Anthony travels to the One & Only Palmilla Resort in San Jose del Cabo, designed exclusively for high-end guests. He arrives in a private SUV and tells the driver Aster that the car and his uniform are perfect. Each room has a private butler dedicated to it, and the resort has a private fleet of yachts, As they drive, Aster Astor sends a coded message to the hotel via radio telling them that he has a guest in a good mood. Aster has worked at the resort 18 years.
They pull up to the gate and the man on duty gives them a salute designed specifically by the resort. the front desk manager Alfredo greets Anthony and introduces him to his butler, Angel. they assure Anthony that the treatment he has received is typical, and they have 900 staff: three for every one guest. Angel shows Anthony the main building and explains that the hotel opened in 1956. It has spent $90 million on renovations since 2003, and all 173 guest rooms have an ocean view. Rates start at $600 a night, and the resort is the largest botanical garden in Baja. It has a spa, mini-pools, four restaurants, and a half-mile of private beachfront. The white concrete is spotless throughout the entire resort.
As he takes Anthony to his private villa, Angel shows him the hand-made wooden boxes that they use to hold dirty dishes. The villa comes with a private staff and is 10,000 square feet. Outside the back door is a view of the ocean, a private pool, and a hot tub. Angel says that the cost goes from $15,000 a night to $25,000, depending on the season. Inside, the private chef can provide a personal meal. There's a private theater, and the master bedroom is larger than most hotel suites. Angel explains that he sleeps there at night and is on call 24 hours a day, and wears his uniform when he does. He shows Anthony his quarters, and Anthony figures that Angel and the hotel are all in.
Next, Anthony asks if he can be an honorary employee for a couple of hours. The staff agree, and Anthony dons a uniform and goes to the staff stand-up. He gets there late and enters the line, and the executive assistant in charge has Anthony stand to the side. Once he forgives Anthony, he has him shadow Bernice, an experienced housekeeper. She picks flower petals and create a piece of art on the guest bed.
At the executive restaurant, head chef Larbi goes out in a boat with Anthony to get fresh fish. They buy from the fishermen out on the water and return to the resort to fillet the fish. The pelicans gather for scraps and Larbi has Anthony feed them.
After Anthony considers his contenders, he finally meets with the entire staff and gives his $5,000 super tip to Angel. He says that everyone at the resort deserves it, but Angel is special because he sleeps in his uniform and gets up at 4 in the morning. Angel says that he's going to save the money for his son's education and they hug.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 29, 2016