While most associate Coronado with one of the most iconic hotels in the U.S., the charming Victorian-era Hotel del Coronado, aka “The Del ,” this sunny island, only 15 minutes from San Diego’s airport, offers three other major resorts and ample offsite activity options.
“Coronado Island has four different hotels with different price points, all with coastal views,” said Shari Stauder, destination sales director at Discover Coronado. “It’s also a quaint island, so when your attendees are here you don’t have to worry about safety; everything is within walking distance to different activities and events.”
Perhaps the more accurate way to think about Coronado is as a “premier destination within a destination.” With perfect weather, beaches and attractions, Coronado is one of the hottest meetings destinations in Southern California.
“San Diego has its merits, but Coronado takes it one step further,” Stauder said. “And it’s only a bridge away.”
Being so near San Diego also makes accessing that city’s ample attractions all the easier, either by shuttle bus over Coronado Bridge or even via a short ferry or charter boat cruise across San Diego Bay.
We're a charming, enchanted island with unique offerings. We may not have big roller coasters and aquariums, but those things are easily accessible from Coronado,” Stauder said.
Coronado Hotels
Hotel del Coronado
The postcard-perfect Hotel del Coronado, a Victorian masterpiece opened in 1888, recently finished a $550 million renovation that can be more aptly described as a “restoration.” The project was laser-focused on restoring the Victorian charm of the property, in addition to adding the new Shore House building that brought more high-end guest rooms along with its own meeting space.
“They really have gone back to the Victorian plan and used old blueprints and photos from 1888 to take it back to its Victorian glory,” Stauder explained.
Now offering more than 930 guest rooms across its five “neighborhoods,” The Del also added a 15,000-square-foot clear-span ballroom and 10,000 square feet of pre-function space in the Southpointe Event Center during its restoration. Southpointe also features 14,000 square feet of outdoor space, steps from the Pacific Ocean.
The property now offers nearly 100,000 square feet of meeting space, including 146,300 square feet of outdoor meeting space and a 77,600-square-foot private beach.
The property also added a Nobu restaurant, bringing in some international flair in the form of the eclectic, world-renown cuisine of Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa that recently has become a group-dining hit in a number of top luxury hotels.
Loews Coronado Bay Resort
A few short miles down the Silver Strand from Coronado Village, Loews Coronado Bay Resort boasts San Diego Bay on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. It’s a serene, relatively sequestered environment because of its location on its own peninsula, while still offering easy access to all Coronado Island has to offer.
“Because Loews Coronado has a unique location, you can have programs that are both private and contained without compromising access to Coronado’s village,” Stauder said. “There’s a complimentary shuttle from Loews so your attendees can hop on and off to do some shopping or try one of Coronado’s newest restaurants.”
The 440-room Loews Coronado Bay Resort features 70,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor function space, including the 13,674-square-foot Commodore Ballroom and a junior Constellation Ballroom, along with several outdoor terraces.
One unique feature of the Loews, according to Stauder, is the opportunity to board authentic Venetian gondolas in its marina, along with an indoor/outdoor spa for staff wellness and teambuilding.
Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa
Coronado’s 300-room Marriott property is located on the bay side of the island and contains the high quality of meeting space that always comes with a Marriott-branded hotel.
“You're looking at spectacular views of the downtown San Diego skyline, water views and Coronado Bridge views,” Stauder offered, “and that resort also has a beautiful two-story spa, a sprawling pickleball facility and oversized guest rooms that are over 500 square feet. Every person will feel like a VIP, like they’ve gotten an upgraded room, even with their standard rooms.”
The Coronado Island Marriott Resort, which contains nearly 35,000 square feet of event space, including the 7,455-square-foot Coronado Ballroom, is also conveniently located next to the ferry landing, making jaunts across the bay to San Diego easy. The property is also the closest to attractions in San Diego.
Glorietta Bay Inn
The 100-room Glorietta Bay Inn is a historic gem originally built by San Diego real estate magnate John D. Spreckels, who has numerous landmark buildings and public spaces named after him in the city as well as on Coronado Island.
Spreckels’ large mansion is across the street from The Del, and was eventually converted into 12 mansion suites and 89 contemporary rooms.
While Glorietta Bay Inn does not offer a large amount of traditional meeting space, it is often used for executive retreats and small board meetings.
“Glorietta Bay Inn is wonderful because of its proximity to The Del, so it can be used for overflow there and the other Coronado properties—it is within the heart of downtown Coronado. Glorietta Bay Inn can even house some of the Hotel Del's VIPs,” Stauder said, adding that some planners keep their VIPs or guest speakers there that they want to be a surprise to the guests at The Del during the course of their event.
Offsite Activity Options on Coronado Island
Being surrounded by water and arguably boasting the best climate in the world, group activity options in Coronado invariably revolve around water-based outdoor adventures.
“Everything to do with water,” Stauder emphasized when asked about activity options, noting bay cruises on catamarans, yachts and other vessels as well as kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding—glow-in-the-dark standup paddleboarding, anyone?—and even yoga on the deck of a yacht.
A very popular break from meetings involves Bill Pavlacka, aka “The Sandcastle Man,” at The Del, who can arrange for sandcastle-building teambuilding programs that can begin or end with a clambake on the beach.
The Del’s private beach is a great option for a beach party, with no need for permitting for alcohol. When public beach space is needed, banquet teams at each of the Coronado resorts can help make permitting easy.
Attendees can also explore the island via bike, including its unique residential neighborhoods.
Being surrounded by water opens up many activity options that the Discover Coronado team is only happy to arrange.
“We're in the yes business. We try to find a way to say yes to whatever the client wishes,” Stauder said. “We encourage the imagination of the planner, whatever he or she wishes, we can fulfill. Coronado’s team leaders can suggest ideas that maybe they hadn't even thought of just yet.”
