On This Day in 2017, the Eagles Sued a Mexican “Hotel California” for Allegedly Cashing in on Their Iconic Hit

Perhaps no rock song has been analyzed more thoroughly than the Eagles’ magnum opus “Hotel California“. Upon the song’s February 1977 release, many wondered if Hotel California was a real place. Co-writer Don Henley has clarified that the title was inspired by the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset Boulevard. Decades later, however, the Eagles would discover the real-life Hotel California, located on the Baja California peninsula. On this day (May 3) in 2017, band members filed a lawsuit against the Mexican company behind the establishment.

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Hotel California “Vigorously Denied” Band’s Claims

In a complaint filed in the Central District of California court, the Eagles alleged that owners of the 11-room hotel—located in Todos Santos, Mexico—falsely encouraged visitors to believe that it is indeed the “lovely place” name-checked in the Grammy-winning song.

According to documents, the musicians accused the company, Hotel California Baja LLC, of blasting “Hotel California” and other Eagles songs over the sound system to create a connection between the hotel and the group.

Meanwhile, merchandise in the gift shop described the establishment as the “legendary” hotel. “Such a designation only makes sense,” the plaintiffs wrote in their complaint, if the hotel is “somehow connected with the Eagles’ famous and legendary song, which it is not.”

According to documents, multiple online reviews made it clear that many Hotel California visitors did indeed associate it with the Eagles.

In a counterclaim filed the same month, the hotel owners pointed out that the Hotel California has operated under that name since 1950. That’s a full 26 years before the Eagles released the song.

[RELATED: Eagles Singer Don Henley Scores Legal Victory as Judge Tosses Out “Hotel California” Lawsuit]

How Did the Eagles’ “Hotel California” Lawsuit End?

In January 2018, multiple news outlets reported that the Eagles had reached a settlement with the Mexico-based hotel.

The terms were not made public. However, the decision happened less than a week after Hotel California abandoned its trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The Eagles had never applied to trademark the phrase, arguing that the rights are theirs according to “common law.”

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