Hotel del Coronado

To start, the renovations made to The Del are absolutely lovely. We were very impressed as we started our stay. What followed was a comedy of basic hospitality errors that caused us to leave after 2 nights of a planned 4 night trip. At check in we were asked if we wanted to upgrade to a better room. For $800/night we figured how bad could our booked room be, so we declined the additional charge/upgrade. The clerk seemed genuinely upset at our decision so I’m guessing she would have been comped if we had taken the offer. When we arrived to our room we found a ridiculously tiny space (132 sq ft) with way too much furniture in it. We had been traveling for 4 weeks and had 3 large bags with literally nowhere to put them. When we pulled back the blinds the only thing we saw was a steep roofline just a few feet from our window. Spider-Man would be the only person to survive a fire in this scenario. In the bathroom there were none of the basic expected amenities like a shower cap or make-up remover. Rather than complain we laughed it off and decided to get on with our vacation. During our brief stay we encountered several staff members who did not understand what it means to provide basic hospitality. Our housekeeper emptied our trash, left fresh towels, but didn’t make our bed. A bellman almost ran us over with his cart and didn’t even acknowledge us. The staff in the shops were not welcoming. Still we were determined to relax and enjoy ourselves. Fast forward to night number two. There was a convention being held, which I understand is a normal occurrence. With that being said, our room (we named it the sardine can) started shaking at around 11:00 from the music being played in the ballroom. At 11:30 I called the front desk to ask about the loud music and the clerk first told me that I was mistaken because all events for the day were completed. When pushed he acknowledged that yes, there was an event still in progress in the Crown room and he would ask them to turn the music down. An hour later our walls are still shaking and our neighbor is in the hallway asking what’s going on because she can’t sleep either. At that point I went to the front desk (empty) and had to ring a bell several times before a timid young woman came out from the back and stuttered and stammered and essentially said there was nothing she could do. So essentially the company that was holding the event took over the hotel unchecked even tho we were told quiet hours start at 10:00….unless of course a company pays extra and then they can do whatever they want for as long as they want and other guests just have to live with it. Next morning I spoke to the manager, told her we were leaving and asked that our 2nd night be comped. She agreed to the comp and offered us a better room. As a Hilton member I’m not sure why weren’t given a better room from the jump, but at that point we just wanted out because we had no idea what kind of nonsense might be occurring the next night, a Saturday. After reading reviews (unfortunately we read them after we experienced the issues) we saw that our situation was not uncommon. With new ownership (Blackstone) and management (Hilton) it seems the culture has changed. For $800/night you would expect exceptional service and amenities. Be prepared that that you may not receive any of those things. Our stay at The Del was supposed to be our last, and most anticipated stay of the trip. Instead, we checked out early and stayed our last 2 nights in a hotel that cost half as much and had staff who consistently provided exceptional customer service. Buyer beware.

Wendy Wolf gave the most exceptional service. Kind, attentive and hospitable. My family will be back and we Hope to see Wendy again!

It was a wonderful customer experience. All of the staff were very professional and courteous. The SMS communication updates were excellent! Thank you MDS

Hotel de Coronado is a beautiful old hotel we were very lucky to walk through, however we did not stay at the hotel he did go inside and a drink from the bar use the facilities and wandered around. we did get to see the man doing the sand sculptures was very exciting.

You can’t go to San Diego and not know if it’s iconic Hotel Del. This is one of the symbols of our great city! Though I confess, I’ve never stayed here, I do come often to check out the holiday events, bring out of town guests, grab at a drink or meal at one of the restaurants or bars. This place is the epitome of San Diego resort luxury. My favorite beach in all of San Diego. Definitely a place to check out.