For 102 years, the Rosarito Beach Hotel has stood at the center of tourism in northern Baja California, evolving from a modest seaside retreat into one of the region’s most recognizable landmarks.

Its story began in 1924, when the El Rosarito Beach Resort and Country Club House was advertised in The San Diego Union as a beachfront getaway just 16 miles south of Tijuana. During Prohibition in the United States, the resort promoted fishing, swimming, hunting and horseback riding, while the opportunity to legally purchase alcoholic beverages in Mexico became one of its biggest attractions for visitors from Southern California.

At the time, Rosarito was little more than a sparsely populated coastal settlement with only a handful of buildings. One of the few existing businesses was the roadside inn that would later become Rene’s. The area’s future changed dramatically in 1929, when businessman Manuel Barbachano purchased the property with a vision of transforming it into a world-class resort.

Barbachano oversaw a major expansion, adding guest rooms, a casino and bringing electricity and telephone service to northern Baja California. By 1932, the hotel had opened its grand lobby, 50 additional guest rooms, the Salón Mexicano and the Azteca Restaurant. The lobby, featuring 20-foot ceilings, murals by artist Matías Santoyo and reproductions of Mayan and Aztec artwork, remains one of the property’s defining architectural features.

The businessman also built an oceanfront residence for his wife, actress María Luisa Chabert. Today, the home houses Chabert’s Restaurant and Casa Playa Spa, while a stained-glass portrait of María Luisa continues to welcome visitors at the hotel’s main entrance.

The resort quickly became a favorite destination for Hollywood celebrities and prominent visitors from Southern California. At one point, it even featured a private airstrip between the hotel and the beach, where private aircraft sometimes outnumbered automobiles in the parking area. Among its well-known guests were Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Orson Welles, Kirk Douglas, Lana Turner, Kim Novak, Joan Bennett, Vincent Price and Prince Ali Khan, as well as numerous Mexican presidents.

A new chapter began in 1983 when Hugo Torres Chabert assumed ownership and management of the hotel. Under his leadership, the property entered another period of expansion with the opening of the Playas Tower in 1984, the Coronado Tower in 1993 and a 1,800-foot sport fishing pier completed in 2000.

Torres also led the movement that resulted in the creation of the Municipality of Playas de Rosarito in 1995, allowing the city to govern independently and manage its own resources.

The hotel’s continued growth included the 17-story Pacific Tower, which introduced the condo-hotel concept to the region. Construction began in 2006 and was completed in 2008 despite the global financial crisis. Designed as privately owned condominiums operated as part of the Rosarito Beach Hotel, the project became one of the destination’s most significant real estate developments.

Over the decades, millions of guests have stayed at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, drawn by its oceanfront setting, rich history and longstanding role in Baja California’s tourism industry.

Today, the resort is managed by Hugo Antonio Torres Ramírez, who continues the family’s commitment to preserving the hotel’s historic legacy while guiding its future development.