Hotelito Desconocido
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Hotelito Desconocido (, "Little Unknown Hotel") was a Mexican
boutique hotel Boutique hotels are small inventory, design driven, unique hotels with their own character, personality and storytelling at the heart of their concept. Positioning is secondary for these hotels as they focus on authenticity and personalization ...
and
ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds ...
resort in the municipality of Tomatlán, Jalisco. Formed in 1995 by an Italian architect, Hotelito Desconocido used an architectural style of that combined both rustic and luxurious designs. It was built on an
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
-designated natural reserve that was home to a number of endangered bird and turtle species. The hotel won international and domestic awards for its unique architecture and
sustainable energy Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Most definitions of sustainable energy include considerations of environmental aspects such as greenh ...
model, and it was a famous getaway spot for international tourists and celebrities. Its construction, however, created tensions with a local group of fishermen that protested against the alleged ecological violations caused by Hotelito Desconocido's construction and expansions. In 2007, Hotelito Desconocido was acquired by W&G Arquitectos, a company headed by Wendy Dalaithy Amaral Arévalo. She is the wife of
Gerardo González Valencia Gerardo González Valencia (; born ) is a Mexican convicted drug lord and high-ranking member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a criminal group based in Jalisco. He is part of a clan that heads a CJNG money laundering branch known ...
, a former suspected drug lord of Los Cuinis and the
Jalisco New Generation Cartel The Jalisco New Generation Cartel ( es, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación) or CJNG, formerly known as ''Los Mata Zetas'', is a semi-militarized Mexican criminal group based in Jalisco which is headed by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes ("El Me ...
, two allied criminal groups based in
Jalisco Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...
. After years of resistance from the local fishermen, three members of their group went missing in
Guadalajara, Jalisco Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Mexico, while the Guadalaj ...
in 2011 after attending an ecological preservation meeting. They had reportedly previously received death threats from the hotel's management and local farmers who were also opposed to their protests. The hotel was shut down for
money laundering Money laundering is the process of concealing the origin of money, obtained from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement or gambling, by converting it into a legitimate source. It is a crime in many jurisdictions ...
on 19 August 2015, when the
United States Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and t ...
sanctioned Hotelito Desconocido under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. In 2018, however, it was revealed that three months prior to the hotel being shut down, W&G Arquitectos had sold the hotel to Immobiliaria Anfe, a property management firm based in Jalisco. Immobiliaria Anfe has brought a lawsuit against the Mexican federal government to have property returned to them.


Origin and location

In 1995, Marcelo Murzilli, an Italian architect and businessman, formed Hotelito Desconocido. His decision to create a solar-powered resort made of clay and bamboo was inspired by replicas of lake villages in
Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
that he had seen at the
National Museum of Anthropology The National Museum of Anthropology ( es, Museo Nacional de Antropología, MNA) is a national museum of Mexico. It is the largest and most visited museum in Mexico. Located in the area between Paseo de la Reforma and Mahatma Gandhi Street withi ...
. For three years, he worked with the municipal, state, and federal authorities in the Mexican government, along with locals from Tomatlán, to get the construction plans approved. His goal was to make a resort that was environmentally and ecologically friendly. The hotel was built along
Costalegre Costalegre ("Coast of Joy" in Spanish) is a series of different beaches, capes and bays of various sizes distributed alongside the Pacific Ocean on the western coastline of the Mexican state of Jalisco, between Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco and Manzan ...
in Tomatlán, Jalisco, Mexico, close to a fishermen village known as . This location was in the
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
-designated natural reserve area Playón De Mismaloya, on
Bahía de Banderas Bahía de Banderas (, Spanish for ''Bay of Flags'') is a bay on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, within the Mexican states of Jalisco and Nayarit. It is also the name of an administrative municipality, located on the bay in Nayarit state. The port ...
bay, situated between the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
and the
Sierra Madre Occidental The Sierra Madre Occidental is a major mountain range system of the North American Cordillera, that runs northwest–southeast through northwestern and western Mexico, and along the Gulf of California. The Sierra Madre is part of the American C ...
, just 96.5 km (60 mi) south of
Puerto Vallarta Puerto Vallarta ( or simply Vallarta) is a Mexican beach resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Puerto Vallarta is the second largest urban agglomeration in the state after the Guadala ...
. A typical drive from Puerto Vallarta to Hotelito Desconocido took about two hours. Private transportation was available upon request for guests. Hotelito Desconocido was closed for visitors from May to October due to low season. During this time, it employed around 20 people, mostly security guards, carpenters, artisans, and cleaning staff. The hotel opened its doors once the water temperatures decreased during autumn because this was the time of the year when turtles started arriving from the northern parts of the ocean. October to the end of April was considered high season and had a large influx of visitors. The hotel used to employ around 75 people during this time. La Cruz de Loreto also experienced a large number of visitors this time of the year. According to local residents, the town's street food vendors and other hotels were busy during high season.


