A once-luxurious Miami Beach hotel that hosted the Beatles and President John F. Kennedy during its 1960s heyday imploded Sunday after falling into disrepair and being abandoned in recent years.
Kennedy, the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones and Sammy Davis Jr. have all performed at the iconic hotel or made a special appearance since it opened 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, collapsed after a series of explosions went off, creating a large cloud of dust. Demolition of the iconic hotel began 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 who owned the hotel were fined millions of dollars for several code violations.
It is unclear what will happen to the lot that has a prime location on the beach.
Miami’s historic Deauville Hotel was demolished on Sunday after it was deemed unsafe last year
Spectators watched from a safe distance on the beach as the building was demolished
Footage showed the building just before it collapsed within seconds
Located at 6701 Collins Avenue, the hotel 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 in the 538-storey building
The Deauville retired in 2017 after an electrical room fire and damage from Hurricane Ida.
The owners, the Meruelo family, were subsequently sued by Miami Beach in 2019 for neglecting the resort.
Earlier this year, a demolition permit was issued by the Miami Construction and Zoning Department after the owners of the 538-room hotel filed a report last December saying it was unsafe.
The city began tearing down the hotel’s front entrance and famous metal red sign in March and later spent weeks preparing to demolish the entire resort.
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, a billionaire New York developer, wanted to buy the property and build a 107-foot-tall hotel and condo tower, but that plan is in limbo. The area has a height limit of 200 feet (61 meters) and a city ballot that would have caused the taller structure to fail Tuesday.
City officials say Ross may still be interested in purchasing the lot if an alternative plan can be worked out.
Leaving the Deauville Miami Beach hotel pool deck after closing in January. The hotel was closed in 2017 after an electrical room fire and damage caused by Hurricane Ida
A vintage postcard shows the Deauville resort pool deck. The hotel opened its doors in 1957 and later hosted many celebrities
A vintage postcard shows the Deauville’s swimming pool at its inauguration in 1957
The city began tearing down the hotel’s front entrance and famous red metal sign in March
Once named Hotel of the Year, the Deauville resort opened in 1957. The modern-style Miami resort featured a large pool, ice rink, beauty salon, radio station, and several restaurants catering to Miami’s elite.
Celebrities were drawn to the iconic hotel, including Judy Garland who sang in Deauville in November 1961.
In the same year, Kennedy spoke at the Young Democrats Convention in 1961.
The Beatles performed in Deauville in 1964 and recorded six songs for ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’, which drew an estimated television audience of 70 million.
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 appearance on the show, after their first at Sullivan’s New York City studio.
Staying on the 12th floor of the Deauville, the Fab Four nearly missed their introduction as maddened crowds slowed their entrance from the hotel lobby to the Napoleon Ballroom.
Other celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones and Sammy Davis Jr. also acted.
In 1961, President John F Kennedy delivered a speech to Democrats at The Magic City in the Deauville
Archive photos show The Beatles rehearsing in the hotel’s basement, relaxing on the hotel’s beach and walking through the lobby with security
The Beatles performed in Deauville on their first and only visit to The Magic City
British pop group The Beatles with police escort at the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach
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