This content was created by Girlboss in collaboration with Breathless Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa®.
Forget about lunch-hour bowling leagues or Thursday-night karaoke. How does a work retreat in a warm, sunny destination sound for team bonding?
More remote teams are investing in work retreats, using the money that they would have used on being in-office, to splurge on a more lavish destination for their corporate offsites, like Costa Rica or Italy. For example, BoomPop, a start-up that helps plan company offsites and corporate retreats, has worked with 4,000 organizations and 110,000 employees including Google, Meta and Nike, according to Inc.com.
It’s an investment with a big payoff because it allows workers to have the flexibility of remote work while bringing the team together once or twice a year to strengthen that invaluable IRL connection, foster new ideas and celebrate accomplishments. "I have no doubt that it ends up paying for itself,” says one CEO in the Inc.com article.
Our team is proof that it does. In August, the fully remote Girlboss team—who live across North America—headed to Cancún, Mexico for our second company-wide retreat. The six of us spent three days of much-needed (non-cringey) bonding, brainstorming and beach time at the Breathless Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa, an adult-only, all-inclusive seaside paradise.
Many of us met IRL for the first time on this retreat which felt surreal. As much as we connect during virtual trivia games and in our All-Hands meetings on Zoom, it was really nice to build memories as a team in person. This getaway was a chance to get to know each other as humans—not coworkers.
“After our last Girlboss retreat, I felt so recharged, energized and full of ideas,” says Liz, Girlboss’ former general manager. “I also got to know my colleagues as well-rounded individuals. Study after study shows that well-connected teams that care about one another are more productive, have better workplace satisfaction, stay at orgs longer and generally produce better work. Rest, play, laughter and socializing are all essential parts of an effective team.”
So, what did we get up to? Team-bonding activities to increase communication and collaboration, like a sip and paint class and a cooking class, all organized by the amazing team at Breathless Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa as part of their Live in Full Color Experience—plus, team dinners, deep chats by the pool, and unstructured time together to build authentic connections (or to take a power nap back in our rooms). Oh, and taking plenty of beachside thirst traps. Sorry, mom!
Before we get any further, we want to put out a disclaimer. We realize how privileged we all are to have an opportunity like this—to go on an all-expenses getaway to Mexico and call it “work.” We are writing about Camp Girlboss not to humblebrag, but to shine a spotlight on a larger trend in corporate America—and the benefits.
Here’s our jam-packed itinerary to help you plan your very own work retreat with your team:
Day 1 of Camp Girlboss
11:30 a.m. Landed in paradise and checked into our rooms overlooking the infinity pool. Spotted: A walk-in waterfall shower, a fluffy robe and slippers and the comfiest, cushiest bed. The dream!
12:30 p.m. Immediately changed into our bathing suits and headed down to the poolside restaurant, Barefoot Grill, for loaded nachos, mini pizzas and margaritas. You need fuel after a long travel day! The live music and breathtaking ocean views were the cherries on top.
2 p.m. Explored the lush property to get our bearings and oggled at the frangipani and hibiscus flowers. We even spotted an iguana peeking from the bushes. The rest of the afternoon, the team spent lounging by the infinity pool in their in-pool cabanas, swimming, and talking about our upcoming launches and projects while we reapplied our sunscreen.
4 p.m. It’s guac o’clock! We learned how to make authentic guacamole from one of the resort chefs (the secret is lots of lime juice and a sprinkle of jalapeños if you can handle the heat). Then, we had a (friendly) competition with some of the other resort guests to see whose guacamole was the best. We lost… but really, we won because we got to stuff ourselves with guac and freshly baked tortilla chips.
6 p.m. After quickly freshening up and getting ready for dinner, a few of us participated in a paint and sip class at sunset. The IG content was *chefs kiss* and we even got to take our paintings home! How do you explain this to TSA?
8 p.m. Had our first team dinner at Coquette, the elegant French-inspired restaurant. The team shared a few beet salads and enjoyed perfectly cooked herb-roasted chicken, salmon with a creamy tarragon sauce and melt-in-your-mouth pork tenderloin. We said goodnight and went upstairs for an early bedtime.
