6 Once-Thriving Resort Destinations In America That Are Now Eerie Abandoned Beauties

Staying at a solid accommodation is a core feature of any good vacation. When you want to be fully pampered without ever needing to step into the outside world, the go-to option is typically choosing an all-inclusive resort. Unlike standard hotels, resorts are known for going above and beyond to make guests feel indulged — offering roomier suites, enticing on-site amenities such as golf courses, restaurants, and lively social events.

These aren't just places to stay, but a full experience in themselves, and they've actually been around for a huge portion of human history. The earliest versions of resorts are believed to date back to the second century B.C., when public baths began appearing in Rome. In the modern era, resorts have evolved into their own travel niche, with options ranging from beach paradises to mountain hideaways. 

There have been so many all-inclusive lodgings across the United States over the years that quite a few have seen their heyday and since crumbled into disarray. In fact, some resorts once considered the most popular in the country are now completely abandoned and left to rot. Curious about these deserted dwellings, the Islands team dug into roundups of abandoned places to find defunct resorts that thrived in another life. Our research led us to these abandoned resorts, their fascinating backstories, and what remains of them today.

While the Catskills and Adirondack Mountains in New York still attract plenty of visitors today, there used to be one part of the region called the Borscht Belt that was particularly popular in the 20th century. This area catered to tourists as a lively vacation spot with tons of hotels, children's camps, and, of course, resorts. One of the most successful of these Borscht Belt hidden gems was the Grossinger's Catskill Resort, located in the town of Liberty. It all began with Asher and Malka Grossinger, who had moved to upstate New York over a century ago and began renting rooms to vacationers from New York City. 

Eventually, the venture became so sought after that they had to upgrade to a larger 100-acre property, which they named Grossinger's Terrace Hill House. Things only improved from there with the help of their daughter, Jennie. When the 1950s rolled around, their business had expanded into a full-scale, booked-up resort. 

The 1,200-acre property featured a nightclub, ski trails, a pool big enough for the Olympics, and even a private airstrip. Every year, 150,000 travelers — including celebrities — flocked to Grossinger's for the vacation of a lifetime without ever needing to leave the estate. It made such a name for itself that it's even rumored to have been the inspiration for the movie "Dirty Dancing." After decades of success, though, everything changed for Grossinger's in the 1970s. 

Flying had become more accessible for the general public, and people began exploring further horizons beyond New York. When Jennie passed away in 1972, she took the soul of Grossinger's with her, and just 14 years later, the resort shut down for good. While it was no longer accepting visitors, the property continued to sit on the Borscht Belt in silence and slowly began being overtaken by the elements. Today, most of the iconic property has been torn down after a fire broke out there in 2022, but you can still make out the bones of what the resort once was. 

Most deserted destinations are completely off-limits to the public, but visitors are allowed to hike to this abandoned historic resort. The Overlook Mountain House in the town of Woodstock, New York, has more than 150 years of history in its walls and quite a turbulent past. As more New Yorkers sought a break from the concrete jungle, there was a big gap in the market for vacation stays — and thus, the Overlook Mountain House was born. 

Unfortunately, the property began facing problems almost immediately. The resort opened in 1871 and only welcomed a mere 300 guests before the whole building was ravaged by a fire less than five years later. It was rebuilt a few years later and operated smoothly for three decades before another fire destroyed it again in 1923. The owner hoped to rebuild a third time with fireproof materials, but when the Great Depression hit, things just never got off the ground. 

While the Overlook Mountain House was never rebuilt, it was also never torn down. These days, you can embark on a five-mile round-trip hike up through the mountains to reach the ruins of Overlook Mountain House at the top. As one person described in r/abandoned, "The incline all the way up to this place was killer on my shins but totally worth it." However, visitors are advised to appreciate the site from a distance because it can be dangerous to actually go inside the structure. 

Winter enthusiasts search far and wide to find the most affordable ski resort towns across America to accommodate their snow-covered trips. If they were looking in the 1970s, they would likely have eventually stumbled across the Geneva Basin Ski Resort in Colorado. Hoping to take advantage of the big-mountain craze sweeping across the state, the resort was established more than 60 years ago by a family from Illinois and began struggling very quickly. Just a couple of years after opening, it was foreclosed on and changed hands several times before being bought by an investment group that installed fancy new chairs in the hopes of reviving the business. 

