The San Diego El Cortez in 3D!

Today’s post features vintage images of the El Cortez Hotel in San Diego, circa November 1956. At the top of the hotel was the legendary Sky Room, which featured “…the world’s great inspirational, panoramic views” of downtown.



Two genuine FauxD© images from the hotel show what the postcard is bragging about:





The Plaza Hotel sign shown in the detailed view below still exists. From roadarch.com comes this info:

The Plaza Hotel was known as the New Plaza Hotel when it opened in the 1930s. The rooftop sign is probably from then.



The Plaza is permanently closed from what I can find. From a 2014 article on the San Diego Magazine website comes this brief history of El Cortez:

Completed on Thanksgiving Day in 1927. It was the tallest building in San Diego. Designed by Walker and Eisen Architects in Spanish Renaissance style, the $2 million project was built atop the site of Ulysses S. Grant, Jr.’s former home. In 1928, El Cortez had 85 apartment suites, available to rent for $100 per month, and 32 hotel rooms for $5 per day. Flashing atop Cortez Hill, the El Cortez neon sign was installed in 1937 to serve as a beacon for the U.S. Navy. The Sky Room was added to the 15th floor in 1940 and quickly became a hot spot on the San Diego social scene. During World War II the 12th floor was used as an anti-aircraft battery and radar station. Hotel entrepreneur Harry Handlery purchased El Cortez in 1951 and made numerous additions to attract more clientele. In 1956, he added the Starlight Express, the second exterior glass elevator in the world and the first in the U.S., transporting guests to the Starlight Room for cocktails above the city.



Circa 1958. notice the Sky Room sign letters on top of the El Cortez Hotel sign visible in the detailed view below:



In 1978, its allure faded, Handlery’s son Paul sold El Cortez for $7.5 million to Rev. Morris Cerullo, the head of World Evangelism Inc. Most of the hotel’s meeting and social spaces were gutted to accommodate ministry and evangelical training until 1981, when Cerullo sold it for more than $20 million. El Cortez was named a historic site by the City of San Diego’s Historical Resources Board in 1990, saving it from demolition. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. El Cortez was purchased by the historic preservation firm J. Peter Block Companies in 1997 and restored to residential status. A grand reopening gala was held in June 2000. Today, El Cortez is home to 85 condo units and 11 commercial units. As of December 2014, a 670-square-foot one-bedroom/one-bath condo was listed for sale at $299,000; a 2,000-square-foot two-bedroom/two-bath condo was more than double that, at $669,000. HOA fees top $620 per month.



See more San Diego El Cortez photos at my main website.

Now and Then: The El Cortez in Vegas

OK, so it’s not a perfect match, but here are similar views of the El Cortez Hotel in Las Vegas from 1952 and 2018. Unfortunately, no vintage detail shots, as the photo is a bit blurry when you zoom in. Never heard of any of the “headliners” on the marquee.



The hotel itself looks very much the same on the exterior; it’s the neighborhood that has changed around it!



See more El Cortez Hotel photos at my main website.

Vintage San Diego

I hope you all had a safe and happy 4th of July celebration yesterday! While I head back to work (no rest for the weary), YOU can relax and enjoy a few vintage San Diego shots, beginning with this 1952 image of Spreckels Theatre downtown. The Hollywood Production Code Office initially refused to approve the title of “Retreat, Hell!” because of its ban on the word "hell", but changed their mind after requests from the Marine Corps. This was probably the turning point in this country’s morality. All because of one word.



In case you had a case of the munchies after watching all those battle sequences, you could get a hot dog at Pronto Pup.



Here’s a 1950’s shot of the City and County Administration Building; this building still exists!





How it looks today:



A view up 7th Street from October 1959 featuring the El Cortez Hotel, which is now an apartment building:



Last one today shows the defunct Cabrillo Theatre, circa 1956:



Open all nite? Sounds shady. No wonder this place didn’t last. But, oh that terrazzo entryway!



See more San Diego photos at my main website.

Old School Vegas at the El Cortez

Although it's a quick easy trip for me, Las Vegas is not one of my favorite destinations. Once you've seen the faux-chitecture of The Strip and the sad-looking people spending their last dollars on the slots, there's really not much else to go back for. It just feels like someone sucked the soul out of it. Still, it can be a great backdrop for a photo shoot (more on that later). Deciding to do something different, I went “old school” and stayed at the El Cortez, a hotel and casino near downtown Las Vegas and a block from the Fremont Street Experience (more on that later, too). In a city where things really don’t last, this place has continuously operated at the same location since 1941. Compare and contrast with the vintage photo below. It’s almost like time stood still.



The hotel quickly became so profitable that mobster Bugsy Siegel decided to muscle in on the property in 1945 and bought it from owner John Kell Houssels, who turned around a year later and purchased the hotel back from Siegel's group in 1946.

The hotel’s restaurant is named after Siegel. If you know much about this guy’s life, you would probably think twice about eating here just based on the name alone.



The food is actually pretty good, as I ate a late-night dinner here.



The decor is also right up my alley and really evokes the Rat Pack/mobster vibe you might expect.



While I understand the origin of the homage, naming your restaurant after a known killer/mobster and placing a picture of him and his moll in the dining room seems a bit in poor taste. But then again, it’s Vegas.



The hotel’s signature neon arrow, marquee, and large roof sign were installed in 1952. They still burn brightly today. Well, give or take a letter.



A vintage auto greets guests as they enter the nicotine-scented lobby/casino. I hadn't smelled that much cigarette smoke in years. The lady in line behind me at check-in was barely able to stand for the emphysema that riddled her body. Welcome to Vegas.



The suite I had rented for the night was large and decorated with flair; still, the fact that there was a $250 deposit for the in-room jacuzzi made me decided I shouldn't go anywhere near it. Why would the deposit cost more than the room itself?!?



What happens in the jacuzzi can stay in that jacuzzi...



Would I stay here again? Perhaps. For the money though, compared to the Strip, this place is a steal.

See more El Cortez photos at my main website.