A look at grand hotels that fell from grace, and the factors behind their downfall

  • The Garden of Allah in Los Angeles
  • Hotel Astor in New York City
  • Santa Carolina Hotel in Mozambique
  • Bali Hai Raiatea in French Polynesia
  • Poland Springs Resort in Maine

Luxury hotels often thrive and grow with each passing decade, but some have faced decline and even demolition. This article explores five such examples: the Garden of Allah in Los Angeles, a celebrity hotspot that became a parking lot; the Hotel Astor in New York City, which lost its luster and was replaced by a skyscraper; the Santa Carolina Hotel in Mozambique, rumored to be cursed; Bali Hai Raiatea in French Polynesia, an early overwater bungalow experiment; and Poland Springs Resort in Maine, now a mid-market resort. These cases offer insights into factors that contribute to the downfall of once-glamorous establishments.

Image Credit: Photo by [Jeremy Bishop](https://unsplash.com/@jeremybishop) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com)
Image Attribution: No
Factuality Level: 7
Factuality Justification: The article provides an interesting and informative look at the history of several luxury hotels that have either fallen into disrepair or changed significantly over time. While it does not contain any blatant misinformation, there are some instances where the author’s personal perspective is presented as fact (e.g., the superstitions surrounding the Santa Carolina Hotel). The article also lacks a clear structure and contains some redundancy in its descriptions of the hotels.
Noise Level: 5
Noise Justification: The article provides some historical information about several luxury hotels and their fates, but it lacks in-depth analysis or exploration of the factors that led to their decline or persistence. It also contains irrelevant details about celebrities and personal anecdotes without providing any actionable insights or new knowledge for readers.
Private Companies: Garden of Allah,Hotel Astor,Santa Carolina Hotel,Bali Hai Raiatea,Poland Springs Resort
Key People: Henry Harteveldt (travel expert at Atmosphere Research), Bjorn Hanson (former NYU hospitality professor)

Financial Relevance: No
Financial Markets Impacted: No
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses the history and decline of several luxury hotels and resorts, focusing on their glamorous pasts and current states. There are no financial topics mentioned nor any impact on financial markets or companies.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Extreme Rating Justification: The article discusses the history and decline of various luxury hotels, but does not mention any recent extreme events.·
Move Size: No market move size mentioned.
Sector: All
Direction: Down
Magnitude: Large
Affected Instruments: Stocks

Reported publicly: www.wsj.com