National Historic Landmark.  Breathtaking ocean views. Whimsical Victorian era architecture.  Endless activities. Famous celebrities. Ghostly haunts. Tourist attraction. You’ll find it all at the world famous Hotel del Coronado, also known affectionately as “The Del”.  As you stroll through the 32-acre property, what you might be missing though are the stories, the legends, and the amazing history that occurred at this hotel built in 1888.

Well, lucky for you, I used to work there and give 90-minute property and history tours to the Hotel del Coronado new employees (so they would have amazing stories to share with guests and visitors), and with this blog post, you’ll be able to enjoy your visit to the Hotel del Coronado even more!  No more will you walk by an unassuming set of stairs and not know about how the Front Desk employees would smell strong perfume and feel a slight “push” down those stairs in the wee hours of the morning.

Whether you actually stay the night or just pop over to enjoy this popular tourist attraction and San Diego icon, it’s definitely worth a visit.  Let’s do this!

The Beginning of the Dream

The drive into Coronado is beautiful.  As you cross the Coronado Bridge keep your eyes peeled as you’ll see the Hotel del Coronado in the distance.

Let’s talk about the basics.  The Hotel del Coronado was built by Elisha Babcock and H.L. Story (note the name of their cocktail lounge) in 1888 so at the time of this blog post they are celebrating their 130th anniversary.  The Del was the first structure build on Coronado on what as uninhabited barren land that was only accessible by boat.  The railroad had not yet made it to San Diego, but the plans were in the works.  So, these two visionaries bought the entire island (well, actually it’s a peninsula) for $110,000.  Yup.  I know what you are thinking, should have jumped on that investment, huh?

Now, building a giant hotel in the middle of nowhere is challenging.  Electricity didn’t exist in Coronado (or most of California actually) so their first step was to build one of the state’s first power plants which would not only provide electricity to the Hotel del Coronado but to the entire Coronado island.  As you first drive into The Del, what might appear as an eyesore….now you know is actually remains of that historic power plant!

As work begun on the hotel, these two marketing masters bragged about the amazing Coronado weather (the day we went it was a cloudy day unfortunately!) to entice people from across the country to make the LONG trek to the stay for a day or even months, and to invest in The Del via a land auction.  Yes, another missed opportunity for you!  Within a day they recouped their original investment and then some, and began to build.

Right across the street you’ll see a restaurant that looks quite similar to the Hotel del Coronado.  That’s no accident.  This was actually their “practice” building!  The architects were not moving very fast so as the Hotel Del was being built, without a blue print, the workers were left to their own creative devices to build this dreamy hotel.  Can you imagine?

To build the Hotel del Coronado, they had to bring in a ton of workers who of course didn’t live there.  This building (the Oxford building) you see on property near the parking lot was another hotel that housed the workers who built the hotel 24 hours a day.  Now, this hotel was not on property, it was actually down the road.  After the Hotel del Coronado no longer had a need for it, it had other uses through the years including a Brothel at one time.  In the 70s they were going to tear it down, and the Hotel Del purchased it since it’s a key part of history.  They basically cut the building down the middle and moved it in 2 pieces to the Hotel Del Property, and put it back together!  Today it houses many of the Hotel Del’s 1400 employees, such as Sales & Marketing, Accounting, Catering, and more.  You will never see a tourist checking this out but now you will.  The more you know!

And right next store to the Oxford Building is a series of unassuming buildings.  More employees work here, such as Facilities and Human Resources (where I worked!).  There is history here as well….these buildings were the stables for the horses…you know, horse and buggy travel was where it was at in 1888 before cars came around.

Beautiful Hotel…Built!

The first thing you’ll notice about the Del is the whimsical Victorian era architecture.  The style is called “Queen Anne Revival” and it’s known for these iconic turrets, asymmetrical designs (you can see some parts of the building have 3 floors and other have 5), and freestyle design that leads you down maze-like hallways, unanticipated dead ends, etc.  The Hotel Del was built for a total of $1,000,000… $600,000 for the hotel itself and $400,000 for all the decor and furniture.

There is SO much more to the history (I could go on an on) so if you are interested in more of the Hotel del Coronado beginnings, I highly recommend a visit to their signature store near the lobby and you can pick up a beautiful and detailed Hotel del Coronado history book.  It’s filled with so many pictures and stories that are fascinating.  They won’t have all the stories I’ll share here in this insider blog post, but it is truly worth a read.  Let’s look more around the property and pepper in some fun stories for you along the way that will make what you see that more interesting.

As you stare in awe at the front of the property, keep your eye out for this random stained glass window that many miss.  This is original to the hotel (although it wasn’t always in this spot) and is Queen Calafia which is a fictional character that California was named after.  Who knew?

