Cute boutique hotel across the street from Hotel Del Coronado. Cute shops and restaurants. The staff is helpful and friendly. The hotel itself needs someone with decorator skills to make the rooms more homey and comfortable. The lighting is poor (only wall-mounted lighting), We had a very small kitchen (mentioned several times in prior reviews), The is a great hotel if your plans take you out and about, but if you intend to stay put at least part of the time, or so much cooking, find another hotel.

I was not sure what to expect when I arrived at the hotel. I was very surprised that it was such a nice property. The employees at the desk were all very pleasant and helpful. The free WI FI was nice to have as was the coffee in the room. The room was very nice, with a small desk that could have used a light on it. The bed was very comfortable; the clock radio was somewhat hard to figure out and was not very bright. The closet was large, but could have used a few more hangers. The ice machine was in the laundry near the pool. The courtyard of the building contained a Mexican restaurant and the first floor of the building on the street sides had shops and restaurants. The noise was not a bother. The hotel is very convenient to many restaurants and the becah; it is across the street form the del Coronado Hotel. The hotel has an arrangement with a fitness center less tha a block away for a daily charge of $8.00. My stay was very nice and I will be staying here in the future when I am in Coronado. I have stayed at four hotels in this area and I find that I enjoyed my stay here the best.

We stayed here for 8 nights with our two small children and had a great time at a place that resembles a Mexican hacienda/resort.

We had a beautiful, recently renovated 2 bedroom with a kitchen, new wood flooring, comfy beds, decorative furniture and fixtures, 3 flat screen TV's, and a good, sofa sleeper. The unit was on the far end away from Miguel's, the central courtyard restaurant, with view of the Del, the amazingly grand old hotel of Coronado.

There are 4 restaurants; Miguel's, MIguelito's, a French creperie(where we had the included continental breakfast- made up of sweet breads, juice, cereal, oatmeal and crepe samples- and the Brigantine(steak and seafood). The kid's really liked the Mexican food.

There are shops dispersed in the floral, green alley ways; a clean, heated pool and a hot, hotub fenced off in the center as well as a bbq area with three grills(I used this numerously- the front desk will light it for you.) There are various fountains, and the rooms are spread out around the central courtyard. Staircases, some steep, lead up to rooms, others are around the pool and Miguel's, ours was in a building with a private entrance that locks at night.

The kids loved the place. Full of romantic ambiance and character, they enjoyed going to the shops and restaurants and especially swimming- the week we were there, we had the pool to ourselves. We met most of the staff during our extended stay and without fail, they were helpful and friendly. Once, our shower plugged up and within 10 minutes, they were there and remedied the problem.

The Del and the gorgeous, long Strand beach is across the street. One can walk along Orange Blvd. and visits shops, numerous restaurants, a small museum, a yummy gelato store, a Vons(Safeway) is 15 minute walk away plus RiteAid, and a great candy store; moreover, you can take a short drive to the ferry and the bay for more shops and an Albertson's.

Activities: we took the ferry across the bay to the USS MIdway, Seaport Village; drove to Balboa Park for zoo(must see Pandas) and the museums(science, natural history, Museum of Man and others; drove for a day to Disneyland(go early and during the week if possible), Legoland, SeaWorld if you want(we skipped it).

We saw "Around the World in 80 Days" at the local theatre(Lamb's)-5 minute walk, the unique candy store right next door- our 6 &9 year olds liked the show- they had bought some inexpensive but pretty dresses for the occasion at the t-shirt shop at the hotel; go to Del- look at there shops, watch a sunset, play on the beach, drive down the peninsula(We stayed out of Tijuana); they also have a 50 minute gondola boat rides at the Cay, just couple miles south of our hotel.

The El Cordova gets a big thumbs up from our family It was nice to come home to it and Coronado after a crazy day in San Diego or LA.

Final notes- our bathroom was small but with decoratvie sink and wall tiles; the kitchen had the bare minimum of supplies and no dishwasher, disposal. There was a fridge, gas stove, coffee maker(Although the front desk supplies 24/7 good coffee!), sink and microwave, table and 3 chairs. We heard no restaurant noise, but did hear traffic, although not obtrusive to us from the main street. Now, I say these things to be as critical as possible so one will know what to expect. But again, let me say this is an incredible place to stay, and we got a good price, especially if you book well in advance and use any discount, e..g., AAA.

Finally, we paid nothing for parking. Just park a couple, short blocks away in the residential area for free; also, the meter parking is only 25 cents/ hour and free on Sunday. Kudos to the staff for making our trip super!

We stayed at the El Cordova hotel on Coronado Island in San Diego a long time ago when our kids were younger. Since the 90’s the place has really burgeoned into a great spot for dining and shopping. Just across the street is the historic Hotel Del Coronado with upscale dining & shops, and the beach and beach walk are right there as well. But back to the El Cordova—an old estate complex that is converted into restaurants and shops on the lower floors, with a center courtyard containing outdoor grill stations, seating, and a small (heated) pool & hot tub. The upstairs accommodate a variety of hotel rooms & suites. We booked a 2-bedroom 2-bath suite to cover 4 adults and a child (on the sofabed in the living area) during our daughter’s wedding. It suited us very well, the outside stairway up to it began from the courtyard, very steep, and our suite was just above a Mexican restaurant, and a French creperie. The suite itself was furnished with very old furniture, not decorated or refurbished recently, I am guessing. But there were 3 flatscreen tvs, one in the living area, one in the queensize bedroom, and one in the 2-double beds room. The kitchen was small but useful, no dishwasher or ice maker, just a sink, small frig, microwave & cabinets with limited dishware.

Bathrooms are old fashioned tub/shower and tiny sink area. No exhaust fans.

Our suite had 2 separate closet areas, with an ironing board & iron.

The beds were comfy, but if your windows are streetside like ours were, be careful dressing—there are no screens, so when you crank open the windows in the bedroom or the bathroom, it’s all right there below you.

Pros: All you need to do is emerge from your room for a variety of activities within walking distance. Park once and you can shop, go to the beach, tour the Del Coronado, traverse the sidewalks to browse lots of eateries, etc.

The restaurants below & surrounding the hotel & courtyard are awesome.

Great for a wedding or reunion, where many different family members can book various accommodations at the same place and congregate

Prices more reasonable than the Del Coronado, and location was excellent

Cons: No elevators but Raphael was very helpful in lugging up our suitcases to the second floor room. If you cannot negotiate stairs well, this may be restrictive for some travelers.

Parking is $8 a day in the public lot, or streetside right outside the hotel for $0.25 an hour, 2 hours max. during the day, free overnight. We just kept quarters in our pockets and every time we walked out, fed the machines, cheaper than the lot option.

Restaurant noise early in the morning just outside, as all the rooms are connected with the courtyard which houses the restaurants. Also street noise with windows open at night as well.

Old, nostalgic Mexico décor, small bathrooms (TINY), and VERY LIMITED ELECTRICAL OUTLETS & MIRRORS—bring your own powerstrip if you want to use a curling iron or lighted makeup mirror while charging your phone or ipod or nook!