Day 2 of Camp Girlboss
6 a.m. Cheska, our social media specialist, woke up early for a sunrise swim in the ocean. A few of us ordered coffee and breakfast to our room, while others checked out Spoon, the breakfast and lunch buffet, for custom omelets and the best breakfast potatoes.
11 a.m. Gathered in our private in-pool cabana and set up our DIY poolside office to collaborate with the team and catch up on our personal lives. We wish our office looked like this 24/7!
1:30 p.m. Went back to Spoon because we heard that the ceviche is out of this world. The rumors were true—it was so fresh! Then, some of the team went on the hunt for a sweet treat (because, duh). We stumbled upon Nook Café for bottomless Nutella iced coffees and ice cream (the zingy lemon sorbet is perfect for a hot day).
4 p.m. What vacation would it be if we didn’t have a spa day? Cheska and I (hi, I’m the executive editor!) tried ice baths for the first time. Cheska stayed in for seven whole minutes (she’s a natural!). I, on the other hand, lasted only 57 seconds. Then, we met up with the rest of the team for hydrotherapy. We basically got massaged by water jets and it was so relaxing. A few more saunas, steam rooms and hot tubs later, the team had built up an appetite.
6:30 p.m. This dinner was extra special because it was a BBQ and buffet dinner on the beach and there was the most jaw-dropping performance from fire dancers. A few of us went back for seconds and thirds of the grilled pineapple, it was that addictive.
8 p.m. Mandatory photoshoot time! We snuck away to get beach pics for Instagram using Cheska’s digital camera with flash. Even the mermaids were jealous of our modeling skills.
9:30 p.m. Finished the night at an outdoor silent disco and broke a sweat dancing to 2000s club bangers. Honorable mentions: “Get Low” by Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz, “Drop It Like It's Hot” by Snoop Dogg, and, of course, “It Wasn’t Me” by Rik Rok and Shaggy. Night night!
Day 3 of Camp Girlboss
9 a.m. Slept in this morning (we needed it after all of that dancing last night) and caught up on emails and work to-dos from our private balcony while sipping on our coffee.
10:30 a.m. Back at Spoon for an all-you-can-eat brekkie. The waffle station was calling our name. Nutella, maple syrup, fresh fruit and chocolate chips? Yes to all!
11:30 a.m. The pool was bumping with aquatic activities! A few team members tried aqua spin (where they put spin bikes in the pool, and the water provides all of the resistance you need to feel the burn) and aqua aerobics to Latin hits from Bad Bunny and Daddy Yankee.
1 p.m. Followed the scent of BBQ to find poolside burgers and hot dogs being served for lunch. We piled our plates high with potato chips too, obvi.
6 p.m. Our last dinner was an early one because we had a busy night ahead—but we had to make time for sunset beach pics. New profile photo, who dis?
6:30 p.m. Celebrated Liz’s last day at Girlboss with a Japanese hibachi dinner at Silk City. We ate so much fried rice, sushi, grilled steak, chicken and shrimp (we’re still dreaming about it), and finished the meal off with a special “goodbye” cake for Liz.
8 p.m. Got dressed in paint coveralls for a splatter painting sesh where we threw neon paint on a giant canvas. It was therapeutic and so much fun. We couldn’t stop laughing!
9:30 p.m. Cheska, Vanessa, our operations associate, and I stole the show at karaoke at the After Dark nightclub, singing classics like “Bad Romance” Lady Gaga and “Oops!…I Did It Again” by Britney Spears. We would have stayed out longer if we didn’t have an early flight to catch the next morning. It was a team-bonding trip for the books!
From now until the end of October, five Breathless Resort & Spa properties are hosting a "Live in Full Color" creative pop-up series, like a live painting class, a sneaker art gallery, am interactive chocolate and rum experience, and so much more. Book your “Live in Full Color” stay at a Breathless Resort & Spa property between now through Oct. 31, 2024, for travel before April 19, 2025, and start making memories that last a lifetime.
