The Fairmont Breakers has been years in the making. Dates have been perpetually pushed back due to the pandemic and construction constrictions. Taking over the historic building that once operated as a senior home, it lines the southern end of Ocean between Collins Avenue. And it has what many are hoping to be an official opening date: Nov. 7.
“After extensive renovation, Fairmont Breakers returns as Long Beach’s luxury hotel,” Breakers General Manager Mark Steenge said in a statement. “It restores one of California’s most storied properties to its original grandeur. With 185 rooms and 22 suites, spa, restaurants and lounges, rediscover a timeless refuge.”
Those setbacks were largely removed when the project scored key capital funding. X-Caliber Funding and its affiliate, CastleGreen Finance, on provided $122.2M in capital for hotel in February. About $64.5M of that total comes from bridge loans from a first mortgage and historic tax credits. The rest comes from Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy financing thanks to the California Statewide Communities Development Authority’s Open PACE Program.
Here’s what we know so far about the Fairmont Breakers in Long Beach.
The opening of the city’s first hotel and spa space is important for a multitude of reasons. (The spa, by the way, is special. It’s a two-story space that both couples and singles can use to relax as hotel guests.)
There is, of course, the obvious cultural clout of hosting a Fairmont property. But also, the financial boost. Conventions, conferences, and events often turn a blind eye to Long Beach as a destination because it doesn’t fit with the quality or needs of its attendees and brand. This is something that has potentially lost the city a multitude of investments. And with our visitor’s bureau booming, they are likely to bring in new business.
Upon opening, the Fairmont Breakers will offer some 185 boutique rooms and 22 suites. There will be a rooftop pool and terrace. And an open-air rooftop lounge with 360-degree views of the Pacific. That two-story spa, wellness and fitness center we mentioned before will be on the ground level. There will be a live jazz club (more on that below). And, finally, 12,000-plus square feet of indoor and outdoor function space.
Two restaurants—including an entirely new Italian concept Nettuno—will be added.
Locals are perhaps most interested in the food and social spaces being offered by the Fairmont Breakers—and rightfully so: Though it had severely declined in its latter years, The Sky Room was a defining space when it came to food and luxury for the city.
Before formally closing in 2018 while just under one year of oversight by Pacific6, The Sky Room was owned and operated by father and son team Bernard and Jonathan Rosenson from 1998 to it closure, shortly after Bernard acquired the Breakers building. And well before Pacific6 and the Rosensons, The Sky Room has been a Breakers staple—in and out occasionally due to ownership changes—since it originally opened in 1946.
A representative said they hope to deliver table-side flambéed desserts like cherries jubilee and bananas foster, with the menu carrying that classic culinary tradition with contemporary flair and presentation. Leather lined booths, individually lighted tables, and golds mixed with blues will highlight the interior.
The Fairmont Breakers’s newest restaurant, Nettuno, will be headed by Fairmont Sonoma Chef Jared Reeves, famous for his dry-aged duck and handmade pastas. Inspired by Italian meals made in the home by one’s mother or grandmother, Nettuno will be “redefining casual dining,” according to a representative, and be acting as Fairmont’s breakfast, lunch, and brunch space.
Joining the restaurants will be three new bars at Fairmont Breakers
Adding to the list will be Alter Ego, the Fairmont Breakers’s ode to jazz music and live performance—something associated with the hotel since its original opening in 1926 and continuing through to when Conrad Hilton made it his eighth Hilton Hotel.
There’s also La Sala, the all-day-all-night space that will serve coffee, espresso, and pastries in the morning, afternoon tea, and cocktails in the evening. It is an ode to the green solarium that was once a part of the Fairmont Breakers in the 1930s—hence the greens and palm tree chandeliers.
Lastly but certainly not least will be Halo, the rooftop nightclub and social space that has altered the entire accessibility of Fairmont The Breakers’s rooftop.
Building the extended rooftop was no easy feat for the Fairmont Breakers.
