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Was Reddit ghost sighter hired by Hotel del Coronado?
Parking 1/2 mile away and complaints of vandalism
A pathway by the beach led us to the rear of the hotel, near its seasonal ice-skating rink, shown here from the hotel's website.
A recent Reddit post titled "Potential Sighting at Hotel del Coronado" in the "Captured Apparition" section has stirred renewed interest in the historic hotel, drawing extra visitors over Thanksgiving weekend despite the ongoing $550 million restoration project.
For my family, the circa-1888 beachfront landmark is more than just a tourist attraction — it's a part of a 30-year tradition.
The first change I noticed since last there was the parking. The lot off Avenida del Sol was no longer there, and we were directed to the lot off RH Dana Place instead. That lot was full, so we drove along the scenic stretch of beachfront on one side and multimillion-dollar mansions on the other, searching for street parking. After some effort, we finally found a spot about half a mile away. From there, a pathway by the beach led us to the rear of the hotel, near its seasonal ice-skating rink and space-age-looking bungalows on the sand.
The Victorian building, the last part of the restoration project, is slated for completion by spring 2025.
One of our out-of-town family members was eager to experience the hotel's ghostly lore firsthand. Kate Morgan died by suicide in room 3327 around Thanksgiving in 1892. This year, that curiosity was heightened by the Reddit post from user 19toke90, who claimed to have captured a ghostly figure in the window of the under-restoration Victorian building.
"While visiting Hotel del Coronado, I snapped some photos of the hotel while walking to the entrance and noticed a figure appear in the top (furthest right) window that is not there in the photo one second before and was gone one second after" wrote 19toke90. He posted photos taken seconds apart, with the middle image showing a mysterious figure in the top-right window.
Skeptical Redditors suggested it could have been a worker, but 19toke90 disagreed. "No one is allowed on this side of the hotel right now as it’s undergoing restorations ... this was after hours on a Sunday of Labor Day weekend, so no one was there." Others brightened the photo to analyze it further, debating whether it was a ghost or something else entirely.
We attempted to investigate the mystery window ourselves, but access to the other floors and the iconic brass birdcage elevator was restricted — likely due to the renovations.
It was fun when we visited the Del in our high school years in the 1990s, and a friendly man in the elevator would speak about the ghost and allow us to wander the hallways freely.
The Victorian building, the last part of the restoration project, is slated for completion by spring 2025. This phase includes updates to the guest rooms, suites, and iconic event spaces such as the Crown Room, Coronet Room, and Ocean Ballroom. Scaffolding currently encases the Ocean Ballroom tower, stretching 115 feet high.
Some areas like the lobby have already been completed. This year’s Christmas tree in the lobby looked different but still impressive. A fellow visitor, Barbie, shared an observation: "I thought it was funny that the gal in the gift shop said that the signature ornaments were being hung 5 feet and higher on the tree because people were stealing them — oh dear."
Not all visitors have adapted to the changes. In March, a Yelper named Sean M. wrote, "The construction signage way-finding was incredibly messed up. Signs directed us one way for a long walk, then told us to turn around and go in the opposite direction. Guests appeared bewildered and stunned by the blatantly wrong directions."
For visitors like us, knowing the hotel’s layout helped us navigate the detours, but I could understand how first-timers might struggle.
As we made our way back to the car, we noticed some rowdy individuals shouting obscenities in the otherwise quiet neighborhood. With more visitors parking in residential areas, tensions are rising. On Reddit, one user posted a warning: "Be careful parking your car near the hotel Coronado homes. A friend of mine had his car vandalized when he parked on free street parking near the homes while visiting the Del for Christmas vibes."
Here's something you might be interested in.
Was Reddit ghost sighter hired by Hotel del Coronado?
Parking 1/2 mile away and complaints of vandalism
Was Reddit ghost sighter hired by Hotel del Coronado?
Parking 1/2 mile away and complaints of vandalism
A pathway by the beach led us to the rear of the hotel, near its seasonal ice-skating rink, shown here from the hotel's website.
A recent Reddit post titled "Potential Sighting at Hotel del Coronado" in the "Captured Apparition" section has stirred renewed interest in the historic hotel, drawing extra visitors over Thanksgiving weekend despite the ongoing $550 million restoration project.
For my family, the circa-1888 beachfront landmark is more than just a tourist attraction — it's a part of a 30-year tradition.
The first change I noticed since last there was the parking. The lot off Avenida del Sol was no longer there, and we were directed to the lot off RH Dana Place instead. That lot was full, so we drove along the scenic stretch of beachfront on one side and multimillion-dollar mansions on the other, searching for street parking. After some effort, we finally found a spot about half a mile away. From there, a pathway by the beach led us to the rear of the hotel, near its seasonal ice-skating rink and space-age-looking bungalows on the sand.
The Victorian building, the last part of the restoration project, is slated for completion by spring 2025.
One of our out-of-town family members was eager to experience the hotel's ghostly lore firsthand. Kate Morgan died by suicide in room 3327 around Thanksgiving in 1892. This year, that curiosity was heightened by the Reddit post from user 19toke90, who claimed to have captured a ghostly figure in the window of the under-restoration Victorian building.
"While visiting Hotel del Coronado, I snapped some photos of the hotel while walking to the entrance and noticed a figure appear in the top (furthest right) window that is not there in the photo one second before and was gone one second after" wrote 19toke90. He posted photos taken seconds apart, with the middle image showing a mysterious figure in the top-right window.
Skeptical Redditors suggested it could have been a worker, but 19toke90 disagreed. "No one is allowed on this side of the hotel right now as it’s undergoing restorations ... this was after hours on a Sunday of Labor Day weekend, so no one was there." Others brightened the photo to analyze it further, debating whether it was a ghost or something else entirely.
We attempted to investigate the mystery window ourselves, but access to the other floors and the iconic brass birdcage elevator was restricted — likely due to the renovations.
It was fun when we visited the Del in our high school years in the 1990s, and a friendly man in the elevator would speak about the ghost and allow us to wander the hallways freely.
The Victorian building, the last part of the restoration project, is slated for completion by spring 2025. This phase includes updates to the guest rooms, suites, and iconic event spaces such as the Crown Room, Coronet Room, and Ocean Ballroom. Scaffolding currently encases the Ocean Ballroom tower, stretching 115 feet high.
Some areas like the lobby have already been completed. This year’s Christmas tree in the lobby looked different but still impressive. A fellow visitor, Barbie, shared an observation: "I thought it was funny that the gal in the gift shop said that the signature ornaments were being hung 5 feet and higher on the tree because people were stealing them — oh dear."
Not all visitors have adapted to the changes. In March, a Yelper named Sean M. wrote, "The construction signage way-finding was incredibly messed up. Signs directed us one way for a long walk, then told us to turn around and go in the opposite direction. Guests appeared bewildered and stunned by the blatantly wrong directions."
For visitors like us, knowing the hotel’s layout helped us navigate the detours, but I could understand how first-timers might struggle.
As we made our way back to the car, we noticed some rowdy individuals shouting obscenities in the otherwise quiet neighborhood. With more visitors parking in residential areas, tensions are rising. On Reddit, one user posted a warning: "Be careful parking your car near the hotel Coronado homes. A friend of mine had his car vandalized when he parked on free street parking near the homes while visiting the Del for Christmas vibes."
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