Suite Surrender

By Kevin Wing
Co-Host, Catch a Wave: A Journey to California’s 10 Best Beaches

Photo Courtesy of Hotel del Coronado

(Editor’s Note: This is a new column about America’s best hotels and resorts, written exclusively for AArisings by Kevin Wing, an Emmy Award-winning San Francisco Bay Area-based television journalist who co-hosts Catch a Wave: A Journey to California’s 10 Best Beaches. Kevin also writes another AArisings column, Beach Trip, which began in early 2005. He is also a news writer/feature reporter at KRON-TV Channel 4 in San Francisco, and also does voiceover work in the Bay Area. In this first installment, Kevin takes you to San Diego’s Hotel del Coronado, a landmark oceanside resort that has been a favorite of travelers since 1888.)

One of my most favorite places in the world is San Diego, California. For years, it was officially called “America’s Finest City.” Although city fathers dropped the moniker a couple of years ago (they’re still attempting to think up a new slogan, although the former stamp still definitely applies), it’s still one of the greatest places in the world. The weather is perfect practically year-round, and for a city that is home to nearly 1.5 million people, it has all the advantages of a large city without feeling overcrowded, and I’m even referring to the downtown area, too.

I first visited San Diego in 1988 for a job interview. I got the job, and lived there briefly before returning to northern California. At the time, I didn’t appreciate all that San Diego was, and still is, today. But, since then, San Diego is much like my second home. Although it was practically two decades ago that I lived there, I have made the city my favorite vacation place since the 1990s. It’s right up there with my favorite Florida destinations, Miami Beach, central Florida and Walt Disney World.

A wonderful place to stay in San Diego that is also a cool place to visit is actually in the city of Coronado, across San Diego Bay from San Diego. It’s the Hotel del Coronado. For 118 years – since it opened in 1888 – it has been a favorite destination for travelers. It has endured the test of time, and then some. Of course, it has received the occasional paint job and renovations that hotels tend to get now and then. All it took for me is one look at the place, and I was hooked.

The Del, as it’s referred to by locals and regular guests, is an architectural gem. Southern California has a sub-tropical feel to it, so The Del takes advantage of that with lots of green foliage and palm trees on its grounds. This hotel is truly historic, from its rustic yet quaint lobby, its old-fashioned iron-grate elevator, its cherry-wood check-in desk (with real mail slots behind the clerks for mail and messages) and a sumptuous lounge. Across the way from the check-in counter is the Crown Room, elegant for brunch and dinner as well as events and wedding receptions. Besides us regular folks, presidents, kings, queens, princes and princesses have dined in the Crown Room. Even movie stars. I told you there was a lot of history to this place.

The rooms are nice, in my opinion. I’ve stayed at The Del four or five times through the years. I’ve had small rooms, and I’ve had large rooms. There’s a wide variety of rooms to choose from, although a nightly stay can be considered pricey for what you get with the rooms. But, if you want to truly enjoy the experience, have an open mind and remember that this hotel was designed and built in the late 1880s. It’s the way they did things back then. It’s clear that it’s still acceptable in the 21st century. This is one of the most popular hotel destinations in the world. In 1977, it was designated a National Historic Landmark.

Many rooms have views of the gorgeous Pacific Ocean and the famous Coronado Beach (the same stretch of sand where Marilyn Monroe frolicked in the 1959 classic film, Some Like It Hot). Other rooms have balconies with views of the massive courtyard inside the square-shaped layout of the hotel.

Every room I’ve every stayed in through the years is characterized by the style and architecture of the 19th century. Of course, you have your modern amenities, but the ambience and atmosphere of the rooms call out to an era of another time long ago. It’s a true experience to behold and I highly recommend staying at The Del.

Some additional history about The Del: most of the U.S. presidents, from the time the hotel opened until now, have been guests there. In 1959, movie cameras arrived to film Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. The hotel has also served as a backdrop for many television shows through the years, too. And, of course, this is the hotel where the Duke of Windsor, King Edward VIII, reportedly met Coronado divorcee Wallis Simpson. They fell in love. We know how the rest of their story goes. Their relationship was opposed by the British government (she was an American commoner and a divorcee), so Edward abdicated the throne and chose to remain with his wife. They lived out their lives. All told, it was one of the most romantic unions any two people had ever enjoyed.

Besides being a hotel where romance is in the air, The Del is also reportedly haunted. In 1892, a young woman named Kate Morgan shot herself to death on the outer steps of the hotel facing the ocean. Distraught over her failing marriage, the pregnant Mrs. Morgan decided to end her life right there. More than one hundred years later, many guests – as well as hotel workers – have felt her apparent presence in the hallways and corridors of the hotel. For added effect, the floorboards creak as well, but what do you expect from an 1888 hotel? The room where Mrs. Morgan stayed has been the scene of many eerie, unexplained happenings through the years. But today, The Del cherishes her spirit and memory. Kate Morgan is a part of the hotel’s history.

The Del’s most recent upgrade has been to its landscaping facing the ocean. Several years ago, the tennis courts were relocated and an oval-shaped lawn, called the Windsor Lawn, was installed, complete with palm trees, meandering pathways and benches. It’s a great way to catch the famous San Diego sunsets, either from the lawn or the beach, or from restaurants like Sheerwater’s, or the hotel’s newest dining experience, 1500 Ocean, both of which you can enjoy coastal California cuisine at its very best. Breakfast is excellent, too. What better way to enjoy breakfast while enjoying the beautiful ocean views.

The Hotel del Coronado is considered to be one of America’s most beautiful beach resorts. It is, without a doubt, one of my most favorite hotels in the world.

How to get there: From San Diego and Lindbergh Field (San Diego International Airport), drive south on Interstate 5 (the San Diego Freeway) to the state Highway 75/Coronado exit. You will cross San Diego Bay via the San Diego-Coronado Bridge (toll-free) and enter Coronado. Proceed to Orange Avenue and turn left. Continue about 1 ½ miles until you reach the hotel, which is located at 1500 Orange Ave., at the corner of R.H. Dana Place.

Next time from Suite Surrender: Walt Disney World in Florida is known around the world. Simply said, right? But, besides being known for its world-class theme parks, it’s renowned for its 16 resort hotels as well, each with a unique theme that makes each truly magical. The BoardWalk Inn is one of those WDW resorts. That’s where we’ll be, next time around.

To learn more about the Catch a Wave television show and Kevin Wing, go to www.catchawavetv.com. You can email Kevin and the Catch a Wave crew at catchawavetvshow@aol.com.

Suite Surrender. Where the Destination is Paradise.
Copyright 2006
All Rights Reserved
Kevin Wing / American Travelers Television
Issue 1 / July 2006

Photo used by permission courtesy of Kevin Wing. Photo copyright by Kevin Wing.