An abandoned hotel resort has been discovered with its contents left to rot – including the old dining hall and swimming pools.
Urban explorer Dave, known online as Freaktography, found the time capsule after reading about its history online.
Sharing the news with his 91,000 YouTube subscribers, he claims it was once a sought after destination for many decades with sprawling grounds, multiple pools and lavish suites.
READ MORE: The 24 Best Adults-Only All-Inclusive Resorts Worldwide for 2024
Built originally in the 1970s, as the Hyatt Orlando Resort, with over 3,400 hotel rooms and a convention centre, its __cpLocation in Florida, US, made it a peak tourist hub, due to its proximity to nearby attractions like Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.
But by the end of 1990s it was in trouble and after closing and changing ownership a couple of times, it was renamed the Orlando Sun Resort and reopened in 2007.
However, its revival was brief.
The resort closed for good in 2010 and now stands as a ghostly monument to its former glory.
The park’s entrance has been graffitied with the words: “lonely world’, and has an overgrown, unkept front.
A grand hall reveals where the dining room once was, with tables and chairs scattered and covered in pieces of the fallen ceiling – the hotel’s decor of red and yellow walls and pink painted suites still visible, just.
Dave also highlights where people used to check in, which is now covered with graffiti and buried in rubble.
As he walks through the main building, he spots more and more small, damaged rooms as well as an empty, old souvenir shop.
Exploring the grounds, Dave then finds the apartments which were once lavish suites – all painted pink, still with beds, chairs and dressing tables left behind.
Outside, he also walks around multiple rotting pools and lawns.
“The resort’s glory days were short-lived,” Dave, from Canada, told Luxury Resort News.
“It struggled to attract guests and by 2002 it was in serious financial trouble.
“The local tourism economy was collapsing and visitors to Walt Disney World preferred to stay on Disney property.
“Despite efforts to revitalise the area, the hotel continued to flounder.
“It began to suffer from financial difficulties due to poor management, increasing competition so the Orlando Sun Resort closed its doors.
“The staff departed and nature began reclaiming the property, transforming it into an eerie and silent reminder of the past.”
At its peak, the hotel was one of the largest in Florida, but sadly this wasn’t enough.
Dave said: “The abandoned Orlando Sun Resort sits on a prime __cpLocation on US-192, right outside Walt Disney World and across from the Disney-created town of Celebration.
“The resort’s pod design, with octagon-shaped buildings, was considered futuristic and modern in the 1970s.”
As for what happens next, he says the property was reportedly purchased in 2021 by a New York company that received a grant to improve the site.
However, to date no progress has been made and the hotel remains abandoned.
The explorer also shared a clip of the once lavish dining room online, where the video has racked up thousands of views.
Kath said: “Lived in Florida most of my life. Started going to Disney from opening. Never knew this place was here. Very interesting.”
Deborah commented: “It’s scary fun! Thank you for sharing!”
Hinch noted: “What a shame. All those millions spent and it is left to rot.”
Someone else wrote: “I remember my cousins stayed at that resort when they were teens, they showed me those same photos, it was nice in its hay days.”
Another fan added: “I stayed here a couple of times when I was a kid… weird seeing things in the video that I remember and sad, it was brand new then.”
READ MORE: Orlando is getting a new Nickelodeon Hotel
