Breakers Hotel (Long Beach, California) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fairmont Breakers Long Beach |
|
|---|---|
Breakers Hotel, September 2009
|
|
| Location | 200–220 East Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, California |
| Built | 1926 |
| Architect | Walker & Eisen |
| Architectural style(s) | Romanesque or Spanish Renaissance |
| Governing body | private |
| Website | https://www.fairmont.com/breakers-long-beach/ |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
The Fairmont Breakers Long Beach is a famous 14-story hotel in Long Beach, California. It stands tall on East Ocean Avenue in the city's downtown area. This beautiful building first opened in 1926 as a fancy oceanfront resort. After a big restoration project, it welcomed guests again in 2024. The hotel is so special that it has been named a Long Beach Historic Landmark.
Contents
- A Look Back: The Hotel's Story
- Building a Dream: The Early Years (1925–1927)
- Tough Times: The Great Depression and Earthquake (1929–1935)
- The Hilton Era and the Famous Sky Room (1938–1947)
- Changing Hands: The Wilton and Breakers International (1947–1964)
- A Home for Seniors: The Retirement Hotel (1967–1982)
- Back to a Hotel, Briefly (1982–1988)
- Becoming a Historic Landmark (1989)
- Assisted Living for Seniors (1990–2015)
- The Sky Room's Comeback (1997–2018)
- A New Beginning: Restoration as a Luxury Hotel (2017–Present)
- See also
A Look Back: The Hotel's Story
Building a Dream: The Early Years (1925–1927)
The idea for the Breakers Hotel came from Fred B. Dunn, a local banker in Long Beach. Construction started in the fall of 1925. The plan was to build a large base covering a whole city block. From the center of this base, a tall tower would rise thirteen stories high. The hotel also had extra floors below the street level, including an arcade and a basement. People at the time described its style as "ultra Spanish," meaning it had a very strong Spanish look.
The hotel officially opened in September 1926. A big dinner and banquet were held, with speeches from Long Beach's Mayor Fillmore Condit and Fred Dunn. There was also entertainment from vaudeville performers.
The Breakers Hotel was one of the tallest buildings in the city when it opened. It was promoted as one of the best luxury hotels in Southern California. It had 330 guest rooms and a long stretch of ocean view. Some cool features included a huge dining room called the "Hall of Galleons," a roof garden, a coffee shop, and even a beauty salon and barber shop. There was also a special elevator for "surf bathers." Guests could put on their swimsuits in their rooms, take the elevator down, and walk straight to the beach!
One very modern feature for its time was that every guest room had radio broadcasts. An article from 1926 explained that each room had four "radio jets." Guests could plug in and listen to different radio stations. If a guest wanted to hear a specific show, they could call the "receiving room" in the tower, and an operator would tune it in for them. The Breakers was open for both short-term visitors and people who wanted to live there permanently.
.jpg)
Tough Times: The Great Depression and Earthquake (1929–1935)
Less than a year after opening, the hotel was sold to a group of investors. They planned to make some changes, like closing dining rooms and turning the ballroom into a summer garden.
However, the hotel soon faced big challenges. The Great Depression began, which was a time when many people lost their jobs and money. Then, in 1933, a strong earthquake hit Long Beach. While the Breakers only had minor damage, the earthquake caused a lot of destruction in the city. This hurt the city's tourism, meaning fewer people visited the hotel. After the earthquake, the hotel even became the main place for the Red Cross to help people. By 1934, the hotel was struggling financially and owed taxes.
The Hilton Era and the Famous Sky Room (1938–1947)
In 1938, a famous hotel owner named Conrad Hilton bought the Breakers. He renamed it the Hilton Hotel. Hilton spent a lot of money to update the building. He turned the top-floor penthouse into a restaurant called the Sky Room. This restaurant quickly became one of the most popular places in Southern California. Many famous movie stars, like Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, Rita Hayworth, Cary Grant, and John Wayne, were said to have visited the Sky Room. People remembered it as a very cool place to go out.
