Casa Chango / Sweet Retreats
Storm Policy & Protocol
Weather Policy and Storm Preparedness
Casa Chango/Sweet Retreats is a coastal retreat center in Puerto Escondido on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca, Mexico. Due to climate change, it is a zone that is increasingly subject to unpredictable and extreme weather events, including tropical storms and hurricanes. Our facilities are mostly open-air. While we provide a safe and supportive environment, guests must understand and accept the inherent risks of attending a retreat in this setting.
Travel Insurance
It is very important that you purchase travel insurance that will cover trip delay, trip cancellation and trip interruption in case of a storm or hurricane. Make sure you look at the details of the insurance policy in order to make the best decisions for yourself in the case of a bad storm or hurricane.
Unpredictable Weather
Storms everywhere in the world can change in strength and direction quickly, and even trained meteorologists cannot always predict their exact path. What begins as a tropical storm or a low-category hurricane can rapidly escalate to a major hurricane or change trajectory toward our location. By choosing to attend a retreat at Casa Chango, you acknowledge the risk of extreme weather and understand that Sweet Retreats/Casa Chango cannot be held responsible for acts of nature beyond our control.
Evacuations and Government Orders
If the Mexican government issues an evacuation advisory or mandate, all Casa Chango guests will be required to evacuate to the nearest government shelter or equivalent. We will do our best to provide transportation, but guests must be prepared to act quickly and follow official guidance. Failure to comply with a government-issued evacuation could place you and others at risk.
Staying or Leaving During a Storm
If a storm is projected to be mild (e.g., a tropical storm or a Category 1 hurricane) and Casa Chango is outside the official cone of danger, guests may choose to stay and ride it out or leave to seek alternative accommodations. If you choose to stay, you will be required to sign a Storm Risk Waiver acknowledging that you are staying at your own risk and releasing Casa Chango/Sweet Retreats from liability.
If you choose to leave, you are responsible for your own transportation, lodging, and safety. In either case (staying or leaving), there will be no refunds or credits for missed classes, meals, excursions, or services lost due to the storm or its aftermath.
If You Stay at Casa Chango, You Accept the Following Possible Risks:
- Falling trees or branches damaging buildings or injuring individuals
- Broken windows or doors due to wind
- Rain and water entering rooms
- Roof damage or structural damage
- Loss of electricity, water, and internet
- Limited or no access to staff on-site
- Reduced or modified meal service (e.g., packaged food/snacks only)
- Lack of daily cleaning or housekeeping services
- Inaccessible roads due to flooding or collapse
- Airport closures, delayed/cancelled flights, or blocked travel routes
- Other hazards not listed here
By choosing to remain at Casa Chango, you acknowledge that these risks are real and accept them.
Important – Please remember that Casa Chango staff must also prepare their own homes for the storm. They also may not be able to get to work due to weather related conditions. Therefore guests who decide to stay at Casa Chango may be required to do any of the following:
- Pack up your bedroom, put everything in the middle of the room on top of the bed and put a tarp over it all. Unpack your room after the storm
- Carry mats, pillows, linens, etc to the shelter
- Help organize and carry water and food to the shelter.
No Refunds for Weather
Sweet Retreats is a small, independent business—not a resort chain with large-scale operations or insurance coverage. We cannot provide refunds or credits due to weather-related cancellations, travel delays, or program interruptions. For this reason, we strongly recommend that all guests purchase travel insurance that includes coverage for weather-related trip interruption, cancellation, and evacuation.
Travel insurance is your responsibility. Be sure to select a policy that covers unpredictable and extreme weather, including hurricanes and tropical storms.
Storm Protocol
Stage 1 – Upon hearing about a potential storm
At the point when we receive information that a storm may potentially hit or affect us, the following can be expected.
- Casa Chango staff will check for updates on the storm regularly until the storm passes.
- Preliminary precautions will be taken including:
- Alerting all participants and Casa Chango guests of the situation.
- Making a plan for the best and worst case scenarios.
- Beginning to prepare the property and everything on it for a potential storm.
- All Casa Chango guests will be required to review this entire policy and protocol.
- Casa Chango guests must seriously think about their options and make a decision and plan.
- If it looks like a hurricane is going to hit, we recommend evacuating the area and potentially booking a flight home as soon as possible before the hurricane hits, and claiming trip interruption on your travel insurance. Make sure to buy travel insurance that covers this at the point that you book your stay at Casa Chango/Sweet Retreats.
Stage 2 – Time Period before the storm
If it appears as though Casa Chango could be affected by the storm, the following can be expected: (note: Guests who do not comply with this policy will be required to leave Casa Chango, find their own transportation, accommodations, and food.)
- Casa Chango staff will put most of their attention towards preparing the property for the storm. This means that there may be an interruption in scheduled classes, meals, and activities/excursions.
- All Casa Chango guests will be required to make a decision about where they will go during the storm. Action must be taken well in advance of the storm’s arrival.
