Hotel del Coronado has always been on our hotel bucketlist. And since we are huge fans of the Curio Collection, when the property joined Hilton's Curio Collection, we had even more reason to stay at the iconic hotel. So we booked a stay at The Del on New Year's Day.

Hotel del Coronado

The Hotel del Coronado is a famous and luxurious beachfront resort in the city of Coronado, just across the San Diego Bay from San Diego, California. "The Del" is a classic hotel that deserves to be part of your San Diego experience. It somehow manages to combine the charm of a century old resort with the modern amenities.

The Hotel del Coronado was built in 1888 and is listed as a historic landmark. Over the years the resort has played host to some of the most famous people in the world including Charlie Chaplin, Charles Lindbergh, Kirk Douglas, and Marilyn Monroe. Several Presidents have also stayed at The Del. Presidents include Benjamin Harris, William Taft, Franklin D Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

The public spaces of the hotel have an old school elegance, the elevator dates back to the 1800’s with manual controls and the ballroom is a sight to behold by itself.

Our Room

We booked a Victorian King Room. The Victorian rooms are located in the historical section of the hotel. There is also a tower section of the hotel which was added in the 2000's. At check-in we learned that we had been upgraded to a junior Victorian suite due to our Hilton Diamond Status which was definitely a pleasant surprise.

The junior suite had two rooms, a bedroom and a living room with a small dining area. And off the living room was a balcony overlooking for the resort grounds.

The living area was big enough that we felt like we had space to stretch out.

The bedroom had one king bed, dresser and television. And the bed was extremely comfortable.

The bathroom off of the living room was a bit small. And you could tell the bathroom was dated. But we were in the historical section of the hotel, so no complaints here.

The Hotel del Coronado supplies guests with Espa London toiletries. And our bathroom was stocked with a cleansing bar, body lotion, body was, conditioner and shampoo. The bergamot, jasmine & a hint of cedarwood smelling toiletries were definitely enjoyable.

Dining

There are multiple drink and dining venues at Hotel del Coronado. Whether you are looking for something casual, a quick snack, cocktails at sunset or a romantic dinner setting, you will find it here. One of the best things about this resort is that the majority of bars and restaurants have an ocean view! We only ate breakfast at the Hotel del Coronado but the breakfast buffet at the Sheerwater Restaurant was amazing. And since we booked our room through Virtual Travel Gurus, our breakfast buffet was included! A great value!

It's also worth noting that Hilton Honors Gold & Diamond members receive a free continental breakfast each morning. You can pay a small fee to upgrade to the entire breakfast buffet.

And while we didn't take in any other meals at Hotel del Coronado, we did enjoy ice cream from MooTime Creamery. It's a 1950s style ice cream parlor that serves up sundaes, ice cream cones and frozen yogurt. And the ice cream was delicious!

Amenities

Trust, us, you will not get bored at Hotel del Coronado! There are different types of activities at the resort throughout the day. You can enjoy bike riding from the resort around Coronado Island, partake in a beach spinning class or just relax on the beach or by one of the resort pools.

And The Del has bonfires on the beach that can be reserved for a fee (that come with s'mores kits) in the evening. S'more and a bonfire on the beach....I'm not sure we can think of a better way to finish off the day.

And you can shop till you drop at The Del shops. Definitely check out the 1888 vintage shop. And it's just one of numerous shops located at the resort.

Our favorite thing to do was relax in the spa. The spa has men and women's lounge areas and steam rooms. But the best part of the spa is the private terrace with a vanishing-edge pool overlooking the Pacific.

Overall Impression

The best part of the Hotel del Coronado is that it embodies the beachy California vacation vibe that so many try to replicate but very few hotels and resorts actually achieve. The hotel sits on 28 acres of the number one rated beach in the United States!

And as you would expect at a higher end hotel or resort, we found service at The Del to be top notch. The Hotel del Coronado uses texting and the Hilton Honors app for communicating with guests. That makes it extremely convenient to contact the concierge or guest services.

Our advice, book yourself a room in the Victorian/Historical side of the hotel. These rooms have character and truly make you feel like you staying in a charming, luxurious old world resort.

And remember if you book a room at the Hotel del Coronado through a travel agent like Virtual Travel Gurus, you'll often receive extra perks like free breakfast, spa credits and room upgrades!

Oh, we almost forgot. The Del is also very kid and pet friendly! There is even a store for dogs and a doggy happy hour. So yes, that means Madi will likely come with us when we return this fall!