Style and accommodations

The hotel had 29 rooms and suites built on palafittes located on the edge of an
estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
. The rooms were named after Mexican ''
lotería ''Lotería'' (Spanish word meaning "lottery") is a traditional game of chance, similar to bingo, but using images on a deck of cards instead of numbered ping pong balls. Every image has a name and an assigned number, but the number is usually ...
'' card riddles; each room was decorated according to the theme of its card. To reach their rooms, guests had to use rowboats on a waterway, and raised a flagpole for means of communication. Morning coffee was given to guests after they pulled a rope from their room that erected a red flag. The absence of mobile phones and telephones was intended to provide an isolated experience. In addition, Hotelito Desconocido did not use external electricity and was secluded from nearby human settlements. During the night, the hosts lit candles, torches, and lanterns to light the hotel and pathways. The illumination of the
moonlight Moonlight consists of mostly sunlight (with little earthlight) reflected from the parts of the Moon's surface where the Sun's light strikes. Illumination The intensity of moonlight varies greatly depending on the lunar phase, but even the ful ...
was also an intended part of the night experience. Throughout the afternoon, guests were encouraged to ride on horseback along the beach, bike through the palm trails, kayak, and play volleyball or billiards. There were also opportunities for bird-watching and baby turtle release activities since the area had over 150 bird species and 3 different turtle species. Once their day activities were over, Hotelito Desconocido offered guests baths and spa services including aromatherapy or stone therapy. The water used in the spas and baths was heated through the solar-powered panels the hotel had on its roofs. Each room was non-smoking and equipped with small battery-powered fans. The restrooms were open-air and had walls made of
bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...
. Frames on the walls were made of unfinished tree trunks. Other furniture and decorations had a rustic Mexican style. Hotelito Desconocido was a
boutique hotel Boutique hotels are small inventory, design driven, unique hotels with their own character, personality and storytelling at the heart of their concept. Positioning is secondary for these hotels as they focus on authenticity and personalization ...
and
ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds ...
resort that pioneered the "ecoluxe" architecture style in Mexico, which championed rustic architecture along with ecofriendly and luxurious designs. The hotel had daily housekeeping, two restaurants, free breakfast, and courtesy bottled water for guests. The restaurants offered a wide range of
Mexican cuisine Mexican cuisine consists of the cooking cuisines and traditions of the modern country of Mexico. Its earliest roots lie in Mesoamerican cuisine. Its ingredients and methods begin with the first agricultural communities such as the Olmec and M ...
dishes. The meals were prepared by Federico Tobares, an Argentine citizen and the main chef of the hotel. Most of the guest rooms were painted, tiled, or decorated with Mexican colors or handicrafts. The stools and chairs, known as equipales, were made of wood and leather. They originated from the region's cattle ranchers. Its combination of rustic Mexican decor and luxurious accommodations attracted mostly international guests. Around 65% of the clientele came from the United States. Another 25% came from Europe, while the remaining 10% of the visitors were from Mexico or other countries. During low season, prices varied between $US350 and $US625, while high season prices were between $US410 and $US790, depending on the room of choice. This did not include the 17% tax added on each reservation. Because rooms could book quickly during some parts of the year, reservations were strongly recommended by travel agencies. The hotel also attracted celebrities and millionaires from across the world because of the privacy and seclusion offered by the resort. Hotelito Desconocido's staff and management had a strict privacy policy and refused to comment on the celebrities that visited the hotel.