Right at this front you’ll see this tree.  While it’s beautiful, there is a fun history and story behind it.  This is a Dragon Tree, brought over from the Canary Islands, with red blood like sap if you cut into it (but please don’t.)  It was set in the backdrop of Some Like it Hot starring Marilyn Monroe who stayed at The Del for a month while filming.  This tree was so treasured by the Hotel Del, and while the movie was filming the producers saw a large limb that was in their way.  Not realizing how treasured this tree was, they took it upon themselves to cut off the offensive limb.  When the Hotel Del owners discovered this they were so angry them almost kicked them off the set!  Today you’ll see the remains of several other limbs that have been cut since then, no doubt to clear the passage way for the millions of visitors every year.

Inside the Hotel del Coronado

Now, head inside and enjoy the lobby (more on that later) and peek your head into their famous Crown Room.  There is so much to be said about this room, so I’ll keep it on a few highlights for you.  This room currently serves as a meeting space and room for The Del’s famous (and extremely expensive) Sunday brunch, happening pictured below.  When The Del opened it had the “American Plan” and all the guests ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner here.  After all, they didn’t have many options nearby!  Charles Lindbergh had a celebratory dinner here after his 1927 solo flight from New York to France.  The chandeliers you see are original, in the shape of a crown, and were designed by L.Frank Baum, the author of the Wizard of Oz who spent months at the Hotel del Coronado writing.  It is believed that the Hotel del Coronado was his inspiration for the land of Oz.  Can’t you see the similarities?  For any architectural buffs, the ceiling is also original and taken well care of, designed with a “tongue and groove” method which means NO nails at all keeping it together.  And for our ghostly haunts enthusiasts, over the years the Hotel del Coronado has had many psychics and such at the hotel, and one of them shared that this room is the most “haunted” of all.  Because this was where all the guests gathered for 3 meals a day, the psychic said she could see hundreds of ghosts just partying and having a grand ol’ time up in the ceiling of the Crown Room!

In the lobby, you’ll notice an old fashioned elevator.  This is Otis elevator #61.  #61 representing the 61st elevator that Otis ever made. It is the original elevator from 1888, one of the oldest still around, and is still run by an employee who is the elevator operator and takes guest up and down all day long.  If you happen to ride in it (you can see the line) ask the employee some questions.  Most of the elevator operators have been working at The Del a decade or two.

As you wander through the Hotel del Coronado stake a step out to the beautiful courtyard inside the hotel.  This courtyard and all its greenery was designed by Kate Sessions, a local botanist who is also known for being the “Mother of Balboa Park.”

As you venture to the guest rooms (which is only encouraged if you are staying there) you’ll notice a few things.  On the first level, the ceilings are very high (as you can see compared to Sydney) and many of the hallways are wide.  This is because when the hotel was built, the prime spots (like today’s penthouse) were actually on the 1st floor.  Because who wants to go upstairs?  And on the 3rd floor you’ll find the infamous haunted room, believed to be haunted by a previous guest in that room, Kate Morgan.

Kate Morgan checked into the hotel in 1892.  She ran a train gambling scheme with her brother (who posed as her husband) and swindled a lot of unsuspecting people.  She arrived at The Del after having an altercation with her husband who was also in on the scheme.  He was supposed to meet her at The Del a few days later, but never did (and she certainly didn’t have a cell phone to call him at), and 5 days later she was found dead on the stairway leading to the beach with a gunshot to her head.  It was ruled a suicide, but theories prevail that it was her husband.  Regardless of what happened, she is known to walk the hallways of the 3rd floor in her Victorian dress, and have some fun with visitors who stay in “her” room 3327.

People always ask…do people check in and know the room is haunted?  Well, as employees if that room is assigned to you, it’s never shared.  But many do request that room especially on Halloween night.  Discovery and Travel Channel have done stories on the room, and guests (who were not previously aware of the room’s reputation) have shared many stories such as getting the covers ripped off at night, the TV turning on randomly, door handles shaking, etc.  Do you believe?  The room itself is not one of The Del’s finest…. it’s small and has a view of the dumpsters.  But might be fun for those who are brave!

Even if you aren’t staying there as an overnight guest, I encourage you (and I can say this now since I don’t work there!) to try to wander at least a level up.  As you walk up the stairs you will immediately notice that the stairs are quite uneven!  While some may look at this as an old flaw, it’s part of the The Del’s charm.  You see, as the hotel was built in 1888 the wood was installed “green” meaning still a little damp.  This was intentional as many construction projects in that era were ruined by fire.  So installing the wood “green” meant it would resist fire, but when the wood dried out, it warps, leading to uneven floor boards and stairs.  So as you experience the odd leveling, remember the historical significance behind it!

