). They have organized activities/opportunities to make friends with other teenagers like going surfing, golf, tennis, pingpong and more.
Aside from the actual clubs mentioned above, the kid-friendliness is unbeatable. Like I mentioned before, when we arrived they had cupcakes and toys waiting for the boys. They even had their own tiny slippers and robes for them for the week!
At the family pool, there is a staff member there daily that caters to the kids. That is his JOB– to make sure your kids are having fun and are happy. His name is Jorge (pronounced hor-hay, but the kids all call him George). He keeps them entertained with new toys, blowing up balloons, water balloons, getting them food if they’re hungry, etc. Every day we were there he would tie a long string to a little fish for Benji like he was “fishing” in the pool and it would keep him entertained for hours!
At 10am every day, there is also a kid’s activity by the pool. One day we painted gingerbread, one day we painted our own Christmas ornaments. During the holidays, they also have a life-sized gingerbread house on your way to the pool. Inside, there is hot chocolate, marshmellows, and cookies for the kids.
The other thing I want to mention is that no one makes you feel bad about your kids doing something bad– LOL! Really though, if your kid is yelling at one of the restaurants, no one even bats an eye. They just come and ask what you need. One night, Benjamin broke a huge glass centerpiece in the really nice sushi restaurant. They just quickly came over and cleaned it up and told him it was okay. The last thing they wanted to do was make him (or us) feel bad or embarassed!
FOOD/RESTAURANTS:
There are three main restaurants on the property, plus a few little cafes. The three main restaurants are Agua (modern Mediterranean with a Mexican touch), Seared (a super nice steakhouse/seafood restaurant), and Suviche (the best and most fresh sushi you will ever eat in your life). Added bonus: there is live music at every restaurant, every night of the week!
There is also Breeze which is more of a casual cafe above the adult pool, and Pelican Grille which is the restaurant down on the beach. They also have amazing in-room dining options if you just want to eat in the room.
You guys, the food here is unreal. I think about their sushi on a regular basis. And the guacamole is just plain amaze balls.
In addition to the restaurants, you can do private cooking classes or dinner parties in your room or on the beach! We did a private pizza making class as a family with the executive Michelin-star chef at the resort and it was an unforgettable experience. They do the cooking classes in their outdoor working kitchen/herb garden and bring a whole staff of people to make sure you are taken care of. It was SO much fun and I know for a fact Peter Joseph will never forget it! They even gave him a little chef certificate to show for it 🙂
SPA/GYM:
I like to consider myself a *somewhat* seasoned spa-goer 😉 Not really, but I have definitely visited a few really nice spas over the past few years as we’ve traveled. The spa here at Palmilla is by far, hands down the best I’ve ever been to.
It’s kind of one of those things you have to experience on your own to understand how great it is. They of course have a sauna/steam room to alternate between before your service. *BTW- I’ve learned you really should take advantage of these before AND after your massage. It really helps to flush out all the toxins moving through your body and will help avoid feeling achy or dehydrated afterward!
They also have an outdoor plunge pool for you to use. If you’re unfamiliar with this, there’s basically a freezing cold pool, right next to a super hot pool (basically a hot tub). First you’re supposed to dip into the hot tub (raising the body’s temperature dilates the blood vessels on the surface of the skin, reduces blood pressure, and increases blood flow to the skin and muscles, thus initiating a state of calm). Then, you dip into the cold pool (this step causes the skin’s pores to close/shut in the heat from step one. This promotes a shift in blood pressure, encouraging the body to flush toxins and your muscles to release tension)!
The actual spa services are done in outdoor spa villas. They walk you back and you’re in your own tiny home in the jungle– it’s insane.
There’s also a really nice gym right next to the spa (complete with a fresh juice bar)! They have a ton of newer equipment, and they offer fitness classes a few times a day (this is included in your stay).
Overall, there are truly no words to describe how incredible this place is. They go completely above and beyond to ensure you have an amazing experience, and will literally make anything happen for you.
Example: just when I thought they couldn’t blow me away more, Benjamin had an eye infection while we were there. I had terrible anxiety about taking him to a doctor outside the country, so I told our butler about it and asked what he thought. He ensured me they would find a way to help and keep us comfortable. A few hours later, they brought an on-site English-speaking doctor TO OUR ROOM to check him out, and hand delivered a prescription right away. And then later that night, there was a “get well soon” balloon in our room with a brand new toy. I mean… holy cow.
I hope you can all experience the Palmilla some day! It’s is 100% worth adding to your bucket list and saving up for, especially during the magic of the holidays (especially because whale season starts mid-December– we saw so many)! And if you can’t, I hope you at least find a way to truly disconnect from the outside world for a few days with your family around the holidays one year. It was the best gift I could have ever asked for and I will truly never forget the memories we made the week we were on this trip.
What questions do you have?! Leave them in the comments 🙂
XO
