Staff Vacation Story at Villa del Palmar Flamingos

I moved to Mexico from the US in 2011 and started working for the Villa Group.  It has been and continues to be an amazing experience as I have witnessed some great family moments taking care of members for the past seven years at Villa del Palmar Flamingos. Unfortunately, my family rarely visits due to their busy schedules and raising their own family. However, this past year my Aunt and Uncle brought their kids and grandchildren to Villa del Palmar Flamingos for a family vacation, which I was a part of. Read along for my family vacation experience.

My cousin Andrea, her husband Joe and their three kids came to Villa del Palmar Flamingos with my Aunt and Uncle this past June, right after school let out for the summer. I hadn’t seen Andrea and Joe in over eight years and I had only met their sons when they were very young. From the moment I met their three kids (Ethan, Eli and Ivie) at the airport, I was in love.  They greeted me with big hugs and referred to me as “Aunt Robin.”

They were so excited to be on vacation in Mexico and loved Villa del Palmar Flamingos as soon as they set foot in the lobby.  After settling into their rooms and hitting the pool we spent the first night having a wonderful dinner on the beach nearby in Bucerias. It was great being able to check on them during work by the pool and see what a great time they were having. All our members and guests know how great our staff is and my family was quickly making new friends.

We usually had dinner off property in the evenings. One of their favorite restaurants was casa Kimberly-Elizabeth Taylor’s former home.  We were fortunate to be able to take advantage of the annual “Restaurant Week” taking place in Vallarta during this time. My cousins were impressed with how great the food was everywhere and what a great value it was for the money they paid.

On Sunday night we headed to El Malecon, which is a great spot to hangout on Sundays due to the many street performers and festivities. Eli and I danced in the Town Square; the kids enjoyed the shops, entertainment and photo ops amongst the many beautiful sculptures on the beach.  I hadn’t been there in a long time and it reminded me what a magical place this town is that has become my home. It was wonderful to see Vallarta through the eyes of those who had never been here before and to see my family fall in love with it as well.

On Monday, Ivie celebrated her fifth birthday at Villa del Palmar Flamingos. The wait staff, activities team, and Nadia at the deli helped order a special cake for Ivie. We had a wonderful dinner at La Casona where Head Chef Leonardo and the staff outdid themselves to make this an extraordinary celebration. They brought out Ivie’s cake and the entire crew sang to her.  All I thought to myself was ‘What a lucky little girl to be able to spend her 5th birthday in Mexico!’  I was in my mid-40s before I traveled to Mexico for the first time. That night I reflected on the industry I work in. I no longer work in sales but when I did, this was the dream we sold: to have a home in Mexico where you could bring family and friends and create lifelong memories.

When I go back to the states for family events you never really get to spend quality time with one person. This week not only made a dream come true for my Aunt and Uncle as this was their first vacation with their grandkids, but I got to bond with these kids that never knew me, reunite with my cousin and his beautiful wife and make memories of my own. What a blessing! I fell head over heels for these little people and look forward to keeping in touch with them. They are already making plans to come back next year when school lets out. After this vacation, I was the one tearing up. Thank you to my co-workers at Villa del Palmar Flamingos for doing the incredible job you do for all of our members and guests and to the developers who had the dream to create a place where families can return every year for experiences of a lifetime.

Sometimes people tend to take things for granted and it was good to be reminded how lucky I am to live and work in paradise while reuniting with my family.

Best Regards,

Robin DeWinne

Elite Services Manager, Villa Group Vallarta Region