Baja’s largest oceanfront resort turns 100 on July 27

By Ron Raposa

Only rough estimates are possible — the resort’s size has changed so much and some records are sketchy— but perhaps five million guests and 25 million visitors have passed through the hotel’s elegant entryway during that century.

The hotel has survived and ultimately thrived though a century that included one world war and many smaller ones, economic upturns and downturns, a Covid pandemic, increasing  border congestion, secuirty and other concerns.

So how did this family owned resort get from there to here during 10 decades? There are many reasons, but location, Hollywood and visionary owners stand out among them.

LOCATION

In a July 27, 1924 grand opening ad in the San Diego Union, the 10-room hotel called itself the sensation of the season. But there was no guarantee it would become that, much less grow to what it is today.

Back then, San Diego had about 100,000 people, Tijuana perhaps 10,000. And Rosarito? There was not yet a city of Rosarito, and there would not be until 1995. A few hundred people lived in the largely undeveloped region known, if at all, for ranches and hunting.

But the original owners of the hotel, who sold it in 1929, surely were right about one thing. It was in a great location, less than 20 miles south of the U.S. Mexico border, and in a gorgeous beachfront setting with almost perfect weather.

The people were welcoming, the food excellent, the fishing and surfing outstanding, and the region had an Old World charm, sometimes elegant, sometimes rustic.

Although northern Baja itself did not become a Mexican state until 1952, it is now one of the most popular destinations for U.S. tourists. It is an easy scenic drive away and people from the U.S. loved to drive, especially after the highway boom than followed World War II.

Not only was Baja an easy place to visit, it was an affordable one, with prices a fraction of those in the United States.

And until 1933 when the U.S. repealed its alcohol prohibition, Baja was a close location to get a drink legally.  Caesar Cardini, who invented the Caesar Salad in 1924, moved his restaurant from San Diego to Tijuana to take advantage of that.

Baja’s proximity to the U.S. and its affordability, today continue to attract tourists, as well as expatriates, perhaps 20,000 of whom now live in Rosarito. As some locals say, they came for a day and stayed for a lifetime.

HOLLYWOOD

The Rosarito Beach Hotel and northern Baja would have become popular tourist destinations without the influence of Hollywood. But the U.S. film capital, a couple of hundred miles to the north, gave the Baja a glamorous aura and helped hasten its growth.

Film stars, drawn by the beauty, food, lifestyle, and perhaps the increased privacy were among early visitors. Some drove. Some flew in and landed on a private air strip next the Rosarito Beach Hotel.

Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, Kim Novak, Marilyn Monroe, Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, John Wayne and many scores more visited or stayed or both. Although some came for discreet low-key visits, many times publicity followed them.

The United States loves celebrities and hearing about them. To read one notable example, search on Google with the key words Ali Khan, Gene Tierney and Vintage Paparazzi for an article on the couple’s 1950s visit to the Rosarito Beach Hotel.

In 1996, James Cameron chose a location a few miles south of the hotel for a new Fox Studios facility with huge water tanks for the filming of his “Titanic.”

Soon a life-size replica of the ship was visible from nearby highways. Cameron, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet were here, stories flowed, and still do. Later came the blockbuster movie “Master & Commander” with star Russell Crowe, plus many more.

When the 2012 movie “All is Lost” was filmed at Fox, its star Robert Redford stayed in a suite at the Rosarito Beach Hotel under a pseudonym, eating his breakfasts at the resort’s Azteca restaurant. The hotel and the region frequently have been locales for film and television.

VISIONARIES

Even the best location has limitations without visionaries to help it realize its potential, to create reasons to visit it instead of the place next door.

The first visionary came along in 1929 when Manuel Barbachano, who also brought electricity and telephone service to northern Baja, bought the 10-room resort and began a program of expansion.

There weren’t enough workers in the sparsely populated region to build his vision, so he brought more from throughout Mexico. The region grew with the resort. Even before it was called the Rosarito Beach Hotel, it was Rosarito Beach’s hotel.

 In the next few years, Mr. Barbachano added the foyer, casino, main salon, airplane landing strip and 50 rooms. When he married actress Maria Luisa Chabert, he built her an elegant mansion, which today houses the resort’s Casa Playa Spa and elegant Chabert’s restaurant.

It is Maria Luisa’s image in stained glass above the entrance to the resort’s lobby, with the inscription in Spanish: Por esta puerta pasan los mujeres mas hermosa del mundo (through this door pass the most beautiful women in the world.)

The couple brought in exquisite furnishings from throughout the world and fine artwork, much of which can still be seen and enjoyed at the resort today. It was a beautiful place frequented by beautiful people.

Mr. Barbachano died in 1954 at age 63, and his widow later leased out the resort with its 50-plus rooms for several years. But in 1974 Manuel and Maria Luisa’s nephew, Hugo Eduardo Torres (Chabert) assumed ownership, and began a second era of major expansion.

Hugo Eduardo also was a Baja visionary who led the effort that in 1995 made Rosarito a city independent from Tijuana, and twice served as its reformist mayor.

He added the resort’s pier, three-story Playas building, eight-story Corona Tower and in 2007 the  17-story Pacifico Tower, with 271 deluxe suites and a purchase option. That tower brought the resort’s capacity to almost 500 rooms and suites, a long way from 10.

When he retired in 2021 Mr. Torres, now 87, transferred ownership of the resort to his five adult children with his wife Rosa Maria: Hugo Antonio, Rosie, Laura, Gustavo and Daniel. Hugo Antonio is the resort’s board chairman and CEO.

Since, the resort has undergone many renovations in preparation for its 100th year. A cafe has been added to the pier. A statue of Maria Luisa, a companion piece to her stained-glass archway image, sits on a bench in the resort’s oceanfront gardens.

Built to be a beautiful place for beautiful people, made famous by the famous, the resort today has many luxury touches and attracts some global travelers.  

But the majority of the visitors drive from the southwest U.S. to a lovely Old World seaside experience in another country, enhanced by the resort’s proximity and affordability. With its lodging and dining options, it offers oceanfront getaways for a range of travel budgets.

“We’re very aware on the hotel’s legacy and what it has meant to Rosarito and Baja, as well as the great contributions of my uncle and father,” said Hugo Antonio Torres. “And we are so grateful to the millions of people who have visited and stayed with us over decades.”

“We will honor all of that heritage from the past as we continue to plan and build for the future,” he said.

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