In order to comply with regulations, developers had to extend existing elevators while creating two new ones that flank the building’s eastern wall. Those who visited the building’s rooftop bar before Fairmont was involved—previously known as the Cielo bar, now known as Halo—was only accessible to fully ambulatory visitors who were dropped off at the 13th floor inside the former Sky Room’s lobby. They then had to climb a tight stairwell to access the space. Those existing elevators will join a new passenger elevator going up to the rooftop, permitting everyone easy access the renovated top-floor space.
That rooftop includes the existing bar space, now revamped, but also the entire rooftop westward of that bar, which now has steps onto a newly constructed 2,600-square-foot rooftop terrace. Before renovation, there was a 7.5-foot drop from the floor of the existing bar space to the rest of the roof. Given this, Pacific6 created an elevated platform that will allow patrons of the bar to access the terrace by stepping down two elongated steps. A stucco wall topped with a glass railing lines the roof’s edge while a new, additional bar was constructed at the westernmost edge of the roof.
The culinary team has been announced
Per their press release, here are the chefs heading the team—two of which are Long Beach staples.
Jared Reeves, Executive Chef
Executive Chef Jared Reeves joins Fairmont Breakers Long Beach with over 15 years of international culinary expertise, spanning prestigious kitchens across the globe. Jared’s lifelong passion for cuisine dates back to childhood afternoons cooking with his grandmother. Originally from Kansas City, Chef Reeves honed his skills at Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney, as well as in Australia’s most iconic restaurants, including Lucio’s and The Wood’s Restaurant at Four Seasons Sydney. Returning to the U.S. in 2016, Jared played a pivotal role in the opening of Four Seasons New York Downtown and later joined Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa as Executive Sous Chef, where he earned accolades such as 2020 Leader of the Year. In his new role as Executive Chef, Jared will oversee the culinary program at Fairmont Breakers Long Beach, driving innovation and excellence across the hotel’s dining venues. With a passion for California’s terroir and fresh, farm-to-table ingredients, Chef Jared focuses on celebrating local producers with contemporary takes on classic dishes, bringing his creative flair and expertise to the culinary team at the new hotel.
Giuseppe A. Musso, Chef de Cuisine – Nettuno
Hailed as an acclaimed chef by the Long Beach community, Chef Giuseppe A. Musso will helm Nettuno, serving a seasonal menu inspired by authentic Italian home-cooked meals. Known for his innovative approach to Italian cuisine, Chef Giuseppe A. Musso brings nearly a decade of expertise and artistry to Nettuno, pushing the boundaries of Italian cuisine through dishes that marry his deep-rooted Italian heritage with modern techniques and global influences. With a prolific career, Chef Musso’s journey began in Forlì, Italy and has continued through some of Europe’s finest kitchens as well as leading renowned restaurants in Los Angeles. From mastering French cuisine at Negresco Hotel in Nice to embracing Spanish flavors in Lloret de Mar, Giuseppe has fused European flavors to create a one-of-a-kind culinary style. At Nettuno, innovative à la carte dishes highlight Chef Musso’s culinary talent and dexterity in creating vibrant, imaginative dishes, artfully blending both coastal Californian and Italian favorites.
Max Pfeiffer, Chef de Cuisine – Sky Room
A Long Beach native, Chef Max Pfeiffer brings a deep connection to the destination and a passion for fine dining to his new role as Chef de Cuisine at Sky Room. Growing up frequenting Sky Room, Max has a deep reverence and familiarity with the restaurant’s tradition and status as a legendary icon within the Long Beach community. A graduate of Cal State Long Beach, Max’s gastronomic career has since taken him across the country from the acclaimed Sotto in Cincinnati to top-tier restaurants in Southern California, including Roe and Michelin-starred Knife Pleat in Costa Mesa. Max’s homecoming to Long Beach will be a pivotal moment in his career – the talented chef is eager to elevate Sky Room’s dining experience through his unique local perspective and innovative culinary techniques.
The Fairmont Breakers is located at 210 E. Ocean Blvd. and is expected to open in the fall of 2024.
Editor’s note: This article originally stated the incorrect number of rooms; it has been updated.
