April 25th 2026
The Hotel del Coronado, affectionately known as “The Del,” is one of the most iconic beachfront resorts in the United States and a true Southern California landmark. Construction began in 1887, and the hotel officially opened its doors in February 1888. At the time, it was the largest resort hotel in the world, showcasing remarkable innovations for the era, including electric lighting and other modern conveniences.
Beyond its architectural beauty and rich history, The Del is perhaps best known in paranormal circles for the tragic story of Kate Morgan, a young woman whose mysterious death at the hotel in 1892 has inspired more than a century of ghost stories and unexplained experiences. If you are unfamiliar with her story, we highly recommend exploring the fascinating history of both Kate Morgan and this remarkable hotel before your visit.
During our visit to The Del, we participated in the Haunted History Tour, which begins at the hotel’s historic Ice House. Built in 1889, the Ice House is one of the resort’s oldest surviving service buildings and originally served as the storage facility for large blocks of ice before mechanical refrigeration became commonplace. It provides a fascinating glimpse into the hotel’s early operations and the technological innovations that made The Del one of the most advanced resorts of its time.
Later, while reviewing our audio, we captured an Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) that appears to be a quiet, breathy voice saying, “Hi” as we made our way to the Ice House for the tour. Although brief, the timing and clarity of the recording immediately caught our attention. It was as if spirit was welcoming us to the tour.
We recommend using headphones when listening to the EVP recording below, as the whispered voice is subtle and only can be heard with quality audio headphones.
From the Ice House, the tour continued to The Del’s historic Power Plant. Constructed in the late 1880s, the Power Plant was the heart of the hotel’s original utility system, generating electricity and steam power for the entire property. As we made our way toward the building, we had a digital recorder discreetly tucked away in a pocket. We chose to keep our equipment unobtrusive, as the tour did not specifically encourage or discourage the use of paranormal investigation devices.
Throughout the tour, we kept our investigation simple. Aside from taking photographs, our only piece of equipment was the audio recorder. Sometimes, as paranormal investigators, less is more, and keeping a low profile allows us to enjoy the experience without disrupting the environment or other guests.
Unfortunately, as we approached the Power Plant, our recorder unexpectedly shut off. There are several possible explanations for this. It could have been accidentally switched off while concealed in a pocket, experienced a battery or mechanical issue, or simply reached the end of its charge. Within the paranormal community, however, it is also believed that spirits may draw energy from electronic devices or even interfere with them. Many investigators have experienced unexplained battery drain or equipment failures during investigations, although these occurrences can never be considered definitive evidence of paranormal activity.
While we were disappointed that the recorder stopped so early in the tour, it turned out to be far from the end of our experience.
Inside the Power Plant, we were shown one of the original service tunnels that once connected the building to the hotel. These tunnels are no longer used for daily operations, but they remain an intriguing part of The Del’s history.
Adding another layer of intrigue, our tour guide shared a story about a longtime hotel employee who reportedly passed away in the early 2000s. According to the account, shortly after his death from either a stroke or heart attack, another employee allegedly encountered him near this very tunnel. Believing him to be alive, the employee attempted to speak with him, only to later learn that he had passed away the previous evening. Stories such as this have become part of the hotel’s enduring paranormal folklore.
Although our recorder had already shut off by the time this story was shared, we were thrilled by what we discovered in our photographs afterward. We took a series of photos, seconds apart, with two separate iPhones; only to find one iPhone picked up a ghostly figure while the other did not.
We captured a remarkable series of images that appear to show the figure of a man walking toward us from the far end of the passageway. The figure appears to be wearing what resembles a work uniform, suggesting someone who may have once been employed at the hotel. Rather than appearing like a transparent apparition, the figure looks strikingly lifelike—so much so that, at first glance, it resembles an ordinary person. We can confidently say that no one was present in the tunnel when these photographs were taken. We actually did not see the figure during the tour and only discovered the figure upon reviewing our pictures the next day. Capturing compelling photographic anomalies is exceptionally rare, and experiences like this are among the moments that make paranormal investigations so rewarding.
The sequence of photographs below appears to show the figure moving progressively closer through the tunnel, and in one image, it even appears as though he may be smiling. Could this be the employee described in the story above? As with all paranormal evidence, we encourage you to examine the photographs carefully and draw your own conclusions.
You’ll also notice that all photographs have been watermarked with our company name to help protect the images from unauthorized use.
Whether the evidence represents something paranormal or has a conventional explanation, our experience at the Hotel del Coronado was one we will never forget. Between its incredible history, beautifully preserved architecture, and enduring ghost stories, The Del remains one of the most captivating, haunted locations we have had the privilege to investigate.
EVP’s
As we were walking to the Ice House for the tour you hear a female say “Hi”. (.07) (only auditable via quality headphones)
Photos
The photograph above was taken with our iPhone that did not capture any unusual or unexplained imagery. It was taken just seconds before our second iPhone took the photos that captured a ghostly figure shown below.
We have included this photograph above to provide an accurate representation of how the tunnel appeared to us during the tour, demonstrating what was visible to the naked eye at that moment.
The photo above shows the entire tunnel from our view during the tour. If you look closely and zoom in you will see the ghostly figure.
The remaining photos below are zoomed in for your convenience of seeing the ghostly figure.
