Sidebar: The Red Shingled Turrets of "The Del"

Built primarily by Chinese immigrants in 1887, the red shingle turreted Hotel del Coronado, referred to by locals as "The Del", with panoramic views of the Pacific was the first resort in the world to offer electric lighting and oil furnace heating.
The largest turret looming ten stories above sea level capped a gilded ballroom, theater, and observation deck. A salt water pool, Japanese tea garden, and ostrich farm lured princes and presidents, as well as a host of Hollywood starlets. A makeshift tent city surrounded the hotel providing economy rooms for seafaring families on a shoe string budget.