Iconic Miami beach hotel, The Deauville, where Beatles recorded 'Ed Sullivan Show' is demolished
MIAMI, FLORIDA: An opulent Miami Beach hotel, Deauville, that once welcomed The Beatles and President John F Kennedy in its heyday in the 1960s was demolished on Sunday, November 13 after being run-down and abandoned for some time. Since the hotel's debut in 1957, several famous people have appeared there or played there, including Sammy Davis Jr, the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, and John F Kennedy. Most notably, The Beatles hosted a memorable concert for 'The Ed Sullivan Show' there.
After many explosions were set off and a sizable cloud of dust was released, the 17-story Deauville Hotel at 6701 Collins Avenue collapsed. The renowned hotel was declared dangerous in 2021 and demolition work on it began in March. Over time, the property deteriorated, and after an electrical fire in 2017, it was forced to close. Millions of dollars in fines for different code infractions caused a fight between Miami Beach officials and the hotel's family. The future of the lot, which is in a prime beachfront location, is now unknown, according to Daily Mail. After an electrical room fire and hurricane Ida damage, the Deauville closed its doors in 2017. Miami Beach later filed a lawsuit against the resort's owners, the Meruelo family, for neglecting it in 2019. Miami's building and zoning authority granted demolition permission earlier this year after the 538-room hotel's owners filed a report alleging it was hazardous in December.
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BREAKING: The historic Deauville Beach Resort in Miami Beach was just imploded. pic.twitter.com/aLJgmGuvSp
— Aaron Leibowitz (@aaron_leib) November 13, 2022
In March, the state started demolishing the hotel's entrance and iconic metallic red sign and in the following weeks, it spent weeks getting ready to demolish the entire resort. The 350-foot (107-meter) tall hotel and apartment skyscraper was to be built on the property by Miami Dolphins owner and wealthy New York developer Stephen Ross but that project is currently in doubt. A city ballot initiative that would have permitted the building to be higher than the 200-foot (61-meter) restriction in the region was defeated. According to city authorities, Ross might still be interested in buying the lot if a different arrangement can be made.
The Deauville resort, which was once nominated Hotel of the Year, was launched in 1957. The resort in the Miami Modern style had a sizable pool, an ice skating rink, a beauty parlor, a radio station, and a number of restaurants that catered to Miami's elite. Judy Garland performed at the Deauville in November 1961 and other famous people were drawn to the legendary hotel. Kennedy delivered a speech there during the Young Democrats Convention in the same year. A projected 70 million people saw The Beatles play at the Deauville in 1964 while they recorded six songs for 'The Ed Sullivan Show'. The Fab Four remained on the 12th floor of the Deauville and nearly missed their debut due to irrational crowds that slowed down their arrival from the hotel foyer to the Napoleon Ballroom. Other notable performers at the resort included the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, and Sammy Davis Jr.