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1926
Fairmont Breakers Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Fairmont Breakers Long Beach
210 East Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, California 90802 Original Property Opened in 1926 Historic Hotels of America member since 2024Originally opened in 1926 at the height of the Roaring Twenties, Fairmont Breakers Long Beach is a legendary Southern California hotel that once played host to Tinseltown’s finest. In its heyday, The Breakers Hotel boasted a star-studded guest list, featuring such names as Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Rita Hayworth, Cary Grant, Elizabeth Taylor, and John Wayne. And its signature lounge—the Art Deco-themed Sky Room, the brainchild of renowned hotelier Conrad Hilton—was the favorite date spot for celebrities and Los Angeles locals alike. Sadly, economic misfortune befell the hotel in the mid-20th century, causing it to shutter in the early 1960s.
In the intervening years, the structure served as a retirement community and an assisted living facility, a shell of the grand hotel it once was. Still, many recognized its prominent place in the area’s history, designating the storied, then-vacant building a Long Beach Historical Landmark in 1988. Then, in 2017, local businessman and philanthropist John Molina convinced his business partners to purchase the structure and embark on a years-long, $150-million renovation to restore the Long Beach landmark to its former glory. Today, Fairmont Breakers Long Beach once more carries on the tradition of excellence that began almost a century ago. It welcomes guests with 185 boutique guestrooms and suites, a two-story spa, a live jazz club, breathtaking vistas of the Pacific Ocean from the rooftop pool and lounge, and five culinary venues - including, of course, the iconic Sky Room restaurant.
Discover
- Follow in the star-studded footsteps of some of Fairmont Breakers Long Beach’s former guests. Thanks to the hotel’s stunning ocean-view setting, elegant architecture, and location not far from Los Angeles, The Breakers Hotel was a favorite haunt of Hollywood celebrities like Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth, John Wayne, and Errol Flynn. The Breakers saw other icons pass through its doors, too, including Major League Baseball heavy hitter Babe Ruth and world-famous aviator Charles Lindbergh. The rich and famous would come to dine and dance in the famed Sky Room and escape the harsh glow of the spotlight for a little while. Still, nothing gold can stay, not even for the stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Although The Breakers provided a temporary reprieve, the cameras and flashing lights were never too far away. In fact, the Hollywoodland sign (the “land” wasn’t removed from the Los Angeles icon until 1949) could actually be seen on a clear day from the hotel’s famed Sky Room, a constant reminder of the ever-present limelight that awaited Tinseltown VIPs just 30 minutes north.
- Learn why Fairmont Breakers Long Beach is the place “Where Lindbergh Saw the Light.” It was the early morning hours of May 31, 1928, just a year and 10 days after he completed the first solo trans-Atlantic flight, and Charles Lindbergh was lost. What should have been an easy flight from Arizona to San Francisco via Los Angeles was turned upside down by dense fog—that is until Lucky Lindy saw the glowing “B” of The Breakers Hotel sign, then only two years old, shining through the haze. Using the sign as a beacon, Lindbergh followed the light until his Spirit of St. Louis airplane broke through the fog, allowing him to make a surprise, 3a.m. landing at Daugherty Field, which itself had opened only five years earlier. After touching down safely, Lindbergh was whisked away to none other than The Breakers Hotel to rest before continuing his journey. Hours later, he left the comfort of his room to make the trip back to the airport, requiring a police escort to get through the throng of hopeful onlookers who had gathered at the hotel. Today, that same sign that saved Lindbergh around a century ago still glitters from atop Fairmont Breakers, a shining reminder of the hotel’s place in Long Beach history.
- Discover the role The Breakers Hotel played in the efforts of the War Department during World War II. Given the hotel’s prime location not far from the coast and inside a 15-story building with sweeping views of the Pacific, The Breakers took an active role in defensive measures for the region. The Sky Room hosted the headquarters for a local branch of the Ground Observer Corps, harnessing its lofty perch overlooking the ocean to keep watch for German or Japanese aircraft, while naval officers used the restaurant for their daily planning. The rooftop even saw the installation of two pillboxes with gun mountings for harbor defense, one of which remained in place until 1991.
- Marvel at the hotel’s painstaking, $150-million renovation. Spanning from 2017 to 2024, the multi-year rejuvenation process restored the building in all its glory. As a Long Beach Historic Landmark, the developers sought to keep as many of the structure’s original features as possible, while also revamping it for modern standards. With the help of the initial blueprints, the lobby level retains many authentic elements, like ornately carved coffered ceilings and column capitals. The end result brings Fairmont Breakers Long Beach into a true hospitality renaissance, opening as the city’s first luxury boutique hotel.
