First, The Hotel Playa

In the fall of 1955, Hotel Playa held its grand opening. The symbol of a deer became our classic hotel logo after the name Mazatlán which means "land of the deer" in Nahuatl, the native Aztec tongue. The hotel began as a modest, two-story building of about 80 rooms facing the ocean, dining facilities, and a saltwater pool—and it sat on an absolutely beautiful, secluded beach overlooking the Pacific and verdant, offshore islands. Almost instantly, the hotel gained appeal.