Awards and recognition

On 18 January 2012, SPRB Arquitectos, a Jalisco-based architecture group led by Laura Sánchez Penichet and Carlos Rodríguez Bernal, won a contest sponsored by the International Hotel Awards and
Bloomberg Television Bloomberg Television (on-air as Bloomberg) is an American-based pay television network focusing on business and capital market programming, owned by Bloomberg L.P. It is distributed globally, reaching over 310 million homes worldwide. It is head ...
in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
for their work redesigning Hotelito Desconocido; the award granted Hotelito Desconocido a five-star status, and was voted by the contest organizers as the best hotel in terms of architecture in Mexico and Latin America for the 2011–2012 edition. The two Mexican architects explained that their work at Hotelito Desconocido started in 2009 after the owners recognized that the hotel needed major renovations. Since the hotel was initially built using the model, which uses guayabillo trunks tied together and compressed with mud, the owners decided to demolish the original construction and build the hotel on palafittes. It was also during these renovations that the rooms of the hotel were given their individualized lotería themes. For the
landscape design Landscape design is an independent profession and a design and art tradition, practiced by landscape designers, combining nature and culture. In contemporary practice, landscape design bridges the space between landscape architecture and garde ...
, they kept the agave and fruit gardens; they decided to change the look of the entrance and beach by adding 200 palm trees. They also added additional gardens and new sand. On 14 November 2014, Hotelito Desconocido was nominated by Food and Travel Magazine as one of the best hotels in Mexico. They were finalist of the "Best Hotel with Charm Award" (Spanish: "Mejor Hotel con Encanto"). On 19 February 2015, Hotelito Desconocido was part of an art exhibition called ''21 Arquitectos Jóvenes Mexicanos, relevo generacional'' (English: "21 Young Mexican Architects, generational reveal"). The exhibition intended to show contemporary Mexican architecture; Hotelito Desconocido was described as regionalist architecture style that supported
sustainable energy Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Most definitions of sustainable energy include considerations of environmental aspects such as greenh ...
.


Ecological violations


1990s

According to a local group of fishermen, the Cooperative Society of Fish Production La Cruz de Loreto, Hotelito Desconocido had violated environmental laws since 1995 and was damaging the ecosystem. Fisherman from the area filed a complaint to the (INECC) saying that the construction of the hotel damaged the jungle and estuary known as Ermitaño in La Cruz de Loreto. The INECC later conducted an investigation and discovered that Hotelito Desconocido had only obtained an endorsement from the Tomatlán municipal authorities at the time of its inauguration. This meant that the hotel had lacked permission to operate from state and federal authorities since its opening. The INECC also discovered that Hotelito Desconocido had been violating several municipal ecological laws since 2010. The hotel was also in violation of a presidential decree issued on 28 October 1986. According to the law, the Mexican government designated sixteen ecological reserve areas along the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
as well as the Mexican coast along the Pacific Ocean where Hotelito Desconocido was located. The decree also included a number of regulations intended to protect these areas from contamination or other damage. Hotelito Desconocido was located on part of a 69.3 km (43 mi) stretch of beach where construction was legally prohibited. This construction ban was put in place to protect the nesting grounds of
sea turtle Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, ...
s. By constructing wooden platforms and palafittes on the beach area, Hotelito Desconocido also violated Mexico's Federal Maritime Land Zone Law (ZOFEMAT). Local fishermen complained to municipal authorities that Hotelito Desconocido's construction was illegal and that Murzilli's plans had not been legally approved. However, municipal officials reportedly told them that the investment brought by the construction was important for Tomatlán's economy. The group decided to establish a working relationship with Hotelito Desconocido; they allowed the construction to continue because they believed that Hotelito Desconocido would bring new jobs to Tomatlán. The hotel ownership was eventually passed down to another Italian national, Giuliano Gasparotto. The group of fishermen stated that once Gasparotto was in charge of Hotelito Desconocido, he ignored the previous concessions and stopped compensating fishermen
MXN The Mexican peso ( symbol: $; code: MXN) is the currency of Mexico. Modern peso and dollar currencies have a common origin in the 16th–19th century Spanish dollar, most continuing to use its sign, "$". The current ISO 4217 code for the p ...
$10,000 for every day they could not fish in the sea.


