$550 million and six years of painstaking work: the renovation that has kept the hotel from ‘Some Like It Hot’ as pristine as it was nearly 140 years ago

If you’re sitting with your back to the Hotel del Coronado, looking out at the Pacific, you might not even remember you’re in a hotel. It’s more like a small town, almost Mediterranean… albeit right on the idyllic coast of San Diego, California.

First and foremost, in the background, are those ubiquitous ocean views. Then, a green grassy esplanade, a pool lined with lounge chairs, a small row of restaurants (a pizzeria, an ice cream parlor, a trendy Japanese restaurant, a candy shop and a pub). At night, a guy with a beret and a large white mustache sings covers of David Bowie, Cat Stevens and James Taylor; he’s been sitting on that stool since 1994. There are kids licking chocolate ice cream cones, couples dressed in fancy clothes, friends in shorts and sweatshirts (California-style). But if the visitor turns their head, or if they see themselves reflected in a photo taken by a fellow tourist, they’ll understand the special charm of the place. This isn’t just another San Diego boardwalk: it’s a little world, surrounded by the hotel’s old glories, tall red turrets and waving flags. The setting makes you wonder: “Have I been here before?” It somehow feels all too familiar.

The Hotel del Coronado is an American institution. Standing since 1888, it’s a tourist attraction in its own right. According to its own figures, it receives one million visitors each year. And the hotel has appeared in classic films such as Some Like It Hot (1959), serving as the main backdrop and forever imprinting itself on the collective imagination. It has also been used in Wicked, Wicked (1973) and My Blue Heaven (1990).

In its heyday, it was the largest wooden building in the United States. It even had a power plant and an ice-making plant to keep food cold. Today, it has an archivist and its own museum. And, over the past six years, the hotel underwent an exorbitant $550 million renovation.

When it opened, the Coronado cost $1 million, with about $600,000 dedicated to its construction (which was completed in just 11 months), while the rest was spent on furniture and decor. Taking inflation into account, that would be about $34 million today. But its extensive facelift cost 16 times more and took six times as long as the original construction process. So, where has that money been invested?

Marco Tadeo, the hotel’s general manager, who hails from Switzerland, has been at the helm of the establishment since this past spring, when the scaffolding was finally removed. He uses more gestures than words to explain the purpose of all those millions of dollars: “You can see it,” he declares, stretching his arms toward the hotel. He sips ice water in the restaurant of one of the private clubs.

In fact, the small building where he’s seated already says a lot about the hotel: the cottage-turned-club was Wallis Simpson’s island home during her second marriage. According to the press of the time, the then-Mrs. Simpson met the Prince of Windsor (who was on a stopover from the HMS Renown, a ship belonging to the Royal Navy) at a grand ball that was held at the hotel in April of 1920 for a thousand guests. She always denied this, claiming to have only been photographed there with Charlie Chaplin, yes, but not with His Royal Highness… whom she would eventually marry, in a wedding that would cause a geopolitical earthquake. Her small cottage on the island was later purchased by the hotel, becoming a property of the Del Club.

But back to Tadeo. The manager explains that it’s nothing short of a miracle that the hotel has survived this long. It was built back in 1888. “That being said, there’s never been a fire to burn it down,” he acknowledges. With the renovation, led by local firm Heritage Architecture & Planning, they removed much of the wallpaper, walls and wood that had obscured the original craftsmanship. “What the whole team was clear about was that we had to give credit to the hotel. There’s a lot of history here; we wanted to respect it,” the general manager reflects. “What we’ve done is restore the building. When I look at old photographs, I understand how the hotel was built back then. There were additions [made over the years], but they were irrelevant… and some things weren’t very well done,” he concedes. “So, we’ve gone back and restored the hotel to what it once was.”

And what was it like? Well, to begin with, it’s worth explaining that the Coronado (or “The Del,” as it’s known locally) currently consists of five buildings – beachside cottages, villas and even a high-rise – spread across more than 27 acres of land on the island that bears its name. It’s within the city of San Diego, as far southwest as the map allows in the United States.

When discussing the renovations that have taken place, Tadeo is referring to the main building: a massive Victorian manor with more than 400 rooms (there are 940 in the entire hotel), which has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. Clearly, staying there no longer costs $3.50 a night, as it once did (much less $2.00, which is what soldiers were charged during World War II). Today, the prices are about 100 times that figure.

The renovation is noticeable, even before you step inside. The original porch has been restored, while the historic facade has been enhanced. And windows that were once lost have been opened up again (some were hidden behind walls or wallpaper), as have some French doors, which had been replaced with sliding ones.

Upon entering the Victorian lobby, you see that the original woodwork has been restored, as have the beautiful and colorful stained-glass windows. Antique room keys with their olive-green pompoms hang behind the reception desk, which is also surrounded by silk walls, lined with floral and animal motifs.

In its well-known central courtyard, the Coronado once housed a small zoo. Now, however, it’s a gathering place for guests, who cross it to go to their rooms. They can also stroll, have a drink in the fresh air, or contemplate the Venus fountain. The original was removed in 1912, but a duplicate was found in the state of Washington: craftsmen searched for the mold and replaced the semi-naked woman (who caused a scandal in the early 20th century) in the center of the courtyard, next to the beds of camellias, hydrangeas and citrus trees.

The rooms have also been refinished and painted, in collaboration with the Los Angeles-based Wimberly Interiors. More rooms have been restored, while some rooms have also been discovered, such as one used by nannies and nurses to care for babies. The textiles, curved headboards and even the mirrors have Victorian touches, while the raffia bathroom fixtures – complemented by marble floors – add a maritime touch. Thanks to the hotel’s photographic collection and extensive archive, it’s been possible to observe the details and original materials.

Del Coronado boasts of having invented the modern vacation (at least, in part). Its owners were visionaries in their approach to land acquisition and marketing. When they arrived on the island in the second-to-last decade of the 19th century, it was all countryside. But they bought it, claiming it was the healthiest place they’d ever been to, perfect for relaxation. Although no one bathed in the cold Pacific Ocean, they got some fresh air, walked around and ate healthy food. As word spread, the owners began to carve out parcels of land and sell them. They then used the profits to build the hotel, keeping a handful of acres to expand over time. The site was surrounded by beautiful mansions and perfectly laid-out streets. Today, San Diego is the third-most expensive city in the United States.

The main objective of the hefty renovation budget was, therefore, to delicately emphasize the hotel’s splendorous past (and this project was done without fully closing the hotel down, despite six years of construction). The intention was to bring alive the space where Frank Sinatra and John Wayne dined with President Reagan — who, during his acting career, filmed some of his movies in the hotel, while also hosting parties there during his presidency — and where Bing Crosby created a horse racing competition by the sea, or where L. Frank Baum wrote at least three instalments of his Wizard of Oz books.

The author, in fact, was a fan of window-dressing and theater productions. Baum was so in love with the hotel that he visited frequently and even designed the crown-shaped chandeliers in its Crown Room, the main event hall. They’re no longer hanging from the ceiling, but are instead kept in the hotel’s museum — the former Ice House — where guests and visitors can browse. There’s even an audio guide to tour the entire hotel. And, in the gift shop, there are books about its history and the weddings celebrated there. But the expensive Top Gun jackets (the movie was shot next door) and the enormous American-style thermoses (engraved with the hotel logo) can’t compete with the postcards and Christmas decorations that simply show the hotel, its towers and its flags waving in the Santa Ana winds. And, of course, there’s a picture of a smiling Marilyn Monroe: she’s looking out at the viewer, with the Hotel del Coronado in the background. She’s as eternal as the place itself.