Explore
- Journey back in time with a docent-led tour of Rancho Los Alamitos and Rancho Los Cerritos. Microcosms of Southern California history, the 28,000-acre Rancho Los Alamitos and 27,054-acre Rancho Los Cerritos were two of five ranches partitioned out of Rancho Los Nietos, the largest Spanish concession in Nueva California (New California), a province of New Spain. Now spanning only 7.5 and 4.7 acres, respectively, these historic ranchos immerse visitors in ranching heritage and the culture of the Tongva people, the area’s original inhabitants, with their adobe houses, landscaped grounds, and fascinating exhibits. Rancho Los Alamitos, the “Ranch of the Little Cottonwoods,” also boasts the trading and ceremonial village of Povuu’nga, the traditional place of origin and sacred ancestral home of the Tongva.
- Get in the creative spirit by visiting one of Long Beach’s art museums. Running the gamut from cultural exhibits featuring Latin American and Pacific Islander artists to a wide-ranging collection of American and European works, there is something for art lovers of all kinds. The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) is the only museum dedicated to modern and contemporary works by Latin American and Latino artists in the country. Part of the East Village Arts District, the museum itself is also located in a true piece of Long Beach and Southern California creative history: the site of the former Balboa Amusement Producing Company, the most prolific silent film studio in the world from 1913 to 1918. Much more intimate in scale, the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum is also unique, as the only museum in the continental United States devoted to the vibrant cultures of Oceania, with a special focus on Micronesia. Finally, the Long Beach Museum of Art (LBMA) is an expansive collection of more than 3,200 artworks spanning 300 years, including paintings, sculptures, decorative art objects, and drawings. Housed largely in the historic Elizabeth Milbank Anderson house, a bluffside California bungalow constructed in 1911, LBMA also offers glorious views of Long Beach Harbor and Catalina Island.
- Embark on a fascinating voyage through maritime history with a trip to the area’s two on-the-water museums, The Queen Mary and the Battleship USS Iowa Museum. After setting sail from Southampton, England, on her maiden voyage on May 27, 1936, the RMS Queen Mary quickly became the paragon of transatlantic travel. More than 30 years later, she dropped anchor for the last time in Long Beach, where she has remained ever since. In the years following, the elegant ocean liner has welcomed guests aboard, offering guided tours on everything from the ship’s Art Deco design and experience hosting Hollywood’s rich and famous to reports of paranormal activity. To experience a different side of maritime history, climb onboard the Battleship USS Iowa instead. Before mooring along the L.A. Waterfront in 2012, not far from Long Beach, this Los Angeles landmark proudly served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Cold War. Today, visitors can explore the iconic battleship on a self-guided or guided tour.
Experience
- Pedal along the scenic waterfront of Long Beach and take in the vistas with a bike rental or bike share. Shoreline Village and the area surrounding area is a popular area for cyclists and visitors alike, thanks to its abundant dining and shopping opportunities, vibrant patchwork of buildings in candylike colors, and spectacular panoramas. Rather than simply taking a stroll, rent out a set of wheels to enjoy the views of Rainbow Harbor and beyond instead. Located in Shoreline Village, there are a wide array of bike rental options, from traditional two-wheel bicycles like beach cruisers, tandems, and electric bikes to specialty cycles like the deuce coupe, quad sport, and chopper. Families and friends can even pedal it out together with four-wheel surrey bikes, which light up the night after sunset with sparkling strings of LED lights. Those eager to explore even further can also take advantage of complimentary self-guided tour maps, filled with fascinating tidbits and points of interest around neighboring areas like Naples and Seal Beach. After the explorations, be sure to stick around Shoreline Village for a meal or a ride on the Pelican Pier Pavilion carousel.
