For passersby strolling the beach walk in front of the Hotel del Coronado, intricate sandcastles have been an occasional and welcome discovery. 

At least they were for years.

On Feb. 5, the hotel parted ways with the Sandcastle Man, Bill Pavlacka, after nearly 20 years of allowing his sand designs in the hotel’s backyard.

Engagements, anniversaries, holidays, special occasions – you name it, Pavlacka sculpted sand art for it, bringing a touch of personalized small town flair to Coronado’s beach. 

A letter was hand delivered to the Sandcastle Man saying that he did not adhere to the hotel’s expectations. Those expectations included: no physical contact with guests, keeping all sandcastle content neutral, family-friendly and free of political messages, and no consumption of alcohol.

Pavlacka has said that he was not drinking, although he was accused of it. There were also suggestions he may have had a physical altercation with guests, although these have not been confirmed. A Mark Twain quote on his recent sculpture may have been the last straw for the Hotel Del or just a coincidence following multiple violations.

If we strip away the emotions from this scenario (and the outrage has been far reaching), we can recognize this situation for what it is: what the Del claims is a breached agreement between the hotel and the sculptor.    

Agree with the decision or not, an informed public understands that all parties involved, including community members with an opinion, share responsibilities.  

Hilton has the right to terminate a business relationship with the Sandcastle Man if an agreement was breached or they feel his activities are not in the interests of the Hotel Del. That doesn’t mean they should, but they certainly have every right to do so.

In the aftermath of this unfortunate situation, the gut reaction has been to point fingers at Hilton management. Many are claiming the hotel has become out of touch with Coronado as a community.

And that’s understandable. Sandcastle-gate in some ways feels like the tipping point following a few decisions that have slowly eroded the trust between the Del and the community. 

For instance, the Rotary Club of Coronado can no longer afford to host its weekly meetings in the hotel. Marvin Heinze, the club service director, said scheduling became harder and prices went up. Slowly over time, the Rotary moved meetings to local yacht clubs. From his perspective, the Del is less responsible to the community compared to 20 years ago. 

As fiduciaries of the hotel have changed over time, there’s a sense that the community feel has been a casualty of growth and investment.

But let’s not get so lost in our emotion that we fail to recognize what the Del is doing for the community, often with little recognition. 

The Del partners with the Coronado Schools Foundation (CSF), the Coronado Flower Show, Taste of Coronado, the Art & Wine Festival, along with dozens of other local organizations.

Ashley DeGree, president of CSF, said the Del sponsors all three of their major events, hosts their yearly gala and waives rental fees, gives in-kind donations for the auction, and returns a portion of holiday ornament sales to the organization.

Sara Stillman, the chair for Taste of Coronado and the flower show, said that as a lifelong local who is highly involved in nonprofits, she can confidently say that tens-of-thousands of dollars have come from the Del in support of the organizations she’s a part of. 

It’s our responsibility to understand that we may not have the full picture.

We can recognize the monetary support the hotel provides for the community, while simultaneously lamenting the termination of the Sandcastle Man, even if for justifiable reasons. 

Regardless of the hotel’s intentions, it’s fair to say that the decision put a deeper wedge between the hotel and some townsfolk.

Did the decision hurt their brand? Does it show a trend toward a transactional existence, rather than a strong tie to the community?

At the very least, the public should keep in mind that they might not have the full picture for the Sandcastle Man’s termination, and Hilton should remember the Del’s importance to the Coronado community and the shared legacy they want to build.

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