Interior view of one of the 60 large sitting rooms, or one of 10 parlors located inside the Hotel del Coronado; it shows fancy chairs, sofas, carpeting, etc. Considered to be one of America's most beautiful resorts, the Hotel del Coronado is located on the quaint island of Coronado in San Diego. In 1885 founders Elisha Babcock and H.L. Story purchased the entire peninsula of Coronado and North Island for $110,000 and developed it through subdivision and lot sales; they also dreamed of building a seaside resort that would be "the talk of the Western world". Babcock and Story hired architects James, Merritt & Watson Reid who began construction of "The Del" in March 1887 and finished just 11 months later in February 1888 at the cost of one million dollars. It was built as a premier resort for the wealthy, and was visited by celebrities, dignitaries, and ten U.S. presidents, starting with Benjamin Harrison in 1891. One of its most famous visitors was England's Prince of Wales, who would later become King Edward VIII. Many suspect that it was here that the Prince of Wales met Coronado divorcee Wallis Spencer Simpson; in 1936 King Edward VIII gave up his throne to marry Simpson. 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 Hotel del Coronado, known today as the Grand Old Lady by the Sea, is located immediately behind the beach, facing the Pacific Ocean; it 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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