Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
HOTEL DEL
CORONADO
. ,
It started with a dream. In 1888, the picturesque Coronado peninsula—surrounded by water on
three sides and just a stone's throw from the developing city of San Diego—showed its promise to
Elisha Babcock and Hampton Story, who dreamed of building a hotel that they envisioned would
be “the talk of the western world.”
The 1848 discovery of gold in northern California had attracted a substantial population to
the west, but much of the nation's interior was still wild and dangerous nearly 40 years later when
Babcock and Story came to Coronado to hunt. They purchased the peninsula for $110,000 and pro-
ceeded to subdivide it into lots. The lots were auctioned off in a single day for enough profit to build
a magnificent hotel for the rich and famous of the era.
Originally promoted as a hunting and fishing resort, the chef was kept busy cooking the guests'
catch of the day. Other amenities included separate billiard rooms for men and women, bowling,
croquet, swimming, boating, bicycling, archery, golf, and fine dining, as well as special rooms set
aside for smoking, reading, writing, cards, chess, and music.
Completed at a cost of $600,000 for construction, The Del was outfitted with $400,000 in fur-
nishings. At the time, The Del was one of the largest buildings in the country to offer electric lights,
telephones, and elevators. Another modern convenience was running hot and cold water combined
with water pressure servicing numerous bathrooms. In deference to the guests who believed the
saltwater and ocean air were health-promoting, The Del also offered hot and cold running seawater.
Fine china and linens came from Europe while carpets and furnishings came from the Far West,
along with many of the original employees.
Sophisticated travelers from the eastern part of the country, tired of the usual resorts, flocked to
The Del. Some would stay for months at a time. A school was opened for their children, allowing
them more freedom and time to relax in the temperate Southern California climate. A few of the
wealthiest even arrived in the area traveling in their own rail cars.
Heir to the wealthy “Sugar King” Claus Spreckels, John D. Spreckels purchased The Del and
moved his family there from San Francisco after the earthquake of 1906. Guiding it through the
gilded age, he was also responsible for helping modernize San Diego, where he built a streetcar
system, published two newspapers, developed real estate, ran a water company, and built his own
railroad line.
