2025 West Best Projects
Award of Merit, Renovation/Restoration: Fairmont Breakers Hotel Long Beach

Fairmont Breakers Hotel Long Beach
Beach, Calif.
Award of Merit
Submitted by ARCO National Construction
Owner Pacific 6
Lead Design Firm GMA Design Group
General Contractor ARCO National Construction
When this building first opened in 1926, it was a luxury oceanfront resort, but it most recently functioned as a 233-unit congregate care facility. In 2018, a renovation began to transform the landmark into a boutique hotel, with both modern energy-efficient systems and historic aesthetics.
The project involved restoring key architectural elements such as the exterior facade, the ornate lobby ceiling, a World War II-era cupola-mounted pillbox and the arcade hallway. The revitalized 14-story property now features 185 guest rooms and suites, a 4,000-sq-ft pool deck, multiple dining venues and more than 9,000 sq ft of retail space.
Custom aluminum windows maintained the building’s original character, and seismic retrofits ensured compliance with modern safety standards. But completing the structure’s seismic upgrade required extensive concrete shear wall and FRP reinforcement installation.
The team also had to demolish and reinforce concrete-infilled window openings in updated guest room and public spaces to ensure compliance with modern codes while preserving historical integrity.


