City Disappointed with Camino Real Response

City Manager Joyce Wilson was disappointed with the Camino Real owners' response to the idea of selling the historic hotel to a group of local investors. Rosalinda Gonzalez, the general manager of Camino Real Hotels, had previously said that the company had no interest in selling nor participating in downtown revitalization efforts. Furthermore, Gonzalez stated that the hotel is run using their own rules and not any others.

According to a story in this week's El Paso Inc., Wilson responded with, "I find it unlikely that any business entity, regardless of location, would not want to share in the benefit of a wholesale revitalization effort which only improves their economic viability and opportunities for the future."

Mayor John Cook added that he would be content if they indeed ran the Camino Real in El Paso the same way they ran other hotels in the chain. "If they would operate the hotel like they operate the Camino Real chain in Mexico, that would be fine. In Mexico, they take really good care of their hotels. The one in El Paso is very much neglected, even though we have offered them incentives to make improvements."

Indeed, Camino Real hotels in other locations are considered upscale and high-end offerings. The hotel in El Paso, however, can no longer be considered that way.

Originally the Hotel Paso del Norte, the hotel is the most historic still-standing hotel in El Paso.

Original Hotel Towers

Original El Paso Inc. article: http://www.elpasoinc.com/news/top_story/article_0a1221e8-5beb-11e1-b378-0019bb30f31a.html