Welcome to the Hotel California – it’s such a lovely place! But what is the truth behind the hotel and the song?

On one trip last year I visited the famous ‘Hotel California’ (me outside the hotel).

“A little jewel in the middle of the desert.”

-John Stewart, creator of the modern era Hotel California.

In my time working on cruise ships I have been very fortunate to visit some wonderful places.  Some are little know and some are more iconic.

If you would like to visit the Hotel California then you can do this on a Mexican Riviera cruise.

The Hotel California was founded in 1948, by a Chinese immigrants named Mr. Wong and opened on February 5, 1950.  Wanting the locals to believe he was Mexican, Mr. Wong changed his name to Don Antonio Tabasco.  This didn’t work as well and he soon became known as “El Chino”, meaning “The Chinese Man”.

Some inside photos:

In the 1950’s, “El Chino” brought ice from La Paz to Todos Santos for the first time ever, and the Hotel California’s restaurant and bar served the only cold beer in town.  This of course made him quite popular and ironically he opened a general store named “La Popular.”

Some outside shots – a lovely place to sit and have some lunch, and I should know:

He then opened the first gas station in Todos Santos directly next door to the hotel further establishing his reputation as a visionary.  This was just the beginning of the hotel’s colourful story.  It’s future was to become even more intriguing.

“Baja is flip flop funky… Todos Santos… lined with artisans shops, and it is here that you will find The Hotel California.” 
-Vanity Fair

During the 1960s and 1970s, the precise details of the hotel’s history are a bit “hazy”.  There are numerous stories.  However, one rumour, fabricated in the 1990’s by someone with no connection to any owners of the hotel, states that the Eagles once owned it.  This is unequivocally false.

Many of the other legends are less black and white and continue to fascinate the public.  Although the present owners of the hotel do not have any affiliation with the Eagles, nor do they promote any association, many visitors are mesmerized by the “coincidences” between the lyrics of the hit song and the physicality of the hotel and its surroundings.

Hotel California is accessed by driving down a long desert highway from either Los Cabos to the south or La Paz to the east.

The Mission Church of Pilar is located directly adjacent to the hotel and mission bells are heard daily. Since the Church is so close it sounds like they are almost inside the hotel at times.

Countless stories and first-hand witnesses relating to spirits and ghosts in the courtyard of the hotel.

During the “Hippie Era” of the 1960s and 1970s, people were known to easily grow their own marijuana in the extremely fertile land of the Todos Santos area and then roll them into “Colitas” which is a Mexican slang term for “Joint” or Marijuana cigarette.

The simple fact that the Hotel California in Todos Santos was built in 1948 which was of course far before the “Hippie” or “Classic Rock” eras

‘Hotel California’ is also arguably the Eagles’ most iconic song.  It sold over 16 million copies in the U.S alone and was on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 19 weeks, peaking at No. 1. In 1978.

But what is the truth behind this song and did the hotel in Todos Santos inspire the song?

Here are five facts that you might not know about The Eagles’ “Hotel California.”

2. Glenn Freywas the mastermind behind the song’s lyrics. The late Glenn Frey penned the lyrics for the hit song along with band members Don Henley and Don Felder.
3. The song is about “excess in America”

While there have been many theories that contemplate what the song represents, the Eagles’ band members have revealed in multiple interviews that the true meaning behind “Hotel California” is a commentary on the hedonism and self-indulgence of America.

“It’s basically a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America, which is something we knew a lot about,” Henley said in a 2002 interview with “60 Minutes.”

In 2005, Henley further explained the meaning of the song to Rolling Stone magazine, which placed “Hotel California” at no. 49 on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

“We were all middle class kids from the Midwest,” Henley said. “‘Hotel California’ was our interpretation of the high life in L.A.”

3. “Hotel California” originally had a different name

According to journalist-turned-director Cameron Crowe, “Hotel California” was almost named something entirely different.

In 2003, Crowe revealed in “Conversations with Don Henley and Glenn Frey,” which was part of the liner notes for the Eagles’ compilation album “The Very Best Of,” that “Hotel California” was originally going to be titled “Mexican Reggae.”

4. “Hotel California” was declared a song that shaped rock and roll.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, named “Hotel California” as one of the songs that shaped rock and roll.

The Eagles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, and all seven former and present members of the group performed “Hotel California” together on stage.

5. There is a playful nod to the band Steely Dan in the song.

The line “They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can’t kill the beast,” is a playful jab to rock band Steely Dan.

Frey revealed in the liner notes of “The Very Best Of” that they alluded to the “Do it Again” rock band in “Hotel California” after Steely Dan made an Eagles reference in their song “Everything You Did.”

Today the “legendary” Hotel California is an icon, shining brighter than ever.  It continues to evolve, changing with the times as it has since its birth in 1948.

So there you have it!  The hotel has nothing whatsoever to do with this song, however that hasn’t stopped tourists visiting, and even though I knew this I still was singing the lyrics in my head as I sat in the ‘Hotel California’.

What do you think?  Have you been before?