- If the Mexican government issues an evacuation advisory or mandate, all Casa Chango guests will be required to evacuate to the nearest government shelter or equivalent. We will do our best to provide transportation, but guests must be prepared to act quickly and follow official guidance. Failure to comply with a government-issued evacuation could place you and others at risk.
- If there is not a government mandate or advisory for evacuation, Casa Chango guests can choose to stay at Casa Chango (see details below) or find other accommodations.
Staying or Leaving During a Storm
If a storm is projected to be mild (e.g., a tropical storm or a Category 1 hurricane) and Casa Chango is outside the official cone of danger, guests may choose to stay and ride it out or leave to seek alternative accommodations. If you choose to stay, you will be required to sign a Storm Risk Waiver acknowledging that you are staying at your own risk and releasing Casa Chango/Sweet Retreats from liability.
If you choose to leave, you are responsible for your own transportation, lodging, and safety. In either case (staying or leaving), there will be no refunds or credits for missed classes, meals, excursions, or services lost due to the storm or its aftermath.
If You Stay at Casa Chango, You Accept the Following Possible Risks:
By choosing to remain at Casa Chango, you acknowledge that these risks are real and accept them.
- Falling trees or branches damaging buildings or injuring individuals
- Broken windows or doors due to wind
- Rain and water entering rooms
- Roof damage or structural damage
- Loss of electricity, water, cellular service, and internet
- Limited or no access to staff on-site
- Reduced or modified meal service (e.g., packaged food/snacks only)
- Moving to a room/shelter that may be different from the room you are booked in, sharing with other people.
- Lack of daily cleaning or housekeeping services
- Inaccessible roads due to flooding or collapse
- Airport closures, delayed/cancelled flights, or blocked travel routes
- Other hazards not listed here
Important – Please remember that Casa Chango staff must also prepare their own homes for the storm. They also may not be able to get to work due to weather related conditions. Therefore guests who choose to stay at Casa Chango may be required to do any of the following:
- Pack up your bedroom, put everything in the middle of the room on top of the bed and put a tarp over it all. Unpack your room after the storm
- Accept that the shelter is not 100% hurricane proof and damage and leaks can happen.
- Share a room & bathroom with other participants even if you were booked in a private room.
- Carry mats, pillows, linens, etc to the shelter
- Help organize, prepare, and/or carry water and food to the shelter.
Advantages of LEAVING Puerto Escondido
- If you are going to leave, DO IT WELL AHEAD OF TIME. Do not wait to take action
- If there is time, you can fly home or somewhere else that will not be affected by the storm.
- If there is time and the road is open, you can drive or take a bus to Oaxaca City. From there you can fly home.
- You may still be able to get home. You may have to book a new flight.
- If the storm is not bad, and if we can resume retreat activities after it passes, you can come back to Casa Chango to finish the retreat.
- You may be able to claim trip interruption on your travel insurance plan.
Disadvantages of leaving Puerto Escondido
- You have to organize and pay for your own travel, food, accommodations and everything once you leave including transport from Casa Chango to your new accommodations as well as transport back to Casa Chango after the storm (if applicable).
- You may have to book a new flight out of a different airport.
If you choose to stay at Casa Chango
- Airports and/or roads might be closed for days or weeks after the storm.
- This means you may not be able to get out of Puerto Escondido for days or weeks.
- You may not be able to claim trip interruption refunds with your travel insurance company.
- On the scheduled departure day of the retreat, you will still be required to leave Casa Chango.
- If the storm is devastating, you may be stuck in the area for days or weeks with limited food, water, electricity, cellular service, internet, and/or road access.
- If you are unable to leave Casa Chango on the scheduled departure day of the retreat due to inaccessible roads, you may be able to stay at Casa Chango’s shelter until road access is open.
Stage 3 – During Storm
Beginning a few hours before the peak of the storm until the end of the storm, the following can be expected:
- All retreat activities, classes and meals will end.
- Casa Chango staff will go home.
- Anyone choosing to evacuate must do so as soon as possible. If they wait too long to decide, we cannot guarantee that we can help with transportation and coordination.
- All guests and anyone remaining at Casa Chango will finish packing up their rooms and move to the shelter they have been assigned to.
- All guests remaining at Casa Chango must stay inside their designated shelter until the storm has officially passed.
Stage 4 – after the storm
Once the storm has passed, Casa Chango staff will do our best to resume the retreat as scheduled. Any of the following can be expected:
- Delays in resuming scheduled classes, meals, activities, excursions.
- Loss of electricity, water, cellular service, and internet
- Limited or no access to staff on-site
- Reduced or modified meal service (e.g., packaged food/snacks only)
- Lack of daily cleaning or housekeeping services
- Guests may be able to return to their original rooms providing there was no damage during the storm.
- Inaccessible roads due to flooding or collapse
- Airport closures, delayed/cancelled flights, or blocked travel routes
- Other inconveniences not listed here
Storm Risk Waiver and Assumption of Liability
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