Hotel California Todos Santos, the Real Story
Hotel California Todos Santos is open, operating, and taking reservations. Despite the rumors circulating in town, the iconic 11-suite property is not closed, under renovation, or gone. It remains what it has always been: the gravitational center of downtown Todos Santos, running its bar, its poolside lounge, its boutique, and its gallery. However, the story behind this building is far more interesting than any rumor
currently making the rounds.
El Chino and the First Cold Beer in Baja
The hotel was founded in 1947 by a Chinese immigrant known as Mr. Wong, who officially opened the doors in 1950 and lived on the property with his wife and seven daughters. Wanting to fit more naturally into the community, he changed his name to Don Antonio Tabasco. Locals, however, simply called him El Chino.
In the 1950s, El Chino hauled ice from La Paz to Todos Santos for the first time. As a result, his hotel bar became the only place in town serving a cold beer. On the Baja peninsula at that time, that was not a small thing. He then opened a general store called La Popular and built the first gas station in Todos Santos directly next door, cementing his reputation as the kind of visionary this peninsula has always rewarded.
The Canadian Revival
In the late 1990s the hotel closed and sat empty for roughly four years. Subsequently, a Canadian couple, John and Debbie Stewart, purchased it in 2001. After completing a renovation that won numerous awards for design and décor, the original 16 rooms were transformed into the eclectic 11-suite property it is today.
John Stewart, a designer by trade who poured his passion for bold color, colonial architecture, and international art into every corner of the building, died in August 2006. Nevertheless, Debbie continued stewarding the hotel through its peak years as a Pueblo Mágico landmark, turning a neglected shell into one of the most recognizable boutique properties in all of Mexico.
The Eagles Lawsuit
The hotel has no connection to the 1977 Eagles song. Co-writer Don Henley has stated the title was inspired by the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset Boulevard. However, that did not stop the band from taking action. In 2017, the Eagles filed a complaint in Los Angeles federal court alleging that the hotel actively encouraged guests to believe the property was associated with the band, pointing to Eagles music on the sound system and merchandise described as legendary.
Both sides settled in early 2018 by mutual agreement. As a result, the hotel dropped its U.S. trademark application while retaining its 28 valid Mexican trademark registrations for the Hotel California name. Therefore, it continues to operate under that name in Mexico, exactly as it always has. Furthermore, the international headlines generated by the dispute likely did more for the hotel’s profile than any marketing budget could have managed.
KT, Your Insider Guide
Todos Santos is in the middle of a transformation that would have been unimaginable to El Chino. Luxury hotels, architecture awards, international press, and serious real estate money are reshaping this town fast. Whether Hotel California Todos Santos rides that wave or becomes a footnote to it is the question worth watching.
What is certain is that the bones of this place are extraordinary. So is the land surrounding it.
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