About The Journey
My association with Mexico began around 1960 when my parents retired to Guadalajara. Not long after that I began to travel extensively throughout Mexico. By the 1970’s I was an importer of Mexican art and antiques, living in Palo Alto, California and traveling to Oaxaca. Friends in Oaxaca had long suggested that I visit Puerto Escondido, and so, in 1974, I finally did so. In those days there were no paved roads through the mountains, so it took fourteen hours of grueling dirt road driving to get there. But what I found made it all worthwhile.
At that time Puerto was the quintessential sleepy Mexican fishing village, small and beautiful, with miles of untouched beaches. I fell in love with it and called my wife Barbara from the only phone in town. Within a couple of months we were back in Puerto together, and before long were buying a piece of land. At first we thought we might build a house. That idea then evolved into a small hotel with a vegetarian restaurant (because we are vegetarians). Slowly it grew into a much bigger project. I brought in three close friends to work with me--Dr. Victor Lepe of Guadalajara, the late Dr. Irny Kasle of Palo Alto, and Richard Elmore, also of Palo Alto.
Victor is my closest and oldest friend. He continues to be our invaluable liaison for all things legal and political in Mexico. Irny was a dear friend from my days in Palo Alto. He undertook the task of finding additional investment and he set up the legal entity. Since his death in 2002 he is represented by his widow, our friend Ruth Kasle. Richard is a noted building designer in Palo Alto, and an old friend. I asked him to design the project and we have always been so happy that he accepted.
The Hotel Santa Fe opened in December of 1982 with ten rooms. Except for a derelict building far down the beach we were the only structure on all of the long and glorious Zicatela beach. It was wild and lonely and very beautiful.
The hotel was a success from the start. (Gracias a Dios!) Part of that success was due to my brother Paul Cleaver who, as our first manager, was a most gracious and memorable host to our guests. Another important factor in our success has been our talented chef, Nicholas Rojas, who has been with us from the beginning. We are also fortunate in our wonderful staff. They are intelligent, competent and friendly and a vital component of what makes our hotel such a pleasant place to be.
The hotel is now complete with fifty-four rooms, five junior suites, two master suites and a superb restaurant. Recently we have combined management with the Bungalows Santa Cruz next door and can also offer eight bungalows and two presidential suites to our visitors. Our hotel has had favorable mention in many publications and has had the good fortune to attract delightful guests from all over the world, many of whom return each year.
It has been a very eventful and exciting several decades for me and my family (my wife Barbara and our children Miles, Bram and Zoila). We feel fortunate for the fascinating journey of discovery that it has been to live and work on this glorious Costa Chica of Oaxaca, for the success we have found, and for all the extraordinary people who have entered our lives as a result.
We look forward to having you visit The Hotel Santa Fe. We are sure that you will find the hotel to be as delightful as the many guests who have preceded you have found it. If I happen to be in the hotel when you are there, be sure to stop by and say hello. I am not there as much as I used to be as we now have a new generation of management. Victor Lepe’s son, Roberto Lepe, is now the full time manager. Roberto is a delightful young man, as well as being a terrific manager. Be sure to meet him whether I am there or not.
