Hotel del Coronado: Grand Seaside Victorian

In this installment of ‘Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages,’ we look at Southern California’s iconic resort.

All types of wood from around the United States were used in the 19th-century construction of the Hotel del Coronado, including hemlock, cedar, Douglas fir for the framing, and California redwood for the exterior siding. Once complete, the hotel was painted white to contrast with its distinct red roof. Varying roof pitches, covered balconies with carved posts, and the ballroom tower (L, with its observation deck and myriad tiny windows) help define this unique architectural design. Courtesy of Hotel del Coronado

Known over the decades as “The Del,” the beachside Hotel del Coronado is situated on 28 oceanfront acres in San Diego, California. The original segment of the hotel, referred to as “The Victorian,” was built in 1888 and offers 404 guest rooms. This spring, a renovation project resulted in a total of 938 guest rooms across five hotel “neighborhoods.” Besides The Victorian, The Cabanas, The Views, villas and cottages at Beach Village, and 75 new seaside villas at Shore House now make up the resort property.

Add-ons and renovations have preserved the hotel’s Gilded Age magnificence in its Victorian-style architecture, showcased by distinct turrets, gables, and cupolas. Also known as “The Grand Lady by the Sea,” the structure’s steep pitched, red-hued roof distinguishes it against an aerial view of the metropolitan city’s contemporary skyscrapers.