Proposed Design
Circa 1886
1500 Orange Avenue
Coronado, California
Circa 1888
A living legend for more than 130 years, The Del celebrates its rich history as the proud host to celebrities, royalty, U.S. Presidents and beach loving guests for generations. Built in 1888 by Elisha Babcock, Jr. and Hampton L. Story was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977, this historic beach resort is a San Diego icon.
A Decided Place
Circa 1886
Hotel founders, Babcock and Story along with San Diego developer, Alonzo Horton surveyed Coronado Beach. Although neither Babcock nor Story had experience in the hotel business, they were so inspired by the natural beauty of Coronado they decided to buy the island and build a magnificent hotel, one that would be "the talk of the western world" .. an iconic California destination where "people will continue to come long after we are gone."
Development of Coronado Island
Once the town of Coronado was established, it was time to attract residents so Babcock and Story held a very well-publicized land auction which attracted a reported 6,000 people. 350 lots were sold during the auction raising about $100,000. By June 10, 1887, Coronado lot sales had reached the $41.5 million mark. The grand total would eventually reach $2.25 million.
With lot sales to fund the hotel's construction, a stenographer was summoned to the beach on a beautiful December day in 1896. Babcock, Story, Herbert Ingle (one of the hotel's original investors) and James Reid (architect) conceived the resort's basic layout. The design included a courtyard, pavilion tower and dining wing. Reid would later recall that "preliminary sketches were quickly prepared and because of the lack of time remained the unchanged basis of construction." This depiction of the proposed hotel showcased its less prominent sides, those facing Orange Avenue and downtown Coronado.
Groundbreaking Ceremony
Although digging the foundation had begun in January 1887, construction on The Del did not begin until after the historic groundbreaking ceremony. Visitors turned out in droves to watch. The architects hired were the Reid Brothers of Evansville, Indiana. Construction began along the northern face, which was simpler in design, in the hopes that the mostly inexperienced workforce would gain skills for building the more complicated sections at the pioneering San Diego resort.
By May 1887, approximately 250 men were employed in the construction of the exciting new destination beach resort and The San Diego Union reported: "A million feet of lumber is scattered about the yard and more is coming all the time." The all-wooden Hotel del Coronado used a variety of lumber: Douglas fir for framing and California redwood for exterior siding (as it was thought to be termite resistant). Hemlock and cedar were also on order. The lobby featured Illinois white oak and the Crown Room ceiling would be done in Oregon sugar pine which was chosen for its lack of knotholes. By November 1887, much of the exterior construction was complete. The highest point of the soon-to-be famous San Diego hotel was 120 feet which was the iconic, red-roofed Ballroom tower. An ice machine producing 15 tons per day was installed. A "furniture parade" conveyed freight loads of furniture down Orange Avenue from the ferry landing on the bay. John B. Seghers, manager was back East hiring employees.
The Del Debuts
Although guests began arriving as early as late January 1888, the Hotel del Coronado's birthday has generally been celebrated on February 19 which was the day the historic Southern hotel served its first meal in the main dining room (today's Crown Room). An early promotional brochure described the many amenities of the new destination, including its interior court with a fountain and exotic fruit trees, luxury guestrooms overlooking the garden patio or exterior vistas, private parlors, reception rooms, music and billiard rooms, expansive verandas. The hotel was also promoted as a health resort for its abundant sunshine and restorative ocean air. Room rates which included three meals a day started at about $2.50 per day. The hotel was built at a cost of $600,000 and was furnished at a cost of $400,000.
The Lobby
An 1888 brochure for the new Southern California destination spoke of the comfort ot the lobby: This is a handsome space, large and lofty. It had wide balcony above it which commanded views of the lobby below. Women of the day would gather for friendly chat and to watch newcomers enter below and register their names at the front desk. Although the hotel's historic lobby has changed over the years, its main configuration has remained the same including its second-floor balcony. The lobby's elevator was also a hotel amenity. During a trial run, a reported 2,500 pounds was easily performed.
New Technologies
When Hotel del Coronado debuted it was considered a technological marvel. Electricity was still a novelty in 1888 and The Del was thought to be one of the largest buildings in the country to have been "electrified". Contrary to popular belief, Thomas Edison did not install the Del's electrical system. The Del supplied electricity to the city of Coronado. Other technological assets of the newly constructed California resort included steam-powered hydraulic elevators which were among the first in the country, a state-of-art fire sprinkler system and telephone service which had reached San Diego only seven years earlier.
The Woman in the Window
Hotel del Coronado's most prominent stained-glass window located on the front facade creates a great deal of attention from visitors. Original to the hotel, the window was first mounted in the massive lobby chimney, visible from the front exterior as well as the lobby interior. After the fireplace was removed in the 1920s, the famous stained glass was displayed in a variety of interior locations. In 1995, it was moved to the fourth floor exterior, above the lobby entrance. In 2020, the piece was carefully removed for a complete restoration and was returned to its original second story location in the 2021. Architect, James Reid described the stained-glass scene as an "symbolic representation of Coronado" with a landscape background "representing mountains, valleys and a bay".
The Crown Room, Then
The Crown Room, Now
The Crown Room was considered an architectural achievement spanning 160 feet by 60 feet without any pillars to interrupt the view. This iconic San Diego venue is also famous for its 33 foot high ceiling, paneled in beautiful Oregon sugar pine. Wizard of Oz author, L. Frank Baum is credited for designing the famous crown chandeliers which were installed in 1911. In 1920s, an enormous banquet was held for England's Prince of Wales and in 1927 Charles Lindbergh was honored with his own celebration after his successful solo trans-Altantic flight. Today, the Crown Room's tradition of elegance continues as it plays host to a spectacular Sunday Brunch.
