For 110 episodes spanning eight seasons from 2012 to 2016, Anthony Melchiorri and his team traveled the country giving struggling non-chain hotels extensive makeovers on Travel Channel’s “Hotel Impossible.” Now, Melchiorri has partnered with developer Pacific6 to reinvigorate the historic Breakers Hotel in Downtown Long Beach.

“The Breakers Hotel has a character and soul that cannot be replaced, and we are working together to design an experience and respite that is one of a kind in Long Beach,” Anthony Melchiorri said in a statement.

Outside his show, which spawned two spin-off series, Melchiorri’s hospitality experience is extensive. Early in his career, he worked at New York City’s historic Algonquin and Lucerne as well as the iconic Plaza Hotel, where Kevin McCallister played by Macaulay Culkin can be seen outsmarting a hotel manager played by Tim Curry in the 1992 film “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.”

Melchiorri also spearheaded the complete turnaround of Florida’s Nickelodeon Resort, developed a $150 million hotel in Times Square and has worked on numerous boutique hotels across the country.

John Molina, founder partner of Pacific6, said in a statement Long Beach has always been his home and that reopening the Breakers is his gift to the city he loves.

“Every great city needs a crown jewel hotel, and for Long Beach, that is the Breakers,” Molina said in a statement. “My father used to say, ‘If you are going to do something, do it right.’ I can’t imagine doing the Breakers right without Anthony and his team coming on board. You need to have the best team, if you are going to have the best hotel. And there is nobody better.”

Originally built in 1926, the 15-story tall Long Beach landmark ceased hospitality operations over 30 years ago when it was converted to senior housing in 1990. Over the years, the facility fell into a state of disrepair and in 2015 was shut down when state authorities revoked its license.

The hotel is slated to reopen in 2023 with 185 guest rooms and suites with numerous amenities—some new and some old—for guests and the general public. The Breakers will tap into Long Beach’s history of jazz with The Six, an intimate jazz club and whisky bar.

A new pool is being added to the hotel’s third-floor terrace, which overlooks the fountains of the Performing Arts Center. The Breakers also will be home to the city’s only luxury hotel spa, which will feature nine high-end treatment rooms and a two-level fitness center.

The building’s public Sky Room restaurant and rooftop bar El Cielo continued operating for a few years after the 2015 closure until renovations of the building by Pacific6 began in 2018. Both spaces will be reimagined and reopened with the hotel. The Sky Room’s menu is being overhauled by Michelin Star Chef Joe Isidori, who also will oversee the hotel’s other dining options.

Construction is well underway on the $150 million renovation of the hotel, with Melchiorri’s company, Argeo Hospitality, and Pacific6 working to preserve the building’s unique history. Designated a historical landmark in 1988, many of the building’s original elements are going to be restored to their former elegance, including the lobby’s opulent columns and ornate plaster ceilings.

“We’re taking the history of this iconic location, giving it a revamp worthy of the 21st century, and matching it with a level of service and comfort that can only be found in the most luxurious of destinations,” Melchiorri said. “The end goal is to leave an indelible impression on everyone who walks through the door. Each guest will feel different when they leave.”

Editor’s note: John Molina of Pacific6 is the primary investor in the parent company that owns the Long Beach Business Journal and the Long Beach Post. Read more about our ownership here.