- Take advantage of the protective breakwater and learn how to kitesurf at Belmont Shore. In the early 20th century, Long Beach was renowned as one of the Golden State’s first surfing meccas, with its pristine coastline and long, gentle waves earning it the title of the “Waikiki of the West Coast.” Although the Hawaiian-imported sport first landed in the Golden State in July 1885, it wasn’t until the 1910s and 1920s that surfing really started to pick up steam, due in part to Long Beach’s surf scene. In fact, not only did legendary Duke Kahanamoku, a five-time Olympic medalist swimmer from Hawaii hailed as the “father of modern surfing” (and the flutter kick), give a surfing demonstration to thousands of people in Long Beach in 1913. The city also played host to the 1938 National Surfing and Paddleboard Championships, the first of its kind in Los Angeles County, which drew more than 50,000 spectators to Long Beach’s shores. Then, World War II happened. With the arrival of the U.S. Navy fleet in the city’s waters and the threat of enemy submarines, a breakwater was built in the 1940s as a barrier and a deterrent, effectively cutting off ocean swells and stifling the city’s thriving surf culture. Today, local surfers are championing the removal of the breakwater to hopefully return Long Beach to its former surfing glory. Until then, however, consistent winds and the lack of major waves and strong currents makes Long Beach, and specifically Belmont Shore, the perfect place to learn kitesurfing. Plus, as the only approved beach for kitesurfing lessons in Los Angeles and Orange counties, learning opportunities are plentiful, with sessions available for all levels.
- Float through the Venice-like canals of Long Beach’s Naples Island on a leisurely gondola ride. Just like Italy’s floating city, this Long Beach community features an extensive canal system, lending ample romantic charm and opening the area up to picturesque, on-the-water exploration. (In fact, Naples does not just take its design inspiration from Venice, but Long Beach and Venezia are actually official friendship cities.) And just like in Venice, there is no better way to do that than from a Venetian gondola. Naples Island’s current fleet of gondolas is the oldest and largest of its kind in the United States (and the second largest in the world), established in 1982. However, the boats were actually first introduced to the Long Beach neighborhood back in 1903 during Naples’ development. Since the fleet’s beginning, the gondoliers have sought to maintain an authentic experience, going so far as to train in the gondola’s birthplace each year and compete against the Venetians in rowing competitions, the only American team in the past 33 years to do so. The Long Beach gondoliers once even beat out the home team in a prestigious 20-mile race in 1985, much to the surprise of the Italians and the rowers themselves. Today, visitors wind their way through meandering canals, under bridges, and past beautiful waterfront homes, all while being serenaded and regaled with tales of Venezia by their dutiful gondolier.
Taste
- Savor a meal or sip on a cocktail at the Sky Room, a Breakers and Long Beach icon since the late 1930s. Just as popular as Hollywood hotspots like Coconut Grove and The Brown Derby, the restaurant was once a favorite of Tinseltown stars, who would make the short journey from Los Angeles to eat, listen to music, and retreat from the limelight for a while. With the revival of Fairmont Breakers Long Beach, the Sky Room is also reveling in its own renaissance, evoking the glamorous dining experience that made it a hit during the 1930s and 1940s. Here, guests can indulge in high-end fine dining complete with tableside preparations and a maître d', all while drinking in the restaurant’s spectacular views, just like the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Clark Gable would during Hollywood’s Golden Age.
- Sample some of the best Khmer food in the United States in Cambodia Town. Home to the largest population of Cambodians outside of the actual country itself, Long Beach also lays claim to the tastiest Cambodian food this side of the Pacific. Best of all, these Asian eateries are all relatively near each other, allowing diners to easily compare dishes like Phnom Penh noodles, lok lak (beef accented with ingredients like black pepper and oyster sauce), grilled meat skewers flavored with fragrant lemongrass, and prahok ktis (ground pork dip with coconut milk and fermented fish). While devouring the best that Cambodia Town has to offer, be sure to check out the rest of the neighborhood, which boasts temples, jewelry stores, outdoor murals, and more.
- Take a bite out of the city’s globally inspired culinary landscape at a food hall. Long Beach’s official motto is “The International City,” a proud nod to its standing as one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse big cities in the United States, according to the U.S. Census. So, naturally, its food scene is equally varied and vibrant. The best way to try a taste of it all is at one of the city’s food halls, with each offering a kaleidoscope of cuisine and a unique atmosphere all its own. Constructed out of shipping containers (an appropriate touch for a city with one of the biggest ports in California and a top-10 port for the most foreign trade in the country), SteelCraft tantalizes diners’ tastebuds with Mexican cuisine, wood-fired pizza, and more. Taking inspiration from its days as a former manufacturing site for McDonnell Douglas/Boeing for military and commercial aircraft, The Hangar takes up residence in an aviation-inspired space, with 14 vendors cooking up cuisines like Turkish, Canadian, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese.
