Sangen bliver betragtet som bandets best berømte nummer, og den lange guitar[[coda]] er blevet stemt som den bedste guitarsolo nogensinde i ''[[Guitarist (magasin)|Guitarist]]'' i 1998.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35347075 |title=Glenn Frey: How Hotel California destroyed The Eagles|author= Mark Savage |work=BBC}}</ref><ref name="guitarist">[http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/50.html#solo The Top 100 Solos of All Time]</ref> and was ranked 8th on ''Guitar Magazine''{{'}}s Top 100 Guitar Solos.<ref>[http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/50.html The Top 100 Solos of All Time]</ref> Sangen modtog [[Grammy Award for årets indspilning]] i 1978.<ref name="billboard 2014">{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6077596/rewinding-the-charts-eagles-hotel-california-checks-in-at-no-1 |title=Rewinding The Charts: Eagles' 'Hotel California' Checks In At No. 1 |date=7. maj 2014 |author= Gary Trust |work=Billboard }}</ref> Teksten til sangen er blevet fortolket på mange måder af både fans og kritikere, mens The Eagles selv beskriver sangen som deres "fortolkning af det vilde liv i [[Los Angeles]]".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/the-eagles-hotel-california-20110525 |title=Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time |access-date=28. juni 2019 |archive-date= 5. februar 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180205072857/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/the-eagles-hotel-california-20110525 |url-status=dead }}</ref> I dokumentaren ''[[History of the Eagles]]'' fra 2013 sagde Henley at sangen var om "en rejse fra uskyld til erfaring... det er det hele..."<ref name=":1">{{cite AV media |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2194326/  |title=History of the Eagles |date=2013|time=1:27:50–1:28:10 }}</ref>
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