Travel.

A word that seemed more taboo the last 6 months than the usual “inspiring, fulfilling, and gratifying” adjectives used pre-2020. As a beauty traveler, both of my careers have been totally upended the past season and a half, but I knew that my first post-COVID trip to JFK and dip in (any) body of water was going to be very well-deserved.

Then, Palace Resorts reached out to me to see if I was interested in showing my community what is like to travel and stay at one of their 9 gorgeous all-inclusive oceanfront properties in Mexico, and show the ways their preventative measures go above and beyond the normal disinfection protocols. I thought about it for several days, because I wanted to be sure I was sending the right message. I also wanted to be sure that by traveling, I wasn't going to be putting anyone in extra danger of their health.

I made my decision to go, after considering the following:

I live in NYC, a region with very, very low transmission rate (1%)
NYC has strict re-entry regulations and fines up to $10,000 if they are not followed
I have been quarantining carefully, masking anytime I am not at home and maintaining 6' distance all other times
I live alone, further lessening any chance of infection
And lastly, as a travel writer, I feel that it is my job to show you what it is like to travel, so that when you are ready to jump on a plane, you know what to expect

Choosing Le Blanc Spa Resort, Los Cabos

My best friend and I, Stephanie, went back and forth 5 times about what area we’d stay in before finalizing Le Blanc Spa Resort in Los Cabos.

Teaser: If you need to know one thing, it’s this: We decided to extend our stay at Le Blanc by two extra nights on the first day we arrived!

Le Blanc Spa Resort (LBSR) has two locations: one in Cancun where I went with @britneywilson 2 summers ago (check out her blog post on the top 5 things to do there!), and this one in Cabo. I’d never been to Cabo, plus our trip to the Cancun location was hands down one of the best trips of all time and totally changed my mind about all-inclusives. So, Le Blanc Cabo it was!

The Cleanliness and Sanitation, called Purely Le Blanc

Sanitation was of course, the top priority for us. Le Blanc made me feel comfortable even before we left the airport. The first thing the did when the Le Blanc staff greeting us (from afar) was disinfect our suitcases before loading them in the SUV. Our driver had PPE in the car and wore a mask at all times. Before entering the resort, we were greeted by security and upon pulling up, we were given more hand sanitizer, stepped in a mat of shoe disinfectant and our luggage was disinfected again. We were off to a great start.

Check-in happened behind an acrylic-type screen (I’m only a pro at recognizing acrylic for nails, ok?) and I even had a new pen to use, and our temps taken (wrist or forehead) and a divine coconut drink to top it off. I was home.

Purely Le Blanc, LB’s sanitation and disinfection program, features over 250 preventative actions to keep both staff and guests safe, including a health certification seal on every room that proves its full disinfection.

2. The Le Blanc App lets you do anything from anywhere

When I am traveling, I am L-A-Z-Y. But lucky for us, Le Bland has an app that allowed us to make dinner reservations, spa appointments, everything - even order extra hangers - without leaving our poolside loungers. Always nice to have. it was extra appreciated during COVID to lessen our contact, and the employees’ of us too.