Man paid nearly $800 a night at historic Hotel del Coronado in California. Then he saw the room he was given: ‘Terrible’

A traveler shared his frustration online after paying close to $800 a night for a room at the historic Hotel del Coronado in California. He said the room he received did not match the price he paid.

The man, who goes by Ranting Boomer Dad on TikTok, posted a video on July 25 showing his room at the hotel. His post has drawn a lot of attention, with viewers divided over whether his complaint was fair.

In the video, he walks through the hotel hallway and his room, pointing out several issues he had with the stay.

Guest says hallway and room did not match the price he paid

Walking down the hotel hallway, he pointed out that it did not have air conditioning. “This is what you get for $800 a night,” he said. He continued, “It’s probably one of the worst rooms I’ve ever seen at this price point.”

After entering the room, he criticized its small size. “I mean, it is tiny,” he said. He then showed the view from the window, which looked out at nearby rooftops. He also showed the bathroom, which he said was the one part of the room he liked. “Terrible. Mediocre,” he said about the overall room, adding that he planned to ask for a different room.

In a follow-up TikTok video, he said the hotel moved him to a new room. “This is the room we should have gotten in the first place,” he said. He described the new room as having a sitting area and an ocean view, calling it “100% nicer” than the first one. Hotel stays can sometimes lead to guest complaints about their rooms, such as when a woman’s things allegedly disappeared from an Orlando Hilton room. 

He also warned viewers that guests who do not pay extra may end up with a room similar to the one he first got. “So, uh, just beware if you book a room at the Del Coronado and you do not pay an upcharge, you’re gonna get stuck in that c****y room that we saw in my last video,” he said.

He also mentioned the cost of snacks at the hotel. “If you get 2 Cokes and a cookie at the snack bar downstairs, that’s gonna cost you $25,” he said, adding that prices at the property were high overall. 

The Hotel del Coronado is a beachfront resort that opened in 1888. It is listed as a National Historic Landmark and has hosted celebrities, presidents, and major events over the years. The hotel is known for its Victorian-style architecture.

The property is part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, a group of historic hotels that operate under the Hilton network while keeping their own names. This means the resort does not carry the Hilton name directly, though it can be booked through Hilton’s website. For the Hotel del Coronado, the guest experience doesn’t end at the room’s condition, as a woman at a Hilton Orlando was told to check the lost and found. 

Older luxury hotels like the Hotel del Coronado often charge higher prices because guests are paying for the history, location, and reputation of the property, not just the room itself. These hotels were often built before modern hotel standards, which can mean smaller rooms or older layouts compared to newer hotels, reports Brobible.

Viewers who saw the video had mixed reactions in the comments. Some defended the hotel’s pricing given its age and reputation. One commenter wrote, “It’s the Hotel Del in the summer. It’s a Historic OLD property. I agree that’s a lot but 800.00 a night you must be rolling in it.”

Another commenter said the hotel had changed over time, writing, “It used to be such a beautiful hotel before they opened up the beaches to the public. It’s went downhill ever since. Don’t stay there anymore.”

Others sided with the man’s complaint. One comment read, “It looks like they put you in the attic. Not good for $800.” Another said, “Way too many other beautiful hotels in San Diego for a third of the price.” One commenter simply pointed to basic economics, writing, “It’s called supply and demand.”