Some hotels have a pool and call it a resort. The Hotel del Coronado has 28 oceanfront acres, a beach that literally sparkles (there’s mica in the sand — tell the kids it’s magic and enjoy being right), and a Victorian silhouette that’s been on San Diego postcards since 1888. And after a $550 million renovation that wrapped in 2024, nearly every corner of the place feels new while still looking like the Del.

We send caregivers here more than almost anywhere else in San Diego, so we’ve picked up a few things. Here’s the current, kid-tested lay of the land.

The Beach Is the Main Event

Del Beach sits right out front, with daybeds, umbrellas, and food service if you want the full production — or you can just walk down with a bucket and let the gentle waves do the entertaining. At low tide, the rocks near the seawall turn into a free tide-pooling class. Older kids can book a lesson with the Jamie O’Brien Surf Experience, and the Del Marina rents kayaks and runs sailing trips on the bay side.

One local tip from Amy, who photographs families on this beach constantly: the light is at its dreamy best about 45 minutes before sunset, and you can’t pick a bad backdrop — the ocean one direction, the red turrets the other. If the whole crew is in town, that’s the moment for a real session: book a beach shoot with Amy Gray Photography — extended family sessions are her specialty, and vacation is the rare time grandparents, cousins, and everyone else are in one place.

Ocean Explorers: The Del’s Kids Club

The renovation retired the old Kidtopia program, and its replacement is a real upgrade. Ocean Explorers (you’ll find it next to the Cabana Pool) is a marine-science camp disguised as a kids club — tide pool touch tanks, shark and ray lessons, beach activities — and a portion of proceeds supports the Birch Aquarium. Half-day sessions run 9 am to noon for $105, and there’s an Explorers Night Out from 5 to 8 pm for $155. It’s for ages 5–10 and overnight guests only, and sessions book up, so reserve at least a day ahead.

Which is wonderful — and also means families with a baby or toddler, a picky eleven-year-old, or dinner reservations that don’t fit a 5-to-8 window are on their own. More on that in a minute.

Summer Nights Are the Del’s Superpower

This is where the Del out-charms every other hotel in the county. Roast, the beach bonfire experience, runs nightly in summer — s’mores kits, sunset, sand between your toes (around $200 for a group of up to ten, and it books out, so reserve early). Movies on the Beach screen Friday and Saturday evenings under the stars. Sundaes, the ice cream parlor, handles the inevitable “can we get dessert” negotiations. And for 2026 there’s a Marilyn Monroe photography exhibit with tours of the Some Like It Hot filming locations — more for you than the kids, but a fun piece of trivia to drop while they eat their gelato.

Come winter, the whole show changes costume: Skating by the Sea puts an ice rink on the Windsor Lawn overlooking the ocean, which is exactly as surreal as it sounds.

Where to Stay (It Matters More Than You’d Think)

The Del is really five neighborhoods sharing one beach. The Victorian is the historic showpiece. The Views has the most connecting rooms, which makes it the practical pick for bigger families. The Cabanas puts you closest to the pool and beach — some ground-floor rooms have fire-pit terraces that open straight onto the grass, which with small kids is worth its weight in gold. Beach Village and the Shore House are the splurge tier: multi-bedroom setups with their own private pools. Wherever you land, the main pool is heated to 82 degrees year-round, so “it’s too cold to swim” is off the table.

Feeding Everyone Without a Meltdown

Veranda does the big breakfast buffet. ENO Market & Pizzeria is the fast option with a kids menu — pizza, grab-and-go, done in twenty minutes. Beach & Taco Shack covers lunch without anyone changing out of a swimsuit, and the Sun Deck does casual poolside dinners with fire pits. If you find yourselves at Babcock & Story, the historic bar, order the grilled cheese. Trust us.

Good to Know Before You Go

The resort fee is $50 a night plus tax, self-parking is $59 (valet $79), and the two things that sell out months ahead are pool cabanas and bonfire pits — book both the day you book your room. Not staying overnight? Day passes through ResortPass get you onto the property, and even a walk through the grounds and an ice cream at Sundaes makes a great free-ish afternoon. Coming from out of town? Our packing guide for San Diego family trips covers what to bring.

The Del is one of those places families come back to every year, and the renovation only raised the bar. Give it two nights minimum, book the bonfire, and save one dinner for just the grown-ups — Serea at sunset, with the kids happily settled upstairs, is its own kind of vacation.