The historic but dilapidated Miami Beach hotel that once hosted the Beatles during their second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show and was the playground for celebrities such as Frank Sinatra and President John F. Kennedy has begun to collide with a wrecking ball after it closed its doors in 2017. .
On Sunday, construction workers could be seen demolishing the main entrance of the Deauville Hotel and the famous red metal sign.
A demolition permit was issued last week by the Miami Building and Zoning Department after the owners of the 538-room resort, which opened in 1957, filed a report last December deeming it unsafe.
However, residents near the Collins Avenue Hotel in North Beach said the demolition work took them by surprise. City manager Alina Khudak issued a memo saying that the hotel needed to be cleared of asbestos before the hotel was demolished.
The city also ordered a 10-day notice, which residents say they never received.
Residents of the North Beach Historic District in Miami, Florida, say the demolition of the iconic Deauville hotel took them by surprise.
In 2019, the city sued the Meruelo family, who own the hotel, for neglect of the property.
The hotel, located at 6701 Collins Avenue, was designed by Melvin Grossman in Miami Modern style and opened in 1957.
Archival photos show The Beatles rehearsing in the hotel’s basement, relaxing on the hotel’s beach, and walking through the security lobby.
The resort became famous in 1964 after The Beatles stopped and performed in the 538-story building.
Business owners have complained that the unannounced demolition has affected their establishments.
“The way they do it is really disorganized,” Norman’s Tavern owner Matteo Chialastri told The Miami Herald.
Chialastri said the outside tables of his establishment were covered in dust, which scared away customers.
The demolition was also appealed by the Miami Design Preservation League.
Once named Hotel of the Year at 6701 Collins Avenue, the Deauville Resort was designed by Melvin Grossman in Miami Art Nouveau and opened in 1957.
The hotel had a beauty salon, a large swimming pool, an ice skating rink, a radio station, and many restaurants for Miami’s elite.
Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Jerry Lewis, Tom Jones and Elvis Presley were among the celebrities who chose this modernist hotel for their stay in Miami.
In November 1961, Judy Garland sang in Deauville, and the following evening she performed at the Miami Convention Hall.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech to Democrats at Magic City in Deauville.
The Beatles performed in Deauville on their first and only visit to Magic City.
British pop group The Beatles escorted by police at the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech to Democrats in Deauville.
But it was The Beatles’ sojourn in 1964 and their MiMo-style performance at the hotel that caused hundreds of nervous fans to stand outside the hotel for hours hoping to see the Fab Four.
Performing in the ballroom of the Napoleon Hotel on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Beatles performed six songs: She Loves You, This Boy, All My Loving, I Saw Her Standing There, From Me to You and I want to Hold your Hand.
According to The Miami Design Preservation League, 70 million people watched the show.
The Fab Four were staying on the 12th floor of the Deauville Hotel and nearly missed their performance as a frenzied crowd delayed their entry from the hotel lobby to the Napoleon Ballroom.
The Beatles rehearse at the Deauville Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida before the Ed Sullivan Show.
Archival photos show The Beatles rehearsing in the hotel’s basement, relaxing on the beach next to the hotel, and walking through the security lobby.
The Fab Four were staying on the 12th floor of the Deauville Hotel and nearly missed their performance as a frenzied crowd delayed their entry from the hotel lobby to the Napoleon Ballroom.
“Most of the time we stayed at the hotel and kind of looked at the sand where the kids and fans were writing, ‘I love you,'” Paul McCarthy said of the stay, CBS reports.
Pool deck at Deauville Miami Beach hotel abandoned after closing
Demolition work has begun in Deauville despite an order from the city to carry out asbestos work in advance.
The iconic hotel closed in July 2017 after a fire in the hotel’s electrical room and damage from Hurricane Ida.
Then in 2019, Miami Beach sued the owners, the Meruelo family, for not maintaining and neglecting the resort.
On March 9, the city issued a demolition permit, ending more than 50 years of the great resort’s history.
“We’re in total shock right now,” Daniel Siraldo, chief executive of the Miami Design Preservation League, told the Herald, adding that the group was told their appeal would be heard next month.
The hotel has been closed since 2017 due to electrical fires and damage caused by Hurricane Ida.
On March 9, the city issued a demolition permit, ending more than 50 years of the great resort’s history.