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Fairmont Breakers Long Beach
Long Beach, California, United States · Fairmont · Core Luxury
On May 6, 1950, a young Elizabeth Taylor spent the first of her eight wedding nights here, marrying Conrad Hilton Jr. at what was then one of Conrad Hilton's own hotels. Built in 1926 by local banker Fred B. Dunn as a 15-story Spanish Renaissance Revival tower, the hotel's illuminated rooftop "B" once guided aviator Charles Lindbergh to a foggy 1928 landing. After decades as senior housing, the landmark reopened in late 2023 following a $160 million restoration, its Art Deco Sky Room and Hall of Galleons dining room both revived.
- 207 rooms
- Opened 1926
- Neighborhood: Downtown
- Rooms from 287 sq ft (27 m²)
- Architect: Walker & Eisen
- Interiors: RVD + HBA San Francisco
About Fairmont Breakers Long Beach
- Conrad Hilton bought the hotel in 1938 and added the Sky Room, an Art Deco penthouse restaurant whose near-360-degree views drew Hollywood regulars Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, Rita Hayworth, and Cary Grant.
- The catastrophic 1933 Long Beach earthquake left the hotel standing while much of the surrounding city crumbled, though the Great Depression still forced it into bankruptcy that same year.
- The hotel won the 2025 Gold Key Award for Upper Luxury Hotel.
- RVD Associates with HBA San Francisco restored Walker & Eisen's 1926 Renaissance Revival façade, reopening transoms and window bays sealed for seismic reasons.
- Bronze-mirrored screens frame the reception desk in a lobby returned to Roaring Twenties plaster moldings and original ceiling heights.
History
The building that stands today as Fairmont Breakers Long Beach began construction in 1925, the vision of Fred B. Dunn, a respected local banker who invested some three million dollars — approximately 52 million in today's terms — in a grand hotel that would announce Long Beach's arrival as a world-class coastal destination. Dunn commissioned Walker & Eisen, the prolific Los Angeles firm that would go on to design the Beverly Wilshire and the James Oviatt Building, to realize the project. Their design rose 15 stories in the Spanish Renaissance Revival style, its warm stucco facade, graceful cast stone detailing, and domed cupola dominating the waterfront skyline in a city that had few other buildings of comparable ambition. When the doors opened in September 1926 with a gala of music, dancing, and Jazz Age ceremony, The Breakers became the finest hotel in Long Beach almost by default — but also by genuine measure. Early amenities included in-room radio listening, a rooftop garden designed to resemble the deck of an ocean liner, a Turkish bath, a barbershop, and the elaborate Hall of Galleons dining room. The hotel was immediately full.
On May 31, 1928, aviator Charles Lindbergh navigated through heavy coastal fog toward Long Beach, guided to his landing by the illuminated letter 'B' blazing atop the building — transforming the hotel into a literal beacon and cementing its place in local legend. The Stock Market Crash of 1929 struck the Breakers hard, and the catastrophic Long Beach earthquake of 1933 — which left the building standing while much of the surrounding city crumbled — brought financial ruin. The Breakers declared bankruptcy that year, and its lobby was converted into a Red Cross relief headquarters in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.
Conrad Hilton purchased the property in 1938, making it the eighth hotel in his chain, and poured $200,000 into renovations. Among his additions was the Sky Room, an art deco-styled restaurant and lounge occupying the former penthouse, whose nearly 360-degree views of sea and city made it one of the most celebrated dining rooms in Southern California. The Stars of Hollywood's Golden Age followed: Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, Rita Hayworth, Cary Grant, and John Wayne were regular visitors, drawn by a resort that offered the glamour of the best Hollywood haunts without the relentless attention that came with them. On May 6, 1950, a young Elizabeth Taylor spent the first of her eight wedding nights at the Breakers, on the occasion of her marriage to Conrad Hilton Jr. The building was designated a Long Beach Historical Landmark in 1989.
After Hilton sold in the late 1940s, the hotel changed hands repeatedly. The Sky Room closed in 1988 and the building was converted to senior housing in the early 1990s, standing vacant for hotel purposes through most of the following decade. Long Beach-based investment group Pacific6 acquired the property in November 2017 with the explicit intention of restoring it as a luxury hotel. Their $160 million rehabilitation preserved the original plaster and cast stone exterior, reopened windows that had been sealed for decades, and reconstructed lost storefronts from historic photographs. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts was announced as the operating partner in July 2022, and the hotel reopened in late 2023 — a century after Dunn first broke ground — as Fairmont Breakers Long Beach. The Sky Room returned as a featured dining destination, the Hall of Galleons was honored in the reimagined interiors, and the rooftop once again presides over the Long Beach waterfront as it has for the better part of a hundred years.
Restaurants and bars
- Nettuno — Restaurant
- Sky Room — Restaurant · Fine dining
- Alter Ego — Restaurant
- Halo — Restaurant
Experiences
- Gondola Getaway canal gondola rides — Gondola rides along the Naples canals, with America's oldest and largest gondola fleet, established 1982.
- Halo rooftop nightclub — Rooftop nightclub with panoramic views from Downtown LA to Catalina, live music and DJs.
- Fairmont Spa — Spa with eight treatment rooms, a couples room, relaxation lounge, and steam rooms in each locker room.
- Rooftop pool — Serene rooftop pool.
- Aquarium of the Pacific — Immersive exhibits and marine life from around the world.
- Recreation Park 18 golf course — 18-hole, par 72 course with elevation changes, bunkers and greens.
Amenities
- Spa
- Pool
- Fitness center
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- AAA Four Diamond (2026)
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
- Gold Key Award — Upper Luxury Hotel (2025)
- International Hotel & Property Awards — Hotel Design Americas (2025)
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