Hotel Del Coronado
The majestic
emblem of Coronado, California is the oceanfront Hotel Del
Coronado (pictured above), that instantly turned Coronado, Ca
into a beach resort destination when it opened on February 19,
1888. The Hotel Del Coronado has become a living legend with
it's rich history, historical landmark designation, visits by
thousands of celebrities and dignitaries and the legend of
"the ghost".
The Hotel Del Coronado is ideally located along 31 oceanfront
acres and reflects an elegant example of Victorian architecture
. With 26 acres of top rated beach, oceanfront dinning, an
expansive pool and hot tub, tennis courts, fitness facilities,
children and teen programs plus an array of seasonal
activities, it easy to see why the Hotel Del Coronado is one
of Americas favorite vacation destinations.
History
The Coronado, California
peninsula was purchased by Elisha S. Babcock, Jr., Hampton
L. Story, and Jacob Gruendike, for $110,000.00 on November
19, 1885. Babcock and Hampton founded the Coronado Beach
Company on April 7, 1886. Work began immediately on the
resort community that the Coronado Beach Co. investors
envisioned. The division and landscaping of lots, the laying of
railroad tracks, and the construction of a water and irrigation
system. To increase publicity Babcock and Story leaked news
of a proposed hotel on Coronado to the newspapers causing a
great deal of excitement in the community of San Diego and
beyond. Then 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 Coronado Beach
Company then began to concentrate on the design and
construction of the new hotel. They 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, officially
opened its doors to the public on February 19, 1888. When it
first opened, the hotel was the largest structure outside of New
York City to be electrically lighted, with Thomas Edison
himself overseeing the installation of his incandescent lamp.
The Hotel Del Coronado was designed to serve the mega-rich of
the late 19th century. The Hotel Del Coronado featured many
luxuries for it's day including telephones, elevators, and
even water under pressure in the bathrooms.
Historic Landmark
Over the years, the Hotel Del Coronado has seen good
times and bad. The hotel has seen two world wars, prohibition,
and the great depression. At one point the hotel was almost
destroyed, but in 1977 The Hotel Del Coronado became a
National Historic Landmark, assuring that it will remain for
future generations to enjoy.
Celebrities, Movies and Television
The Hotel Del Coronado has hosted many famous people over
the years. In 1920, England's Prince Of Wales visited the hotel.
Several U.S. presidents have visited the hotel, including every
president since Lyndon Johnson. The Crown Room was even
the location of the first state dinner held outside of the
White House. After his successful trans-Atlantic flight in
1927, Charles Lindbergh was honored at the hotel.
The Hotel Del Coronado has been the setting for movies and
television since the first movie was filmed here in 1901. In
1958, Marilyn Monroe stayed at the hotel while filming
"Some Like It Hot". Also filmed here were the
movies "The Stuntman", "Somewhere In
Time", and episodes of "Baywatch", and
"Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous".
The Ghost
In 1892, soon after the hotel
opened, one visitor checked into the hotel and has never
checked out.
Kate Morgan and her husband, Tom, were con artists, who
would ride the trains looking for men to swindle. In November
1892, Kate discovered that she was pregnant and wanted to
settle down. This led to an argument with her husband. He got
off of the train in Los Angeles, while Kate continued on to San
Diego.
Kate went to Coronado and checked into the Hotel Del
Coronado, where Tom was supposed to meet her for
Thanksgiving. She waited, and as Thanksgiving came and went
, there was still no sign of Tom. She checked other hotels in
the area, but could not find him. While she was waiting, Kate
ventured into San Diego and purchased a gun. Shortly after this
, she was found on the steps of the Hotel Del Coronado leading
to the beach, with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot to the
head.
To this day there are reports of strange occurrences in the
room that Kate had checked into. Curtains have been seen to
be moving even when the windows are closed, objects have
been moved, and lights turn on and off. Several people even
claim to have seen Kate's ghost in the window, and walking
down the hallways of the hotel.
For extensive information about
Coronado California check out the following links.
Coronado history is
synonymous with the beach front Hotel Del Coronado. Find out
valuable information on highly rated
Coronado schools, the
island's best
characteristics and
Coronado profile. There's lots to do in this picturesque
seaside city, for detailed information visit the following links
things to do,
art and entertainment
and Coronado
recreation. To gain a visual perspective of Coronado visit
Coronado maps.