2000–2010s

In 2009, Hotelito Desconocido planned to build a large expansion on the beach and tried to get two concessions from the
Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources The Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (in Spanish: ''Secretaría del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, SEMARNAT'') is Mexico's environment ministry. Its head, the Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources, is a member ...
(SEMARNAT) to permit the construction. The first request was to expand the hotel on the beach by 5,577.1 m2 (60,031.4 sq ft) on one part, and 5,330.9 m2 (57,381.3 sq ft) on another. The petition passed through the Tomatlán Customs Agency without significant difficulties. It then went to the SEMARNAT offices in Jalisco, where it was reviewed and passed after they concluded that Hotelito Desconocido met the required regulations. The following year, however, the
National Commission of Protected Natural Areas National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
(CONANP) federal agency analyzed the expansion project and rejected it after finding that the natural reserve area Playón De Mismaloya would be affected by the construction. It specifically mentioned that the endangered turtle and bird species were at risk of harm if the construction took place. On 28 September 2010, the fishermen's group filed a complaint with the (PROFEPA) stating that Gasparotto tried to dig up land with a
backhoe A backhoe—also called rear actor or back actor—is a type of excavating equipment, or digger, consisting of a digging bucket on the end of a two-part articulated arm. It is typically mounted on the back of a tractor or front loader, the latt ...
in Playón de Mismaloya on 28 July. They stated that he did it without permission and that he had made death threats against one of the group members who opposed such action. Gasparotto's actions were prevented after the fisherman stopped his backhoe from further altering the land and possibly affecting their fishing activities. By 17 August, the fisherman stated that Gasparotto had managed to use the backhoe to alter the beach and that authorities were not aware of this. The fishermen also stated that on 21 August, six members of the Mexican Navy saw that the staff of Hotelito Desconocido were using the backhoe again, but that the staff fled the scene when discovered.


Mass disappearance incident

José de Jesús Romero Quintero, the president of the fisherman organization, filed a report to the police on 21 November 2010, stating that he and Espinoza Díaz had received death threats from Gasparotto. He also complained that government officials were not taking his requests seriously and that Gasparotto was acting with impunity. The fishermen group told the press in 2011 they had evidence of Gasporotto's death threats against them. They filed a video and several documents reportedly implicating Gasparotto to PROFEPA. In one of the documents, they showed that the Ermitaño estuary was a protected
wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
under the
Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...
. Another document asked authorities to investigate the constructions done by Hotelito Desconocido along with the wastewater discharges in the area. On 24 March 2011, three members of the fishermen group, Romero Quintero, Jorge Ruíz López, and Rafael Espinoza Díaz, went missing after attending an ecological preservation meeting in
Guadalajara, Jalisco Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Mexico, while the Guadalaj ...
. Their family members stated that they were kidnapped by people who knew they were attending the ecological meeting in Guadalajara, and said that state and federal authorities were not interested in helping them locate their relatives. The three men were supposed to go to the (Conagua) after the meeting but never arrived. One of the family members stated that it was difficult to file a kidnapping report with
Jalisco Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...
officials.


