VUE

"e property has this tremendous allure and every guest who stays here is part of our heritage," says General Manager Harold Rapoza, Jr. "For 130 years, we have hosted millions of 'Del memories'—for Hollywood celebrities and British royalty to generations of families gathering for their iconic beachfront photo with the turret. is anniversary both celebrates the past and looks forward to the next 130 years—the legend lives on." Part of Hotel Del Coronado's allure is how well it captures the carefree, SoCal attitude coupled with its historical prestige. e hotel itself was founded by Elisha Babcock and H.L. Story, who dreamed of building a beachside resort, a place that would be "the talk of the Western world." And once you've first laid eyes on e Del's red Victorian turrets, you'll instantly feel the magic of what its founders set out to do. Reminiscent of our country's bygone era, the structure itself is exemplary of America's wooden Victorian beach resort architecture, one of only a few surviving structures of this genre; it is also the second largest wooden structure in the U.S. ough e Del clings deeply to its roots, they aren't totally hung up on the past. You won't be walking into dated guestrooms muddled in their past glory. Rather, you'll come to find, renovated contemporary California cabanas and luxurious towers overlooking the ocean. What's more, is the addition of the resort's Beach Village, filling out its seaside enclave with 78 cottages and villas over the last decade. ese accommodations speak to e Del's duality as a charming old-world refuge and a modern oceanfront paradise. "The property has this tremendous allure and every guest who stays here is part of our heritage," V U E N J . C O M 128

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