♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Elsa Sevilla: Hello, and welcome to "Historic Places."

I'm Elsa Sevilla.

Thank you for joining us as we uncover Southern California's rich history.

In this episode, we go behind the scenes and experience a first-in-a-lifetime look at the complete restoration and revitalization of the iconic Victorian Hotel del Coronado known as The Del in Coronado, California, just across the bay from Downtown San Diego.

♪♪♪ Elsa: The Hotel Del Coronado, a national historic landmark built in 1888, is known for its red roof, turrets, gingerbread trim, and stained glass windows.

Historic photos reflect its Victorian seaside charm and its role as a winter retreat for wealthy East Coast families who arrived by private train.

The resort was opulent and among the first hotels to offer electricity, running water, private baths, and telephone service.

Gina Petrone: The Del is one of the last remaining seaside Victorian resorts in the world.

And so, it's place in history is very well established.

And so, to see it restored back to its Victorian splendor is really amazing and fascinating to watch.

Elsa: In 1885, Elisha Babcock Jr. and Hampton L. Story purchased the land that would become The Del.

The following year, they began creating the infrastructure for the community of Coronado.

Construction on the 425-room hotel began in March 1887.

Architect James Reid and about 2000 workers completed it in just 11 months.

Rob Harper: From an architecture and design and engineering perspective, we spent a tremendous amount of time trying to figure out what was the right plan, what's the right scope of work, but we take the responsibility very seriously just because we're dealing with an iconic asset and we want to treat it in the right way.

Elsa: Today, that legacy lives on through The Del's first full-scale six-year, more than $600 million restoration and revitalization.

The project, including $160 million for the original Victorian building, carefully revived historic features and preserved key architectural details.

Our team had unprecedented access to the entire property from late 2018 to mid-2025.

Gina: For me, it's been an amazing process to be able to see things that were not here be restored.

Elsa: Historic photos show the original 1888 porch showcasing its beautiful Victorian era design.

In 1961, the veranda and stairs were enclosed to create the promenade room, which was later converted to office space.

But in 2021, as part of The Del's restoration, the veranda was completely rebuilt, bringing back the original design.

It was a major undertaking led by architect David Marshall and his firm.

David Marshall: Our starting point as preservation architects was to do research through the original drawings and photographs, determine how it was actually built, what it looked like in 1888, and then figure out how we can make that happen given the other changes that had happened to the building.

Elsa: The iconic rotunda, or lobby, has remained largely unchanged since 1888, preserving its timeless charm.

It needed restoration, so workers carefully removed layers of paint to reveal and restore the intricate woodwork.

David: Our role was to make sure that anything that was historic was preserved and anything that was missing, if we were able to bring it back to the 1888 appearance, that we would do so.

Elsa: The hardwood floors and Victorian decor have been thoughtfully reimagined to reflect the era.

A beautiful new chandelier was installed to match the period style.

From the mezzanine, guests enjoy one of the hotel's most breathtaking views, a true step back in time moment, and the lobby is simply stunning.

Gina: Originally, the hotel was heated with fireplaces primarily.

The guest rooms had fireplaces as well as all of the public rooms, and this was very common of the Victorian era.

However, they were also a fire danger.

And so, as time went on, the fireplaces were slowly removed.

They were replaced with steam heat.

Elsa: In 1888, The Del's first floor reflected the charm of the Victorian era with ornate fireplaces, fine furnishings such as in the parlor, beautifully ornate frescoes in the music room, stunning detailed woodwork in the reading room, and there were other elegant public spaces.

But over time, these rooms were repurposed.

The 6-foot stained glass coronation window was designed by the hotel's architect James Reid in 1887, featuring a young woman crowning herself.

It was originally installed on the second floor, but was relocated several times over the years.

And after nearly 60 years on the fourth floor, it was carefully removed in 2021 for a complete restoration.

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Elsa: The year-long work brought the coronation window back to its original historic place on the second floor.

Today, the restored window is stunning.

It stands as a true masterpiece.

Elsa: When you were restoring it, what--did you make any really cool discoveries?

Nicole J. Purvis: We did, we really did find some really great things.

A photograph of an early California seal that was used to model that medallion.

That was really exciting when we found that.

Elsa: Berra Stained Glass Studios played a key role in recreating 21 missing stained glass windows along the veranda and facade, and carefully restored three original windows.

Early photos showed that The Del originally featured verandas and exterior circulation throughout the four main floors of the Victorian building.

Floor plans reveal that ground floor guests access rooms via the verandas with clusters of room sharing entrances and communal baths.

