Hotel Review: The Hotel Del Coronado (Coronado, CA)

I was fortunate enough to be invited by the great people at Hyundai on another social media trip! This time it was closer to home. I stayed at the beautiful Hotel Del Coronado located on Coronado Island in Coronado, CA! As a huge Disney fan, the Grand Floridian at Walt Disney World is modeled after this hotel. So this was a hotel that I have always dreamed of staying at.

This dragon tree was used as a backdrop for the movie Some Like It Hot, featuring Marilyn Monroe.

This beautiful welcomes you as you approach the lobby of the hotel.

The image of the lady in the center of this photo is Calafia, the spirit of California.

The Hotel Del Coronado is also celebrating it's 125th anniversary this year. It was great to be a part of this hotel's rich legacy. The large gold ribbon bow is tied to its signature turret to help celebrate!

The amazing entrance! It felt like stepping back in time!

Looking down at the gorgeous lobby.

I love the sitting room. It makes me want to order some tea and read a good book.

In the lobby one can take the stairs or the elevator. Sorry I do not have a better photo of the elevator. They still use an elevator man to take you up. The elevator is as old as the hotel itself. And of course it is an Otis elevator, the world's largest manufacturer of vertical transportation systems today. As a side note, Otis worked with Disney to help create the ride system for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. (Sorry had to include another Disney reference in there)

Leaving the lobby and into the garden area. Once again it feels like you have stepped back into time.

A look at the hotel's famous turret from the garden.

The Crown Room was built without the use of a single nail. It is the home to the Del's lavish Sunday Brunch. But it once hosted, among others, famed aviator Charles Lindbergh after his successful trans-Atlantic flight.

The beautiful crowned lighting in the Crown Room is thought to have been designed by author L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Baum spent a great deal of time writing at The Del as well.

 

I love that there are still wonderful historic pieces like this transportable fire extinguisher around the hotel.

Room 3327 is home to the most famous resident of the hotel. This is where Kate Morgan stayed. On November 24, 1892, she checked into room 304 (then 3318, now 3327). She was found dead three days later and her ghost still haunts the hotel. One of the bloggers on this trip experienced lights turning off and on in her room. Kate is still here.

Thought it would be a good idea to transition from Kate back to something pretty and then continue with the tour.

Here is my room that I stayed at during the media event. Notice that the room numbers are laid out differently than Kate's room. I wonder if the number for Kate's room is the way the rooms were numbered when she was still alive.

I had an amazing corner room on the fifth floor of the hotel. It had all the comforts of home.

A large comfy bed and couch. A great workspace for my laptop and allowed me to charge multiple devices.

This is the view that greeted me! Stunning! Just another amazing SoCal day!

Even the sunsets are breathtaking!

 Our reception and dinner was held at the hotels premiere restaurant, 1500 Ocean.

 A fresh ingredient blackberry margarita.

Once again Hyundai picks the best appetizers. This salmon was cool and refreshing. The pepper that it sat upon was crisp and flavorful.

Delicious mozzarella on a crisp piece of sourdough.

A delightful beef carpacchio.

A light and refreshing baby lettuce salad to start dinner.

I went with the wild sea bass for my entree. The fish has a wonderful crust on top and the rest was light and flaky. The radishes were pickled much like a Korean takuwan.

For dessert I selected the pistachio creme brulee. I am a huge pistachio fan and this was a great creme brulee.

At the night the hotel takes on a completely different character.

There is a calming sensation that surrounds the hotel at night.

Top notch service in a wonderfully historic hotel. I spent a lot of time walking around and taking in the ambiance. I highly recommend the tour to learn more about the hotel. And who knows, maybe you'll have a visit from a friendly spirit or two at night.

Click on the link below to go to the official site:
http://www.hoteldel.com/

*Disclaimer: While all of my expenses were paid for, the views expressed are strictly my own!*

Restaurant Review: Sheerwater (Hotel Del Coronado)

When I arrived at the Hotel Del Coronado for my Hyundai social media event this past weekend, lunch was offered at one of the hotel restaurants. I choose Sheerwater as it appeared that they offered the best selection of seafood. With the hotel being on Coronado Island and the ocean only a hop, skip and a jump away, I felt like seafood was what I should have.

It was a bit windy so I choose to eat inside. Their is a great selection for lunch and since I couldn't make up my mind I decided to ask my waiter for his recommendations. (helpful hint: when in doubt ask your server for their favorites) My waiter suggested the cioppino and that was what I went with. Cioppino is one of my favorites and it offered a great selection of seafood.

I was not prepared for this massive bowl of cioppino. This was the lunch portion? And I loved the massive slice of sourdough lathered in rich, creamy butter. From the first spoonful of broth, I felt like I was sitting in Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. This cioppino was better than any I have had in the Bay Area. The broth was rich and spicy. There was so much seafood in the bowl that I found myself struggling to finish it. Clams, shrimp, mussels, calamari, fish and scallops filled this bowl to the brim! Once again I have to ask, this was the lunch portion? The broth soaked up in the sourdough bread was so perfect. The waiter brought me out more sourdough bread so I could soak up more of that delicious broth!

I was feeling rather full but I made the decision to at least look at the dessert menu. They had cobblers baked in iron skillets! I had to order the strawberry rhubarb! It being the perfect time to combine the first strawberries of the year with the last of the rhubarb. Such a perfect combination! You can taste that everything was homemade.

A great restaurant with quality service and of course a breathtaking view of the ocean.

 

Hotel del Coronado
1500 Orange Ave
Coronado, CA 92118
 

Neighborhood: Coronado

(619) 522-8490

http://www.hoteldel.com/sheerwater-dining