Luxury travel often leaves behind spectacular remains when tastes change or history intervenes. These properties were once the ultimate symbols of wealth and status, hosting movie stars and world leaders. Today, they are quiet reminders of a different era of hospitality. Here are six legendary resorts that were once the pinnacle of global luxury.
Haludovo Palace Hotel, Croatia
Opened in 1972 on the island of Krk, this resort was a massive $45 million gamble by Bob Guccione, the founder of Penthouse magazine. He wanted to create a world-class destination in what was then Yugoslavia, complete with hanging gardens and a decadent casino.
There were even rumours that the swimming pool was occasionally filled with champagne for guests. While it was incredibly popular with wealthy Western tourists for a decade, the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s brought an end to its glory. Today, the glass and concrete structure sits empty, overlooking the Adriatic Sea.
Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel, New York
For much of the 20th century, Grossinger’s was the heart of the Borscht Belt in upstate New York. It was a massive operation that felt more like a small city, featuring its own post office, landing strip, and world-class ski slopes. At its peak, it hosted over 150,000 guests a year and served as the primary inspiration for the setting of the movie Dirty Dancing.
Once flying got cheaper however, and people started heading to tropical islands instead, the Catskills just wasn’t as attractive a destination anymore. The resort ended up closing down in 1986, and a lot of those famous old buildings have since been torn down.
Coco Palms Resort, Hawaii
Coco Palms was the most famous hotel in Hawaii for a while, especially after it showed up in Elvis Presley’s movie Blue Hawaii. It was built right in the middle of a huge coconut grove on Kauai and basically set the standard for that Tiki luxury style everyone loved in the 1950s.
It was the preferred getaway for Hollywood royalty who wanted a tropical escape that felt both exotic and exclusive. This era ended abruptly in 1992 when Hurricane Iniki caused catastrophic damage to the property. Because of long-standing insurance disputes and local pushback, the resort has remained a decaying shell for over thirty years.
The Baker Hotel, Texas
Rising 14 stories above the Texas plains, The Baker Hotel opened in 1929 as a premier health spa. It was famous for its mineral waters which were thought to have healing properties, drawing in guests like Clark Gable and Judy Garland. The hotel featured the first Olympic-sized pool at a hotel and was a marvel of engineering for its time.
As modern medicine replaced the craze for mineral baths, the hotel’s popularity declined until it closed in 1972. It became a legendary site for ghost hunters for decades, though a major restoration project is currently underway to bring it back to life.
Varosha, Cyprus
In the early 1970s, Varosha was often called the ‘French Riviera of Cyprus.’ It was a mile-long stretch of high-rise luxury hotels that sat on some of the best beaches in the Mediterranean. Celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor were frequent guests, making it one of the most glamorous spots on earth.
Everything changed in 1974 during a military conflict that forced the residents to flee overnight. The entire area was fenced off and became a no-man’s land. It remains a ghost city today, with luxury hotels frozen in time, still containing 1970s furniture and decor.
Hotel del Salto, Colombia
Perched on a steep cliff right next to the 500-foot Tequendama Falls, this French-style mansion was the height of Colombian luxury when it opened in 1928. Elite travellers would take the train from Bogotá to enjoy coffee and breath taking views of the waterfall.
However, by the 1950s, the Bogotá River became severely contaminated, and the smell made staying at the hotel nearly impossible. It was abandoned for decades, fuelling local legends about ghosts. In 2014, it was renovated and turned into a biodiversity museum, preserving the beautiful architecture while focusing on the environment.