At 1134 Sixth Street, the hotel was built by the San Diego Construction Company and was the first steel frame structure in San Diego. It was initially contracted to Crane Brothers but was leased in 1911 to secretary James H. Babcock of Babcock Investment Company, president W. M. Dickinson and treasurer C. A. Blodgett. In June, the San Diego Construction Company petitioned the city for an open air stage at the hotel's rear. Babcock supervised Bab's German Garden Restaurant neighboring the hotel. Visitors of the hotel include
Billie Ritchie and
Chick Gandil. In 1912, the
San Diego Natural History Museum held its first exhibits in rooms at the Cecil. The hotel had expanded to 75 rooms by 1919. That same year,
The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company occupied the first floor of the Cecil. In 1920, the Greeters of San Diego held an election at the
U.S. Grant Hotel, electing George Best at the first vice president of the hotel. In June 1921, the hotel was sold to Charles L. Dix for $110,000. In 1923, the Marston Company purchased the hotel for and undisclosed amount of money. Dix said that part of the lease included that management would not change for three years. In 1924, Dix relocated to
Los Angeles where he and Banks Hanner built the 700 room
Cecil Hotel. A representative for
RICE and
hernia expert held a events at the hotel in 1925 and 1933. In 1926, D. D. Whitten was proposed for board of governor.
Cecil Hotel relocation In 1930, the Marston Company planned to expand the hotel for the Marston store's rug and drapery departments. In 1931, the hotel moved to a different building nearby on C Street, formerly called the Hotel Polhemus that would later become the C Street Inn. == Criminal Incidents ==