During World War II, the hotel's rooftop was used for defense. Two small concrete structures with gun mounts were put there to protect the harbor. The Sky Room even became the official headquarters for watching the skies over Long Beach harbor. One of these structures was still on the roof many years later!
Changing Hands: The Wilton and Breakers International (1947–1964)
In 1947, Hilton sold the hotel, and it was renamed the Wilton Hotel. Over the next few years, the hotel changed owners several times. There were promises to update the aging building, but these changes didn't always happen.
In 1961, Fred Miller bought the hotel and renamed it the Breakers International Hotel. He spent a lot of money to fix up the entire property. Miller hoped to bring back the hotel's old glory. However, he couldn't make the resort successful, and he lost a lot of money. In November 1963, Miller closed the hotel.
People wondered why the hotel failed. Some thought it relied too much on big events and conventions. Others blamed the rise of motels, which offered cheaper places to stay. In January 1964, the hotel was sold at an auction. It was bought by a realtor named Harvey Miller, who planned to turn it into a retirement hotel. The building stayed empty for almost three years, earning the nickname "the West Coast's largest pigeon roost."
A Home for Seniors: The Retirement Hotel (1967–1982)
In September 1966, the hotel reopened as the New Breakers International Hotel. It was a mix of a retirement home and a regular hotel for overnight guests. By 1967, most of its rooms were occupied by permanent residents. They could choose different plans, including meals and hotel services.
In 1975, the retirement hotel was updated again with new carpets, furniture, and phone systems. The goal was to create a great living space for senior citizens in Long Beach.
Back to a Hotel, Briefly (1982–1988)
In 1982, parts of the building were turned back into a hotel. It went through a big $15 million renovation that finished in 1985.
In 1986, the fully reopened Breakers Hotel was managed by Wrather Port Properties, which also managed other famous Long Beach attractions like the Queen Mary. The hotel now had 242 guest rooms and a restaurant and nightclub on the top floor. The ballroom was restored to its original 1920s style. The Sky Room, which had been changed to a Polynesian theme, was renovated again in a cool Art Deco style. Everyone was excited about the hotel's return. However, this excitement didn't last long. The hotel didn't attract enough guests to make money and closed its doors again on January 14, 1988.
Becoming a Historic Landmark (1989)
In 1989, while still empty, the Breakers was officially named a Long Beach Historical Landmark. This meant that any major changes to the building's outside appearance would need special approval.
Assisted Living for Seniors (1990–2015)
After its 1988 closure, the property was bought by Ocean Boulevard Associates. They spent $23 million to make the building safer from earthquakes and restore its 1920s Romanesque style. In November 1990, the Breakers reopened as an "Assisted Living" residence for senior citizens. Residents paid a monthly fee that included meals, housekeeping, and transportation. The facility closed in March 2015 after its license was removed by state authorities.
The Sky Room's Comeback (1997–2018)
In 1997, the Sky Room, which Conrad Hilton first created, was restored and reopened by a new owner, Bernard Rosenson. He brought back the Art Deco look and designed it to show off its amazing 360-degree view. The new Sky Room offered a "retro" menu and live music from a swing and jazz band. It had its own entrance and elevator so it could operate separately from the retirement home. The restaurant stayed open even after the retirement home closed, but both the Sky Room and its nearby bar closed in April 2018. This was to prepare the building to become a hotel once more.
A New Beginning: Restoration as a Luxury Hotel (2017–Present)
In November 2017, a group of investors from Long Beach called Pacific6 bought the building. They announced their plan to fully restore the Breakers and turn it into a luxury hotel with 185 rooms, called The Breakers Hotel & Spa.
On July 28, 2022, it was announced that the restored hotel would be managed by the fancy Fairmont Hotels and Resorts chain. It was renamed the Fairmont Breakers Long Beach. The hotel officially reopened its doors on November 19, 2024, ready to welcome guests to its historic beauty once again.
See also
