Tony & Co., PLEASE don't deface the historic feel of Breakers...

Hello,

I rarely post here, though I have been a member for years. Forgive me if I'm violating any etiquette starting a new thread... I've seen some comments embedded elsewhere about this, but in my humble opinion the fate of Hotel Breakers deserves the attention of its own thread.

I've been a huge fan of CP for decades, and despite living in the Orlando, FL area since 1986, I have made at least one (and more often several) trips to the Point each year.

The combination of unparalled thrill rides, the scenic natural beauty that remains in parts of the park, and, importantly, the rich history and historic feel of parts of the park offer an experience not found elsewhere, and are the reasons for my annual cross country treks from the theme park capital of the world all the way to the North Coast of Ohio.

It seems there isn't much of the historic feel that remains compared to years past. The sum of even trivial touches like removing the old Cedar Point font from the front of the Mine Ride trains have had the cumulative effect of washing away the unique genuine charm of a summer resort whose existence has spanned parts of three centuries.

The Hotel Breakers to me is the crown jewel, to shamelessly quote the murals in the hallway. The remnants of the 1905 section are a treasure to me, such that I even like to stroll through the lobby and rotunda on the rare occasions when I'm not staying overnight. I love the feeling of stepping back in time, and how you can feel the rich heritage, the pastimes of generations, and the glory of the Breakers of old. I have been staying at Breakers since the 1970's, and my grandparents used to stay at Breakers when they were kids.

The sole reason I stay on property when I come to CP is because I feel like I am standing on hallowed ground at Breakers, and I have so many years of amazing memories there.

I have heard rumors (including from hotel employees) that the renovation plans involve atrocities such as demolishing the hallway and the two wings straddling the rotunda, and remodeling the rotunda and lobby such that the old-fashioned feel will be replaced with something "modern." I believe I saw a quote in the press where a CP executive (Mr. Ouimet I think) referred the hotel as a "place that time forgot" in a perjorative light.

I pray that the Cedar Fair brass recognizes the importance and value in the historic look and feel of the hotel, and preserves that element during the refresh. "The Place That Time Forgot" is a major selling point to me, and I presume that others likely feel this way as well. It is one of the charms that makes Cedar Point special and unique. I'm concerned that perhaps Mr. Ouimet, coming from the Disney enterprise, might not realize and comprehend the importance of the history of the park, most notably the (now unofficial) landmark hotel.

Now, I would entirely welcome renovation of the rooms, especially in the "Main" section- they badly need it.

When Breakers last received an interior and exterior cosmetic refresh, I believe CP got it entirely right (NOT including the demolition of the old wings). At the time, the stucco exteriors, the blue awnings, interior trim and wall mouldings etc. made the hotel look refreshed and "new" while entirely preserving the historic feel.

I hope management is able to achieve a similar success this time around and refreshes without altering the heritage and "theme" if you will.

For lack of a better example (and I'm not into muscle cars at all), perhaps the end result could be analogous to what Ford did with the Mustang and Dodge did with the Challenger and Charger vehicles recently, where the design is entirely modern, but strongly evokes the look and feel of the classics.

Tony, I've noticed that you actively peruse these forums. I hope you might pass on this sentiment to the decision makers at Cedar Fair.

Thank you!

As a sidenote, the other announced improvements to the park are right-on IMO, and I love the rendering of the new Gemini midway.

If you might indulge me a moment longer while I'm taking the time to post... I'd love to see the natural beauty of the park preserved. I was dismayed by the painting of the Soak City slides all the tacky colors- I think it really detracts from the look and feel of the park. But if the essence of Breakers is preserved, I will be a thankful and happy camper!

In the video they show a rendering of some of the exterior of the Breakers from the beach and it seems very nicely done in a way that preserves the look and feel of the old hotel while giving it a clean and more elegant look. More and new windows, removal of the outside stairs, a new roofline on breakers east and especialy the roof details on the tower give it a more upscale yet classic look. The color of the exterior and the awnings is also nice and blends in very well with the beach. I'm also a fan of the hotel and I think they did a nice job with the design.

Yes, judging by the video it doesn't look like anything major is happening to the rotunda and hallways. Just a nice refresh.

~Rob

I think where they place the elevator will have a lot of impact on the asthetics of the renovation. My guess is that it will go on the park side of the building so as to not be visible from the beach/boardwalk. That would make the most sense.

I would be stunned if they did anything to significantly alter the Rotunda as I agree that is the jewel of the hotel. What I am optimistic for is that the 4th and 5th floors will be turned into some type of executive suites that will take full advantage of the views.

I'd also like to see them put air conditioning in the lobby. That beautiful area would be much more enjoyable to staff and guests alike if there was air conditioning in there.

Back in the late 90s when the Breakers Tower was constructed, it would have been cool to incorporate an exterior elevator shaft constructed to give a view of the park or beach/lake while traveling to the upper floors. Similar to the Disneyland Hotel:

http://www.disneylandpostcards.com/hotelsierra.jpg

DA20Pilot, if you feel this strongly, I would suggest writing a letter/contacting the park. On Pointbuzz you'll get lots of opinions about your suggestions/ideas, but it is not an official means of communicating with the park. The fact that Tony posts here sometimes is just a nice bonus.

