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 roof. 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, California, so it is all sand, surf, and sunny vibes.

Hotel Del is a great place to visit without necessarily staying there, unless you have a few thousand extra dollars lying around. Almost all of the amenities are open to the public, though most 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 very good if expensive fresh seafood dishes, and the Taco Shack which is a great place to have a beer in a more casual setting by the beach. Hotel Del hosts events for the public – such as movie nights in the summer and an ice skating rink and Christmas 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 pricey 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.

Best Parts

• Indulging
• Fancy
• Parents visiting
• Victorian-themed parties

Behind The Counter

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 John D. Spreckels, among others.

Hotel Del has changed ownership a few times and is now owned by Blackstone Inc, a giant faceless terrifying investment firm if ever there was one. Day to day hotel stuff is managed by Hilton Hotels.

Hotel Del is possibly most famous for playing the Seminole Ritz Hotel in Some Like It Hot.