by Mary McGrath

Imagine being surrounded by the pristine waters of the Pacific, where the ocean flirts with the Sea of Cortés. At the tip of the Baja Peninsula, you’ll find one of the most prestigious properties in the country, the One&Only Palmilla, one of the premiere resorts in México, with other exclusive locations in the Bahamas, Mauritius, Maldives and Dubai. 

When I was asked to profile Cecilia Aragon, the then PR Director for the resort, my immediate thought was, “What a wonderful job that must be. I wonder how she started?”

Cecilia’s roots trace back to La Paz, the Capital of the State of BCS where she was born and raised, developing her core values and strong personality always caring a peaceful walk and a serene and sincere smile. Cecilia’s father and his family were native pioneers of San José del Cabo, this parenthood allowed her to experience the many evolutions and dramatic changes in the area and gain knowledge of the destination simply because of being there as part of the story. “I feel honored to be one of the people promoting Los Cabos. As you can see, it comes naturally for me; I love the land I grew up in!”

Cecilia says, “I feel privileged to have enjoyed what Los Cabos was before the big boom”. She frequently spent holidays at the Hotel Finisterra, recalling the scenic drives along dirt roads from San José….and having to ask her father..”are we there yet”. “I remember spending weekends at the brand-new beautiful home at Santa Maria Bay and dinning at Alfonso’s Restaurant …I treasure lots of great memories from those times with family and friends” she recalls fondly.

Cecilia educated in the United States graduating with a degree in business, specializing in marketing, but always having in mind returning to her beloved Baja to pursuit her professional dreams. “At the time, I never realized that someday, I was going to be part of a company that marketed one of the best resorts in the world. To have been a part of Kerzner International and One&Only resorts gave me great professional and personal satisfactions and motivated me to continue on this journey.”

And what a journey it’s been! She began her career in the hospitality industry twenty-six years ago, as one of the first five people to open Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos, an experience that gave her the opportunity to grow professionally and fall in love with this magnificent industry.

All successful people have mentors, and Cecilia is no exception. She thanks the late Mr. Edward T. Steiner, who was VP of Latin America and Caribbean One&Only Resorts, who took her under his wing when he opened Las Ventanas al Paraiso and then under the One&Only brand. By creating a number of innovative services for his discerning clientele, he helped Cecilia develop her business acumen and success in this completive and changing industry. Also, to her beloved Father, the late Mr. Jesus Aragon Ceseña who taught her to be strong and always pursuit her dreams “God will always provide when your actions are made with good intentions” those words are always present in every decision made by Cecy, is how her friends call her.

In 2003, she became part of the opening team for the One&Only Palmilla, assisting in the transition from the historic old Palmilla Resort. Since 2006, Cecilia handled all media relations for the resort.

“If you enjoy what you do, then it is easy to be motivated to create new things,” she adds. “But most importantly is to accomplish rewards as a team…there is nothing that can be done by yourself…behind a great success is usually a devoted and dedicated group of people that work together to accomplish those successes and earn those rewards.”

As you can imagine, this unique property appeals to a very demanding and discerning clientele. In fact, according to Cecilia, “There is no comparison! I think each hotel in the destination carries its own soul and is unique within its segment…One&Only Palmilla however, embraces a lot of our Mexican culture not only in the architectural design, but also with its natural and unique geographical location, and the genuine warmth of the Mexican hospitality of the entire staff.  After all, we were the One&Only!”

Even with the economic challenges of recent years, Cecilia sees no downturn in tourism.  “I think people will never stop traveling and vacationing. They might be more cautious in the way they travel and the places they visit, but tourism will always be the strongest industry in our state’s economy. For that reason, I think we need to focus and work together, as a destination, to maintain the highest standards of service, quality and luxury that we forged throughout the years to help the destination thrive in this new economic reality. Most importantly, we need to make sure our travelers feel safe, cared for, and respected so from all the choices they have to chose from they come back and bring their friends…to achieve this we first need to nourish, care and respect our community and lead by example”

Cecilia’s family provided the foundation for what she has become today and helped to ensure her success in the future. “I thank God for all the blessings I received from my parents, a role model that I want to pass on to my own family. I love to spend time with them, with my family and friends. It is so much fun! If we all get together automatically brings smiles and build up memories to my Album of Life!” and for me that is success….to always find the moment to have fun and enjoy every aspect of your life, whether its work or your personal life…simply by being happy.

No wonder she’s so successful.