Get to Know Pueblo Bonito’s Founder and Author

As a loyal guest of 30 years confessed, “I never knew how it came about.” This statement is true for many, if not all Pueblo Bonito guests, who return year after year to one of our properties and don’t realize how the resorts came to be. So, this month, we’d like to feature our Founder and author of four books, Ernesto Coppel Kelly. Published in both Spanish and English, his stories are both inspiring and enlightening, penning proof to his readers that the exceptional is possible, even from the most unlikely beginnings.

Coppel Kelly’s first book, published in 1998, translates as “The Road to the Promised Land,” and details the story of his family’s journey to Mexico. Documented as a “loving account of a Jewish family’s emigration from Poland to Mazatlán at the turn of the 20th century.” Interestingly, it wasn’t hospitality that secured the Coppel lineage a toehold in the local economy. Rather, it was the business acumen of the family’s successive generations in their shoe and luggage factory and real estate enterprises that grew their relative fortune. While guests to Pueblo Bonito report over and over again the extent to which their experience is saturated in luxury and thoughtful, attentive service, few appreciate that the ideology is rooted in a legacy born from hard-working blue collar enterprising.

Coppel Kelly’s second book, “The Cuisine and Art of Pueblo Bonito,” published in 2004, gifts readers with page after page of guest-approved favorite recipes that have been served over the years at Pueblo Bonito resort restaurants. From ceviche to classic cocktails, recipes feature fresh ingredients thoughtfully gathered and prepared to mirror the eclectic tastes crafted and served for decades by Pueblo Bonito Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlán expert chefs and kitchen staff. Colorful photographs entice readers to try one recipe after another. Complementing the artful photography in the book are pages devoted to documenting the artwork displayed at Pueblo Bonito resorts. As the text reinforces, the desire for art and beauty in life is a universal urge and Pueblo Bonito properties consider its part in the resort experience to be paramount to ensuring a quality experience. Moreover, the works of art included in the book pay homage to the graciousness that true works of art impart to their surroundings with each selected to influence the ambiance and spirit of the place that is their home.

“The Creation of Pueblo Bonito” was Coppel Kelly’s third publication. Different from “The Road to the Promised Land” that documents his family’s journey from Europe, this book tells the story of Coppel Kelly’s own inspiring rise from poverty to build the billion-dollar company that exists today, Pueblo Bonito’s suite of properties perfectly situated on Mexico’s sun-kissed Pacific Coast. A book reviewer and Pueblo Bonito loyalist commented after reading the memoir, “...I never knew how [Pueblo Bonito Resorts & Spas] came about, so it was a fascinating and fast read. Highly recommended.” 

Coppel Kelly’s books are guaranteed to enlighten past guests to Pueblo Bonito’s properties as well as inspire inaugural visits from those who wish to see his vision realized. Click the links above to purchase your own copy of these publications or visit any of the gift shops located on our properties. 

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