Investigation and aftermath

After they officially filed the case in Jalisco, the family members sent a letter to Mexican President Felipe Calderón. Calderón responded to their request and assigned the investigation to the Office of the General Prosecutor (PGR). However, the family stated that the PGR did not follow-up with them for over a month after officially being assigned to the case. The fishermen group had attended a meeting on 17 March in Guadalajara, where they reportedly received death threats from a man named Antonio Vélez. The family members believe that the disappearance of their three members stemmed from conflicts they had with Gasparotto and '' ejido'' members from Portezuelos,
La Barca, Jalisco La Barca is a town and municipality in the Mexican state of Jalisco, and is about an hour and 20 minutes from the state capital Guadalajara Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, st ...
in those two meetings. According to their version of the story, former
Governor of Jalisco The following is a list of governors of the Mexican state of Jalisco from 1821. The current Constitution indicates a term six years in length, which cannot be renewed under any circumstances. It also stipulates the qualifications for becoming gov ...
Francisco Javier Ramírez Acuña Francisco Javier Ramírez Acuña ( Jamay, Jalisco, April 22, 1952) is a Mexican politician who belongs to the National Action Party. He has been Municipal President of Guadalajara, Governor of Jalisco from 2001 to 2006 and from December 1, 2006, ...
hosted parties at Hotelito Desconocido and they believe he might be responsible for the mass disappearance. They also said Calderón visited too. The mother of one of the missing members stated that Efraín Aréchiga, the lawyer who was in company of the three men in Guadalajara, did not return to La Cruz de Loreto for six months after they went missing. She believes that his six-month hiatus was suspicious and that he might have been involved in the mass disappearance as well. The fishermen's group provided economic help to the three widows and ten orphan children left behind after the disappearance of Romero Quintero, Ruíz López, and Espinoza Díaz. Once Calderón's presidency concluded, the family members sent additional letters for help to President
Enrique Peña Nieto Enrique Peña Nieto (; born 20 July 1966), commonly referred to by his initials EPN, is a Mexican politician who served as the 64th president of Mexico from 1 December 2012 to 30 November 2018. A member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party ...
(2012–2018). Gasporotto decided to give up the ownership of Hotelito Desconocido after suffering an accident where he lost his eye. Members of the fisherman group said that Gasporotto left to Uruguay, but lost track of him after he moved to South America.


Money laundering activities

On 5 November 2007, Hotelito Desconocido's ownership was transferred to W&G Arquitectos, a
parent company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...
owned by Wendy Dalaithy Amaral Arévalo, the wife of
Gerardo González Valencia Gerardo González Valencia (; born ) is a Mexican convicted drug lord and high-ranking member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a criminal group based in Jalisco. He is part of a clan that heads a CJNG money laundering branch known ...
, a former suspected high-ranking drug lord of the
Jalisco New Generation Cartel The Jalisco New Generation Cartel ( es, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación) or CJNG, formerly known as ''Los Mata Zetas'', is a semi-militarized Mexican criminal group based in Jalisco which is headed by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes ("El Me ...
and
Los Cuinis LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significanc ...
, two allied criminal groups in Jalisco. W&G Arquitectos paid US$7.7 million for the land and the buildings on the property; for the construction equipment, they paid US$285,000; and for trademark rights, they paid US$250,000. Each of these transactions included three additional value-added tax payments totaling US$182,250, US$42,750, and US$37,500 respectively. The real estate purchase contract cost US$78,370. This meant that W&G Arquitectos spent over $US8.5 million dollars (approximately
MXN The Mexican peso ( symbol: $; code: MXN) is the currency of Mexico. Modern peso and dollar currencies have a common origin in the 16th–19th century Spanish dollar, most continuing to use its sign, "$". The current ISO 4217 code for the p ...
$91.3 million in 2007) to acquire Hotelito Desconocido. According to a notarized document, W&G Arquitectos took out several loans from , a bank based in Guadalajara, to purchase Hotelito Desconocido. W&G Arquitectos and Víctor Ángel García Pérez, a second beneficiary, received MXN$40 million from Bansí. W&G Arquitectos was formed on 1 April 2005, by Amaral Arévalo and her brother Héctor Alonso. They created the company in a notary firm owned by Alejandro Soberón Alonso in Mexico City. Both of them were previously involved in the construction industry. According to registry documents, the company was headquartered in Naucalpan, State of Mexico, and provided services in construction, engineering, architecture, and real estate. Its
variable capital Constant capital (c), is a concept created by Karl Marx and used in Marxian political economy. It refers to one of the forms of capital invested in production, which contrasts with variable capital (v). The distinction between constant and vari ...
in 2005 was of MXN$18 million. Amaral Arévalo had MXN$5.95 million in stock; María del Carmen Arévalo Monzón and Areco Construcciones had MXN$3.6 million and MXN$8.4 million in stock respectively. On 1 January 2007, prior to buying the hotel, Amaral Arévalo asked for a MXN$58 million loan from Juan Carlos Cortez Orendáin. The variable capital of W&G Arquitectos increased by MXN$73.5 million after this loan was given. Hotelito Desconocido paid the loan back to Bansí on 9 August 2012. For a period of at least 8 years, from the time it was purchased to its closure in 2015, several shareholders passed through Hotelito Desconocido's management. According to local residents, once the ownership of Hotelito Desconocido was passed on to W&G Arquitectos, they began to see suspicious activity near the hotel. One of the members of the fishermen's group stated that some of the hotel workers said they sometimes saw helicopters deliver packages at the hotel. He also stated that he had seen suspicious convoys of black vehicles in some of the dirt roads leading to the hotel.


