Historic exterior of the Hotel del Coronado’s front entry and veranda when the hotel opened in 1888. Courtesy Bruce Coons collection
"Before” view of the front entry showing the infilled veranda and alterations to the upper floor window and balconies. Courtesy Heritage Architecture & Planning
Restored front entry and veranda showing the added disabled access ramp with differentiated railings and angled design to accommodate planting beds. Courtesy Hotel del Coronado
Color-coded diagram of the front facade showing the changes that were made to restore much of the hotel’s 1888 appearance. Courtesy Heritage Architecture & Planning
Overall view of the Hotel del Coronado’s front entry, veranda, and detached porte cochere after restoration. Courtesy the Hotel del Coronado
Restored veranda with glass guardrail added to meet code, red window sashes, and historic shaped rafter tails which support the gutters. Courtesy Heritage Architecture & Planning
Restored Ladies Entrance with recreated stained-glass, “haint blue” ceiling, replicated oak doors, teak flooring, and custom-replicated light fixtures. Courtesy Heritage Architecture & Planning
View of the restored lobby and front desk highlighting the original 1888 white oak posts, mezzanine, and ceiling after removal of later coatings and refinishing with shellac. Courtesy the Hotel del Coronado
Front desk area with recreated stained-glass, restored coffered ceiling, and Victorian-inspired wallpaper hand-painted in England. Courtesy the Hotel del Coronado
The 700 pieces of the original “Coronation Window” were restored and reassembled with new lead came and the window was returned to its historic second floor location. Courtesy Heritage Architecture & Planning
All photos below by Sandé Lollis
THE 134-YEAR-OLD Hotel del Coronado, a beloved oceanfront vacation resort since 1888, is looking better than ever. One of the nation’s largest wooden buildings, the storied Hotel Del has been a National Historic Landmark since 1977. After years of piecemeal, insensitive remodels by previous owners, Michael Haslett and BRE Hotels wanted to implement a 2002 restoration master plan. They hired Heritage Architecture & Planning to return the many-layered, Queen Anne Victorian hotel to its original confectionary perfection.
Heritage put together an extensive restoration team and developed a comprehensive plan to ensure an exemplary restoration for California’s most iconic and historic Victorian hotel. Bringing the main facade back to its original 1888 appearance and incorporating crucial historic elements that had been missing for decades were of the upmost importance. The architects established a sensitive, hybrid approach that complied with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards while meeting the needs of a modern-day luxury hotel.
The work began by restoring the main facade, to bring back the 400-room hotel’s original appearance, including twin entry staircases that had long been missing, enclosed upper-floor balconies, and elaborate “gingerbread” flourishes. The staircases, missing for many years, had led to a large covered veranda and the lobby. The size and shape of the veranda had been changed over time, and it was eventually enclosed. By the 1990s, there was no longer any veranda at all, only walls with false columns in front.
Using historic photographs and research, the team reconstructed the entire 2,400-square-foot 1888 veranda and its detailing—but with creative nods to modern necessities. They moved the veranda 15 feet to the south to accommodate the reception desk, then extended the roof to conceal the offset. They also hid modern elements like required steel framing and sprinklers.
Yards and yards of the hotel’s historic wooden railings don’t meet today’s safety codes because they are 13 inches too short and have oversized openings; today’s measurements would look ungainly on the hotel and ruin the job. The architect’s solution: Add tall frameless, laminated glass inside the historic railings for transparent protection.
Icing on the (wedding) cake is what Heritage calls replicating 114 wood-framed windows, including 25 of stained glass, as the windows were not part of the master plan. Twenty-one of the 25 stained-glass windows were missing, so Heritage worked with San Diego-based Bera Stained Glass Studios to recreate designs based on-black and-white historic photos and are done in period Victorian colors. The historic Coronation Window was restored as well; its 700 glass pieces were removed and cleaned before being put back in place with new lead.
Heritage also redesigned and rebuilt the porte cochere, which had become a sprawling attempt at front-door, drop-off hospitality. The smaller, newly built porte cochere echoes the hotel’s Victorian aesthetic without imitating it, in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards.
Now, the Hotel del Coronado’s main facade looks and works much as it did when it first opened in 1888. From its freshly painted historic colors to its welcoming veranda and breezy balconies, the restored hotel once again offers guests and the public a splendid, authentic Victorian experience.
SOHO heartily congratulates the Hotel del Coronado, BRE Hotels, Michael Haslett, and Heritage Architecture & Planning for the meticulous and thoughtful restoration of one of our most significant Victorian era buildings. This extensive restoration, reconstruction, and rehabilitation project has brought back the original beauty and grandeur of this National Historic Landmark. A much-anticipated restoration, the project is an outstanding achievement that has honored and preserved the architectural heritage of the Hotel del Coronado. We’re proud to present you with the Preservation Project of the Year Award.
(From the left) Taylor Brown, Ryan Feinberg, Pat Kenney, Scott Kube, Mike Haslett, and David Marshall. Photo by Sandé Lollis
