A Baja Paradise

[Cameron and Stuart standing and listening]

Production: Take one. Was there a moment where it almost never happened?

[Was there a moment where it almost never happened?]

Stuart: Yeah, about three weeks ago. 

[Los Cabos aerial view] 

[LOS CABOS MEXICO]

I don’t know why I told you that. 

[BAJA RENAISSANCE]

[Aerial view of restaurant patio]

Single-minded, focused laser is Cam.

[Cam looking at the camera with documents in his hand]

Cam: Stuart, big massive heart.

[The camera closing up on Stuart]

Stuart: Cam and I have known each other now for probably 15 years.

[Interview spots interchange between Cam and Stuart throughout the entire video]

[Cam and Stuart overlooking the construction of the resort]

Stuart: We met sometime when we were 40 in Vancouver. I worked in the stock market. 

[Cam and Stuart walking through the construction site]

So this is the second leg of my career. 

[Cam and Stuart walking through resort]

Cam: He had always talked about wanting to get involved in a business with me. 

Stuart: We finished the Keefer Bar, and it was up and running. It was the right time for us to do something.

[A peacock grooming itself]

So we had a real estate agent brought us down here, we saw this mango orchard and that was it.

[Aerial views of the mango orchard before and after the resort was completed]

When we went into this, this was everything.

[Stuart entering the resort]

Cam: Yeah we both put all of our eggs in this basket. 

[Stuart and Cam walking together and entering the resort kitchen; sit at a table planning]

Stuart: We had limited resources and we pooled them. We thought we had enough to build this thing initially.

[Stuart and Cam going over books with another man]

The money flew outta here like you would not believe, you know.

[Cam audibly gulps]

[GULP]

[Resort decorations] 

Cam: And actually a lot of the design decisions were made because we were running out of money. 

[Food is being served to restaurant patrons]

The tables you can see those are leftover floor tiles. 

Stuart: We took a step back and thought let’s build a restaurant and bar. 

[Chef cooking over old brick stovetop]

Get our feet back on the ground, we can generate an income.

[A server walking with plates of food] 

Hopefully organically, we can grow from there.

[Sunlight shining through vine-covered stone beams]

We started construction three years ago to build what you see now.

[Drinks are being served to smiling patrons]

[Harvested ingredients are being placed in a basket]

Cam: Restaurant, tree-house hotel.

[The resort chef preparing extravagant dishes]

It’s farm-to-table but we put more of an urban edge to it.

Stuart: Who doesn’t like a tree house?

[Cam climbing up the stairs to the tree house]

Cam: There’s no solid walls, so you’re up there in this canopy of palm trees, and you can see out.

[Cam opens bamboo window pane and jumps backwards onto the bed]

Stuart: It is the most peaceful, vibrant, vivid colours. 

[Aerial view of tree houses]

Cam: We kinda nailed this one. It’s… it’s pretty cool.

[Sunset over palm trees] 

[String lights over trees on outdoor patio and pool]

To me retirement is just that weird concept.

Stuart: It’s kind of depressing.

[Stuart sitting by an outdoor fire pit surrounded by palm trees]

Cam: I don’t think that would happen for me; I think I always need to be involved in a project.

[Bartender making drinks]

Stuart: You know it’s funny as we get more and more people asking us if we would like to do this somewhere else. 

[Food is being served to patrons sitting on outdoor patio]

I’ve got the energy.

Cam: The fountain of youth would be being occupied.

[Cam and Stuart sitting at a table, planning]

Stuart: I don’t know any other way to live now.

[Stuart pouring cream in his coffee]

I don’t recommend that for any of you.

[Stuart begins landscaping]

But you will achieve something regardless of the success of it, you’ll find out something about yourself. Yeah let me go back. I highly recommend it.

[Man taking photos of three female guests]

Cam: I wasn’t expecting to be as successful as it’s become.

[3 women toasting drinks]

[Cam and Stuart walking around, chatting]

Stuart: I’m excited to wake up in the morning. I get up at 5, and I don’t wanna leave. I don’t wanna leave.

[Aerial view of the resort]

[Presented by CIBC]