Hotel California: Todos Santos, Baja California
Posted by: Ambrosia
N 23° 26.950 W 110° 13.528
12Q E 579111 N 2593456
The hotel rumoured to have inpsired the Eagles song, "Hotel California", in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur.
Waymark Code: WM4N5Q
Location: Baja California Sur, Mexico
Date Posted: 09/10/2008
Views: 16
The Hotel California is located in the sleepy Mexican town of Todos Santos. The town is known around the world as a draw for laid back, artistic people. A lot of expats, artists, and surfers live or visit this area (as well as a lot of the Baja Sur).
The hotel was built by Antonio Wong Tabasco. Construction began in 1947, and the hotel was opened On February 5, 1950. The hotel has had at least two different names, at one time it was called, "Hotel Mission Todos Santos".
Despite there being no proof that this is the actual "Hotel California" that inspired the song, it is widely held by popular opinion to be the inspiration. There are a few things that fit the song lyrics:
1. The hotel is located on the Baja California Sur, and the name is the "Hotel California".
2. There is a mission located on the adjacent lot to the hotel. The town itself was started as a mission in 1723, centered around, and named after the Nuestra Senora del Pilar de La Paz Mission. The mission building has a prominent bell tower ("I heard the mission bell").
3. To get to the hotel, one would need to drive on a "desert highway".
4. Legend says that the girl in the song was the owner's daughter, Maria Belen Tabasco Castillo.
Of course, many of the clues in the song could be attributed to other places in California itself, as there is no proof that the Eagles ever visited the Hotel California in Todos Santos. A couple different people associated with the band have denied that any of the members of the band ever stayed at the Hotel California in Todos Santos,and that the rumour was started to bring more tourists to the town. They maintain that the song was allegorical, about the decadence and addictions of Hollywood, and California.
Despite the controversy, or perhaps partly because of it, Todos Santos is a popular day trip for tourists staying in Cabo San Lucas (also because of its reputation as a famous artistic town, similar to Santa Fe, or Sedona). Over the years, many reporters and journalists have made the trip to Todos Santos, to write articles for newspapers and magazines about the Hotel California, some of them in prominent publications. It has been argued that questions are asked and stories are slanted in whichever pre-conceived direction the writer was already leaning, however.
Several great articles:
Hotel California
"Hotel Where"
Hotel California - Any time of year, you can find it here