About Hotel Del Coronado
Out by the beach on Coronado Island sits the sprawling complex of the Hotel Del Coronado, a Victorian behemoth all-wood beach resort, instantly recognizable for its white walls and red roofs. The Hotel Del Coronado, or Hotel Del for short, seems like it belongs either in a Steven King novel or an English period piece, but it is in San Diego, so it is all sun, surf, and sand. It is possibly most famous for playing the Seminole Ritz Hotel in Some Like It Hot.
Hotel Del is a good place to visit without necessarily staying there, unless you have a few thousand extra dollars lying around. The amenities are mostly open to the public, though some of them cost money just to participate (such as a day pass for the pool). The hotel has several restaurants and bars, including Serea which serves tasty if expensive fresh seafood dishes, and the Taco Shack which is a good place to have a beer in a more casual setting by the beach. They host events – such as movie nights in the summer and an ice skating rink and light show in December. It is also just a cool place to walk around and admire the opulence.
Most things at the Hotel Del will be very expensive so choose carefully where you spend your money or whether you want to at all. If you are going to the beach, just bring your own beach chairs and set up shop anywhere on the broad Coronado Beach that is free.
Great For
• Indulging
• Fancy
• Parents visiting
• Victorian costume parties
A Closer Look
Hotel Del Coronado was built in the late 1800s during one of the first real estate booms in Southern California. At that time, rich east coast magnates were buying up any piece of land they could get their hands on and someone bought the entire island of Coronado, probably for like $30. Hotel construction was funded by recognizable San Diego bigwig names like Spreckels.
It has changed ownership a few times and is now owned by Blackstone Inc, a giant faceless investment firm if ever there was one. It is managed by Hilton Hotels.
