What the Hotel del Coronado Teaches About Familiarity
We just landed in San Diego, my favorite city of all time.
The air is crisp. The streets are alive with runners along the waterfront, surfers carrying boards toward the waves, and cafés spilling over with conversation.
San Diego was my first American home. I graduated from a university here, drove my first car here, got my first full-time job here, and met my husband here. Many warm memories live in these streets.
But the city’s magic isn’t only about personal history. It is also about how it blends the comfort of the known with the excitement of discovery.
One of my favorite spots in San Diego is the Hotel del Coronado and the surrounding area. Cross the bridge to Coronado Island and you enter a place with its own distinct character — storybook streets, a wide stretch of golden sand, and that iconic Victorian hotel standing proudly against the Pacific.
The Power of Being Known
The Hotel del Coronado makes an impression. Its red turrets and white façade are instantly recognizable, featured in postcards, photographs, and even films.
What makes it especially interesting from a hospitality perspective is that you do not need to be an overnight guest to experience it. You can walk through its lobby, dine at its restaurants, browse its shops, or spend the day on the beach just steps from its doors.
This accessibility means many people “know” the hotel long before they ever book a room. That familiarity becomes an advantage. When the moment comes to choose where to stay, they are not deciding on something unknown — they are choosing a place that already feels safe, trusted, and part of their personal experience.
Zajonc’s Mere Exposure Effect in Practice
Psychologist Robert Zajonc demonstrated that repeated exposure increases liking and trust. Familiar things feel safer.
In hospitality, every casual touchpoint is a micro-exposure that builds comfort: a sunset photo shared by a friend, a beach day spent nearby, a cocktail at a public bar, a wedding attended in the ballroom.
Each one makes the property feel more approachable.
Familiarity lowers uncertainty.
In the human brain, uncertainty is often processed as potential risk. When a guest has already encountered your property in some way, the decision to book feels comfortable and low-risk because the place already feels like part of their world.
Balancing Familiarity with Novelty
The Coronado’s genius is that it doesn’t stop at familiarity. Once on the property, you can move between completely different environments:
A grand ballroom that feels like stepping into another era
Breezy beachfront cabanas with direct sand access
Garden courtyards shaded by palms
Lively oceanfront bars and patios
Each space offers a unique mood, but all are tied together by a consistent story: historic elegance meets coastal relaxation. This is the balance guests crave — something known to make them feel safe, and something new to make the experience memorable.
Lessons for Hospitality Entrepreneurs
The lesson here is clear:
Create familiarity before booking. Host public events, open certain areas to locals, or develop a recognizable design identity so people can “know” your property before committing to an overnight stay.
Anchor guests with consistent elements. This could be service rituals, signature scents, or a design detail repeated across spaces.
Layer in variety within the safe zone. Offer different experiences on-site so guests can shift from relaxation to activity, from intimate to social, without ever leaving your property.
The Takeaway
San Diego itself does this naturally. You can spend a morning in a neighborhood that feels like home and an afternoon in one that feels like another country, all within the same city.
The Hotel del Coronado takes the same approach in a single property — blending the comfort of the familiar with the excitement of the new.
Design your property with that same balance, and you give guests not just a place to stay, but a place they will return to again and again.
