My family has lived in Coronado for about nine years. In all that time, I’ve never seen the Hotel Del Coronado as a good neighbor or part of the community fabric, and its relationship with the community has only deteriorated over time. The vibe was already somewhat negative when they didn’t offer locals discounts (like most small Coronado businesses that can least afford it), or their conspicuous absence at local fundraisers, such as CSF or other Coronado community organizations that The Del could easily support. Since Hilton’s takeover however, it’s grown exponentially worse.
Hilton did a truly fantastic job restoring the irreplaceable historic landmark to its original grandeur, and we locals all celebrated. And then came the expansions. Hundreds of rooms and conference rooms to further stress our small Village’s public works, a takeover of “their” beach with ugly plastic domes, and countless other ways to keep (and fleece) their guests to prevent them from leaving the grounds.
Why dine at locally owned restaurants when you can lose your shirt at one of theirs? Why buy some supplies and use the free fire pits when you can pay $200-$300 for a “s’mores experience” (don’t get me started on all of their “curated experiences”). Why patronize locally owned stores and boutiques when you can overpay right there? The last time we went into Ono, their chic little upscale coffee/small-bites place, the cheapest bottle of water was $11. That was a couple of years ago. It’s probably more now. During that time, they stopped doing business with the local surf academy to bring in larger, flashier outsiders.
And now, they’ve banned Bill, “The Sandcastle Man,” an always-amiable gentleman who has brought so much joy to our community, and to their own guests. The Del never complained when Bill provided corporate clients with custom sand art featuring their logos, or provided guests celebrating milestones with personalized messages. Always a popular photo op, they benefited immensely from his presence, but never provided an ounce of security or surveillance to prevent nighttime vandalism. Not a stationary camera. Not a walking security guard. Not a couple of lights for deterrence.
Our community adores Bill. I have never seen him with alcohol, despite the hotel bar being 20 feet away and guests imbibing all around him. I have also never witnessed a single inappropriate or politically charged message displayed in his work. Nor have I witnessed him behaving in any manner unbecoming of any kind. What I have witnessed are the many unsuspecting families with young children, guests of The Del, frolicking in the water or wet sand on days when the water quality is red. My daily walks are frequently punctuated by showing them the Beach and Bay app and seeing their shocked and horrified expressions as they shepherd their children away. And if the curious staph infections (or worse) show up after the guests have departed?
Not their problem. This incident with Bill, our beloved “Sandcastle Man,” is just one more event punctuating the Hotel Del’s unbroken history of exploitative practices and its parasitic relationship with the community in which it resides. One more example of amorality, opportunism, indifference, and a willingness to stoop to any level to make or keep a buck. As always, Coronado gives, and the Hotel Del takes. And takes. And takes. Coronado residents love The Del — its beautiful structure, rich history, and iconic stature — but certainly not its shameful, corporatized, soulless practices.
I for one, will continue to shop locally, dine locally, and support local businesses as much as I can. I look forward to continuing to drop a few bucks into Bill’s jar and exchanging a few pleasantries whenever I pass him at his new location.
I’ve had time to wonder why this particular incident has fired up our community with such intensity, but as I passed The Del on my morning walk, I had a thought. It would be so easy for The Hotel Del to integrate and ingratiate themselves with our local community, but the fact that they don’t is an ongoing irritant. I think that this particular transgression was met with such unanimous local ire because this time The Del’s behaviour didn’t affect our pocketbooks, but was instead, a direct shot to our hearts.
