Cabo’s reputation as a music destination has long played second fiddle to its reputation as an adult playground and spring break hotspot. But in San José del Cabo, Hotel El Ganzo has spent more than a decade building a different kind of identity, one rooted in recording sessions, intimate performances and a belief that hospitality can function as creative infrastructure.
That philosophy comes into focus through Viva El Gonzo, the hotel’s annual music and arts festival. While the event brings a lineup of artists to Baja California Sur, its deeper context lives in the property itself, which was originally conceived as an underground recording studio before evolving into a hotel, artist residency program and cultural platform.
Through its artist-in-residence program, over 90% of El Ganzo’s guest rooms double as interactive art pieces, the hotel tells EDM.com.
Credit: Image courtesy of Hotel El Ganzo
For Paco Rosas, Music Director at Hotel El Ganzo, the mission is not simply to book artists and musicians into a beautiful destination. It is to create the conditions for them to write, record, rest, collaborate and connect with audiences in a setting removed from the usual pressures of the music industry. Past guests and performers include RÜFÜS DU SOL, Khruangbin and Polo & Pan, among others.
El Ganzo is also part of Puerto Los Cabos, an art and culture hub owned by the local Sanchez Navarro family. The community comprises the hotel along with several event spaces, among them the striking Crania venue where Viva El Gonzo is held, designed by Mexico’s MAXA Burning Man Camp.
Ahead of this year’s festival, we caught up with Rosas about how the hotel is working to expand Cabo’s musical identity.
Credit: Image courtesy of Hotel El Ganzo
EDM.com: Hotel El Ganzo was originally conceived as an underground recording studio before evolving into a hotel. How does that origin shape the way artists create and perform there today?
Paco Rosas: Hotel El Ganzo was born as a space for artistic creation, and that DNA is still alive in every corner of the property. You can feel it in the acoustics, in the layout, in the way the studio sits at the heart of everything; not as an amenity, but as the reason the place exists.
Our model is built around removing the pressure that usually suffocates creativity. There’s no clock running, no cost per hour, no expectation to deliver a finished product by checkout. What we offer instead is time; real, unstructured time for artists to explore, experiment, and follow their instincts. That kind of freedom is rare, and artists feel it the moment they arrive.
EDM.com: As Music Director at El Ganzo, what does your role look like day-to-day, and how involved are you in shaping the artist experience on the property?
Paco Rosas: As Music Director at Hotel El Ganzo, my role has multiple layers that shape not only our artist residencies, but the overall vision of the music program. On any given day, I move between being a curator, promoter, producer, musician, and also operating within the structure of a hotel.
A big part of my responsibility is building bridges—between the artist and the space, between creativity and hospitality, and ensuring that everything we do is aligned with our identity as both a brand and a cultural hub. It’s about making sure the experience feels intentional, cohesive, and true to who we are.
At the core of it all, my main focus is to give artists the freedom they need to fully be themselves and create at their highest level during their time with us. When that environment is right, the rest tends to fall into place—the magic happens as a natural consequence.
Credit: Image courtesy of Hotel El Ganzo
EDM.com: A lot of hotels incorporate music into the guest experience, but El Ganzo feels built around it at every level. What are some of the specific ways that philosophy shows up in how the property is designed and programmed?
Paco Rosas: Our vision allows us to operate as a platform where art can expand and have the freedom it needs to truly flourish. That philosophy shows up both in how we design our spaces and how we program them.
A clear example is our weekly live music series at the Fire Pit, where we intentionally showcase emerging and original projects—local and international. Many of these artists are used to playing cover gigs, sometimes playing “Hotel California” three times a night. What we offer instead is a space where they can bring their own music, their own voice, and share something that is genuinely theirs.
Creating a platform that welcomes, supports, and actively seeks out original expression is a core value for us. And for our guests, that translates into something deeper than entertainment—it creates a sense of connection and belonging, because what they experience feels real, raw, and authentic.
EDM.com: When you’re selecting artists for the musicians-in-residence program, what are you looking for beyond just talent? Are there specific qualities or mindsets that tend to thrive in this environment?
Paco Rosas: Talent is important, of course—but talent can take many different forms. What I’m really looking for are authentic voices, that intangible je ne sais quoi you can’t quite define but immediately recognize. I also consider cultural relevance within the current musical landscape, but not in a trend-driven way—more in terms of how honest and intentional a project feels.
I’m often drawn to misfits—artists whose identity and voice feel fully formed, regardless of genre. Music, to me, is a universal language that goes beyond concepts of “good” or “bad.” It’s about expression, purpose, and connection.
If you’re an artist who is searching for meaning through your work—trying to understand your place in the world through music—you’ll likely find something special at El Ganzo. It becomes a kind of safe haven, a space where you can feel at home and fully step into your creative process.
EDM.com: El Ganzo is set in a very distinct physical environment between the ocean and the arid Baja landscape. How does that setting influence the way artists approach writing, recording, or performing while they’re there?
Paco Rosas: There’s definitely an intangible magic to this place that becomes very real once your mindset aligns with the environment. Being surrounded by the ocean and the raw, arid landscape of Baja has a way of grounding you while also opening you up creatively.