Unfortunately, even with this push, Geneva Basin Ski Resort was struggling to get off the ground.  Competition was fierce, with iconic winter destinations like Breckenridge opening nearby. In 1984, the resort became irredeemable when one of its chairlifts terrifyingly ripped from its cable and came plummeting down to the ground. That was the final straw for the Colorado Tramway Board, which made the call to shut down the Geneva Basin Resort. 

While all that drama happened a lifetime ago, there are still remnants of the ski resort that once occupied the mountain face. The site still has several stranded runs and even a tiny patrol shack that was once in charge of overseeing all the guests' activities. Ironically, the area has become more popular since the resort's closure, attracting experienced skiers who crave the quiet and raw beauty of nature.

Some of America's most scenic mountain towns are located around the southeastern part of the country, and that was even true as far back as the 1800s. Elkmont Resort town over in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, proved just how long humans have been craving time out in the woods. Before it evolved into a resort, the area was a colony formed in the 1850s that supported itself through a thriving logging industry and eventually became an official town. At one point in the early 20th century, it was even the second-largest town in all of the United States. 

With the development of a railroad that could connect the community to other cities, tourists began flocking to experience the area. Wealthier residents quickly became obsessed with Elkmont because it provided a tree-filled haven away from their hectic city lives. Soon, private social clubs emerged around the Elkmont area, including the Appalachian Club and the Wonderland Club. These resort-style properties offered amenities for hunters and anglers to make the most of the natural surroundings. At its peak, dozens of cabins for vacationers dotted the Elkmont area.

When the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was officially recognized in 1934, though, most cabin owners began selling off their properties. Even the majority of those who chose to keep their cottages had their leases expire back in 1992, which left approximately 70 buildings behind to decay in the woods. The plan was to tear down all these remaining structures, but they were later declared historic sites, saving them from destruction. Today, 19 buildings of the old resort grounds remain in the woods, and it's even possible to camp around the area. 

Many of America's abandoned resorts that have been left behind are so old that there isn't a living soul on Earth who could remember what they were like in their prime. Yet, that isn't the case when it comes to the 144-acre Sunrise Resort in Connecticut. In fact, when someone posted a photo of the abandoned resort in r/OldPhotosInRealLife two years ago, another Redditor responded, "This is Sunrise Resort. I used to go every summer as a kid in the 90s." 

Until it closed in 2008, this resort was a local staple during the warmer months of the year. At one point, it was accommodating up to 500 visitors at the same time, and a train line was even built directly from New York City to Connecticut so people could reach Sunrise Resort more easily. It was particularly well-loved by families because there were so many activities for them to do on-site, from horseback riding to sailing. 

With such success, what could have possibly happened to force this resort to shut down for good? Well, after nearly a century in business, guests became less charmed by the rustic nature of the resort and simply stopped returning summer after summer. Although there were talks of revamping Sunrise for a newer generation, those plans never materialized, and the resort was just left to deteriorate. Today, the grounds are mainly enjoyed by urban explorers who hike through the nearby woods to catch a glimpse of the lingering buildings from the outside. 

If you've ever wanted a glimpse of 19th-century luxury, venture out to the backwoods of Mount Tom State Reservation in Massachusetts to see the remains of Eyrie House. Perched atop the mountains, this resort was established back in 1861, right when people were becoming more drawn to nature getaways. There were quite a few other mountain resorts nearby, all fighting to capture travelers' attention around this time, so Eyrie House did everything it could to stand out from the crowd. 

This included offering a range of amenities, including a croquet court, live concerts, and even roller skating facilities. There were also plenty of features that allowed guests to appreciate the surrounding natural landscapes, such as raised wooden pathways perfect for long strolls or hikes. This strategy worked wonders for the accommodation, and the resort grew steadily over the next two decades. So much so that the once modest two-story building expanded to include 30 rooms and a full dining room that could fit 80 people at a time. 

