Historic Significance

Cocoyoc is a Nahuatl word that means "the place of coyotes". The town of Cocoyoc is many centuries old and existed long before the Spanish conquest. The Tlahulcas, another nahuatl group, founded Cocoyoc in the eleventh century; two hundred years before the Aztecs became the dominant group of the Nahuatls and established their capital, Tenochtitlan, where Mexico City now stands.

Huitzihuitl, the second king of the Aztecs conquered Cocoyoc, impressed by its excellent weather, fertile land and lush vegetation, he took as his wife the daugther of the conquered lord. Of this marriage, Moctezuma the First was born. He governed the Aztec Empire from 1440 to 1469.

Moctezuma I was attracted by his mother´s native land; he ordered extensive gardens to be planted near Cocoyoc, bringing flowers, trees and bushes from all over the country. He had royal baths constructed for his own use and would go there to escape from state affairs, to relax in the sun and the peacefull atmosphere of Cocoyoc.

Cocoyoc was part of the vast territory given to Hernan Cortes after the Conquest of Mexico in 1521. He was named Marquis of Oaxaca in recognition of his services to the Spanish crown. To establish a firm hold on the land, Cortes married Isabel, daughter of Moctezuma II, who was the Aztec ruler at the time. Soon the fertile land of the valley and of all the State of Morelos was planted with sugar cane, which had been introduced by the Spaniards.

The history of the hotel begins in the sixteen hundreds when Elvira Ruiz, descendant of Isabel, sold part of her inheritance to peasants as crop land. During the 17th Century, the Hacienda increased its lands through purchases, negotiations and marriages.

In 1614, the Hacienda received a government license to set up a horse-driven sugar mill for processing sugar cane. These developments took place during frequent changes of owners.

By 1618, the Hacienda consisted of 360 acres of land, a house, a chapel, the sugar mill (Trapiche) and other buildings necessary for the running of a sugar plantation. During the 18th Century Hacienda Cocoyoc was among the twelve most important sugar plantations in the country.

At the beginning of the 19th Century, its importance grew with the construction of an aqueduct to bring water from nearby sources for irrigation and to move a water wheel which was part of the installation of new machinery of the sugar refinery. Many of the beautiful arched stone aqueducts are still in service.

Until the Revolution of 1910, the Hacienda continued to flourish. At that time, Zapata, an agrarian revolutionary, and his followers burned and destroyed many haciendas in the area including Hacienda Cocoyoc. Ruins of many other haciendas can be seen in the area. By the end of the Revolution in 1921, the land had been divided among the peasants and only 160 acres remained.

In 1957, Paulino Rivera Torres bought the Hacienda Cocoyoc and carried out his dream of making in into a Hotel. This beautiful, comfortable hotel combines modern comfort and efficiency with the romantic elegance of the past of the old "Hacienda Cocoyoc"