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Cross the high-arched bridge from San Diego, California, to Coronado Island and see the Hotel del Coronado gleaming up ahead like something out of The Wizard of Oz. But it’s the other way around. “The Del” came first. Legend has it the book’s author and frequent guest, L. Frank Baum, drew inspiration for several of his Oz books from the enchanting architecture of The Del.
Since opening in 1888, the resort has made history in many ways. Hollywood’s brightest stars have often taken center stage at the resort, a popular backdrop for movies since 1901. In 1958, The Del welcomed Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, and Tony Curtis for the filming of Billy Wilder’s Some Like It Hot—named the best comedy of all time by the American Film Institute.