The Hotel Del Coronado — Victorian Elegance

The Hotel Del Coronado — Victorian Elegance

Article publié le 18/05/2011
en ligne sur looplane.com

 

The Hotel del Coronado is a luxury hotel with a glamorous history.  Set on the beach sands of Coronado Island, across the San Diego Bay in California, it has become an icon. It is sometimes called The Del and boasts one of the earliest Victorian wooden buildings of early California. The history of this hotel goes deep and it has been named a National Historic Landmark since 1977.

Built in 1888, the Hotel del Coronado has been named one of the top ten hotels in the world by USA Today. It was the backdrop of the movie, “Some Like it Hot,” with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon.

Marilyn and Tony Curtis, 1958.

  
 Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe on the steps of the Del, 1958.

 
Marilyn Monroe during the filming of Some Like It Hot at the Hotel del Coronado. With make-up man Whitey Snyder and security guard – 1958

  
 Marilyn Monroe and Joe E. Brown on the deck at the Del, 1958.

In the mid-1880′s grand hotels were being built to lure visitors to new areas of California. Coronado Island and North island were  purchased for $110,000 with the intent to build a grand hotel that would draw attention to an otherwise stark landscape. With construction beginning in 1887, they had to tackle the problem of bringing in lumber from Oregon and labor from Chinese Immigrants in San Francisco.

 

This was one of the first hotels with electric lighting and the wiring was inspected by Thomas Edison. As they neared the completion of the hotel they ran out of money and investors. They turned to John Spreckles, the sugar manufacturer, who loaned them $100,000 to finish the hotel. He later bought the original owners out and owned the hotel until 1948.

  

During World War II, the hotel was used to house Navy pilots being trained and families of officers going off to war.

After the war the hotel was sold and by 1960 it had fallen into disrepair. It was then purchased by John Alessio who began renovating it for $2 million. He then sold it in 1963 to a man named Lawrence. More money was poured into the hotel refurbishing it and adding rooms totaling $150 million dollars. In 1996, the hotel was sold to the Travelers Group. They upgraded the hotel again, keeping the original Victorian architecture and decor. In 2005 they added additional cottages and villas to the grounds to be used for more guest rooms. The hotel has been sold and currently is owned by Blackstone Group and KSL Resorts and Strategic Hotels.

 

 

Many notable travelers have been guests of the hotel. Presidents, British Royalty, movie stars and other famed guests have spent many a night on the shores of the Coronado. L. Frank Baum, the author of the book and movie, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, stayed at The Del while  working on his book.  Stories abound that he based the Emerald City after the Hotel.  

Top 10 Beach Icons, USA Today
#1 Best Beach in the Southern California, Travel Channel
#2 Best Beach in the United States, Travel Channel
America’s Best Beaches, Wall Street Journal
America’s Top 10 Beaches,”Dr. Beach,” 2008 & 2009

The Hotel del Coronado has been rated:

Top 10 Resorts In The World, USA Today
Top 20 Hotel Spas in the World, Travel + Leisure
Reader’s Choice for the Best Place To Get Married, Ranch & Coast
Top 50 Resorts For Parents & Kids, Travel +Leisure Family Magazine
500 Greatest Hotels in the World, Travel + Leisure Magazine
Top 100 U.S. Resorts, Travel + Leisure Magazine Readers Poll
#2 Best Place in the World to Get Married, Travel Channel
Best Resort Getaway, Los Angeles Magazine
Best Resort in San Diego, Orange County Register Readers Poll
Best San Diego Resort, Travel + Leisure en Espanol
Top 15 Family Resorts, Travel + Leisure Family Magazine

Marilyn Monroe and The Hotel del Coronado
The Del Beach Village
The Hotel Del Coronado