Hotel del Coronado, known as The Del, opened in 1888 in Coronado, California, as the world’s largest resort hotel and remains one of the nation’s rare surviving wooden Victorian beach resorts. Created during Southern California’s 1880s land boom by investors led by E. S. Babcock, it anchored a broader development that added ferries, rail links, water, and electricity to the area. Designed by James W. Reid and built by about 2,000 laborers, it became known for its grand architecture, the Crown Room, and early electrical innovations. Through financial upheaval, wartime service, restorations, celebrity patronage, and the enduring Kate Morgan legend, it has remained a prominent historic resort and landmark.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain