The Hotel del Coronado, already a landmark in 1974, was approaching its 90th anniversary. Opened in 1888 by Elisha Babcock and Hampton Story, the seaside Victorian resort had endured wars, Prohibition, Hollywood’s golden age, and the postwar tourism boom. It was - and still is - one of the most architecturally significant wooden buildings in the U.S., known for its turreted red roof, sprawling beachfront views, and historic guests ranging from Charlie Chaplin to Marilyn Monroe.
In the early 1970s, the Del was navigating a turbulent period. America was healing from Vietnam, reeling from Watergate, and adjusting to the post-Nixon White House after the former president resigned just three months before Thanksgiving. Inflation was rising sharply, unemployment was climbing, and the 1973 oil crisis still affected everything from tourism to grocery store prices. Yet families still flocked to the Del for its longstanding holiday traditions - and found a feast that today reads like fantasy.
On the 1974 menu, guests paid $6.25 for roast turkey with walnut dressing, giblet gravy, whipped potatoes, succotash, and cranberry sauce. Sugar-cured horseshoe ham was the same price. Columbia River salmon steak cost $7.25, prime rib ran $9.25, and the most expensive entrée - a New York cut steak = topped out at $11.50. Adjusted for inflation, that $6.25 turkey dinner would be about $40 in 2025 dollars. The $11.50 steak would ring in around $75 today.
This year, Thanksgiving at the Hotel del Coronado was priced from $152 to $274 per person, depending on seating and time, for an elaborate buffet in the historic Crown Room, Coronet Room, and the recently restored Ocean Ballroom. Guests dine beneath L. Frank Baum–designed crown chandeliers - yes, the author of The Wizard of Oz - and a newly uncovered 1888 fresco mural that was hidden for more than a century.
The 1974 menu also reflects the era’s culinary sensibilities. Diners chose between dishes like Cream of Chicken à la Reine, New England lobster bisque, Waldorf salad, or the very retro “Princess Salad.” Desserts included English plum pudding with hard and brandy sauce, pumpkin pie “Chantilly,” mince pie with brandy sauce, strawberry parfait, and even a frozen eggnog option. And in true 1970s fashion, beverages listed “Hotel del Coronado Special Blend Coffee, Tea, Sanka, Milk.” Children 10 and under paid $4.95 for the entire meal - roughly $32 today.
It’s a charming contrast to the luxurious experience now offered at one of the world’s most famous holiday destinations. Yet the continuity between then and now is unmistakable: families gathering at the Del, ornate rooms decorated for the season, and a menu steeped in tradition, even as its prices change dramatically with time.
Nearly 50 years after that 1974 menu was printed, the Del continues to be one of San Diego’s most treasured places for holiday memories - proof that while inflation may rise and the country may change, Thanksgiving at the Del is still something special.
Originally published on November 27, 2025.
This year, Thanksgiving at the Hotel del Coronado was priced from $152 to $274 per person, depending on seating and time, for an elaborate buffet in the historic Crown Room, Coronet Room, and the recently restored Ocean Ballroom. Guests dine beneath L. Frank Baum–designed crown chandeliers - yes, the author of The Wizard of Oz - and a newly uncovered 1888 fresco mural that was hidden for more than a century.
The 1974 menu also reflects the era’s culinary sensibilities. Diners chose between dishes like Cream of Chicken à la Reine, New England lobster bisque, Waldorf salad, or the very retro “Princess Salad.” Desserts included English plum pudding with hard and brandy sauce, pumpkin pie “Chantilly,” mince pie with brandy sauce, strawberry parfait, and even a frozen eggnog option. And in true 1970s fashion, beverages listed “Hotel del Coronado Special Blend Coffee, Tea, Sanka, Milk.” Children 10 and under paid $4.95 for the entire meal - roughly $32 today.
It’s a charming contrast to the luxurious experience now offered at one of the world’s most famous holiday destinations. Yet the continuity between then and now is unmistakable: families gathering at the Del, ornate rooms decorated for the season, and a menu steeped in tradition, even as its prices change dramatically with time.
Nearly 50 years after that 1974 menu was printed, the Del continues to be one of San Diego’s most treasured places for holiday memories - proof that while inflation may rise and the country may change, Thanksgiving at the Del is still something special.
Originally published on November 27, 2025.
