The Fairmont Breakers Long Beach: A Hotel for Kids to Explore History and Modernity

When The Breakers opened in 1926 in Long Beach, California, it was a hotel ahead of its time with its exclusive boutiques, a Turkish bath, roof garden, elaborate dining rooms and private beach entrance. The Sky Room, its marquee restaurant, became a popular hangout for the era’s Hollywood A-Listers, including Clark Gable, Rita Hayworth, Cary Grant, Elizabeth Taylor and John Wayne.

© The Fairmont Breakers Long Beach

As times and tastes changed, the hotel closed its doors in 1963. However, with so much history at its foundation, Fairmont Breakers Hotel & Spa reopened in November 2024 after a six-year renovation. It re-emerges as a perfect location for weddings, anniversaries, milestone birthdays and multigenerational family travels. John Molina, current owner and CFO of Pacific6 Enterprises, has faith its opening will make history anew for Long Beach, as it could be a key player in the city’s revival as a California destination.

For lifelong resident Molina, who regularly passed the building enroute to work, it was heartbreaking to see the once great hotel as a shadow of its former self. “I felt it was not serving its highest and best use,” recalled Molina. “We eventually were able to come to an agreement in 2017 with the owner at the time, allowing us to start the process of bringing it back to its earlier grandeur and beyond.”

© The Fairmont Breakers Long Beach

Molina and his Pacific6 partners teamed up with Fairmont Hotels, which, in turn, hired noted hospitality design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates for the transformation. Rooms were expanded to reconfigure the property as a 14-story, 185-room and 22-suite luxury boutique hotel. The first luxury spa in Long Beach, occupying two stories, is also a game-changer, as is a third-story pool.

“It wasn’t just renovating but also keeping the historic elements intact even as we modernized it,” said Molina. “I look forward to summer, when sunrise yoga sessions will be offered on the rooftop.”

© The Fairmont Breakers Long Beach

Other improvements embody the perfect balance of old and new. The Sky Room restaurant was brought back to life with the use of opulent furniture evoking the Art Deco and Hollywood Golden Age era, while rooftop lounge Halo was added, serving 360-degree views of Downtown Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean. The bar features unique art, timeless arches and columns framing the floor-to-ceiling windows on either side of the bar. A large outdoor patio invites guests to enjoy beverages outside in warm weather. Full-service Italian restaurant Nettuno offers casual but sophisticated dining. Alter Ego, the Breaker’s lobby-level lounge, pays homage to its Jazz Age roots with live music Thursday–Saturday.