Elsa: Visitors would have originally entered their guest rooms through exterior verandas.

This hallway wouldn't have been here.

It would have been part of the original rooms, but it was added years later.

David: They would enter-- from the courtyard they would enter into a sitting room.

And the sitting room would branch off into five or eight different rooms.

So, the individual guest rooms did not have doors to the hallway or to the veranda.

They had doors off of a little sitting room which was just kind of a little gathering lounge type shared living space.

Elsa: This would have been one of the most significant discoveries during the restoration process, the exterior veranda on the northwest side.

It was used by guests to take leisurely strolls.

And if you look up, you can see the original ceiling and original paint.

Elsa: The hotel's Grand West Side veranda once featured large windows and beach-facing staircases, offering stunning ocean views characteristic of Victorian architecture.

Rare historic photos capture the grandeur of this iconic space.

The Victorian era guest rooms were simple but elegant for the period, with fireplaces, elegant furnishings, and 19th century charm.

Over the decades, the ocean-facing guest rooms were expanded by 30 feet, replacing the beautiful veranda.

David: This used to be where the walls of the room ended.

And so, we'd be outside the building right now.

And they took this area and where there used to be a railing, they put a wall with new windows and they enlarged the rooms.

But if you look up, you can see the original framing of the veranda that was exposed to view.

Elsa: The reimagined guest rooms are a stunning blend of Victorian charm and craftsmanship.

Historic details were carefully preserved while missing features were recreated with period-accurate replicas.

The iconic balconies offer sweeping views of the Pacific and the surrounding property, true to the hotel's Victorian charm.

The Del has undergone many revitalizations over the years, but none as transformative as this.

By restoring original woodwork and replicating countless missing elements, this project ensures that The Del's rich history and enduring charm are fully brought back to life and preserved.

Elsa: Next, we step into The Del's most breathtaking spaces.

The restoration of these grand rooms revealed stunning secrets hidden for decades, iconic and elegant, and they are masterpieces of craftsmanship, now fully restored and complete with historic elements that had long been missing.

The Del's largest Victorian rooms have captivated guests since the hotel first opened its doors in February 1888.

The Crown Room, a masterpiece of Victorian architecture, and originally the main dining hall, features a breathtaking vaulted wooden ceiling designed by The Del's architect, James Reid.

Gina: The Crown Room was really an architectural marvel when the hotel opened in 1888.

The large expanse of the room without supporting beams and a beautiful example of the Victorian architecture is exhibited in that room still today.

Elsa: The magnificent Crown Room spanning 160 by 60 feet with a 33-foot ceiling and floor to ceiling windows showcases Gilded Age ingenuity.

During the 2024 restoration, the entire space was renewed.

Hidden for decades behind wood paneling, the original main hall door windows and curved transoms near the main entrance were discovered and restored.

David: It's just a lot of cleaning, removing mismatched stain, and replacing damaged or missing wood.

And it's going to get this room looking even closer to the original than it has been in many years.

Elsa: Historic images reveal two grand fireplaces in the Crown Room that showcase Victorian elegance.

They were later removed due to fire safety concerns.

The central balcony which once hosted the hotel's orchestra has been thoughtfully restored.

David: And then the ceiling is pretty much the way it looked opening day.

It has changed very little.

Light fixtures have been upgraded a couple times over the years, but these ones are still very old.

Elsa: The iconic chandeliers in the Crown Room have a magical past, originally created in 1909 by frequent guest L. Frank Baum, author of, "The Wizard of Oz."

Of the five original chandeliers, only one survived.

It was moved years ago to the Power Plant in Wagers Row, part of the industrial buildings that helped build the Victorian Hotel in 1887.

Back in the Crown Room, the 1929 replica chandeliers were also beautifully restored.

David: If we took someone from 1888 that had a meal here and we took them back, they would know exactly where they were because it's 90% the way it looked when the building first opened.

Elsa: It's been well preserved.

David: We're going to get it back to 98%.

Elsa: Scaffolding surrounded the Crown Room as crews restored its intricate gingerbread wood siding.

The floor to ceiling windows were altered in 1935 and fully restored in 2024, bringing back their original elegance.

The Crown Room remains much as it did in 1888, having welcomed countless notable guests over the years, from the Prince of Wales in 1920 to Charles Lindbergh in 1927, with earlier visitors including Thomas Edison and President Benjamin Harrison.

Now fully restored, its historic charm is preserved for the next century.

The Coronet Room reflects Victorian tradition, originally serving as the hotel's breakfast room.

