Hotel Fenix

Fenix Hotel was inaugurated on July 12, 1912, in the revolutionary Mexico, the idea was create a modern hotel by then. The founders were brothers Ramirez and Urzua, wealthy merchants from Los Altos de Jalisco, which liquidated all their businesses to invest in the hotel and a pharmacy with the same name. The authors project was the architect Guillermo de Alba.It was the first skyscraper of the Mexican Republic, together with the hotel Ancira Monterrey and the famous Hotel Regis of Mexico City.On July, 1912, Guadalajara was shaking by several tremors. All that passed while Fenix Hotel had its main entrance on 162 Lpez Cotilla, which possessed a typical European lobby with a Majestic stained rectangular glass. Sunday had music with a String Quartet, the most played piece was el vals sobre las olas by Juventino Rosas. In 1929 the Urza built a roofgarden which caused a panoramic sensation and refined cuisine.Since 1933 to 1934, the Fenix hotel closed its doors caused by deepening global economic crisis, opening again under the direction of Ing. Jaime Mouldoon 1936 who gave the direction up to Mr. Gustavo Alvarez Barreto.The hotel had 52 rooms on 5 floors and a basement where the turkish baths became famous. The most elegant parties where celebrated at the hotel bath bar.Some guests on 5th floor, talked to the manager having seen an elegant charro wearing black suit. The Manager was amazed, at what seem was a ghost.At Lpez Cotilla St corner Corona Av was francisco Velardes home, better known as Burro de Oro. Over time they were acquiring the Fernndez Del Valley. On the ground floor they had business Fernandez Del Valley Hermanos. They were the owners of tissue and yarns factories named La Escoba y Rio Blanco.Through time, the house had new owners, then, it was the American club, which later became union. Modesto Barreto Ochoa purchased the property and it was demolished in 1950 to 1953 to build 162 rooms and a basement for 84 cars. Since 1958 to 1960, the old Fenix Hotel was demolished to build 72 rooms and other 3 basements.The outstanding remains were moved to Morales Hotel.During the revolution in 1913 to 1933, Fenix Hotel host the President Lzaro Crdenas del Ro, general army Plutarco Elias Calles and his group, general Abelardo L. Rodrguez, general Alvaro Obregon, renowned artists, bullfighters, and distinguished visitors. Jess Gonzlez Gallo lived in this hotel for nearly two years, paying $90 pesos per month and 70 cents for a pair of socks.Fenix was the higher hotel in Guadalajara and the first one with electric elevators.At the end of 1988, serious economic problems took the hotel to serious problems of operation, so the engineer Federico Solorzano in his capacity as shareholder, was given the task of finding a partner administrator.Since 1989, the hotel changed operators with new partners, until 1993, the hotel had the first place in occupation in the whole square.After French hotel, Fenix is the second oldest one in the city, which survived since the hotels immediate time in the railroad station which was behind Temple of San Francisco and who disappeared in 1950.Fenix Hotel was the Headquarters Organizing Committee of the 1968 Olympic Games and 1970 World Cup in Guadalajara.Earlier, were lineage family farms; today is a very important services, commercial, and tourist area.With 100 years, its an historical emblem in downtown, on Lopez Cotilla St corner Lpez Ramon Corona Avenue, where Guadalajara society used to meet in the hotels halls as it was in this one, the imperial and the Cosmopolitan hotels.