The Hotel del Coronado has revoked permission for a beach artist known as “The Sandcastle Man” to work on its premises due to alleged violations of hotel policies.
In a letter dated Feb. 5, the Hotel Del informed Bill Pavlacka of its decision to halt the future creation of three-dimensional sand sculptures “effective immediately” based on three incidents where he purportedly violated the rules.
“We can confirm that Hotel del Coronado and the Sandcastle Man have parted ways effective Feb. 5,” said the hotel in a statement. “We wish the Sandcastle Man continued success.”
The Hotel del Coronado did not respond to questions about its decision nor provide any other information on the motive.
Pavlacka told The Coronado News he did not work for the hotel and was not fired. He said he will continue making sandcastles on the Coronado shoreline, away from the hotel’s premises.
Notice
The Hotel del Coronado confirmed that Pavlacka received a written notice from Bradley McPherson, the Hotel del Coronado’s director of human resources.
“We regret that the circumstances have required this action,” says the letter first reported by SanDiegoVille. “We trust that you will honor this decision and refrain from operating your business at the hotel in the future.”
According to the letter, which says it was hand delivered to Pavlacka, he failed to adhere to the hotel’s expectations outlined in a second and final warning issued on Oct. 16.
Those expectations include:
- No physical contact with guests
- Immediate referral of any guest issue or conflict to hotel security or management.
- All sandcastle content must remain neutral, family-friendly, and free of political or controversial messages.
- All interactions with guests must be courteous, professional, and consistent with the Hotel del Coronado’s hospitality standards.
- Consumption of alcohol on property is strictly prohibited.
“Since that warning, a new incident has been reported involving consumption of alcohol, resulting in a negative guest experience,” the letter concluded.
Community support
Pavlacka’s art works, which often feature quotations and messages, have been a popular feature on the beachfront for years, and he was the subject of a 2023 feature in The Coronado News.
Over the weekend, Pavlacka posted a statement confirming he had parted ways with the Hotel del Coronado after nearly two decades.
“Building sandcastles in front of the hotel, and meeting guests from all over the world, has meant everything to me,” wrote Pavlacka on his Instagram page. “While I’m saddened this chapter has ended, I’m excited for greater creative freedom ahead.”
In his statement, Pavlacka explained he was never a hotel employee and worked as an external contractor.
Pavlacka expressed he was grateful for the many years collaborating with the hotel and announced his new location is just north of the main lifeguard tower on Coronado Beach.
According to his website, Pavlacka has won awards for his sculptures which he usually builds for weddings, engagements, parties, corporate events and commercials.
For this reason, Pavlacka is considered a fixture by many local residents and visitors. Across social media posts, people flooded the comments with support for Pavlacka and his work in Coronado.
Past censuring?
SanDiegoVille, an online news publication, says a recent sandcastle by Pavlacka quoting Mark Twain circulated online ahead of the hotel’s decision to remove the artist. The quote says, “Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.”
In the past Pavlacka has used his artistic talent to make meaningful pieces with strong statements, including a sand sculpture depicting polluted waters and trash in the oceans which won first place in an Imperial Beach “Under the Sea” contest.
Justin Richmond-Decker said he witnessed hotel staff telling Pavlacka he had to take down a sandcastle or remove its message reading: “DEMOCRACY & FREEDOM OF SPEECH” while visiting from Ocean Beach in September.
According to Richmond-Decker, who posted about the incident on Instagram, Pavlacka did not comply and continued to ask onlookers if they were offended. Richmond Decker said two police officers eventually showed up to enforce the hotel’s request.
“It made me lose some respect for the hotel, at least for the management of it,” explained Richmond-Decker. “I felt passionate about it in the moment, so I decided to upload that and just explain to people…”
The Hotel del Coronado did not respond on deadline about Richmond-Decker’s account.
Richmond-Decker said the officers refused to confirm whether the beach property was owned by the hotel. Since its inception, the Hotel del Coronado owns the section of sand directly in front of the hotel to the west, according to the Coronado Eagle & Journal.
“The police were enforcing the hotel’s request to have (Pavlacka) remove his sand castle, so they must have recognized in some way that that was the hotel’s property, but they wouldn’t tell me that,” he added.
Richmond-Decker said Pavlacka eventually complied.
“(Pavlacka) was upset,” said Richmond-Decker. “He was, like, raising his voice. He was saying, ‘How is this offensive? Is this offensive to people?’ … He wasn’t acting drunk or belligerent. He was just upset.”
Richmond-Decker added: “At the time I said, ‘If they kick you out of here, you could come do your castles in Ocean Beach. People will love you there.’”