I don't have anything to add except to state that I fully support everything that DA20Pilot stated.

OK, maybe one thing - if it is necessary to remove all the old photographs and historic stuff from the walls of the main floors during this modernization can it all be preserved and placed in one central location at the hotel - NOT moved to the Town Hall inside the park? Every time we visit the point, we stay at the Breakers and our family takes the time to look at and discuss the history of the hotel and the Point as we travel down the hallways. I know it is a tradition with my family that dates back to the early '70s when my parents took us. I can see someone at "corporate" saying that those old yellowed photos don't have a place in the hallways of a modern hotel, but at least honor the history by finding a location within the hotel to display those same yellowed images.

My main concern about the exterior hotel update is the outdoor balcony over looking the pool and Beaches n Cream in the rotunda. It looks like they plan on removing it, while adding more windows to overlook that area. But I have only seen 1 rendering of what it will look like when it's all done, so I can't really say.

Thanks for the replies.

Pete, I'll have to take a closer look at the exterior video (I couldn't see it at a good resolution), but I was wondering is that just a generic artist's conception, or have they decided on that design, and also I'm concerned about what's coming the following year when they re-do the interior.

Chuck Wagon, point taken. I thought I'd get my thoughts out here while I was on the page (easier than digging up corporate contact info and writing a formal letter), and I was curious to see how others feel. But, I definitely should write directly.

45WheelGun, Excellent Points! I agree, I hope they keep the pictures in the entrance hallway, and it's nice to hear your family keeps the same tradition. One of the rumors I heard from the hotel front desk was that the entrance corridor will be demolished. I really hope that is not the case. Thanks for your supportive post.

Pilot, my opinion is that the rendering is a pretty accurate representation of the final product. No one here really knows of course, but here's hopeing.

I don't think you have to worry about Matt Ouimet. I remember hearing somewhere that one of the first things he did when hired at Cedar Fair is read a book about Cedar Point's history. He often quotes someone who said history should be respected not revered. He also said something like until you visit the parks and talk to the guests and employees you shouldn't be able to run it. He educates himself before making decisions unlike JC Penny's arrogant CEO who changed everything the moment he got control.

I know Cedar Fair is sort of known for changing parks for what they were once to something else. I don't think this will happen with Hotel Breakers. From what I gathered about the people currently at Cedar Point and Fair they know to respect history.

I wonder if the average guest cares about the history of the Breakers? Is its history a big draw for people staying there or is it viewed as just a place to stay that is at the park?

TwistedWicker77 said:
My main concern about the exterior hotel update is the outdoor balcony over looking the pool and Beaches n Cream in the rotunda. It looks like they plan on removing it, while adding more windows to overlook that area. But I have only seen 1 rendering of what it will look like when it's all done, so I can't really say.

I uploaded a high res image of the exterior here: http://s454515525.onlinehome.us/Breakers_Refresh.png

If you look at the image the balcony is still there, the rendering even has people standing on it. The windows for Beaches n Cream still appear to be in place also, but I hope the ice cream parlor reverts back to a cocktail lounge like back in the Surf Lounge days. I heard there is a possibility of a piano bar going into Breakers.

Pardon me for not being able to find it anywhere, but can I have a link to the video again?

Here's the URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ojzsL55F7s&feature=youtu.be

Thanks, Pete!

Awesome Pete thanks! I didn't get a chance to see it up close in HD. I'm pretty happy about that now. Especially since they'll be removing the outdoor stairs. I always hoped they would go back to having a cocktail lounge in there. TGIFridays gets a little outrageous with the family crowd after hours (nothing against families)

I care a great deal for the historic aspect of the hotel. It is a gem in the rough so to speak in that it has remained untouched for all these years. There are certain people such as myself that find historical buildings inspiring, nostalgic, and heart warming. It's a feeling of a connection with the past and all the people who are pasted away and gone who had fun in this building. To someone like myself, it's very upsetting and disturbing to think of the hallways, front desk, and rotunda being altered. I can invision what I would do to preserve the original look of it, but am powerless to do anything about it. I love the tin walls and ceiling on the second floor above the front desk. I would be sad to see that go. I know you can buy new applications that look similar to tin, but who knows what will happen. I get a kick out of the old rooms back the second floor hallway above the front desk. It's certainly like being in a time warp, which I havent found anywhere other than some hotels in Charleston SC historic distric. It's nice to have something historical in OH. It's the one hotel in OH that I can say is a gem just the way it is.

I absolutely agree with the comments here. My brother and I have been coming to the park for 40+ years, and for the first time, this year we stayed at the Breakers. We put up with the terrible rooms to admire the history, use the hot tubs after long days at the park, and to have a quick Boardwalk stroll to the park.

I think he spent more time in the Rotunda than in the room! History and revenue positive investments can be mutually beneficial...just look to New England's many hotels and B&Bs.

Honor the history, but upgrade the rooms and mechanical systems!

It's great to see so many enthusiasts who are devoted to and knowledgeable about Breakers. This is one thread I hope the powers-that-be read.