In 1951, hotelier Harry Handlery purchased the El Cortez from the El Cortez Company for $1.5 million. the people sitting at the table, I had to 'excuse me' and there I am in my uniform stepping on their table and getting out the window, walking up the fire escape to the top of the El Cortez to look at the mission." Handlery years (1950-1978) Harry Handlery So some times I had to go on the roof of the El Cortez and there was no way of getting up there except through this bar that was on top. "Since I was the search light battery commander, I would observe the action of the search lights at night. One of the soldiers who manned the battery later recalled: The anti-aircraft battery remained atop El Cortez for the duration of the war. On December 8, 1941, the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, an anti-aircraft battery and radar station were installed on the El Cortez roof. įor 36 years, the El Cortez was San Diego's tallest building, and its exterior glass elevator, Travolator, and Starlight restaurant made it a San Diego landmark. The sign was expanded in 1951 and restored in 1999. The top of the building includes a red neon sign with the words "El Cortez", which was first added in 1937. At a height of 310 feet (94 m), penthouse guests could see up to 30 miles (48 km) away. because of its vast windows, brilliant ceiling and handsome equipment." The art deco style Sky Room, added in 1940, became renowned for its glass walls and 360-degree view of the city. Critics dubbed it "the outstanding eating rendezvous of the community. The 200-seat Aztec Dining Room also reflected the hotel's opulence. The hotel's main ballroom, the Don Room, was known as one of the most beautiful rooms in the city with an ornately carved sandalwood ceiling supported by large pillars, and an inlaid maple floor. More than sixty years later, the Times noted that the El Cortez's "graceful proportions and unique layout, with angular side wings embracing the main entrance, make it especially inviting." Just above the entrance is an open-air garden retreat." In keeping with the architecture, approach to the building is made through a Spanish garden of flowers, cool green lawns and fountains. "The building is Spanish Renaissance in design. At the time of the opening, the Los Angeles Times reported: When the building was first opened, it had 117 rooms, 85 of these used for apartments, and 32 for hotel rooms. A crowd of 50,000 people were present at the opening-a third of the San Diego population. Įl Cortez Hotel opened on Thanksgiving Day on November 26, 1927. The building is named for the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. Grant, Jr.'s home, 175 feet (53 m) above sea level. The hotel was built on the site of Ulysses S. The building utilizes the Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style. Walker and Percy Eisen in a Spanish Churrigueresque style. Robinson, Jr., and designed by architects Albert R. The 14-story hotel was built by Richard T. The building is the 40th tallest building in San Diego, based on its height of 310 ft (94 m).Įarly history (1927-1949) Construction and architecture Floor plan of El Cortez Hotel ApartmentsĬonstruction of the El Cortez began in 1926 and was completed the next year at a cost of $2.5 million. Many of the original elements remain in place, though substantial interior modifications have been made. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. Cerullo sold the property in 1981, and the El Cortez was threatened with demolition until the San Diego Historic Site Board designated it as a historic site in 1990. The El Cortez closed as a hotel in 1978 when it was purchased by evangelist Morris Cerullo to serve as an evangelism school. During the late 1960s and 1970s, the El Cortez fell on harder times. In the 1950s, the world's first outside glass elevator was built at the El Cortez. The large "El Cortez" sign, which is illuminated at night, was added in 1937 and could be seen for miles. It sits atop a hill at the north end of Downtown San Diego, where it dominated the city skyline for many years and became a landmark hotel.įrom its opening in 1927 through the 1950s, it was the most glamorous apartment-hotel in San Diego. Built from 1926 to 1927, the El Cortez was the tallest building in San Diego when it opened. Walker & Eisen Simpson, William, Construction Co.Įl Cortez is a condominium building in San Diego, California.
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