The Highs and Lows at The Hotel del Coronado

With remote learning on the horizon, we opted to head down to San Diego for one last summer weekend at the Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island.

We chose this iconic, historic hotel namely because it's a quintessential Southern California gem, but also because it offers The Beach Village, a resort within the main resort that has 73 quaint little cottages, some with full kitchens, others with patios overlooking the beach path. We also opted for a mid-week stay since that's when rates would be relatively lower and the crowds thinner.

Since it was our first time staying in a hotel in six months, we were crazy excited, but also a little weirded out. How different was hotel life going to be? Fortunately for The Del, so much of the property's best features happen outside such as the pools, the beach, the great lawn and even several dining establishments.

Yet the sparse service and the abundant construction, not to mention the crowds, sort of put a damper on the stay.

Here's what we loved:

Private Pools: As part of The Beach Village, guests have access to a few pools that only Beach Village guests can use. We had the one next to our cottage all to ourselves at times.

Safety Signage: There were signs for masks and social distancing everywhere. Plus hand saniziters too.

The Beach: Another perk to the Beach Village is the complimentary beach set-up. All you need is a reservation and voila! Sun and surf await. (Speaking of surf, there's a beginner spot to the left of the hotel jetty where you can take lessons or paddle out on your rown. )

The Food: With a big resort, the food isn't always that great but The Del culinary delights were tasty, especially this jalepeno margarita from Breezes at The Beach Village and the ice cream from Sundae's.

Here's What We Didn't Love:

The Crowds: The Beach Village was apparently sold-out the night before our arrival which made me a little nervous about the cleaning process that needed to be done before we check-in. Hilton does have a thorough Clean Stay protocol program in place but still.

The Service: One of the saddest fallouts from Covid-19 has been the decimation of hospitality jobs. So we understood that service was going to be sparse during our stay. Yet for a premium suite such as the Beach Cottage it was a little upsetting. Multiple gates to and from The Beach Village were broken. Our room was in dire need of upgraded decor. Our room phone kept dropping calls, calls that we were making to speak with the concierge about issues we were having. Also, dialing the concierge or even the main resort punts you to a recording that says someone will help you when they become available, but that rarely happens. Again, we understand but it was tough to swallow a high room rate with little service.

The Construction: We were aware that construction was happening on the property but a website notice hardly prepares you for the annoyance of it. Again, at full premium price, it's just not ideal.

BOTTOM LINE:

A colleague recently stayed in the resort's Cabana rooms by the main pool and these are gorgeous. Once the resort beautification is finished, this gem will shine brightly again.

Rates for a Beach Village room start around $800 a night, plus taxes and resort fees. Rooms in the historic building are around $300 a night. These rooms vary greatly in size, shape, and price so if you need help figuring out which room is right for you, let me know. And a luxury travel advisor with Beyond Travel, I can swing certain perks for guests including $100 resort credit, an upgrade if available and daily breakfast for two. Email your dates and I'll start checking rates right away!