Rising from water's edge on the quaint island of Coronado in San Diego, the Hotel del Coronado is considered one of America's most beautiful resorts. Founders Elisha Babcock and H.L. Story dreamed of building a seaside resort that would be "the talk of the Western world". They hired architects James, Merritt & Watson Reid who began construction in March 1887 and finished just 11 months later in February 1888 at the cost of one million dollars. A few interesting facts: hotel has 750 rooms; dining hall seats 1,000; dining hall ceiling is 33 feet high; breakfast room area is 4,800 feet; restaurant surface area is 2,500 feet; assembly hall area is 11,000 feet; observatory is 150 feet high; contains 4 bowling alleys; 30 billiard tables (4 of them are for the ladies); 2,500 incandescent electric lights; total floor area is 7 1/2 acres; etc. In the 1880s prices ranged from $2.25 per day and upwards by the month, transients from $3.00 per day and upward, according to the room; as of late 2007 prices ranged from $325 to $810 for a single/double room, and from $700 to $4,900 for specialty rooms/suites. The Del, as it is known, is the largest beach resort on the North American Pacific Coast. It was designated California Historical Landmark No. 844, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places - building #71000181 on October 14, 1971, and designated a National Historic Landmark on May 5, 1977.
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