My oven literally burned up on Christmas morning; thank goodness I already had plans for dinner at the nearby historic Hotel del Coronado. I have always been fond of the Victorian-styled Del, with its simple red and white color scheme.
Although impressive during the day, it is even more so when the sun goes down. Hidden details, like this stained glass window, seem to come to life with the evening illumination.
Inside the lobby, there were throngs of people jockeying for position to get their photos taken in front of the Del's Christmas tree, complete with a faux-Santa.
Dinner was in the Crown Room, which has always been my favorite part of the Del. The rich woodwork adds a warmth to the room that makes it seem very intimate, despite its gargantuan size.
Naturally, the light fixtures are in the shape of a crown, adorned with little mini crowns around the rim.
Another Christmas tree was set up in the Crown Room with a harpist playing background music from above.
The Christmas buffet was impressive for the sheer amount of choices offered, even if the taste of many of the selections was bland. I have noticed that in the last few years, the prices of the Del's buffets have gone up while the quality has continued to decline.
The outdoor pool looked lovely, but was obviously empty due to the chillier temperatures.
It is also a tradition to install a skating rink on the lawn of the Del during the holiday season. I captured this shot just before it was open for business.
See more vintage and current Hotel del Coronado photos on my Hotel del web page.
8 comments:
I just made "+" sign number 175 my vote for you. (And I also "shared" you on Twitter.) Good luck, Dave, your photos are incredible!
My wife and I spent our honeymoon at the Del in 1966. I would love to go back some day.
CoxPilot
Thanks so much Sparkle! Much appreciated!
Lee - you might be a bit disappointed.
I took a couple of girlfriends to a Christmas Sunday Brunch in that room at the Del a few years ago. Never again. Sadly, the food was not remotely worth the $300.00 cost of the brunch. But it's a nice room to look at, and the hotel is fabulous.
I'd recommend spending a day/evening touring the hotel, it's shops and dining in one of it's more reasonably priced restaurants and skip the Prince of Wales room buffet. Have a drink in the beautiful bar/lobby area. Better places in the hotel to spend your money than that buffet.
Agreed Robin - and I would definitely pick a time when it's not swarming with tourists. Still a beautiful building, but the quality has declined while the prices have gone up.
I do love the history of the Del, including not only its connection to movies, but also to literature like "The Wizard of Oz".
We had brunch in the Crown Room in March 2012. We had a good time and thought the food was good, allowing for the buffet service, etc. which is never quite as good as a custom prepared meal.
The service was extraordinary, our mimosas were never empty. We were laughing that although the meal was quite expensive, we drank enough champagne over a three hour brunch to even the balance a bit.
I think the Palm Court brunch at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco might be a bit better (visited in 2011), but both are extraordinary rooms for just "being in", to say nothing of the food or service. That's worth something too.
I appreciate the pictures, Dave. Mine taken that day did not turn out so well.
...And I vote early and often.
JG
John - I will definitely agree with you on the service; our waiter was very attentive.
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