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If you go anywhere near the Long Beach coastline, you’re bound to notice Fairmont Breakers. Standing 14 stories high—plus a turret topped with a flag—the hotel is now a Historical Landmark and has towered over Ocean Boulevard for 100 years. The Spanish Renaissance Revival building—with some Art Deco touches inside—was designed by Walker & Eisen, the same architectural firm behind the Beverly Wilshire hotel and United Artists Theatre.
Though it first opened as the Breakers Hotel in September 1926, it only reopened in its current state in November 2024, following six years of meticulous restoration. In the decades in between, it took turns as Long Beach’s first luxury hotel, a headquarters for the Red Cross after a 1933 earthquake, an Air Watch headquarters during World War II, a playground for glamorous old Hollywood stars from Clark Gable to Elizabeth Taylor and even, more recently, a swanky retirement home. But now, it’s reclaimed its luxury hotel status as a member of the Fairmont family of properties, complete with five dining concepts and a destination-worthy spa—not to mention tranquil rooms with waterfront views.
What are the rooms like at Fairmont Breakers?
Once you walk inside the hotel, you’ll check in at the front desk—which is the original desk from the 1920s, lovingly restored. Also restored is the ornate ceiling, with its original plasterwork and molding. Make sure to look up and see if you can spot Neptune, Poseidon, ships, mermaids and other sea creatures, which were incorporated into the design when the hotel first opened as an oceanfront resort.
Back in the day, the Breakers Hotel had 330 guest rooms. That’s now been condensed into 185 more spacious guestrooms, deluxe rooms and 22 one- and two-bedroom suites. I stayed in a signature one-bedroom suite with a view of the bay (there are also options with city views). The size of a small apartment, the suite was chic and comfortable, with understated decor, muted plaid curtains, modern light fixtures and marble tables, all imbued with a subtle coastal influence. The marble is mirrored in the bathroom, which boasts a separate shower and soaking tub, dual sinks and luxe Le Labo toiletries. As for the bedroom, the king bed, with its plush white bedding, was so comfortable I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Where can you eat and drink at Fairmont Breakers?
There are five distinct dining concepts at Fairmont Breakers, and each impeccably styled spot feels destination-worthy on its own. But the great thing about staying at the hotel is that you can just hop from one to the other all day long.
The star of the show—and the most iconic of the restaurants here—is Sky Room. Located on the 13th floor, it’s been attracting high rollers since Conrad Hilton acquired the hotel back in 1938 and transformed the penthouse level into the sky-high spot to see and be seen—word is it used to rival the Brown Derby in popularity. There have been many different iterations of the space over the years, but now it’s been returned to its former glory, with a glamorous showstopper of a dining room (that lighting fixture!), panoramic views of the bay and a menu of Continental-influenced California cuisine from chef Maxwell Pfeiffer. I ordered the simple-but-perfect Bramble cocktail and the red-wine-braised short rib with potato mousseline (though the beef Wellington and oysters Rockefeller seem to be the signature dishes here). The restaurant is famous for its tableside presentations, so for dessert, I got a classic: bananas foster, set aflame and presented with dramatic flair. The dish was excellent.
Above even the Sky Room is a gorgeous bar, Halo—which is somehow the first and only rooftop bar in Long Beach. I wanted to snap a photo of the picturesque space from every angle, between the Wicked-esque pink-and-green colorway, the brass monkeys and the unique rubberized artwork. You can step out onto the rooftop itself, which affords skyline and harbor views—and also gives you a close-up look at the tower where soldiers were stationed on lookout duty during World War II. Today, the space offers weekend Sky Line Sessions with live DJs, sunset cocktails with a view, and most ‘nightlife’ vibe you’ll find in the hotel.
For a moodier vibe, visit the Alter Ego lounge, a sexy space decorated with dark florals and velvets, and for daytime dining, head to Nettuno, the lobby restaurant. With its high ceilings and walls graced with 134 pieces of art—many by local artists—it feels like a Pinterest gallery wall on steroids.
Oh, and La Sala is the lobby lounge—a bright, solarium-inspired spot perfect for a coffee during the day, light bites in the afternoon or a handcrafted cocktail at night.
What can you do for fun at Fairmont Breakers?
Located on the ground floor of the hotel, past the elevators and a hallway that evokes the paparazzi cameras of yesteryear, you’ll find a luxurious spa—the only luxury spa in Long Beach, in fact. The calming, ocean-inspired retreat offers just what you would expect from its chic environs, starting with the retail boutique, the high-ceilinged, sandy-toned relaxation lounge and the locker suites, which boast spacious steam rooms. The eight treatment rooms—including one couple’s suite—are located on the second-floor of the two-story sanctuary.
In addition to massages and facials, which employ skincare products from Korean beauty company VENN and Paris-based Biologique Recherche, the spa specializes in signature body treatments—like the Pacific detox algae body wrap, which purifies and hydrates your skin with the help of marine algae. After your treatment, head back to the relaxation lounge with a glass of champagne, and enjoy the bright, sunny vibes.
If it’s a workout you’re after, there’s also a two-story, state-of-the-art fitness center nearby, open 24 hours a day. The hotel’s Fairmont Fit program will even deliver ready-to-wear workout apparel straight to your room. And the ACQUA Rooftop Pool isn’t on the 14th floor but rather the third-floor terrace, where you can take in the ocean views and order poolside cocktails.
What’s the area like around Fairmont Breakers?
Long Beach might be a bit far to get to from L.A. proper, but the good news is that once you’re at Fairmont Breakers, centrally located in downtown Long Beach, you’re probably only a few minutes from whatever you came to the coastal city for. The Long Beach Convention Center and its Terrace Theater, which between them host everything from comic conventions to political speakers to ballets to big-name comedians? Check. Events on the deck of the Queen Mary? Check—you can even see the ocean liner on the water from the Sky Room’s windows. You’re also only seven minutes away from the Long Beach Amphitheater, a brand-new 11,000-capacity waterfront venue that’s the city’s first large-scale outdoor music venue. Aquarium of the Pacific is also only seven minutes away, and you’re a six-minute drive from shopping destinations Shoreline Village and Rainbow Harbor.
The neighborhood immediately surrounding the hotel has the feel of Santa Monica’s Ocean Avenue, but less scene-y and crowded. If you’re after the trendier neighborhoods of Long Beach, you’re less than a 10-minute drive from Retro Row, a street peppered with vintage shops and buzzworthy eateries like pizza spots Little Coyote and Speak Cheezy, as well as Fillipino bakery San & Wolves, plus the renovated single-screen Art Theatre. Around 15 minutes farther inland, Bixby Knolls, with its brewpubs and boutiques, is also worth a stop.
DETAILS
Address: 210 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802
Price: Rooms start at $271 per night.
Closest transport: Take the Metro A Line to the Downtown Long Beach Metro Blue Line station, then head west on 1st Street for five minutes toward Pine Avenue.
Book now: via Booking.com
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