Historic Rancho Las Cruces

Historic Rancho Las Cruces is an exclusive Baja seaside beach resort located on a natural sanctuary of more than 10,000 acres and 7 miles of private pristine coastline. Its hotel is situated along the white sandy beaches of the Sea of Cortés yet only a short drive from the La Paz, BCS international airport.

Gaze across the Sea of Cortés to the enchanted Island of Cerralvo, once known to the Spanish conquistadors as the Island of Pearls. Wake to the morning sun and be filled with awe as it turns the tranquil sea into a masterpiece of color. Enjoy the majestic Santa Cruz Mountains, stunning desert gardens and oasis of stately palms while enjoying attentive and personalized service.

If you long for peace and quiet, where time moves at a slower pace; if you love the unspoiled wonders of nature we invite you to go back in time and enjoy the natural paradise of Rancho Las Cruces.

Inquire about the additional benefits of becoming a Rancho Las Cruces member.

Our History
Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conquistador, was told about a great Island filled with gold and pearls of wonderful size and color. Determined to find the source of such impressive riches and to claim the fabled island of pearls for the Spanish crown Cortés sent various expeditions. On one of these Cortés himself set forth and landed on May 3rd, 1535 on what was thought to be an island. In commemoration of his landing he placed three crosses on the land he baptized as Santa Cruz. Stone replicas of these crosses still remain in the site where Rancho Las Cruces now stands. Part of the land known as Santa Cruz by the early Explorers would later be named Las Cruces. Although he found no gold, Cortés did find pearls of astonishing beauty.
history
Abelardo L. Rodriguez Montijo & Lucille Bremer
Down the centuries the shores of Las Cruces and the islands of Cerralvoand Espirito Santo were renowned for their fabulous pearls but a decline in the pearl oyster started as early as 1900 and by 1929 the pearl industry of Baja belonged to the past. Standing where Cortés once stood more than 400 years earlier, Abelardo L. Rodriguez Montijo watched the rising sun cast its array of magnificent color on the tranquil sea. He saw the remains of thatched huts, water wells and aqueducts that once irrigated beautiful tropical orchards and native palms. He realized then, that although depleted of pearls, Las Cruces could still provide treasure. He believed that the enchantment of ten thousand acres with more than five miles of private sea coast would be gratifying to those who must face maddening crowds and churn through congested traffic. In 1948 he and his beautiful bride, Lucille Bremer decided to turn Las Cruces into a small luxury resort.

Lucille Bremer

This was the birth of tourism in the state of Baja California Sur. The success of Las Cruces prompted Abelardo (Rod) to build other world class resorts in Baja. Hotel Palmilla which opened in 1957 is still thought of as the shining star of Los Cabos (now the One and Only Palmilla) as well as Hotel Hacienda in Cabo San Lucas.


Abelardo & Desi Arnaz
Las Cruces, however, was the place Abelardo and his family always called home. Here he built his home as well as others for his dear friends and partners Robert Fisher, Desi Arnaz, Bing Crosby, Charles Jones and Roger Bacon. Casa Fisher is now called Hacienda Santa Cruz. Las Cruces offers discriminating guests the same natural beauty, tranquility and charm that attracts distinguished guests. His resorts gained notoriety and were visited by many celebrities including princes, presidents, dignitaries and stars and simply by people whose wish it was to experience the adventure of a land that until then had been inaccessible to most.

We invite you to enter a place that is beyond your dreams, visit exquisite Rancho Las Cruces and become a participating member for years to come.

Lucille Bremer was born in Amsterdam, New York, but soon moved to Philadelphia Pennsylvania where she studied ballet. Once in New York, she danced in various specialty acts, most notably in the 1939/40 New York's World's Fair "American Jubilee". She auditioned and began her career as a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, at age 16. Lucille was voted as "most likely to succeed in movies" by her Rockette peers. She was also known as "5th from the right" in the Rockettes line up. Bremer also auditioned as a dancer for various Broadway shows, along with fellow stars Vera-Ellen and June Allyson, appearing as a 'Pony Girl' in the Broadway musical Panama Hattie in 1940. She also danced at the famed Copacabana Nightclub in New York City as well as the Club Versailles where she was spotted by Arthur Freed, a Producer of Musicals at Metro Goldwyn Mayer. She was taken to Hollywood, where her screen test impressed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer mogul Louis B. Mayer. An accomplished dancer, she was also considered to display potential as a dramatic actress. Lucille also screen tested and was offered a contract with Goldwyn Studios, but decided on MGM studios to properly showcase her dancing talent. She studied acting at MGM with the great acting coach Lillian Burns.

She made her screen debut in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) as Judy Garland's sister, and followed this with a co-starring role opposite Fred Astaire in Yolanda and the Thief (1945), and a featured dance performance, once again with Astaire, in two memorable sequences in Ziegfeld Follies (1946). Her last major film was Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), but after this, MGM began to lose interest in promoting her. After a few minor films, she played her last starring role in Behind Locked Doors (1948).

Reportedly disappointed with her Hollywood career, she elected not to renew her contract and left the film industry. She had also met and fallen in love with the son of the former president of Mexico, Abelardo Luis Rodriguez, who bore the same name as his father. She and Rod Rodriguez were married at Catalina Island in August of 1948. She moved with him to Baja California Sur, Mexico, at the beginning of the Golden Age of Baja and started the illustrious private resort Rancho Las Cruces, as well as the original Palmilla Hotel and the Hacienda Hotel. With her contacts in Hollywood, and her husband "Rod" Rodriguez's influence, they drew people from Hollywood who sought to enjoy this newly found paradise. She and her husband were also business partners with Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball, and Bing Crosby to name a few.

After her divorce (in 1963), she settled in La Jolla, California, where she owned a children's clothing boutique. She continued to travel between La Jolla, California and Baja California Mexico. She died in 1996 from a heart attack at age 79. Her ashes were scattered in the Sea of Cortez as well as scattered next to the church she and her husband had built on the Rancho Las Cruces resort property. A plaque bearing her name, as well as that of Desi Arnaz, was erected on the left side of the church in her honor.

She left four children (Nicholas, Torre, Cristina, and Karen) and numerous grandchildren (Francesca, Amanda, Andres, Alexis, Kamal, and David) and great-grandchildren. Her son, Niki (Nicolas) continues to manage and run the Rancho Las Cruces resort where they recently celebrated their 65th anniversary of the resort in May of 2015. Her other children, Cristina, Kali (Karen) and Torre continue to live in the Baja California Mexico area where they also manage their own properties as well. Her children and grandchildren continue to spend their time between La Jolla, California and Baja California Mexico. Rod Rodriguez is still alive today at age 98 and resides in the La Jolla, California area.