The pink façade on La Paz’s malecón is lit up again. Perla La Paz, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, has opened its doors in the same building that housed the original Hotel Perla for more than 80 years, giving the city’s waterfront one of its most-watched hospitality debuts of the year.
The 90-room hotel sits directly across from the beach along the city’s boardwalk, within walking distance of restaurants, shops and the string of tour operators that run whale shark excursions and Sea of Cortez boat trips. According to Hilton’s announcement, the property is operated by Hamak Hotels under the Tapestry Collection banner, Hilton’s division for independently run hotels that keep their local character while plugging into the company’s booking and loyalty system.
A Building With a Long History on the Malecón
The original Hotel Perla opened in 1940, designed by engineer Menandro Cárdenas as part of a community push to build a new future for the city. It became the first major hotel in what was then the Southern Territory of Baja California, and for generations it hosted weddings, business meetings and family celebrations that are still part of local memory, a period local residents still remember from before the rebuild began.
Reports from Peninsular Digital put the investment behind the renovation at roughly 10 million dollars, around 187 million pesos at current exchange rates. Hilton first announced plans to bring the brand to the site in 2023 as part of a broader wave of hotel development the state has seen move forward, including Hilton’s broader push into Baja California Sur, such as the Tropicana Los Cabos conversion announced alongside Perla La Paz.
What Guests Will Find Inside
The restoration kept the hotel’s signature pastel-pink exterior and leaned into its Art Deco roots, pairing natural materials and Mexican craftsmanship with views of the Gulf of California. A dedicated space called “Memoria de Perla” displays historic photographs, timelines and stories tracing both the hotel’s past and the city’s own history, alongside contemporary work from artist Alex Proba and the Mexican ceramics studio Cerámica Suro.
Food and drink options include La Terraza, serving Mexican comfort dishes with recipes the property has used for generations, and Perla Restaurant, the hotel’s signature dining room built around seafood sourced through local fishing cooperatives. El Faro Rooftop and Bar Balandra round out the drinking and sunset-watching spots, according to Hilton’s announcement and Travel Agent Central. The property also has a heated rooftop pool, a spa, a fitness center and more than 4,600 square feet of event space for weddings and meetings.
“Perla has always been much more than a hotel,” said general manager Roberto Abbagnale. “For generations it has been part of the social and cultural fabric of La Paz, serving as a place where memories were made and the community gathered.”
Elizabeth Scruggs, brand director for Tapestry Collection by Hilton, said memorable hotels tell a story that could only exist in that destination, calling Perla La Paz “an exceptional example of that philosophy.”
What It Means for Visitors
The reopening adds another branded property to La Paz’s growing hotel inventory at a time when the state has been adding hundreds of new rooms, part of a broader state push that is expected to add more than 1,000 new hotel rooms across Baja California Sur. For travelers, it means Hilton Honors points and booking perks now apply to a stay on the malecón, and for longtime visitors, it means the building many remember from decades past is open for business once again. Reservations can be made through Hilton’s booking channels or directly at the property.
