Paragon Hotel, Italy

The Paragon Hotel is an abandoned five-star hotel in Italy. The location is famous for the grand ballroom, which features stunning white ceiling drapes below the large central skylight.

The elegant ballroom is the stand-out feature of this abandoned hotel. The moulded plasterwork of the ceiling and walls are gilded with gold, adding to the opulent feel of this place. The light in the ballroom is sublime, as the white drapes diffuse and neutralise the sunlight. The surrounding corridors of the ground floor also offer some photogenic decay. The rooms and upper levels are, sadly, not as photogenic.

History of the Paragon Hotel

The hotel was built in the 1840s, growing over time with new wings and additions. The hotel spans 4 floors, with the most extensive renovations dating back to the end of the 20th Century and earliest 2000s. There are over 120 luxury rooms at this spa hotel. There were fitness suites and hydrotherapy/thermal treatment rooms. The hotel was also a conference venue with 3 meeting rooms, situated conveniently in the centre of a large town. The hotel enjoyed much success during the latter half of the 20th Century. The guest list over the years featured many famous and notable people, keen to pose in this hotel as their expensive cars lined the streets outside. Standard rates for standard rooms were 590-740EUR a night, whereas the luxury suites cost a staggering 800-869EUR.

The hotel closed for just over a decade ago, in the mid-2000s, amidst an economic decline which swept over much of Italy. Times and fashions always change, and the tastes of the wealthy are fickle (at best). This town, once popular amongst the nouveau riche, was forsaken for other more exclusive resorts. As the high society moved away from this once affluent town, many of these prestigious hotels had to close their doors. Now, this town is visited by mainly elderly tourists and there is no place for expensive spa hotels.

Now, the only occupiers are homeless people and bored kids looking for virgin walls to deface with graffiti. Also, the more-than-occasional photographer.