L. Frank Baum, Wizard of Oz Author
Circa 1904
Baum traveled to Coronado Island repeatedly between 1904 and 1910 where he usually resided at Hotel del Coronado for month at a time. He wrote at least three books in the Oz series during that period .. "Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz" in 1908, "The Road to Oz" in 1909 and "The Emerald City" in 1910. In a 1905 poem about Coronado, Baum wrote: "And every day her loveliness shines pure without a flaw. New charms entrance our every glance and fill our souls with awe!"
Hotel del Coronado featured more than 400 guestrooms. According to an early brochure for the San Diego destination resort the rooms were described as all large, well-ventilated and lighted with the sun reaching every room at some hour of the day with rug carpets, the wood furniture and windows shaded with Venetian blinds. "The suites of rooms are grouped around sitting rooms, giving every suite of four or five rooms a special reception sitting room" all with fireplaces and "richly carved mantels with large French bevel-plated mirrors".
The Bridal Chamber was considered the "handsomest guestroom in the hotel furnished in sold natural mahogany with upholstery and tapestry of pale blue and cream".
First Wedding at the Hotel
May Barnes and Harold Scott, the daughter and son of two building supervisors, were married during the San Diego resort's construction in a beachside ceremony on June 9, 1887. According to a Coronado newspaper the couple repeated their vows beneath a "beautiful arch of evergreens" in the company of "nearly every man, woman and child on Coronado Beach. Serenaded by "the lively music of two violins", May and Harold were rewarded with a "ripple of applause" after the ceremony followed by refreshments and "dancing til a late hour". The bride was the height of Victorian fashion, outfitted in a white wedding dress.
World's First
Circa 1904
The Del, already considered a technological marvel made history when it unveiled the world's first electrically lit, outdoor, living Christmas tree. Holidays lights were strung from the hotel to a nearby Norfolk Island Pine. Although indoor tree were popular in America by this time, electric Christmas lights were a rarity as candles were still commonplace.
The Ballroom
The ballroom is housed beneath the San Diego resort's signature red-roofed turret. In th early days, the underside of the roof formed the interior ceiling of the ballroom and the turret windows provided light and ventilation for visitors below. Originally called the "theatre" the ballroom also featured a raised oceanfront seating area for those guests who wanted to spend time in restful wicker rockers.
John D. Spreckels
(1890-1926)
When the resort was under construction, an economic downturn sent many investors out of San Diego and The Del's founders were concerned. John D. Spreckels, son of wealthy "Sugar King" Claus Spreckels, fell in love with Hotel del Coronado and provided generous loans and other assistance to the resort's founders, Babcock and Story in order tokeep the dream alive. Ultimately, the two businessmen chose to transfer complete ownership to Spreckels. Spreckels remained owner until his death in 1926 and the hotel remained in the family until 1948.
Noel
Circa 1982
Between January 20 and April 20, 1892, a little girl named Noel wrote a series of remarkable letters to her cousins back East, describing all of the wonderful things she saw and did while spending the season at Hotel del Coronado in Southern Califo contains a lively watercolor by the family's "Nurse", a governess who gave Noel and her brother daily instruction in reading, writing and arithmetic. She wrote in a letter dated February 14, 1892: This is the loveliest, biggest hotel you can imagine. It has ever and ever so many funny little windows and balconies like the big dovecote at Grandma's. The hotel is white and has red roofs everywhere. The red and the white between the bluest sky and the bluest water is like a beautiful dream in a fairy story.
Charlie Chaplin
Aside from its movie making celebrity roster, Hotel del Coronado has been a storied SoCal vacation destination for Hollywood stars since its earliest days with esteemed visitors such as W.C. Fields, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin played polo while staying at The Del.
Charles Lindbergh
Aviator Charles Lindbergh was honored at the Del on September 21, 1927 following his solo trans-Atlantic flight from New York to France.
Filmed at Hotel del Coronado in 1958, this film showcased the talents of Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon while also highlighting the hotel's asset, a spectacular sun-drenched silhouette of Victorian architecture whih was the perfect backdrop for the film's 1929 setting. Named the #1 comedy of all time by the American film Institute the movie has an honored place in film and Del history.
Billy Wilder, Director with Maryilyn Monroe who worked for 10 percent of the gross in excess of $2 million. The film was made in California during the summer and autumn of 1958. Many scenes were shot at the Hotel del Coronado which appeared in the film as the "Seminole Ritz" in Miami as it fit into the era of the 1920s and was near Hollywood. During filming, Monroe lacked concentration and suffered from an addiction to pills. She was constantly late to set and could not memorize many of her lines averaging 34-40 takes for a single line according to Tony Curtis. The line "It's me, Sugar" took 47 takes to get correct because Monroe kept getting the word order wrong saying either "Sugar, it's me or It's Sugar, me". Curtis and Lemmon made bets during the filming on how many takes she would need to get it right. Three days were scheduled for shooting the scene with Shell Oil, Jr. (played by Tony Curtis) and Sugar Kane (played by Marilyn Monroe) at the beach as Monroe had many complicated lines, but the scene was finished in only 20 minutes. Monroe's acting coach, Paula Strasberg and Monroe's husband, at the time, Arthur Miller both tried to influence the production which Wilder and other crew members found annoying.
