Worlds First Outdoor Glass Elevator

In the 1950s, the world's first outside glass elevator was built installed on a hotel for the worlds amusement. From its opening in 1927 through the 1950s, the El Cortez Hotel in San Diego, California. was the most glamorous apartment-hotel in San Diego. The famous "El Cortez" sign, which was illuminated at night, added to the already glamorous facade in1937 and could be seen for miles. Reportedly a bellboy's idea, the concept of adding a glass elevator to the already eye catching facade was to become "the world's first." outside glass elevator. 

Designed by C.J. Paderewski who worked for Otis Elevator Company, the glass cab known as the "Starlight Express," brought visitors to the hotel's dining facilities with generous views of the city. The design of the El Cortez's ‘outside glass elevator’ concept was later copied by the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco and The Ilikai in Hawaii. Some considered the glass elevator to be one of Handlery's novelties, but it also served as an attraction to draw visitors back to the downtown hotel.

In 1989, a controversy arose when the owner, San Diego hotelier Mark Grosvenor, proposed a renovation plan that omitted the glass elevator. Grosvenor announced plans to remove some of the non-original elements, including the glass elevator and rooftop sign and neon stars, leading to a split among preservationists. Grosvenor was concerned about structural problems with the elevator and the unavailability of spare parts. Some preservationists approved of Grosvenor's plan, opining that Handerly's additions were "fifties kitsch" that detracted from the original Spanish architecture.

Others regarded the elevator as a key element in the hotel's historic significance. One member of the local historic site board noted, "It was the elevator that made a night at the El Cortez so thrilling. Any restoration that doesn't include the elevator is incomplete." The federal government ultimately endorsed proposals to remove the 1950s alterations and restore the original appearance.