You can start your day swimming in the sea—sometimes even hearing whales in the distance—and then head into the studio with Vitamin D in your system and a good breakfast behind you. That alone puts artists in the right state of mind to do what they love most: make music.
Anyone who understands the process of writing a song or discovering a sound knows that a big part of it comes down to your emotional state and your energy. Here, there’s a natural recharge that keeps that energy flowing. It’s almost like the environment helps you tune into that internal antenna—and more often than not, something comes through.
Credit: Image courtesy of Hotel El Ganzo
EDM.com: What does a typical residency look like from the artist’s perspective, from arriving at the hotel to recording in the studio and performing?
Paco Rosas: I’ve been fortunate to experience both sides—as part of the team at El Ganzo and also as an artist in residence—so I can speak to it from a very real place.
One of the biggest advantages for artists is the ability to be fully together in one place. You step away from your daily routine, leave your comfort zone, and enter a new environment that’s intentionally designed so you can focus your energy on whatever you need most.
For some, that means going all in on the music—writing, recording, experimenting. For others, it’s about resting after a long tour. Some take the opportunity to explore Baja—surfing, diving, watching whales. And for some, it becomes a space for something deeper, even a place to heal.
That’s why I don’t think there’s such a thing as a “typical” residency. Each one is different, shaped by the artist and where they are in their journey. To me, every residency feels like a unique romance—and I just happen to be the one holding space for it to happen.
EDM.com: Can you share a specific moment or story from the residency program that really captures what makes the experience unique for artists?
Paco Rosas: Every residency carries its own story—its own experience, its own Ganzo Session, and its own live show. No two are ever the same.
But there is one that feels especially close to my heart right now. The residency we had with Taylor Kirk from Timber Timbre, who recently passed away, is something I will always carry with me.
He was one of those artists who arrived here and embraced the space not just for music, but for something deeper. He used his time at El Ganzo to work through personal things—to heal in his own way. Knowing that this place could hold that for him, even in a small way, means more to me than any show or recording.
Beyond the music, beyond the stage, that’s what I’ll always remember.
EDM.com: The Viva El Gonzo festival brings that same community-driven energy into a larger event setting. How does the festival reflect or expand on what you’re building through the residency program?
Paco Rosas: Viva El Gonzo is a perfect example of how an idea—originally envisioned by our founder, Pablo Sánchez Navarro—can manifest in a very real way. It carries that Field of Dreams spirit: “build it, and they will come.” And over time, that’s exactly what has happened—artists and audiences from around the world have been drawn into what’s been growing here.
It’s no coincidence that Viva El Gonzo resonates so naturally with what we’ve been building for nearly 15 years. The festival is really an expansion of those same values—community, authenticity, and a deep commitment to original expression.
A clear example is this year’s lineup, where we were able to include La BOA, one of our artists in residence. They originally came through Ganzo Radar in 2025, an open call where they were selected for a residency among more than 140 applicants. Seeing that journey—from discovery, to residency, to performing on a larger stage at the festival—perfectly captures what this ecosystem is all about.
defaultCredit: Image courtesy of Hotel El Ganzo
EDM.com: Cabo is traditionally known as a tourism and partying destination. What does it take to build something like El Ganzo into a refined cultural hub for music and the arts within that environment?
Paco Rosas: The distinction really comes from understanding the destination beyond the surface. Cabo San Lucas is the most widely known part of the region, and yes—that’s where the party-driven identity is most visible.
But we’re located in San José del Cabo, which has always had a different rhythm. It’s more local, more grounded, more connected to the community. Over time, it has naturally evolved into a place that attracts a different kind of traveler—someone who values surfing, snorkeling, whale watching, great food, and cultural experiences.
From the very beginning, the vision behind Hotel El Ganzo was to become a kind of cultural lighthouse—to bring something meaningful into what, at the time, felt like a cultural desert. It wasn’t about competing with the existing identity of the destination, but about expanding it.
Building something like this takes consistency, intention, and a clear point of view. It means investing in culture not as an add-on, but as the core of the experience—and trusting that the right audience will find you.
EDM.com: As more music creation moves into digital and remote spaces, what role do physical places like El Ganzo play in the future of how artists create and connect with audiences?
Paco Rosas: I think we’re in a very unique position. By nature, we operate as a hybrid—a kind of creative laboratory and home studio, but with the infrastructure of a fully professional recording studio. Because we exist within a hotel, we don’t function like a traditional studio, and that changes everything.
We’re able to bridge a gap for artists who don’t necessarily need the scale or complexity of large-format studios—42-channel consoles, multiple rooms, highly structured workflows—but who do need a moment in time and space to focus, get inspired, and create without that level of pressure.
What exists here is creative freedom in its purest form, within an environment that feels supportive rather than restrictive. It’s a space that holds you, instead of pushing you.
And ultimately, that energy finds its way into the music. The connection with an audience doesn’t come as a forced objective—it happens as a natural reaction to something that was created honestly, in the right conditions.
The post Inside Hotel El Ganzo, the Cabo Resort Where Artists Come to Record, Recharge and Reimagine Their Sound appeared first on EDM.
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