Hotel Breakers – Rotunda, Fire Pits, Lake Erie beachfront
This past weekend, my family and I had the opportunity to stay at the newly remodeled Hotel Breakers and visit Cedar Point. In the interest of full disclosure, Cedar Point provided us with a room and passes to the park to write this review. The thoughts and opinions that follow are my own, however.
Growing up in Ohio, I was a frequent visitor to Cedar Point. My family would wake up early in the morning, pack a cooler full of sandwiches for lunch and hit the road, hoping to make it to the front gates in time to have the first ride of the morning on our favorite coaster. After a long, tiring, but fun day, we would hop back into the car for the ride home after the park closed. My siblings and I would inevitably be asleep by the time we got home. Cedar Point was, for us, a one day experience.
Cedar Point and its newest coaster, Rougarou
Today, it is a lot more difficult for my family to make Cedar Point a one day trip. Living in Michigan, the drive is a lot farther. The park has also greatly expanded the number of rides and attractions since I was a kid, which makes it a lot harder to see and do everything in just a day. Cedar Point is hoping that you will find that the solution to this problem is to stay the night at one of their on-site hotels.
I was surprised to find out that during this past off season, the amount of money that Cedar Point spent on remodeling and upgrading their hotels was the largest capital investment in the park’s history. That is saying a lot when you consider it is not unusual for them to budget eight figures on a new roller coaster. It is clear that they are putting an effort into enticing guests for longer stays.
Beautiful rotunda
My family and I stayed the night at the Hotel Breakers, which is the crown jewel of the Cedar Point hotel family. It is the oldest, most luxurious hotel at Cedar Point, as well as the closest to the park. Built in 1905, Hotel Breakers is 110 years old. Although it has gone through numerous expansions and remodels over the years, the rooms were showing their age and were definitely due for an update. This remodel project went way beyond simply putting in new carpet and a new coat of paint. Parts of the building were torn down and re-built. The building’s 5 story central rotunda, which had been closed to guests for years, was completely remodeled to house a new set of suites. The results were quite impressive. The new portico/entryway from the parking lot provides a grand entrance to the hotel that had been previously lacking. The new décor in the lobby and hallways gives a much more modern and well lit ambiance. Near the entrance there are now large new flat screen TV’s providing weather reports as well as other important park information for that day.
Colorful, updated room decor
The guest room we stayed in was fully remodeled in a way that wouldn’t let you forget you were at Cedar Point. The bright blue and red color scheme made for a cheery décor, but what stood out about the room the most was the headboards of both beds were large pictures of the park’s giant ferris wheel. Other rooms have headboards featuring other rides from the park. All of the carpets, wallpaper, bed linens, flat screen TV’s and furniture (basically every part of the room!) appeared to be brand new.
One of the best features of the room was the kitchenette, including a microwave and dorm sized fridge (which had a small freezer with a separate door). You can make a stay at Hotel Breakers a little more frugal by eating some of your meals in the room (a major perk!). If you approach Cedar Point by way of US route 250, you will pass Walmart, Meijer and Aldi stores, where grocery items to stock your fridge and small freezer could be purchased. My biggest concern about the room was that it did not include a personal coffee maker. Many of my fellow guests that I spoke to in the long line at the Starbucks located inside the hotel the next morning agreed with me.
Outdoor fire pits surrounded by chairs
The Hotel Breakers sits on a sandy beach on the shores of Lake Erie, and a part of the remodeling project is intended to allow guests to make better use of the lake front. Large, cozy fire pits were installed just outside the rotunda area with plenty of outdoor seating surrounding them. They seemed like a great place to sit outside on a cool evening and watch the waves while enjoying a drink from either the full bar or the Starbucks just inside.
Just a bit further down is the outdoor swimming pool, including a large hot tub. A brand new children’s swimming area, featuring zero entry, small water slides and fountains. The sandy beach is now lined with beach cabanas and Adirondack chairs, providing a great place to relax near the water, along with updated beach volleyball courts.
Convenient walking distance to Cedar Point rides
One major perk of staying on Cedar Point property is the early entry privilege. Resort guests are admitted to the park one full hour before the general public to ride select rides (Early Entry rides available in 2015: Rougarou, GateKeeper, Ocean Motion, Midway Carousel, Raptor, Millennium Force, Iron Dragon, Maverick and Planet Snoopy). If you make use of this perk I would suggest walking to the resort gate early, as we waited for about 15 minutes in line to enter the park, since there was only one worker scanning tickets. Still I was able to go and ride the newly remodeled roller coaster Rougarou with almost no wait, while my wife took our kids to the Planet Snoopy kiddie area. As a side note, I was very pleased with the results of the change of Rougarou from the stand up coaster, Mantis. A ride that many (including myself) found to be too rough and uncomfortable is now a fun and very smooth ride as a seated floorless-style train.
One concern I would have about staying at the Hotel Breakers in the future would be the cost. A room rate search for a random weeknight in June quoted $224 for a standard room for a family of four. Rates for weekend nights and for suites would be higher. However, resort guests do save the $15 per day parking charge and are offered the best prices on Cedar Point tickets. One Day Cedar Point Tickets are available for $39 through Hotel Breakers – a 37% savings off of the gate price. For an even better value, buy a multi-day ticket which includes FREE admission to Soak City waterpark. A Two Day, Two Park Ticket is just $76 and a Three Day option is $87 – that’s just $29 per day for both parks! Click here for Hotel Breakers room and ticket rate details.
Some better discounts may occasionally be found on the “Hotel Specials” tab on the Cedar Point website or by following Cedar Point on Facebook or Twitter. If you have any tips or suggestions on how to make a Cedar Point overnight stay more affordable, please leave them in the comments.
Overall, my family and I were very impressed with the Hotel Breakers improvements. Even the kids raved about the accommodations (and there are never complaints about our time at Cedar Point!). Consider visiting Hotel Breakers for your next family outing!
About the Author: Mark is the unbelievably supportive husband behind Bargains to Bounty. An Ohio native, he’s also the resident thrill-seeker and theme park expert in the family. Mark is a self-made pro when it comes to researching, planning and working out all of the details of frugal adventures.
expensive but worth it. Makes memories that last a lifetime. Can’t put a price on that
Ohhhh, I read every word and had to wipe the drool from the corners of my mouth when I finished. It sounds FABULOUS to stay there! Cedar Point has been a favorite vacation spot for my family since I was a kid also. My kids have grown up with Halloweekends, which has been our absolute favorite fall activity. Cedar Point is top notch. GREAT rides and fabulous atmosphere. I have already told my kids that when I’m 90 years old, I want them to stick me in a wheel chair and push me around there for a day every so often so I can feel young again. This hotel looks AWESOME! It’s now on my bucket list. Thank you for the review!