Cesar Balsa (1923–2007) was a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

-born hotelier and restaurateur who worked in the hotel and restaurant industry in Mexico in the 1950s and 1960s.

Early life and early career

He was the only child of Elisa Carralero and Antonio Balsa, a Spanish barber. At the age of twelve he started his career as a

bellhop A bellhop (North America), or hotel porter (carrier), porter (international), is a hotel employee who helps patrons with their luggage while check-in, checking in or out. Bellhops often wear a uniform (see bell-boy hat), like certain other Page (a ...

at a Spanish hotel. Over the course of ten years, he worked his way up to restaurant management and hotel operation, and at age 21 was appointed General Manager of Food and Beverage Services at the Palace Hotel in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

Emigration to Mexico and later career

In 1948, he emigrated to

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, and went on to become the head of the hotel and restaurant conglomerate Nacional Hotelera S.A., which included The Presidente Hotel chain in Mexico. Among them, the first air-conditioned luxury hotel in

Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...

and

Cozumel Cozumel (; yua, Kùutsmil) is an island and municipality in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen. It is separated from the mainland by the Cozumel Channel and is close to the Yucatán ...

, as well as several popular restaurants and night clubs such as Can-Can and Focolare, in Zona Rosa. In 1958, Balsa signed a contract to operate the Prado-Alfer Hotel in Mexico City; in 1960, he acquired the Hotel Del Prado, then the largest hotel in Mexico. When he took over the Hotel De Prado, the dining room had a 1946–1947 mural, '' Sueño de una Tarde Dominical en la Alameda Central'' (''Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central''), by

Diego Rivera Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, known as Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957), was a prominent Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the ...

. The mural, twenty meters long and seven meters high, was hidden by columns, so he moved it to the middle of the lobby, where it could be seen. In 1960, Balsa bought the operating lease to the St. Regis Hotel in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. He bought the hotel's leasehold in 1963, and then the building itself and the land in 1964. Balsa sold the hotel to Sheraton in 1966. In April 1963, Balsa signed a partnership and management contract with

Antenor Patiño Antenor Patiño Rodríguez (12 October 1896, in Oruro, Bolivia – 2 February 1982, in New York City) was a Bolivian tycoon, heir to his father Simón I. Patiño, called "the King of Tin". Family He married firstly in Paris on 8 April 1931 ''D ...

to operate the newly built 600-room Maria Isabel Hotel (now known as the Sheraton Mexico City Maria Isabel Hotel) in Mexico City, at the time the largest hotel in Latin America. In November that year Sheraton and Balsa Hotels signed a collaboration agreement in which Sheraton would represent Balsa Hotels in the United States and Balsa would represent Sheraton in Mexico."Cesar Balsa, A Thousand Keys to His Kingdom". ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...

''. March 1963. p. 119. International ventures included the Hotel Villa Magna in Madrid. Together with ARA Inc., Balsa handled the catering for the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

in Mexico City, serving 10,000 athletes and 30,000 meals a day. In 1963, he became president of the Mexican Association of Hotels and Motels.

Legacy

The

Secretariat of Tourism The Mexican Secretary of Tourism ( es, Secretaría de Turismo, ''SECTUR'') is the government department in charge of the nation's tourism promotion and development. The Secretary is appointed by the President of the Republic and is a member of th ...

and the

Sociedad Mexicana de Geografía y Estadística Sociedad Mexicana de Geografía y Estadística (Mexican Society for Geography and Statistics) is a national organization founded on 18 April 1833 to promote the mapping and boundary demarcation of the newly independent Mexican state. The aim of it ...

grant a medal every year that bears his name to recognise those who excel in the tourism industry.

References

External links

*http://www.oem.com.mx/esto/notas/n718100.htm *http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/columnas/68324.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Balsa, Cesar Place of birth missing Place of death missing 1923 births 2007 deaths 20th-century Mexican businesspeople 20th-century Spanish businesspeople Businesspeople from Madrid Businesspeople from Mexico City Hotel executives Mexican business executives Mexican restaurateurs Spanish emigrants to Mexico

Early life and early career

Emigration to Mexico and later career

Legacy

See also

References

External links