Historic Significance

The Hacienda San Jose de Vista Hermosa was founded in 1529 by Hernan Cortes after being named Marques of the Valley of Oaxaca by King Carlos V of Spain as reward for his conquest of Mexico. The edifice was constructed of stone with the proportions of a fort surrounded by colossal walls 6 feet thick. The Hacienda became a center of commercial and cultural activities.

Upon the death of Hernan Cortes, his son Martin inherited the property, arriving in New Spain in 1563. The Hacienda remained in the Cortes family until 1621 when it was sold to Fray Juan de Dios Guerrero.

From 1621 until the Mexican Revolution of 1910, the Hacienda passed through the hands of many proprietors. During the Revolution Emiliano Zapata, under the slogan "Land and Liberty", destroyed and burned the property, and the lands were distributed by the government among the local farmers.

In 1945 the ruins were acquired by Don Fernando Martinez Canales who restored the Hacienda and opened it to the public as a prestigious hotel in 1947.