New Year, New Beginnings

Sunrise over the Sierra Madres Occidental

¡Feliz año nuevo y bienvenidos a 2026! Terence and I are excited for this year and all the projects we have lined up for Tres Andreas. At times it can be a bit overwhelming, but we didn’t come here to retire, we came to actualize a dream - for ourselves and for the potential of our hotelito.

The original owner of this property had great vision; he read the lay of the land and the arc of the sun and created a stunning getaway that complements the natural beauty surrounding it. Unfortunately the years, the weather, and the lack of proper maintenance have taken their toll and there are now many issues that have to be resolved before we can open for business.

Terence and Jose Horacio collaborating on how to do all that needs to be done.

The biggest initial hurdle for us as foreigners has been figuring out what materials, skills and labor are available in our rural location. We quite literally have had to learn what everything is named in Spanish before we can even talk about it and we need to make connections with retailers and tradespeople while trying to communicate in a language that is still very foreign to us. Community, resources and business connections were hard earned and took years to cultivate in Mendocino County; now we are starting the process all over.

But this was exactly what we were looking for when we uprooted ourselves; we wanted the opportunity to have a beginner’s outlook on life again. So here we are, literally relearning how to speak and seeing the world through beginner’s eyes daily. It is challenging but we love every minute of it, which is fortunate, because we have a monumental project ahead of us.

One major task we have handed to our attorney is the regularization of our property; essentially making its status a privately registered parcel. The process is estimated to take anywhere from 6 to 18 months and requires going before a federal judge, obtaining a “folio real” (the property’s birth certificate with us listed as parents) and a whole lot of other legal procedures that are WAY over our head. Fingers crossed it goes quickly and smoothly.

We are very fortunate to have found some incredibly hardworking people to help us repair and restore our hotel.

Tres Andreas is a Mexican corporation with its own tax requirements and employee obligations which are quite complex so we have included a corporate tax accountant to our team to make sure we are in full compliance. Mexico was the first country in history to include workers' rights in its 1917 Constitution and while the orginial laws have been revised over the years, the primary focus continues to be on the well-being of employees. Coming from a country where corporations are notorious for not protecting worker’s rights, we are proud to participate in these foundational values. Having these legal issues handled by professionals, we are able to focus on the physical projects that need to be accomplished.

Currently our property is powered by a cable running 600 meters from the main road, weaving through the jungle in a very precarious and inefficient manner. We estimate we are losing around 90% of juice before it even hits our hotel and, once here, it is not safely dispersed so it is essential we create a more stable electrical delivery system. We plan on bringing the transmission source closer, installing a grid-tied solar system and upgrading the entire wiring throughout.

Constructing a concrete and stone landing pad and retaining wall for our 2 water storage tanks.

Right now our water is pumped from the lake up the hill (anywhere from 27-47 meters depending on the reservoir’s level) to an old cistern that could more realistically be called a colander. Our desire is to put in a well, a filtration system with two storage containers and re-plumb the entire property.

Our narrow entrance road through the jungle is under threat of being washed away as is so it will need to be re-graded with corrected slopes to accommodate the copious amount of water that dumps during the Mexican monsoon season, pullouts installed to permit a safer flow of two way traffic and loads of more gravel to provide a more stable and durable driving surface.

And finally there are the “smaller” projects such as repairing the terrazzo and hotel roofs, remodeling the guest rooms and bathrooms, replacing all the rotten wood handrails, constructing a brick pizza oven and BBQ zone, and the rebuilding of the Casita, which is where we eventually will live. If our funds allow, we also hope to install an infinity pool overlooking the lake.

It’s a LOT, and we expect it to take a year at least, but poco a poco we have faith we can do it, especially with the help of those we are forming relationships with here and those who are encouraging us from afar.

Constructing concrete handrails to mimic the rustic charm of wood branches using a French technique called faux bois.

Helpfully, this February we are entering the Chinese Year of the Fire Horse, a powerful time that is believed to support learning, adventure, bold moves, bravery, creativity and growth. It is a year to manifest powerful change and big dreams so it is our intent to saddle up and ride! We’d love it if you joined us, virtually until we are ready to welcome you in person, on this vitalizing journey.