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The Hotel Del Restoration
A Gift to All of San Diego
July/August 2025
Photo by Bill Sandke, Hotel del Coronado
The Hotel del Coronado is celebrated around the globe as a masterpiece of Victorian-era architecture. Designed by architect James Reid and developed in 1888 by visionaries Elisha Babcock, Jr. and Hampton L. Story, the Del is an excellent and captivating design example of its era but also a marvel of engineering. Thanks to several hundred workers who camped onsite, construction of the original, primarily wood-framed hotel took less than a year. The massive seaside resort, over 400,000 square feet, with its welcoming turrets and memorable red roofs, has withstood the coastal elements and the passage of time for more than 135 years.
Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977, the Del stands among the largest wooden structures in the United States and is widely regarded as one of the finest surviving examples of a 19th-century resort hotel. It is a Southern California icon, a beloved landmark of San Diego County, and an international destination woven deeply into the cultural fabric of our region.
 Actor Brooke Shields welcoming guests and dignitaries and launching the day's events. |
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 Opening presentations were held in the fully restored and spectacular courtyard including the exact replica of the historic fountain statue. which had been missing for decades. These three photos by David Marshall |
On June 18, 2025, the Hotel del Coronado celebrated its grand reopening after a remarkable seven-year, $550 million restoration, and it was a day to remember! From morning to night, it was a celebration befitting one of the most iconic landmarks in San Diego and in the country. On a perfect, sunlit day, the Del marked the culmination of one of the most ambitious and faithful preservation projects in the nation.
The event was festive and enjoyable and, importantly, made a powerful statement to everyone there that historic preservation is not only a cultural imperative, but an economic engine. The Del’s triumphant unveiling was a gift to the region and a showcase of what can be achieved when vision, stewardship, patience, and dedication align.
The celebration began at 10:30am, when speakers addressed the significance of the restoration not just as an architectural achievement, but as a regional symbol of place and pride. Actor Brooke Shields presided over the day’s events, her presence offering both the Hollywood glamour the Del is known for and a personal connection. As a struggling young actor in San Diego, she recalled brunching at the Del with her mother whenever they could afford the treat. Her story echoed many others about how the Del has always held a special place in the hearts of so many.
Guests were treated to performances ranging from American Idol winners to synchronized swimmers, and the energy throughout the day reflected the Del’s legacy as a destination of romance, celebration, and cultural identity. From the early morning reminiscences to a glamorous evening soiree, it was a celebration unlike anything San Diego has seen in decades.
Beyond the elegance and entertainment, the day was also a vivid reminder of the economic power of preservation. Historic sites like the Del generate untold millions—if not billions—for the San Diego region through tourism, jobs, and cultural capital. The Del’s successful restoration has made it not just a preserved icon, but a thriving business model for preservation done right.
The celebration also marked another milestone: 25-plus years of SOHO’s active involvement in protecting and advocating for the Del, efforts that began in 2000. This long journey has included negotiations with multiple owners, battles over previous development plans and with Coronado city councils, and our ongoing pressure to restore the Del with integrity, which has now been accomplished.
Years of unsympathetic remodels and piecemeal alterations had compromised the hotel’s historic integrity. In 2001, when plans surfaced for a highly destructive redevelopment of the hotel, SOHO, alongside concerned residents, rose in opposition. The story gained national attention, and the misguided proposal was ultimately stopped.
The Del was then acquired by a more preservation-minded owner, BRE Hotels & Resorts, who entered into an unprecedented preservation agreement with SOHO. This agreement laid the foundation for a thoughtful, long-term master plan centered on restoration, including the preservation of critical, historic components: the original power plant, the subterranean service tunnel, the icehouse, the laundry building, and even the hotel’s iconic smokestack.
Today, the Hotel del Coronado is in the hands of true stewards. With great wisdom, BRE Hotels & Resorts, the current owner, has chosen a different path than past owner-developers. In an interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, Rob Harper, BRE Hotels & Resorts’s head of real estate asset management, explained, “It’s really about the impact of what a full renovation of the property has, where you reintroduce the whole resort as done, versus doing a piecemeal effort…Here we had the opportunity to do the whole thing and do it right.”
Working closely with preservation professionals, BRE Hotels & Resorts has embraced a philosophy of care, community, and continuity. The result is a restoration that honors the past while securing the future of California’s most storied Victorian resort.
Beginning in 1988, SOHO leadership, including then-President David Swarens, then-Vice President Bruce Coons, and board member Maureen Steiner, toured the hotel with preservation architects from San Francisco. That early engagement set the tone for decades of dialogue. From hidden ballroom ceilings to underground power plant tunnels, from broad verandas to historic pocket doors, SOHO documented, advised, and advocated for restoration rather than alteration and demolition.
Taking the long view, waiting out the wrong owners, advising through complex transitions, and never compromising core values is a strategy SOHO has honed over decades. “Sometimes the most powerful preservation tool is time itself,” Coons, now SOHO's executive director, noted. “Knowing when to push, and when to pause, can be what saves a place in the end.”
“If not for the people with the vision to see what was possible, and the persistence to stay the course, this day may never have come,” Coons added. “People like Bill Dodds with Hotel Del Partners LP in the 2000’s, Mike Haslett, who is the current vice president of development for BRE Hotels & Resorts, both believed in the potential of this restoration long before it was guaranteed, and they trusted SOHO to help guide it forward.”
BRE Hotels & Resorts's comprehensive approach has paid off. Since reopening, among all the different “neighborhoods” within the resort, it is the 404 rooms in the Victorian building that have become the most in-demand accommodations, commanding an increase of $300 per night over pre-renovation rates. “People are just blown away by it,” said JP Oliver, the resort's area managing director. “It exceeds everyone’s expectations, and I’ve never really experienced that.”
Among the honored contributors to the restoration was Heritage Architecture & Planning, with David Marshall, AIA, serving as the firm’s lead on the project and playing a crucial role. He worked with many restoration professionals, including Coons, who is also a 19th-century period consultant, to ensure the Del’s revival was authentic, down to the finest detail.
To mark this momentous occasion, SOHO is making our commemorative booklet, Hotel del Coronado: The Restoration Through 2024, available as a free download. This richly illustrated guide documents the incredible journey of the Del’s rebirth. Since its publication, several additional areas have been completed, including the fantastic courtyard. This booklet, originally produced for an exclusive SOHO tour in 2024, may be expanded and additional tours are planned, so stay tuned.
For those who wish to revisit SOHO's role in the evolution of this preservation and restoration effort, our archived articles recount several important milestones:
The Hotel del Coronado has long been a keeper of memories and a cornerstone of San Diego’s identity. Now, it is also a standard-bearer, crowned by one of this century's most significant, meticulous, and awe-inspiring restorations. Thanks to decades of preservation advocacy and this extraordinary renaissance, it will remain so for generations to come.
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