Hotel Casting 2011

We heard that there is an American company looking for B&B's or small hotels to highlite in an upcoming program. Here is what we were sent:

An award-winning television production company is searching for charismatic individuals behind America's small hotels, inns, and bed & breakfasts. Whether you've left a high-powered career to pursue your dreams, or you're taking over a decrepit property and turning it into a five-star operation, if you have an interesting story and a big personality, they want to hear from you! To be considered, please provide:

•Your name, occupation, and name of your hotel/inn
•A brief bio
•A few [non-returnable] photographs
•Your best contact phone number

Here is our request.....wish us luck...after all, Mexico is in North America, right??!!


Six years ago my husband and I bought 2 1/2 acres of land, on a cliff perched above the Pacific Ocean, in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Our dream was to build a small boutique hotel/B&B. We wanted to create a place, like no other. One that our guests would come to and find beauty and peace. Over the next 5 years we built a road and had an environmental impact study done to see if we could in fact even develop the already purchased land. We built pilas for water storage, as we had no access to water. We put in solar, since there was no electricity, We dealt with many bureaucrats along the way, all who spoke Spanish. We both quit our careers, sold everything we owned and moved to Mexico. We spent all of 2010 building a property that everyone said could not be built. "There was no way to bring materials up to the top of the cliff". "It is not possible to put in a road with such steep curves and switchbacks and through all the granite and limestone". "We would not be able to have a pool because the property sat on granite". " Are you people crazy?" Even our realtor told us not to buy that land since it could never be developed. We heard endless reasons WHY we would not be able to pull this off. But, pull it off we did. We have created a spectacular place. One that can not truly be appreciated unless you are sitting here, on top of the world and looking out over the 360 degree vistas. To the east are the Sierra de la Laguna mountains and to the north, south and west is the Pacific Ocean.

We are the owners and sole proprietors of Arriba de la Roca, officially opened in February 2011, with a ribbon cutting ceremony, by the mayor of Todos Santos. Todos Santos is famous for Hotel California, which the Eagles sang of.

I have been writing a blog about our adventures here, since I left my advertising career, in Toronto Canada, back in December 2009.

http://arribadelaroca-shelby.blogspot.com

My husband who is a pilot, an electrical engineer and also taught dance, came to Mexico a year before me to get our life here established.

Our business web site is www.arribadelaroca.com I am attaching some pictures of our place, as well as of my husband and me. Since we live full time in Mexico you would need to dial our number using the country code. Please dial 011 52 1612 149 2639. An alternative number is 011 52 1612 139 1624

I am excited about this opportunity and also excited to introduce new people to our dream...Arriba de la Roca.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Shelby Branzanti