pinniped

If that's the case, I wonder if the hotel did anything to communicate in advance of the stay. A Diamond being in that kind of room is highly irregular in all but the most unusual circumstances, but wouldn't necessarily be a huge deal-breaker for someone who doesn't plan on spending a ton of time in the room. An email from a manager ahead of time and maybe some token gift (a couple of drinks at the bar or something similar) and I'd probably just shrug and not think against about it. Especially if it's a major renovation and I can tell a large percentage of the rooms are equally affected.

geoggirl

I stayed at the Coronado on a Saturday in October. The resort is truly stunning, there's the Victorian building and it is on a beautiful beachfront in Coronado. Sadly, as a a guest I feel like I just had an average experience and not what one would expect for a such a high-caliber property.

To begin with, it took about 10 to 15 minutes to check in. There weren't that many people in line but each one took quite a while and I believe there were three customer service staff. As a diamond I was offered an upgrade to a partial ocean view room in the towers building...the clerk did advise that some of the renovation construction was happening in this area (based on other reviews it seems like the towers are fairly bland and the construction is having a significant impact on people's views). I really wanted to stay in the historic Victorian so opted for that and the clerk agreed that this is what he would select as well.

I did not head to my room immediately as I was with a friend and we were still exploring the island. Hours later we were at dinner when I got a call from the hotel. I was vaguely told that there had been some sort of error at check-in and I was being assigned to a new room. They did offer to bring me my key if I was on the property however I was off site so I got to stand in the check-in line again, yay. Once again they were very vague as to why I was getting a new room.

Headed to the room and it was quite lovely however the view for my resort view room was of the dumpsters. In a resort of this caliber should any guests have a view of the dumpsters? The room was fine and the room was what you would expect of a good quality hotel. On Sunday morning, housekeeping came by around 8:45 to do a room check...now I may not have put up my do not disturb sign but I don't really expect anyone knocking on my door at 8:45 on a Sunday considering check out is not until 11. Small detail but still a detail.

While the resort itself is lovely, they are undergoing a massive construction and renovation project. I would probably avoid going there for the next year or so. The hotel is also like Disneyland, there are people everywhere. It is a very popular hotel for people to visit so it was a little crowded for my preferences. The staff seemed tired but after my stay I read an article that quite a few of them will be getting laid off during the renovation so I'm guessing that is having an impact on morale.

As a diamond you get a $15 food and beverage credit per person for up to two people. Two cups of tea and a pastry cost more than $20 at the Starbucks in the hotel so that credit will not get you much. (I did have to contact the hotel afterward as my credit was not fully applied).

pinniped

Do you know if you could have OLCI'ed, gotten a Digital Key, and gone directly to your room?

Frustrating that this hotel has been in the Hilton system for well over a year and they're still having trouble with the basic act of getting people checked in upon arrival.

needtoescape

I had a free night certificate from my Hilton Aspire credit card that I needed to use by the end of the year, and despite many negative reviews about this property here and on TripAdvisor, I decided to spend one night here (Friday, Nov 15). My expectations were pretty low (for reference, I also stayed at the Del shortly after it joined Hilton in 2017). When booking by phone with the Hilton Diamond Desk, I was advised the main pool was closed as part of the renovation effort.

Upon arrival (around 1:30 pm), we were allowed to check in early, and when I asked about a quiet room, the agent was very nice and offered to put us in a good room on the "quiet side" in the Victorian building. Our room was on the fourth floor and overlooked the courtyard area. I could hear some noise from the hallway/other rooms (screaming kids and people walking). The room size was good but the bathroom was very small. The decor/condition of the room was fine, given my expectations. There were two small things that indicated a lack of attention to details: the room safe had not been reset and the display was not working right, and the room did not have a box of tissues (holder was empty). When I called about the safe, they sent someone quickly who reset it (and confirmed the display of numbers did not work right).

As a Hilton Honors Diamond member, I received a $15 pp food and beverage credit, and upon asking the next morning at the Sheerwater, I was told that it could be used for the buffet (cold items only), so our only charge for breakfast was tax and the tip I added. I felt this was OK. The "bakery" take out area where they serve Starbucks was really overpriced for coffee and breakfast items (with limited options), IMO. There were some takeout sandwiches and salad options slightly under $15 there.

I asked about a late checkout and was given an extra hour (until 12 noon), and when we checked out, I asked for a key so we could have access to buildings while we spent some time at the beach / pool. Since the main pool was closed for renovations, they allowed guests to use the pool near the beach residences/spa/fitness center, and they also made beach chairs available to guests for free. I was fine with this option. I had no issues with my bill, as they applied the F&B credit and did not charge the resort fee.

