Hotel Del Coronado Is a Rare Beauty by the Sea in Southern California

The Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, Calif., in this file photo. Joan C. Fahrenthold/AP Photo

The grand Hotel Del Coronado, once known as the Lady by the Sea, is known for its stunning architecture and natural beauty. It has hosted princes, movie stars, presidents, and other notable guests over the years.

Built in 1887, the Victorian hotel is one of the nation’s largest wooden buildings and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in October 1971.

“Few seaside resort hotels of this significant architectural style remain in America,” according to California State Parks.

For visitors, the hotel is a short trip from San Diego west of the I-5 and across the blue Coronado Bridge that towers over the San Diego Bay, with breathtaking views to the north of downtown San Diego, Point Loma, Coronado, and the Pacific Ocean. To the south of the bridge lies San Diego’s South Bay and the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as—on a clear day—the Coronado islands off Baja California, Mexico.

As visitors descend into what locals call the island—which is actually a peninsula—the road meanders into a gorgeous neighborhood lined with colorful houses, many of which were built in the 1940s and earlier.

Along the way to Hotel Del, as its often called, the resort city of Coronado feels like a charming small town, with bustling coffee shops, boutiques, and restaurants. Some of its best-known businesses, like ice cream shop MooTime Creamery and the Night & Day Cafe, line the street. You’ll also pass Spreckels Park, the Coronado Public Library, Rotary Park, and more.

In contrast, the grand entrance of Hotel Del feels majestic and transports you back to the Victorian age when everything was beautiful and elegant. Through the dimly lit corridors, a substantial courtyard gives way to views of the vast Pacific Ocean and the soft sandy beach.

On a recent evening, families frolicked and played on the beach before a purple and orange sunset. It’s hard not to relax and surrender to the surrounding beauty. Just past the south end, Glorietta Bay sparkled with her dock and boats. All this is home to a festive atmosphere during the summer months, while the site hosts a beach-front ice-skating rink during the Christmas season.

Coronado’s Prized Jewel

In its heyday, Hotel Del Coronado accommodated royalty, politicians, magnates, famous actors and actresses, and more. U.S. presidents who stayed at Hotel Del include Benjamin Harrison in 1891 and including William McKinley, William H. Taft, Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Actor Charlie Chaplin also stayed at the hotel, once colloquially called the Del Coronado. The hotel was often used by Hollywood for silent comedies and location shooting. The hotel has a truly storied history.

Hotel Del Coronado was designed by architect James Reid as a Victorian seaside resort and represents a classic instance of Norman architecture.

The hotel was also a technical marvel. Hotel Del was one of the largest hotels in the country to employ electric lighting and also boasted one of the first steam-powered hydraulic elevators, as well as a state-of-the-art fire sprinkler system and telephone service.

The Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego on Jan. 20, 1950. Harvey Meston/Archive Photos/Getty Images

Visiting the Hotel Del

Hotel Del is family and pet friendly and often busy with outside visitors enjoying the restaurants and other amenities on or around the property.

Inside the hotel, high-end shops offer luxurious apparel like embroidered robes and jewelry made from antique buttons and other unique items.

Popular restaurants at the Hotel Del include the Shore House and the Sun Deck, while food trucks line the sidewalk facing the ocean. Other restaurants, bike rentals, pools with cabanas, and the soft sandy beach are nearby.