HOTEL CALIFORNIA

Yes unquestionably the original hotel California built in 1950 as opposed to the song in 1969. How can you argue with that.

LOCATION:
Central to town,souvenir shops, local amenities such as banks, ATMs, liquor stores. You name it. You probably wont get a better location to stay in town. Absolutely fantastic for excursions. Everything from swimming with whale sharks to surfing lessons, quad biking, horse back riding, releasing the baby turtles back into ocean etc etc etc. ask the hotel staff for details and they will fill you in on everything. This holiday is everything you put into it and want to get out of it.

GETTING TO & FRO:
Car rental is probably best. The drive down was so beautiful with the mountain views on one side and ocean on other. Driving at night beware of any loose animals but besides that and when the new road is finished in 2012 this will be one awesome drive.
If your not sure about car rental or driving etc just speak with the hotel reception staff and they will guide you with your best and alternative options. The airport is also full of options.

HOTEL:
Uniquely decorated by past owner. Leaving it truly eye catching and inspirational for those quiet times out. During the day you will find great peace about the hotel and the nights are what you make of it.
Wifi available. Beautiful swimming pool for cooling down on hot days. Surrounded by a well looked after garden with tropical and Mediterranean plants which provide excellent shade during the day and making the place very photogenic. I hear they get some famous photo shoots down there and i can see why. The photos on the website or trip advisor don´t do the place justice. You need to feel it to see the true beauty. There is a small water fountain in the terrace which is very relaxing to listen to whilst reading a book or just sun bathing in the courtyard.
I saw various bedrooms and each was different from the other. All as beautiful as the next. I couldn´t choose a favourite, depends on your needs. All provided with air con and all the necessities one could need. Nice large beds with mosquito nets and spacious terraces. I think some were shared but with the place being so quiet you always felt like you had the place to your self. Most guests are out exploring and there is lots of space around hotel to get a quiet private corner. There were robes provided in rooms, nice clean towels etc Compared to other hotels I stayed in todos this one was pretty much free from bugs. Other hotels seem to have roach problems. I think it´s because this one is in town it´s a bit more free from all the wildlife.

STAFF:
Extremely friendly and accommodating in bar, restaurant and in front desk. I didn´t have any problems at all, in fact the opposite. English is spoken better than most English speaking people i know so no worries or preconceptions needed there.

DRINKS:
Pink champagne on ice anyone. Yes they do have it. ;) ;) Experience!

Being a wine lover i was positively pleased with the full bodied red and crisp white house choices of wine to go along with meals. There is a selection of wines to suit every ones needs and explorations of Mexico bringing together flavours from all around the world.
But when in Rome you must try all four of the house margaritas and the award winning Hotel California tequila.

Margaritas: 4 flavours. Strawberry may be the safe winner but the jalapeño and hibiscus are must tries.

Hotel California tequila. Try and try again. Delicious. Beware you may become a keen tequila connoisseur after this. Not only is the proof in the drinking but the bottle is so decorative you will want to bring it home and keep it as a memento.

FOOD:
There is a range of exotic locally grown produce on offer in the restaurant served in a variety of Mexican dishes. Also pizza to pasta both suitable for the meat lover and vegetarian so there is something on offer for everyone.
I personally recommend the vegetable pizza. It came out very uniquely decorated and loaded with everything i love. I challenged the waiters to bring me out the strongest chilli they had and they brought me out not only a dish of their home made chilli sauce but a bottle of Tabasco just in case. I was pleased they passed my chilli test (understood only by chilli lovers) and even more pleased with their service.
You can organise large group meals and the service is still efficient and speedy. I had a group of 25 with me one night and even with other people being in the restaurant we were well looked after. So it´s a great birthday party or event location.
Entertainment: I experienced a Halloween party at the hotel and the ambience was exciting and magical. Bringing together both local gringos and tourists. Music acoustic was good and the general location is great for both dancing and mingling with it´s separate areas. The terrace, bar and restaurant all accessibly open to each other. i believe they have entertainment every other weekend along with various large events through out the year so you just need to keep an eye out on the website or email staff as not to miss out on all the fun.

SUMMARY:
Ok i think that is all. I have covered most things. Baja is a very relaxed place and as others have said. You don’t go there for valet parking, fast food and elevators. That is what makes this untouched jewel in the desert such a magical place. Enjoy it whilst you can. I´d say if you stay here you won´t forget this holiday. Plus don´t forget to check out the once in a life time excursions available to you at this part of the world. I got to release the turtles and i will never forget that. Priceless!

The Eagles left along time ago but the music is still playing. Great food and service in this little town. It is 45 min from Cabo San Lucas but it is a great drive.

My wife and I stayed in the Penthouse for one night at the end of a trip to BCS and loved it. It was the Saturday before Labor day and as we found out, not much goes on in Todos Santos during the month of September - several of the restaurants we wanted to try were closed for the month. The hotel only has a dozen or so rooms, and it seemed about half full at best. The Penthouse was great - a little worn and not fancy, but clean and colorful with a real character. It had two levels, the entry level with the bathroom and a couch, and the upstairs bedroom. The entry floor has a door that opens onto the second floor balcony, and the bedroom had double doors that opened onto a private rooftop with great views of the town and the ocean off in the distance (~a mile way). We were warmly welcomed by Hugo at the front desk who took great care of us. Got us ice, brought drinks to our room, gave us restaurant suggestions. We didnt eat at the restaurant this time (we ate lunch there on a visit earlier in the year - it was good), but the drinks at the bar were great. While the Eagles have said that this hotel was not the inspiration for their song, it sure seems like it could be! We'd recommend this hotel to anyone who wants to spend a night in Todos Santos.

We had the pleasure of staying in the CA Baja for 3 weeks earlier this summer. We decided to take a trip over to the Pacific side as we were staying in La Paz (WONDERFUL CITY!!!) Packed up and arrived in Todos Santos with no reservations, no plan. Choose Hotel CA as if just seemed to be the place to be...rented the penthouse suite (which was worth every peso!) Got to hear great local band made up of some Xpats...can't describle what its like hearing Hotel California...at the hotel itself...enjoying some great tequilla!