ERNESTO COPPEL built an empire from a view. The grandson of a Polish immigrant who arrived in Mazatlán in 1855, he sold timeshares in a small apartment overlooking the sea — and never stopped building. Today, Grupo Pueblo Bonito anchors the most coveted stretch of coastline in Baja California Sur.
JUAN VELA RUÍZ – In 1989, Juan started construction of a condominium in Puerto Vallarta, the first one with a beach front. At the beginning of construction, sales were successful. But then a recession hit. By the end of construction, Juan was left with half of the condos unsold and a huge debt. One afternoon while having a tequila in the lobby – Juan and Eduardo asked themselves – How difficult could it be to run a hotel?