Each holiday season, the Hotel del Coronado dazzles visitors with its enchanting decorations, but this year promises a particularly cinematic experience.
The 2024 theme, “Lights, Camera, Holiday,” pays homage to the hotel’s storied Hollywood ties, spotlighting the 65th anniversary of “Some Like It Hot,” the 1959 comedy classic starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, which was filmed on-site in 1958.
“We don’t have any record of doing a ‘Some Like It Hot’ tree before,” said Keriann Martin, the hotel’s assistant marketing director.
The tree, adorned with 10,000 lights and 2,000 ornaments, features charming nods to the film’s legacy, including movie clappers, miniature film reels, depictions of Monroe and even a tiny bathtub — a playful reference to the movie’s iconic bubble bath scene.
This dazzling centerpiece, which has graced the hotel’s grand interior since its centennial celebration in the 1980s, has evolved into both a cherished tradition and a seasonal hallmark, embodying the hotel’s blend of historical grandeur and contemporary spectacle.
The first themed tree in 1987 was inspired by “The Wizard of Oz,” a tribute to the author Frank L. Baum who frequented the Hotel Del in the early 1900s. Since 1993, the tree has been accompanied by a collector’s ornament.
This year’s ornament, a hand-blown and hand-painted glass depiction of The Del that honors its filmmaking history, commemorates the tradition with a clapperboard featuring “Take 32,” signifying the 32nd annual collector’s ornament.
For Martin, one of the most intricate and time-consuming parts of the process is designing the collector’s ornament.
Just outside the storied Crown Room, eight stately pine trees transform each holiday season into a luminous spectacle, their grandeur amplified by an intricate choreography of light and sound.
Draped in over 200,000 LED lights, these towering sentinels shimmer and pulse in rhythm to holiday melodies, casting an ethereal glow that feels almost otherworldly against the backdrop of the Coronado landmark.
The preparation for the holiday decorations begins more than a year in advance, with teams attending retail markets in January to procure decor for the following season, said Martin.
Collaborating with Epic Entertainment Group since 2021, the hotel’s core team of seven, alongside over 30 decorators, orchestrates the transformation.
The light show setup, for instance, begins in late October and takes three weeks to install.
The lobby tree itself is prepared overnight for a grand morning reveal, adding to the hotel’s sense of holiday magic.
Beyond the décor, the Hotel del Coronado has expanded its holiday offerings in recent years, drawing over 400,000 visitors annually.
“We have the dynamic light show outside the Crown Room, which runs every 30 minutes from 5 to 9 p.m.,” said Martin. “There’s also the ice rink on the beach — hugely popular since its debut in 2005 — and private igloos with fire pits, where guests can enjoy a full dinner.”
Among the season’s most eagerly awaited traditions is the Hotel del Coronado’s annual Holiday Festival, scheduled this year for Dec. 4.
The evening unfolds with performances by local school choirs, the crackle of fireworks, the warmth of s’mores, and — most delightfully — a skydiving Santa, whose aerial arrival on the Del’s beachfront adds a touch of whimsy to the festive revelry.
“The first year we did skydiving Santa, I stood on the beach in a sea of people,” Martin said. “When he jumped, everybody gasped at once. I got chills, trying not to cry, as kids screamed in excitement. It’s such a magical moment.”
The Del’s festivities run through the first Sunday of January.
