Hotel Del Coronado

The Hotel Del Coronado is San Diego’s most recognized National Historic “Landmark” that tells a story of our Fine City with its majestic architecture and timeless design, the perfect setting for a Watkins Landmark Construction renovation project. On the ground level of the Iconic Carousel Building, with its vibrant red-roofed signature turret, sits the B&S Bar which was built with the hotel in 1888 and named after the original hotel developers Elisha Babcock Jr. and Hampton L. Story. The delicate and meticulous requirements and a great responsibility to flawlessly renovate this 132-year old bar, along with other surrounding spaces, was put in the hands of the Watkins Landmark Construction team when awarded the project in January 2020.

The original 46-foot handcrafted mahogany bar was originally brought onto The Del site via ship around Cape Horn from Philadelphia, PA, and through the years it earned its historic designation. Upgrades to the bar during the recent renovation were performed by specialty craftsmen and work was overseen by the onsite architectural historian. These upgrades included refinishing the entire bar, the relocation of posts for additional back bar features, a new countertop, and the reinstallation of its original cupola that had been locked away in the hotel’s storage for years. Modern finishes throughout the bar include stylish wallcovering and mosaic floor tiles. Perhaps the most enjoyable enhancements to the space are the floor to ceiling bi-folding door systems that, when opened, provides guests a 36-foot unobstructed view of the California sunset from within the bar.