"The Del" - Coronado

"Coronado is a resort city in San Diego County, California, known for its beaches, grand resort, and strong military presence. Though it is often called an island, it is actually a tied island connected to the mainland by a sandy isthmus called the Silver Strand."

"For generations before the 1800s, the Coronado area was inhabited by the Kumeyaay, who used the area for hunting, gathering, and fishing. In 1602, Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaíno sighted the nearby Coronado Islands and named them "Los Coronados" (Spanish for "the crowned") after four martyred saints. The name was later adopted for the peninsula."

"While still under Spanish control in the early nineteenth century, Coronado was used as a safe harbor by whalers who also began to build hide houses to carry out their work. After Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, land grants were issued for various sections of California, thus creating the grand rancheros and haciendas of this period. On May 15, 1846, a land grant was issued to Don Pedro Carrillo by Governor Pio Pico for "the island or Peninsula in the Port of San Diego." Carrillo's ownership of the land was brief as he sold the property just five months later to the American captain of a trading ship, Bezer Simmons, for $1000.00."

"The peninsula changed hands several times over the next 39 years until it was purchased by Elisha S. Babcock, Jr., Hampton L. Story, and Jacob Gruendike, for $110,000.00 on November 19, 1885."

 "Babcock then invited his brother-in-law, Heber Ingle, and Josephus Collett, a railroad stockholder, to become investors. Thus the founding fathers of what is today known as Coronado organized the Coronado Beach Company on April 7, 1886."

 "Work began immediately on the resort community that the Beach Co. investors envisioned. The men hired hundreds of laborers of various nationalities to begin the division and landscaping of lots, the laying of railroad tracks, and the construction of a water and irrigation system.

To accommodate the growing number of people journeying to the peninsula,  the San Diego and Coronado Ferry Company was created on April 16, 1886.

On November 13, 1886, the Coronado Beach Co. held an auction for the sale of lots ranging in price from $500.00 to $1600.00. By the end of the day, the Beach Company had sold 350 lots for a total of $110,000.00, which was, incidentally, the purchase price of the entire peninsula."

 The resort community was now coming together with many new residents building homes and businesses. The investors then began to concentrate on the design and construction of a new hotel. The Beach Company hired James and Watson Reid as the architects of the Hotel del Coronado and work began almost immediately with the groundbreaking ceremony held on March 19, 1887. The Hotel del Coronado, completed in early 1888, officially opened its doors to the public on February 19th.

In all, Hotel del Coronado cost $1 million ($31,762,352.94  in today's money) to complete: $600,000 for the actual construction and $400,000 for all the furnishings. 

When the hotel finally debuted in 1888, Story and Babcock (founders of the Beach Company) held a massive party attended by some 1,440 people from across San Diego. 

 "The guests were immediately impressed with the grand structure they encountered. It featured many technological innovations for its day, such as indoor plumbing, oil-heated furnaces, and electrical lighting. Every single one of the original accommodations offered luxurious amenities, and access to a wealth of spectacular facilities that included a billiards hall and a bowling alley. Dozens of private parlors offered havens in which guests could relax and gaze out onto the nearby Glorietta Bay."

"Exotic gardens surround the grounds, featuring such plants like tropical fruit trees, palm trees, and beautifully landscaped shrubbery. Hotel del Coronado even offered a package that gave three-square meals a day at the cost of $2.50 per person." 

"This early prosperity was not to last, as Story and Babcock could barely afford to operate the hotel when the local real estate market collapsed in the 1890s. The two men were eventually forced to sell “The Del” to John D. Spreckels, who had provided several loans to keep the project afloat several years prior.

 John D. Spreckels turned out to be the savior that the Hotel del Coronado desperately needed. Under his leadership, the Hotel Del reached new heights in its national popularity. “The Del” became the site of a fantastic new destination called “Tent City,” which was campground composed of luxurious tents for those who could not afford the expensive rates at the new building. These tents were far better than most normal guestrooms at other hotels, as they offered clean linens, fabulous décor, and electricity. Spreckels also attracted early cinematographers to the hotel, establishing a close connection to the film industry that would last for decades." 

"Some of the first feature-length movies were shot at the hotel as such, including Maiden and Men, Pearl of Paradise, and The Married Virgin. Some of the nation’s most prominent individuals became regular visitors at the hotel, including author L. Frank Baum, inventor Thomas Alva Edison, and baseball player Babe Ruth. Even several U.S. Presidents graced the Hotel del Coronado with their presence, such as William McKinley, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson."

 "Today, Hotel del Coronado is among the best resort hotels in the entire country. It has received numerous accolades for its historical grandeur, including a coveted designation as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Few places are better for such a historically themed vacation than Hotel del Coronado."

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