After two stays, I have mixed feelings about the Del. Yes, it is touristy and expensive, and overall it does not provide a luxury hotel experience. But, the building is iconic and the location is great, and Coronado has many nearby options for dining. Personally, I would stay there again in a similar situation (with a free night certificate or resort credt I needed to use) but probably would not pay regular prices to stay there, since it is easy enough to enjoy Coronado without staying at the Del.

SanDiego1K

Do you know if this can be applied to a meal at their fine dining restaurant, Serea?

I have an expiring Aspire certificate so have decided to stay locally. I was surprised to find every weekend night available next weekend, between Christmas and New Year.

SanDiego1K

We had a pleasant one night stay at the hotel. Parking was full when we arrived but because we were an overnight guest, the valets took our car.

We were offered an upgrade to a room with a view of the garden for $15. I reminded the agent that I was a diamond so was given the room with no charge. We were told the hotel was sold out. The room was on the 5th floor just a few steps from the elevator, surely one of the few left in the country that is has an operator. The room was pleasant, bigger than I expected, with a chair and footstool in front of the TV. We had a decent water view as we could see across other buildings to the ocean. The central garden area was filled with various holiday decor. This area was called Winter Wonderland and was staffed from 5-9pm. The hotel was fully booked. Additionally, there were many people there to see the tree in the lobby and the garden area decorations. There was an ice skating rink between the restaurant area and the beach, open from Nov 22 - Jan 5.

We ate at Serea, their high end seafood restaurant, and it was excellent. 60% of its seating is outside with views of the water though blocked while the ice rink is up. It was a chilly San Diego day and dark at 5pm, so we sat inside.

Various charges:

1. Resort fee: There is a $35 fee that was only disclosed to us on the resort map we were handed. "A Daily Resort Charge is added to the room rate and includes: Guest internet access; unlimited indoor fitness classes and beach yoga; live streaming of Netflix, Pandora, Hulu, YouTube and Crackle; discount tickets to top San Diego attractions; and local and toll-free calls." We don't have Netflix at home but had recently had it at a hotel in Vietnam. We were excited to use it but all the TV had was the app to log in with a membership number. We called and asked if the hotel had a subscription to share. No, no, they didn't. We ultimately got our resort fee waived.
2. Parking: The valet parking fee is $50. We had our valet ticket stamped at Serea and got $10 off.
3. Diamond amenity: We were given $15 per person food allowance which we used as a rebate on our meal at Serea.

We had a pleasant stay at this iconic property though strongly prefer small hotels with less congestion.

happychic

Any experience with this property during these Covid times?

Kacee

Suggest reading the T/A reviews. You couldn't pay me to stay here. Ongoing construction and consistent reports of terrible service.

happychic

Thanks. I read a handful of the most recent reviews and they are definitely not glowing. I have two certs to burn and now I am wondering if maybe I should use them at La Quinta instead.

drewdawg199

I believe La Quinta is closed and might reopen in Sept. Your best use might be WA Beverly Hills, at least as far as value and service goes.

pinniped

Our experiences at LQ have always been top-notch. It's another place we've used the free weekend night certificates and never regretted it. It's a very well-run property with excellent staff, in addition to having all of the hard and soft product you'd expect of W=A. Super relaxing, comfortable place to stay. For those concerned about the coronavirus, the spread-out casitas and uncrowded small pools might be preferable to a large hotel building.

With the Del, you're getting history and location. I still love it (and Coronado in general) for what it is, but it's definitely not the most efficiently run or friendly hotel I've ever stayed in. Even the act of getting on or off the property can be stressful and disorganized, so it's certainly not for everyone. But for a great beach in the Continental US that's pretty easily accessible to us for a weekend getaway, I'm sure we'll be back.

In additional to the WA Beverly Hills suggestion, you might consider the Waterfront in Huntington Beach. It's not a WA but it's still an excellent hotel and is walking distance to the beach and town. Not an identical vibe to Coronado, but worth a look if you really want to be right on the ocean.

happychic

Thank you for your thoughtful responses pinniped and drewdawg. I am leaning toward La Quinta for now until the construction is done at the Del.

FlyoverEasy

I didn’t see an answer posted to this earlier question: can the AmEx Aspire resort credit be used for meals or other incidentals by someone NOT staying as a guest of the Coronado? We’re currently visiting SD but staying elsewhere, and we’d like to have dinner or brunch at the Coronado if it would be covered by the resort credit.

Hobotravel

You have to be a guest at the Hilton resort to receive credit. This is the case for any Hilton resort. There might be exceptions, but this is Hilton policy on it.

Colin

the charge just has to post to AMEX like it were a folio settlement at check-out. many hotel restaurant credit card payments post to credit card accounts this way. i have no specific knowledge on the Del restaurants.