The Hotel Pension San Rafael was founded in 1945 by José A. Sierra Ceja, who developed an esteemed reputation for the property and it’s restaurant, 7-Seas, during the 1960s and 1970s as the host of traditional dances with great Guadalajaran orchestras that were popular at the time.

At first the hotel had just 13 rooms with thatched palm palapas. But it was one of the great successes of Cuyutlán, then considered the first tourist gateway to the MexicanPacificCoast. San Rafael has steadily built upon these humble beginnings as a dependable and tranquil place where families from Jalisco and Mexico City return year after year seeking their slice of tropical sunshine.