In 2025, Hotel Rosarito celebrated 101 years since its founding. As part of the centennial festivities, family members and guests gathered to reflect on the stories that have shaped this iconic hotel, now recognized as a cultural landmark in Baja California.

Among those who spoke was Maya Torres, granddaughter of Hugo Eduardo Torres Chabert, who delivered an emotional tribute to the hotel’s origins—rooted not only in tourism but in love.

“Today we’re celebrating more than the age of a place,” she said. “We’re celebrating community, history, and the beauty that have made this hotel a true monument.”

What many may not know, she added, is that Hotel Rosarito was born from a love story.

More than a century ago, her great-aunt María Luisa was a radio singer in Mexico City. She dreamed of meeting Hollywood stars and living a life surrounded by art and culture.

One day, while filming a movie at the famed Churubusco Studios, she met Manuel Barbachano. It was, Maya said, love at first sight.

Their bond was so strong that María Luisa—a city woman through and through—left everything behind to move to a tiny coastal town that, at the time, had just one hotel with ten rooms and a single shared bathroom.

Once settled in Rosarito, María Luisa fell in love with the town and its people. She dedicated herself to transforming the modest hotel into a place full of culture and beauty. She hired celebrated muralist Matías Santoyo to paint the hallways of the lobby and oversaw the interior decoration personally—shaping what is now considered a historical treasure of Baja California.

“She never became a Hollywood actress,” Maya said, “but Hollywood came to her.”

During the golden era of cinema, the hotel became a quiet retreat for celebrities. Film icons like Dolores del Río and María Félix were known to stay there. Maya’s grandfather, Hugo—María Luisa’s favorite nephew—would spend summers at the hotel. He later passed on his love for Rosarito to the next generation.

When he met Maya’s grandmother, Rosa María, María Luisa welcomed her as a daughter. “With my grandparents’ marriage, the love story continued,” Maya said during the hotel’s anniversary concert.

She remembered her great-aunt as not just a beautiful woman, but a generous, joyful, and deeply beloved figure.

“Her love lives on in the spirit of our staff, who since the hotel’s founding have done the impossible to make each of our guests feel like part of the family,” she said. “Today, as a member of the fourth generation, I am proud to carry her legacy forward.”