The historic Del Monte Hotel was originally constructed in 1880 as one of the finest luxury hotels in North America. The large wood structure, originally designed by architect Arthur Brown in a Swiss Gothic style, survived fires and subsequent reconstruction in 1887 and 1924 to eventually become one of the most elegant seaside resorts in the world.
After being taken over by the Navy In 1942 as a pre-flight school for aviators in World War II, the military recognized the value of the facility as a consolidated educational complex and in 1947, Congress authorized the purchase of the property and it officially became the Naval Postgraduate School.
In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Soltek was selected by the Navy to refurbish the building and institute new antiterrorism standards, with no impact to the historical attributes of the exterior façade of the building. In one of the largest scale historical restoration projects on the West Coast, this $30 million Design-Build project involved a complete renovation including seismic upgrades, new plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems, new room interiors including kitchenettes, dining rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms, walk in closets, laundry facilities and new elevators. Soltek performed the restoration effort in consult with the State Historical Preservation Officer, with emphasis on preserving such areas of historic significance as the hallways, corridors, stairwells, the exterior building façade, and the surrounding landscape.
Soltek’s efforts resulted in the project being recognized for a number of notable awards, including a prestigious Preservation Design Award from the California Preservation Foundation, an Aon Build America Award, and a Chairman’s Award for Federal Achievement in Historic Preservation by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.