The SDSU Library says: 

It was opened in 1887 at 6th and Main Streets as the Ramona Hotel by Milton Santee (1835-1901), using bricks made by Augustan Barnett in 1886. Santee changed the name of the town from Nuevo in 1886 after purchasing a large block of land in the area, to capitalize on the fame of Helen Hunt Jackson's novel "Ramona" (1884).

Never heard of the book? Tastes change, fads fade. It was the story of a mixed-race young woman who suffers hardships at the hands of that most melodramatic villain, the Latter 19th Century. it was pro-indiginous American, and romanticized the culture of Colonial rule. Wiki:

The story's fictional vision of Franciscan churchmen, señoritas and caballeros permeated the novel and captured the imaginations of readers. Her novel characterized the Americans as villains and the Native Americans as "noble savages.

Anyway, the joint burned down in the 40s. Now figure out thid from the SDSU:

According to one account, Santee brought Ida May Roques Kearney from Santa Ysabel to manage his hotel and restaurant, and she became its proprietor.

So who was Mrs. George Roques, and how did she get the name?