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| Landmark #844 | San Diego County | Visited: January 26, 2014 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | The Hotel del Coronado, also known as “the Del,” or, when translated, “the Of The!” |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: This Victorian hotel, built in 1887, is one of America’s largest wooden buildings. Few seaside resort hotels of this significant architectural style remain in America. The hotel has hosted several presidents and other national figures.
OTHER TIDBITS: Elisha Babcock and Hampton Story, Jr. had no experience with hotels, but they were so inspired by Coronado Beach that they vowed to build a hotel that would be “the talk of the western world!” In fact, they were so in love with the hotel idea that they developed the entire island around the hotel site and used the funds from selling land plots on the island just to build the hotel! Once it opened in 1888, all-inclusive room rates went for $2.50 per night, which was saying something, considering the hotel was one of the largest electrically powered buildings in the world and featured innovative technology like hydraulic elevators, a fire sprinkler system, and telephone service, a true novelty of the time! The hotel also made history on December 4, 1901 when it unveiled the world’s first outdoor, electrically lit, live Christmas tree! It has since hosted more presidents, celebrities, and movie sets than I can really list here! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: Hotel Garden Patio 1500 Orange Ave Coronado, CA 92118 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~126mi (203km) — 2.1hrs |
| When should I go? | Whenever the mood strikes you! |