Historic photos highlight its intricate period details.

Tucked next to the Crown Room, this scaled down version is a true hidden gem with exquisite original woodwork.

David: The reason I wanted to show you this area is that it shows a partially preserved original, what we call the wainscoting, on the wall, which was this--made up of these square coffers.

You can see the--where the stain marks are here.

And that was what all of the lower walls in the original Coronet Room were finished by.

And then it wrapped all the way around.

Elsa: During restoration, original woodwork hidden beneath modern updates was discovered from finely carved trim to ornate details.

These discoveries revealed the craftsmanship of 1888 and guided the room's faithful revival.

Gina: The Coronet Room was expanded at one point.

And so, to take photos, original photos of the room in 1888 until it was expanded around 1930, those came in handy to look at that.

And so, we could have a reference as to what the room originally looked like.

Elsa: The Coronet Room has been beautifully restored to its original 1888 design, preserving The Del's history for the future.

Elsa: The Ocean Ballroom is another architectural marvel at The Del, revealing multiple hidden treasures during its revitalization.

A stunning fresco, a large covered window and wall, and the main turret tucked away in the attic make this space a truly unforgettable gem.

The majestic Ocean Ballroom with nearly 13,000 square feet once hosted Saturday night dances and plays in the early years, once among the largest resort convention spaces west of Chicago.

Directly beneath the hotel's iconic red turret, the original Ocean Ballroom features a soaring ceiling approximately 60 feet high.

In the 1960s, the ceiling was lowered to 30 feet, concealing the original turret craftsmanship.

Gina: The ballroom originally had an open ceiling, so it opened up inside the main turret.

The dormer windows that you see on the outside of the turret allow natural light into the room.

So, originally it was beautiful woodwork.

You could look all the way up inside to the bottom of the flag tower.

Elsa: Historic photos reveal the ballroom's intricate woodwork on the second floor, with a surrounding promenade on the third floor.

During the 2024 renovation, the ballroom revealed long lost secrets.

Gina: I looked up, you could just see a tiny corner of it exposed, and it was covered with a cloth that had been glued to it, and we started peeling it back a little bit, and I said, "Keep going, keep going," until we completely removed the cloth and it exposed this amazing beautiful hand-painted fresco on the ceiling that we didn't know existed.

Brooke Russell: The stencil has an ombré appearance and it's meant to look like the undulation of silk.

They used different amounts of medium in the paint to have different effects of sheen so that it would create a dimensionality.

It really is what we refer to as trompe-l'oeil, "fool the eye."

It is meant to look quite real.

Elsa: Through decades of changes to the hotel, no one knew about the breathtaking 11 by 10 foot fresco.

The vibrant circular motifs and colorful flowers were fully restored.

It is the only surviving of its kind at The Del and one of Southern California's oldest frescoes.

Brooke: So, this ceiling, by all intents and purposes, should not have been there, and it really is--when I say it's a treasure and it's rare, I mean that in every way because it was--it's like finding gold.

Elsa: Another remarkable long hidden gem, a large window and wall in the ballroom seen in this historic photo invisible from the second floor, had been concealed for six decades.

Thanks to a careful investigation, its details were rediscovered before they were lost forever.

Gina: And I was moving the photo and I realized some people were looking at me through the second level.

Now, we had a third floor observatory, which certainly there would be people there, but not on the second floor.

We uncovered this amazing wall, which we had no idea existed.

Elsa: During construction, work crews removed the paneling to reveal the wall and large window.

It has been fully restored to its original 1888 state.

The third floor promenade, once a stunning observatory for guests, disappeared from public view when the ceiling was lowered.

We were able to see the hidden gem during an event set up.

Elsa: There's a window to see what goes in in the ballroom.

So, this is what it would have been like.

Gina: Exactly, we could be guests from 1888 looking down into the ballroom, watching a concert or a gala.

This was called the observatory or the promenade, and it was an area where guests could gather.

Elsa: The promenade retains its original railing and woodwork, preserving its historic charm.

Forty-three historic windows, once painted black for decades, have also been restored to their original state.

The area also features The Del's original film projector, a piece of history when movies were once shown in the ballroom in the early years.

Gina: And it was a guest area where they could come and see-- look into the ballroom and any activities that were there, but they could also turn around and look at the wonderful view out the window.

For many, many years after 1961, when the roof was lowered and this was no longer served that purpose, the windows were painted black.

So, this was always just a dark hallway.

