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A once-luxurious Miami Beach hotel that hosted the Beatles and President John F. Kennedy during its 1960s heyday was imploded Sunday after falling into disrepair and abandoned in recent years.
Kennedy, the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones and Sammy Davis Jr. have all either performed at the iconic hotel or made a special appearance since its opening in 1957.
The Beatles even hosted one of their iconic performances for ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ at the hotel.
The 17-story Deauville Hotel located at 6701 Collins Avenue fell into itself after a series of explosions were set off, sending up a large cloud of dust. Demolition of the iconic hotel started in March after it was deemed unsafe in 2021.
The property fell into disrepair over the years and was closed in 2017 after an electrical fire. Miami Beach officials and the family that owned the hotel sparred over millions of dollars in fines for various code violations.
It is unclear what will now happen with the lot which has a prime location on the beach.
The historic Deauville Hotel in Miami was demolished on Sunday after being deemed unsafe last year
Spectators watched at a safe distance on the beach front as the building was torn down
Footage showed the building moments before it collapsed within seconds
The hotel, located at 6701 Collins Avenue, was designed in Miami Modern style by Melvin Grossman and opened in 1957
The resort became famous in 1964 after The Beatles stayed and performed at the 538-story building
The Deauville shut down in 2017 after a fire in the electrical room and damage from Hurricane Ida.
The owners, the Meruelo family, were then sued by Miami Beach in 2019 for neglecting the resort.
Earlier this year, a demolition permit was issued by Miami’s building and zoning department after the owners of the 538-room hotel submitted a report last December that claimed it was unsafe.
The city began tearing down the hotel’s front entrance and famous metallic red sign in March and later spent weeks preparing for the demolition of the whole resort.
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, a billionaire New York developer, wanted to buy the property and build a 350-foot-tall (107-meter-tall) hotel and condo tower, but that plan is in limbo. The area has a 200-foot (61-meter) height limit and a city ballot measure that would have allowed the taller construction failed Tuesday.
City officials say Ross may still be interested in purchasing the lot if an alternate plan can be worked out.
Deauville Miami Beach hotel pool deck abandoned after closure in January. The hotel had shut down in 2017 after a fire in the electrical room and from damage caused by Hurricane Ida
A vintage postcard shows the pool deck of the Deauville resort. The hotel opened in 1957 and later hosted many celebrities
A vintage postcard shows the swimming pool at the Deauville upon inauguration in 1957
The city began tearing down the hotel’s front entrance and famous metallic red sign in March
The Deauville resort, which was once named Hotel of the Year, opened in 1957. The Miami Modern style resort featured a large swimming pool, an ice skating rink, a beauty salon, a radio station and several restaurants catered to Miami’s elite.
Celebrities were drawn to the iconic hotel, including Judy Garland who sang at the Deauville in November 1961.
In the same year, Kennedy spoke there at the Young Democrats Convention in 1961.
The Beatles performed at the Deauville in 1964, recording six songs for ‘The Ed Sullivan Show,’ drawing an estimated television audience of 70 million people.
Some of the hit songs the Beatles sang were: She Loves You, This Boy, All My Loving, I Saw Her Standing There, From Me to You and I want to Hold your Hand.
It was their second performance on the show, after their first at Sullivan’s studio in New York City.
The Fab Four stayed on the Deauville’s 12th floor and almost missed their introduction as crazed crowds delayed their entrance from the hotel’s lobby to the Napoleon Ballroom.
Other celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones and Sammy Davis Jr. also performed there.
In 1961, President John F Kennedy gave a speech to democrats in The Magic City at the Deauville
Archive pictures show The Beatles rehearsing in the hotel’s basement, relaxing on the beach of the hotel and walking through the lobby with security
The Beatles performed at the Deauville during their first and only visit to The Magic City
British pop group The Beatles with a police escort at the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach
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