My husband and I just returned from a trip to Coronado (our first time). We actually wanted to stay in San Diego, but my husband wanted a beach front property. We could not have been more pleased. Even though the hotel was filled to capacity, there was plenty of hotel staff who treated us like royalty. The breakfast buffet that came with our room package was excellent, with plenty of servers to accommodate you. The concierage staff was wonderful, since it was our first time there, we needed alot of help with directions, etc. The one thing my husband and I really appreciated was that there was an "Adult only" pool off to the side of the building, where they served drinks and there were cabanas. Since the pool was filled to capacity with small children and water floats, there was no way my husband and I would have been comfortable, as our children are full grown and we go on vacation to RELAX. Also, our room was the smallest (just for 2 people), but was more roomy than I thought it would be and had a beautiful king sized bed. It reminded us of a beautiful bed and breakfast room, in fact the entire hotel was so charming, it was like a bed and breakfast. I would highly recommend this hotel. You will not be disappointed.

Let me start by saying that The Hotel Del is beautiful. Walking through the building you can "feel" the history. It is truly an old fashoined 1920s style resort. However, you are paying dearly for that feeling. If you are going to spend the entire time at the hotel - yes, stay here. It is a real resort. (Yes, there are problems, as there is no matter where you stay - just speak up and don't wait around for people to get back to you - walk downstairs to the front desk and just get louder and louder until they fix the problem). But, if you are going sightseeing, to Sea World, the Zoo, etc., don't waste your money. You are not going to be there - why spend the $300+/night. There are more reasonably prices hotels on the island all within walking distance of the Del and of the beach.

My daughter (12) and I have just come back from a stay at the Hotel Del Coronado and after reading all the reviews before we went were extremely dubious about staying there. However, we found it to be absolutely lovely. We had a garden facing room with patio in the victorian building which was very clean with maid service every morning while we were at breakfast. As we had booked through Kuoni we did not have to pay a resort fee, although we did have to query this with reception it was soon sorted out - as was breakfast that was included. It is very busy at this time of year and so you can expect to see a lot of people around the resort. But as for all the negative comments from other trip advisors regarding this hotel, I would honestly feel that I had stayed in a different hotel to the one they mention. Maybe we were just very lucky?

Last year I stayed in two adjoining rooms in the Victorian (the old) building. I loved it...despite being on the second floor in the back with a view of the delivery area. I simply don't spend much time in a room when there is so much to do outside. Also, I was with my nieces (6, 8 and 15), so it wasn't like I had time to relax and enjoy the room! I found my rooms to be nice, clean, well decorated, comfortable, and worth the money (about $300 and $450). One of our rooms, the one with two beds, had two bathrooms (an oddity, to be sure). I was going to request these same two rooms this summer, but decided to go all out and stay at the Beach House.

At $2500/night, it's hard to say that it was "worth it" given that my nieces would be happy watching TV in a cellar!! BUT, I really enjoyed myself. The Beach House has a very spacious dining room, living room, and two bedrooms (2 1/2 baths). There was also a fairly large porch the length of the house, as well as a wide patch of grass. The beach house is entirely enclosed by a metal fence with gates outside the front door and one leading from the backyard to the beach. I felt very safe, and I found it much quieter to stay here than in the hotel. And, it was convenient to drag myself and all of our beach stuff (and kids) out the back gate directly to the beach. And, at night, I could dump all of the chairs, umbrellas, toys, etc. right on our porch.

My biggest complaint about the Del is food service. The few restaurants are crowded, and often it is impossible to get a reservation for dinner. When you are traveling with kids, waiting for meals is agonizing. We ate one night at Sheerwater (advance reservation), and two nights in town. The walk into town is fast, and enjoyable. We ate lunch one day near the pool (grilled burgers)...again, long line, inefficient set up, but tasty. I didn't even try to take the kids to breakfast. It is impossible for me to help the kids maneuver the breakfast buffet AND get something to eat myself. So, I took advantage of the microwave and refrigerator in the Beach House to serve breakfast "at home". I also ordered room service for two lunches and dinner. The trick is to order early for delivery at a particular time. Don't wait until you are hungry! I found the room service food to be good. Of course, with our dining room overlooking the beach, everything tastes better! One night I invited a few local friends to join us, and we served a sit-down dinner for twelve in our dining room. We forgot the grilled chicken on one salad, and it arrived not more than ten minutes after our call.

The beach at the Del is truly one of the most beautiful along the California coast. The sand is soft and clean, and the waves are perfect for children. It is a long walk along the sand, however, from hotel to surf, and would be impossible for anyone who has trouble walking. The pool is a good change of pace.

Service at the Beach House was great. The house was cleaned twice a day, and the morning housekeeper folded all of the kids clothes that were thrown on the floor. I had plenty of towels, hot water, hangers, robes, etc. I especially liked getting a shell and a good-night wish on my pillow every evening.

The Del is going to be tearing down this particular unit in the near future to build quite a few condo-type units. They tell me Marilyn Monroe stayed at the Beach House while filming at the Hotel Del, so hurry if you want to enjoy this piece of Del history!

I think the Del has a great many assets, BUT you must be prepared to take advantage of all the amenities/activities. If you do not want to do anything, then the resort fee will feel like a rip-off. But, there is so much you can take advantage of...if you set your mind to it. If I was concerned about the price of the rooms, and planned to try to see all the tourist sights while in San Diego, then I would probably stay in a different hotel and visit the Del during the day. You would have access to the beach, the restaurants, shops, public restrooms, outdoor music on the weekends, etc. I must admit, as "locals", we stroll around the Del a few times every year.