Hotel del Coronado

A Victorian beach resort built in 1888 — the largest wooden structure in the United States

The Hotel del Coronado is a National Historic Landmark on the beach at Coronado, built in 1888 from wood by a crew that worked from architect's sketches delivered one floor at a time — because the drawings weren't finished before construction began. The result is a rambling Victorian confection of turrets, cupolas, and verandas that stretches along the beachfront for nearly a quarter-mile.

The hotel is still operating as a luxury resort. Non-guests can walk the public areas, browse the history gallery, and eat at the ocean-facing restaurants. The beach in front of the hotel is public. The main building's interior — the Crown Room dining hall especially, with its circular wooden ceiling assembled without nails — is worth seeing even if you're not staying.

The hotel is a fifteen-minute ferry ride from downtown San Diego, or accessible via the Coronado Bridge.

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A story
When it opened in 1888, the Hotel del Coronado was the largest building outside New York City with electric lighting — Thomas Edison personally supervised the installation. It was also the second-largest building in California after the state capitol. Presidents have stayed here, the film Some Like It Hot was filmed on the beach out front, and Marilyn Monroe claimed the hotel inspired her best work. The sugar-loaf roof and red-shingle turrets have appeared in so many postcards that the building has become the default visual shorthand for Southern California history.