So remember when I said the prime rooms were on the first floor?  The lower end rooms were on the 5th floor.  At the time of the hotel being built, everyone traveled with their maids and servants.  So, the 5th floor was where the maids and servants slept.  As you can see from the photo below of my 10 year old daughter of average size, the ceilings are very low.  The rooms are also much smaller.  In fact, many years ago the hotel decided to break the walls down between some of the rooms and made it one room because they were just SO tiny they were hard to make guests happy.  I’ll let you in on a little secret.  With all the hoopla and Travel Channel shows on the Kate Morgan haunted room, there is a room on the 5th floor that has MANY more guests reporting “incidents” and many more psychics reporting paranormal activity.  Little known fact.  The belief is that this haunted room was where Kate Morgan’s maid stayed.

Back to the public areas (sort of), as you can see us looking over the lobby, it’s usually packed with tourists checking out The Del.  That beautiful chandelier is removed once a year, when The Del displays it’s incredibly ornate and tall Christmas tree that attracts thousands of visitors over the holiday season.  But what’s special about this lobby is the history, of course.  When The Del opened, the land in Coronado was still barren.  The men would leave in the morning to hunt and fish.  Their ladies would sit in rocking chairs on this second level knitting or reading, just waiting for them to return, clapping when their husbands returned and displayed their fresh kill and show it off.  Oh, those were the days, huh?

Making your way back to the public areas, you’ll find a staircase near the Ballroom.  These set of stairs lead to The Del’s shops and dining. These same stairs tend to be avoided by the night employees, as they have reported smelling a strong perfume and a gentle push as they would walk down these stairs in the hours of the morning.  Mwa huh huh huh huh.

The Hotel Del Coronado has some great shopping, definitely worth checking out.  But keep your eyes out for an unassuming spot with a cave like interior in the retail corridor.  It’s now where they sell the newer condos, but you’ll notice a cave like entrance to the office.  This cave has served many purposes over the years.  During prohibition they hid their alcohol.  During WWII they hid their silver.  Pretty cool, huh?

By the Beach

As you wind yourself outside the Hotel del Coronado towards the backside, near the beach, the mecca of activities await you.  While you have to be a hotel guest to enjoy the pool area, almost everything else can be enjoyed by a day visitor…the beautiful sundeck area overlooking the beach to have a drink or a bite to eat, the shops, the Spa, the restaurants, etc.  They have really managed to pack in endless tables so everyone has an opportunity to take in The Del.

The Windsor lawn, which has now been converted to astroturf, is transformed into an ice skating rink every holiday season so visitors can skate by the beach.  Pretty cool, but it has killed what once was a beautiful lawn with real grass.  Priorities I guess!

Back to some really cool history.  As you walk around you’ll see this random looking house that’s used as meeting space called the Windsor cottage.  This cottage is the setting of one of the most famous love stories of all time.  In 1920, England’s Prince of Wales visited The Del.  He would later become King Edward VIII who eventually gave up his throne to marry the twice divorced Wallis Simpson because a King was not permitted to marry a divorced woman.  So where does The Del come in?  During his visit in 1920, Wallis Simpson was living a few blocks away from The Del (married to her first husband).  So, as this story played out, everyone has drawn conclusions that the Prince of Wales must have met Wallis Simpson during his stay at The Del.  Because of this, the romantic story of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor is forever tied to The Del.  Sometime much later, this building, like the Oxford Building was set to be destroyed.  Eager to hold onto this part of The Del’s storied past, the owners purchased and moved the building on property where it has remained ever since.

Of course a big draw of the Hotel del Coronado are the lengthy and beautiful beaches that await you.

There’s a great place right there where you can rent bikes or surreys (pictured below) to take in the view of the Silver Strand.

The beach and backside of The Del provides a wonderful backdrop for memorable photos, as we know, my daughter likes to do her Irish Dance leaps whenever she can.

And if you are a gelato fan, well, hit up their ice cream place.

Good to Know

Ok, so here are some of the details in planning your Hotel Del visit.

• If you plan to stay the night there, book ahead of time, especially during the holiday season or summer, it sells out far in advance.
• Be prepared to pay a pretty penny whether staying there or just visiting.  It’s a bit tourist attraction and the prices there match that.  Captive audience I guess.
• To save some money, consider finding parking outside of the hotel and walking it. You’ll save a lot of money on parking that way!
• Don’t show up with a plan.  Wander around, enjoy the area, rent some bikes, catch a drink on the sundeck, just show up and enjoy.
• Be prepared for crowds.  This is a HUGE draw for anyone visiting San Diego.  Don’t expect (as you can see from this blog post) that you’ll get photos with just you and them.  You and your closest hundreds of friends is more like it!

We hope this insider tour will help you enjoy your visit to the Hotel Del even more!  The Hotel del Coronado has seen every US President since Benjamin Harrison in 1981.  So, it’s certainly worth a visit!

Do you have any questions or comments? Let us know, we are listening!

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