Cedar Point's Hotel Breakers celebrates historical milestone

Saturday, 05 March 2005

Cedar Point Press Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio, 2005 – Located along the sandy shore of Lake Erie stands Cedar Point amusement park/resort’s majestic Hotel Breakers.  Built in 1905, this legendary hotel will celebrate 100 years of overnight accommodations this season.   While the classic hotel has seen its share of changes and improvements on the Cedar Point Peninsula, one thing has remained the same, if you are looking for comfort and convenience in a luxurious setting, then a stay at the Hotel Breakers is a must.

In the early 1900s, Cedar Point was steadily growing in popularity and the park’s two hotels, the 20-room Bay Shore Hotel and the 125-room White House Hotel, were having trouble meeting the demands of overnight visitors.  The park’s owner, visionary George Boeckling, decided that a new, larger hotel had to be constructed.  Boeckling had realized that hotel guests, those who spent lavishly in the dining rooms and bars, were the key to the resort’s future.  Boeckling hired the renowned architectural firm of Knox & Elliot to design his new hotel.  The firm had recently designed a new vaudeville theatre for Boeckling, therefore, they were familiar with his unique demands.  The biggest one was that most of the rooms should have a view of the lake.  Knox & Elliot accomplished this by angling the wings of the hotel off of the main rotunda.

In 1905, Cedar Point officials opened a hotel like no other – the magnificent 600-room Hotel Breakers. The Hotel Breakers opened on June 12, 1905 with amenities such as: imported wicker furniture; Tiffany stained-glass windows; large brass beds; a barber shop; manicurist; physician; stenographer; tailor and more.  The hotel consisted of several three-story room sections and a main rotunda.  The four-story rotunda still stands today at the center of the historic hotel.

Billed as the “largest and greatest hotel on the Great Lakes,” the Breakers quickly earned a reputation as the place to stay in the Midwest.  Notable overnight guests included John D. Rockefeller, Annie Oakley, Abbott and Costello and United States Presidents Taft, Wilson, Coolidge, Harding, Roosevelt and Eisenhower.

Over the years, there have been numerous additions to the hotel.  A new wing was added to the Breakers in 1917 bringing the number of rooms to more than 700.  In 1926, Boeckling decided to add yet another wing to the hotel.  The Bon Air wing featured 160 rooms and brought the total number of rooms in the Hotel Breakers to an astonishing 875.  In recent years, more rooms and amenities have been added.

In 1995, Cedar Point added Breakers East.  This new wing features 206 rooms, including 103 regular rooms, 95 suites and eight tower suites.  The $10 million Breakers East project also features three conference/meeting rooms and an outdoor pool and spa.  Breakers East sits on a five-acre site just east of the Hotel Breakers’ lobby.

The Breakers Tower wing was added to the Hotel Breakers in 1999.  The multimillion-dollar Breakers Tower is a 10-story tower with a five-story connecting link that is located just west of the Hotel Breakers’ historic lobby and rotunda.   Breakers Tower has a total of 230 rooms and suites, including 17 luxurious Horizon Suites with private balconies.  All of the suites have spectacular views of the Cedar Point Beach and Lake Erie.  Many of the upper-level rooms on the south side of the hotel have a picturesque view of the park’s midway and Sandusky Bay.  For the ultimate overnight stay, an exclusive Presidential Suite offers a private dining room, Jacuzzi, balcony and master and guest bedrooms.

Today, the Hotel Breakers boasts 650 rooms and suites; two outdoor pools; an indoor pool; deli, coffee shop, pizzeria and a T.G.I. Friday’s restaurant; relaxing sitting areas; arcades; three gift shops; unparalleled views and the comfort and convenience of being within walking distance of the mile-long Cedar Point Beach, Soak City waterpark and the world-renowned Cedar Point amusement park.

For more information, or to place a reservation, please call 419.627.2106 or log on to www.cedarpoint.com.