Elsa: From the exterior, the turret windows were carefully repaired and restored, requiring extensive scaffolding to safely access the delicate upper levels.

Craftsmen worked at great heights to ensure that the wood sidings also matched the original 1888 design.

Above the Ocean Ballroom, The Del's iconic turret rises above the third floor, accessible by a hidden staircase that reveals the intricate ingenuity of Victorian architecture.

It isn't open to the public.

Elsa: So, we're going up the stairs in the turret.

This is one of my favorite parts of the hotel.

David: Yeah, we're on the fifth floor going up above the ballroom and we're basically in the attic space right now, which takes us all the way up to the crow's nest.

Elsa: The largest of The Del's four Victorian turrets is about 120 feet tall, and it offers sweeping views visible from land and sea.

From the turret, you can also see how the property has been beautifully restored and reimagined.

The views are simply magnificent.

We now head to a second turret for a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse.

Elsa: This is a bit of a climb, but definitely worth it.

Gina: Absolutely, now you can imagine how our guests in the 1880s and 1890s came up here to see the view.

Elsa: The second largest turret, located on the hotel's east side, isn't open to the public, but we had the rare chance to see it up close.

It features beautiful original woodwork and guests would often come to see the scenic views and boat races during the hotel's early years.

The Coronet Room, Crown Room, and Ocean Ballroom now stand as renewed icons of The Del's legacy.

Each space has been thoughtfully restored and revived to reflect its historic splendor and inspire generations.

Elsa: Missing for more than a century, a long lost fountain has been carefully recreated and returned to its original spot in the hotel's Victorian courtyard.

The garden has also been restored to its 1888 design, inviting guests to enjoy the historic space once again.

Since its opening in 1888, The Del has been a destination like no other.

At its heart lies the Victorian courtyard, as seen in the hotel's historic photos.

It was a lush tropical garden, envisioned by the hotel's developers, Elisha Babcock Jr. and Hampton L. Story, as the vibrant centerpiece of their grand resort.

Gina: Again, Victorians liked to spend time in gardens, and so for them, it was really just a sort of paradise that Babcock wanted to create for our guests where they could go and just relax and enjoy, so we were quite famous for a while there for our botanic gardens in The Garden Patio today.

So--and the restoration has brought back many of those plants that we see in Babcock's letters.

Elsa: Framed by the hotel's iconic Victorian architecture, The Garden has long been a favorite gathering place for outdoor socializing and leisurely strolls.

The historic fountain was the main focal point, but it was lost for more than a century.

Incredibly, an original statue was discovered at a museum in Washington state.

Gina: The statue was discovered up in Port Townsend, Washington, they had the exact same statue.

And then--that it was still preserved and that they were able to make a mold of it and recreate the statue for us.

And so, I think that was--what are the odds you're gonna find that same statue from 1888 anywhere else in the US?

Elsa: Led by Burton Landscape Architecture Studio, years of meticulous research and design brought the long-lost fountain in The Del's courtyard back to life, reviving a stunning piece of the hotel's history.

Reid Katkov: So, it began this five-year process, and that process involved taking the original 1906 statue, making wax molds of it.

They have to hand sculpt these things, they have to do all the finishing.

Those wax blanks were then used to make bronze castings and then those bronze castings were then seamed together and finished and polished, and then you end up with this beautiful, you know, sprightly statue.

She's quite small.

Elsa: Discovered in a vintage catalog from The Del's archives, the Naiad Queen fountain once sold for up to $900 with fewer than a dozen ever made.

Finding one original over a century later makes this rediscovery remarkable.

Reid: The courtyard itself is an update of what used to be there historically.

Because it is a historical site, you know, we were beholden to some criteria that we needed to keep certain design elements, like the central walkway that goes north, south, east and west.

That is a recreation of what used to exist.

And so, that, coupled with the Venus or the Naiad Queen and the planting rehabilitation, made for a really thoughtful update to the whole space.

Elsa: Today, the Victorian garden and its detailed replica fountain honor the resort's rich history and invites visitors to enjoy Victorian elegance.

Now proudly standing once more, the statue restores a historic treasure, preserving the courtyard's timeless charm.

After six years of restoration and revitalization, The Del has been returned to its 1888 Victorian splendor.

From late 2018 to mid 2025, lost elements were revived, restored, replicated, and reimagined, blending timeless elegance with modern design.

One of the last seaside Victorian resorts, its legacy now lives on for generations.

Elsa: We hope you enjoyed this episode of "Historic Places," where we preserve and share Southern California's rich history.

Thanks for watching.

Until next time.

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