Economic sanctions

On 19 August 2015, the
United States Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and t ...
's
Office of Foreign Assets Control The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is a financial intelligence and enforcement agency of the U.S. Treasury Department. It administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions in support of U.S. national security and foreign policy ob ...
(OFAC) sanctioned 15 Mexican businesses, including Hotelito Desconocido and W&G Arquitectos, and 6 Mexican nationals, under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. Hotelito Desconocido and W&G Arquitectos were charged with providing financial and material assistance to Los Cuinis and their leader
Abigael González Valencia Abigael González Valencia (; born October 18, 1972), commonly referred to by his alias El Cuini (), is a Mexican suspected drug lord and former leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a criminal group based in Jalisco. He was also ...
(brother of Gerardo), who was responsible for coordinating international drug trafficking operations. Their assets were frozen in the United States, and U.S. citizens were prohibited from carrying out transactions with the entities and individuals in mentioned. This measure was also extended to Amaral Arévalo and businessman Fernando Torres González, who was linked to Hotelito Desconocido. Amaral Arévalo was also linked to HD Collection S.A. de C.V., a business managed by her and Torres González that was also linked to Hotelito Desconocido. According to the OFAC, this sanction was part of a joint effort with the
Drug Enforcement Administration The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA; ) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within th ...
(DEA) office in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
working with the Mexican government. The intention of this sanction was to dismantle Los Cuinis' business network and uncover the businesses that were operating illegally and laundering drug money. The U.S. government first heard of Hotelito Desconocido through a wire tapped phone conversation between Abigael Valencia and Diana María Sánchez Carlón, one of his financial assistants. Sánchez Carlón had been introduced to Abigael by Jennifer Beaney Camacho Cázares, a close friend of hers and wife of Abigael. Both Sánchez Carlón and Camacho Cázares were sanctioned through the Kingpin Act for their alleged role in money laundering.


