Next summer, construction will begin on the first new-build full-service hotel to go up in downtown Long Beach, Calif., in more than 30 years.
The 31-story Hard Rock Hotel Long Beach will be located a block from the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, a boon for the city’s meeting business according to Steve Goodling, president & CEO of the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The additional 429 hotel rooms are going to permit Long Beach to pursue larger conventions that previously would not have been able to come to the city,” he said.
The property, announced in mid-November and scheduled for completion in 2027, will have 50,000 square feet of dining and meeting space. Its plans include an outdoor pool with a view of Rainbow Harbor, a restaurant called Sessions on the main floor, and a rooftop lounge on the 31st floor that will be the highest outdoor bar on the West Coast.
The hotel is also redeveloping the Jergins Tunnel under the building into a small speakeasy. The tunnel, built in 1927 to provide pedestrian access to the beach, has been closed since 1967.
Hard Rock, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, has more than 15 hotels in the United States. The Long Beach location will be among the few without a gaming element, joining others in New York and San Diego.
The Hard Rock will be 10 miles from Long Beach Airport, a 20-minute drive, and 22 miles from Los Angeles International, a 30- to 40-minute drive.
