Lauren Donoho
Director of Public Relations   
Tel 619 522 8041
ldonoho@hoteldel.com
 

THE HOTEL DEL CORONADO & L. FRANK BAUM

Coronado, CA - Although L. Frank Baum hailed from the Midwest, he preferred to winter in the warm and welcoming sunshine of Coronado, California, a picturesque community on the Pacific coast, across the bay from San Diego.  In 1904, during Baum’s first visit, he stayed at the Hotel del Coronado, which was then – and still is today - a magnificent turn-of-the-century seaside resort.  In fact, between 1904 and 1910, Baum traveled to Coronado repeatedly, where he usually resided at the hotel for months at a time (although in later years he would sometimes rent a house nearby).

According to the Heritage Department at the Hotel del Coronado, a newspaper article published during those years, reported that “the noted author has long ago discovered that he can do his best work in the sunny clime of ... Coronado.”  The article goes on to say that Baum’s habit was to work from early morning until noon.  “In the afternoon he generally spends in realizing that he is truly again at Coronado.”

Baum’s love of Coronado ran deep.  In a 1905 poem about Coronado (“scratched off,” Baum said, in a half-hour while he and his wife were waiting for some friends to join them for dinner), Baum wrote, “And every day her loveliness, shines pure, without a flaw; new charms entrance our every glance, and fill our souls with awe!”

During his years in Coronado, Baum wrote at least three books in the Oz series: Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz (1908); The Road to Oz (1909); and, The Emerald City  (1910). 

Not only was Baum fond of Coronado, Coronado was fond of Baum.  In an article written about Baum for a student newspaper, he was described as “kind, genial, gentle-voiced, as true and fine a gentleman as I have ever met or expect to.”

Although some sources conjecture that the author based his design of Emerald City on the design of the Hotel del Coronado, Baum had already written about the fictitious setting before ever visiting the hotel.  Still, one can see why Baum found the hotel so entrancing.  With its whimsical design, fanciful red roofs, magical spires, and one-of-a-kind setting, The Del is as close to Emerald City as one can get.

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Founded in 1992, KSL Resorts manages six time-honored resorts with outstanding recreational amenities, including spa, golf, tennis and ski.  Each is refined yet unpretentious, rich in legacy, and genuine in service.  The KSL Resorts are:

Hotel del Coronado (San Diego, CA)
La Costa Resort and Spa (Carlsbad, CA)
Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa (Rancho Mirage, CA)
Vail Mountain Lodge & Spa (Vail, CO)
Barton Creek Resort & Spa (Austin, TX)
The Homestead (Hot Springs, VA)
 
For more information, call 1-866-KSL-7727 or visit KSLResorts.com.