Hotel Breakers
Hotel Breakers | |
Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
 Aerial view of Hotel Breakers with the rotunda at the center, 1985 | |
  | |
| Location | Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, United States |
|---|---|
| Built | 1905 |
| Architect | Knox & Elliott |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, French Chateau |
| NRHP reference No. | 82003565 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | 1982[1] |
| Designated NHL | March 9, 1987[2] |
| Removed from NRHP | August 7, 2001 |
| Delisted NHL | August 7, 2001[2] |
The Hotel Breakers, opened in 1905, is a large historic Lake Erie resort hotel located at 1 Cedar Point Drive in the Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio.
History[edit]
Early years[edit]
At the turn of the 20th Century, George A. Boeckling, then general manager of Cedar Point, believed that the longer guests stayed at Cedar Point, the more profitable the resort would be. The park's two hotels at that time, the 20-room Bay Shore Hotel and the 125-room White House Hotel, were having trouble meeting the demands of overnight visitors.[3] Boeckling made plans to build a massive hotel on the resort's beach. Keeping with Boeckling's vision of Cedar Point as the "Queen of American Watering Places", he set out to build the resort's grandest hotel.
The Hotel Breakers opened on June 12, 1905, featuring 600 rooms, most with a view of Lake Erie. Each room included running water and one hundred had private baths, a rarity for hotels at that time. The hotel's Breakers Cafe seated 400 guests. The hotel was designed by the Knox & Elliott architectural firm and was influenced by chateaus Boeckling had seen while traveling in France.[4]
The hotel's lobby featured round seats, which remain a Cedar Point tradition. The ceiling was elaborate pressed tin and included chandeliers crafted by Tiffany artists. The hotel's original amenities included imported wicker furniture, large brass beds, a manicurist, a medical doctor, a tailor, a stenographer, a barbershop, news stand, ice cream parlor and souvenir counter.[3] Adjacent to the lobby was a four-story rotunda featuring four tiers of balconies, which remains in the hotel.
Heyday[edit]
A new wing was added to the Breakers in 1917 bringing the number of rooms to more than 700. Singers from the Metropolitan Opera gave impromptu performances in the rotunda from their balconies during the 1910s and 1920s.[4] The 160-room Bon Air wing of the hotel was added to the north side in 1926, bringing the number of rooms to 875.[3]
In 1935, the Hotel Breakers was modernized and the Tavern Terrace added near the hotel. The outdoor stage area provided entertainment and served cocktails.[4]
Later years[edit]
The hotel was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1987.
In 1995, the hotel constructed the Breakers East wing on a five-acre site just east of the lobby. The US$10,000,000 (equivalent to $19,995,632 in 2023) project added 206 rooms, including 103 regular rooms, 95 suites and eight tower suites. The new wing also contained three meeting rooms and an outdoor pool and spa.
In 1999, the 10-story Breakers Tower wing was constructed on the hotel's west side, with a five-story connecting link to the main building. The Breakers Tower added a total of 230 rooms and suites, including 17 luxury suites with private balconies.[3] Several historic wings of the hotel were demolished during the 1999 project, altering the hotel significantly.[5]
As a direct result of the 1999 demolitions, the hotel's National Historic Landmark status was removed on August 7, 2001.[2] The National Park Service stated the hotel "no longer retained integrity of scale, massing, and materials." In addition, they said the new Breakers Tower disrupted "the spatial and visual relationship between the original rotunda and wings."[6]
In the off-season after summer 2014, another major renovation project began. This involved the demolition of one of the remaining historic sections of the hotel,[7] the original main lobby,[8] as well as the demolition of the 1926 Bon Air wing. The renovations also included the restoration and reopening of the remaining historic central rotunda wing, which had been mothballed for years, because the old guest rooms in it did not have bathrooms.[9] In addition, the 2014 renovations involved repainting the hotel, replacing its roof, and remodeling the interior. The renovations were the most expensive single project ever at Cedar Point.[10] The hotel reopened for the 2015 season.[9]
In 2018, a new 158-room, 6-story tower, the Breakers West, was opened on the site of the demolished Bon Air wing. It included connecting rooms for families, as well as its own outdoor pool and jacuzzi.[11]
Notable people[edit]
Over the years notable guests have included:[3]
Features[edit]
The hotel sits on the one mile beach mentioned on Cedar Point's web page.[12] There are 511 rooms and suites with a small portion with a Peanuts comic theme.[12][13] The hotel has two outdoor pools and one indoor pool, each with a hot tub nearby. The hotel contains a conference center, shops including Tommy Bahama, and several restaurants including T.G.I. Friday's and Perkins Restaurant.[12]
The 2014-2015 remodel replaced the dinner restaurant with a Japanese teppanyaki and sushi restaurant, a new lobby bar, an in house Starbucks, a dedicated Dominos pizza delivery kitchen, as well as a new beach bar.
Gallery[edit]
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View of Hotel Breakers Tower in July 2022 -
Hotel Breakers Cedar Point Facing Beach Windows from Rotunda after 2014 Remodel -
Hotel Breakers Lobby Area after 2014 Remodel -
Hotel Breakers Cedar Point Beach Area after 2014 Remodel -
Hotel Breakers Cedar Point Rotunda After 2014 Remodel -
Hotel Breakers in 2009 before remodel -
Hotel Breakers logo
References[edit]
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ a b c "Hotel Breakers". National Historic Landmarks. National Park Service. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Cedar Point's Hotel Breakers celebrates historical milestone". PointBuzz. March 5, 2005. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ^ a b c Edwards, Chris. "Cedar Point — The Queen of Great Lakes Resorts". Walkerville Times Magazine.
- ^ "Cedar Point History". The Point Online. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
- ^ https://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2001/11/23/Renovated-Cedar-Point-hotel-loses-historic-status.html
- ^ https://www.morningjournal.com/2014/10/29/hotel-breakers-entrance-demolished-as-cedar-point-plans-renovations/
- ^ https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/northeast-ohio/crews-demolish-part-of-cedar-points-hotel-breakers/95-242058131
- ^ a b https://www.cleveland.com/travel/2015/05/cedar_points_historic_hotel_br_1.html
- ^ Payerchin, Richard (December 1, 2013). "Cedar Point maintenance begins hotel renovations". The Morning Journal. Sandusky, Ohio. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ^ Ouriel, Andy (June 30, 2018). "Hotel Breakers addition pays tribute to its past". Sandusky Register. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Cedar Point Resorts". Retrieved October 6, 2008.
- ^ "Hotel Breakers | Resort Hotel in Sandusky, OH | Cedar Point". www.cedarpoint.com.
External links[edit]
- Cedar Point
- Hotels in Ohio
- National Historic Landmarks in Ohio
- Hotels established in 1905
- Hotel buildings completed in 1905
- Former National Historic Landmarks of the United States
- Buildings and structures in Sandusky, Ohio
- 1905 establishments in Ohio
- National Register of Historic Places in Erie County, Ohio
- Former National Register of Historic Places in Ohio