As the turn of the century approached, Eyrie House showed no signs of slowing down. The owners even began working on an updated version of the hotel and had extended the size of the stables to house up to 40 horses. Just as the property's continued growth seemed to be inevitable, though, the unthinkable happened in 1901 when a fire broke out, destroying the property and sadly killing several of the horses that lived there. The resort was never restored to its former glory, but the remnants of its stone structure were left standing as a reminder of what once was. Today, adventurers can take a light two-mile hike through Mount Tom State Reservation to witness this century-old abandoned resort firsthand. 

Let's take things overseas for a moment because the abandoned Belvedere Hotel in Croatia is too interesting not to mention. Though this sprawling accommodation began as one of the country's most elite five-star resorts, it went on to endure a far more dramatic history than simply housing wealthy vacationers. Opened during the 1980s to take advantage of Croatia's stunning beaches along the Adriatic Sea, this hotel began as the lap of luxury, offering exquisite views and more than 200 rooms across 18 stories.

You can tell that this was meant to be one of the most expensive hotels on the planet because there was even a helicopter pad and a private boat dock fitted onto the property. Those amenities were meant to attract a very specific type of clientele. Despite grand ambitions for the Belvedere, it barely had more than a few years in business before conflict broke out with the Croatian War of Independence in 1991. The resort went from hosting the world's wealthiest guests to housing refugees during the war.

After the conflict ended, the Belvedere Hotel couldn't be restored to its former lavish glory, and the entire complex was left to crumble. It has remained that way for the past three decades. The entire hotel structure, including its grand spiral staircase, remains surprisingly intact despite being out of operation for decades.

Instead of bringing in affluent vacationers, it now draws in bold urban explorers and film crews. You can spot the amphitheater outside the resort in a "Game of Thrones" fight scene.  There is also a colony of adorable feral cats that have claimed the grounds as their own. 

Most abandoned locations simply fall out of favor due to poor business decisions, but the story behind the Sheraton Resort Rarotonga is much more complicated than that. Located in the Cook Islands, about a six-hour flight off the coast of New Zealand, this stranded gem of a resort was built to be an enormous, high-end accommodation that was on its way to costing an estimated $80 million to complete. However, the day it was meant to open never arrived — and in the process, the project nearly collapsed the islands' entire economy.

Nearly half a century ago, this itty-bitty island was hardly a blip on the travel map because it was so remote and folks rarely made the trek all the way out there. Hoping to change that, local leaders decided to create the area's premier luxury resort, partnering with an Italian company to fund construction. They actually got incredibly close to finishing the massive stay, but when approximately 80% of the development was complete, things started to crumble as rumors swirled that the Sheraton Resort Rarotonga was being backed by the mafia and even had potential ties to money laundering. Left with no other options, everything came to an abrupt and final stop in 1993. 

The resort that was meant to revitalize the Cook Islands instead left the community burdened with roughly $120 million in debt. The property's fate was so abysmal despite numerous attempts at reviving it that many people who live around the area claim that the grounds are cursed from an ancient battle over possession of the land. Regardless of why it succumbed to such a fate, the reality is that the nearly complete complex of the Sheraton Resort Rarotonga has spent over three decades sitting in decay. As of 2023, though, serious talks of refurbishing the abandoned resort have been brought to the table, and it looks like it may even open up to accepting guests for the very first time soon.

This list of abandoned resorts in the United States was developed by first consulting major roundups of deserted resorts, hotels, and motels across the country. We used sources such as Abandoned America, Business Insider, and Love Exploring to compile a list of resorts left to decay. Once a rough catalogue was established, each place was evaluated on several factors. 

First, the Islands team examined the history of each location to determine whether it had been popular with travelers at any point.  After gathering insights into each resort's history, we checked thoroughly to see if there were remaining elements of the structures that are still abandoned to this day. To qualify for inclusion, a resort had to have at least one enduring feature left behind. After assessing each destination with the most current information — using historical websites, news stories, and even social media posts to confirm the current existence of all sites — the Islands team developed this collection of once-thriving resort destinations in America that are now eerie abandoned beauties.