Closure and aftermath

The same day the Kingpin Act sanctions were made public, the PGR seized Hotelito Desconocido and closed it down. In addition to money laundering concerns, the Mexican government also suspected that CJNG may have used the hotel as a meeting spot for its members. The seizure was executed following a formal request performed through the Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit. The National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) also froze several Mexican bank accounts from a previous investigation that they had opened. Torres González's assets were temporarily frozen in Mexico. The 14 other businesses sanctioned through the Kingpin Act were not confiscated by the Mexican government that day. A few days after Hotelito Desconocido was shut down, local authorities from Tomatlán expressed their worries about the effects that it would have on tourism and employment in the municipality; they stated that its closure would impact the economy and make Tomatlán less attractive for international tourists, and that it would cause around 100 people to lose their jobs. The Jalisco Secretariat of Tourism stated that one less hotel in town was a huge loss for meeting accommodation demands for visitors. According to a spokesperson from the agency, Hotelito Desconocido had met all the requirements lawmakers had requested of it. He also stated that the hotel had participated in campaigns to promote local tourism. Another local tourism official said that he hoped that the closure of Hotelito Desconocido would not negatively affect the ecosystem of the area (particularly the turtle release programs). On 4 April 2016, the OFAC sanctioned 7 other companies under the Kingpin Act for being associated to the business network of Los Cuinis and Abigael. One of the companies was Status Administrativo, which was linked to Hotelito Desconocido and W&G Arquitectos. According to the bulletin, Status Administrativo had the same address as Hotelito Desconocido and was authorized to charge its credit card debts on the hotel's behalf. It also managed a parking lot address in Guadalajara that was shared with W&G Arquitectos. This investigation was also a result of a joint operation between the OFAC and the DEA. As a result of the sanction, Status Administrativo's U.S.-based assets were frozen, and U.S. citizens were prohibited from doing business with this entity. In late 2016, Hotelito Desconocido was put up for sale by the Mexican government's Asset Administration and Disposal Service (SAE) agency, with signs asking people interested in buying the property to contact the SAE.


New management and lawsuits

In 2018, the press published information on the new management of Hotelito Desconocido. Though not publicly known at the time, it was revealed that three months prior to its closure, in May 2015, W&G Arquitectos had sold the hotel to a man known as Luis Ángel Orendáin for MXN$50 million. Orendáin sued the Mexican government and issued a
writ of amparo In most legal systems of the Spanish-speaking world, the writ of ("writ of protection"; also called , "appeal for protection", or , "judgement for protection") is a remedy for the protection of constitutional rights, found in certain jurisdicti ...
demanding them to give him back the property, which was no longer owned by W&G Arquitectos as had previously been believed. According to court documents in a Jalisco appeals court, Hotelito Desconocido was sold by Maribel Torres Suárez and Arévalo Monzón, who were part of W&G Arquitectos and had owned the hotel since 2013, to Inmobiliaria Anfe, a property management firm owned by Orendáin and based in Jalisco. When the hotel was closed by the government, Inmobiliaria Anfe issued a lawsuit against the PGR and asked them to return the property to them, arguing that their firm was not guilty of the wrongdoings the hotel's previous management was accused of. Court documents explained that in 2007, W&G Arquitectos bought the hotel for US$8.5 (approximately MXN$90.7 million in 2007). The hotel's variable capital was of MXN$72,750 at the time of purchase. Later that year, on 31 December 2007, suspected CJNG member
Julio Alberto Castillo Rodríguez Julio Alberto Castillo Rodríguez (born 11 October 1976), commonly referred to by his alias Ojo de Vidrio (English: Glass Eye), is a Mexican suspected drug lord and former high-ranking leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a crimin ...
became the owner of a significant portion of the firm's shares, owning a stake in the hotel valued at MXN$59.9 million. Three months later, his stake in the firm increased to a total of MXN$152 million. By 31 July 2008, he owned shares in Hotelito Desconocido equivalent to MXN$267 million, and by 30 July 2009 his stake was valued at MXN$515 million, 86% of the hotel's capital variable capital. In 2015, he sold his investments for MXN$11 million, a sum 50 times cheaper than their prior valuation.


See also

* Mexican Drug War


Sources

Footnotes References Bibliography * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

*


External links


Hotelito Desconocido – official websiteHotelito Desconocido
on
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hotelito Desconocido 1995 establishments in Mexico 2015 disestablishments in Mexico Defunct companies of Mexico Hotels in Mexico Companies based in Jalisco Buildings and structures in Jalisco Companies sanctioned under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act Jalisco New Generation Cartel