7 replies to this topic

[jendemonium]

Abandoned Hotel
Trespassing Signs: Y
Patrolled: Unknown
Personally Visited: Y


Description: Sitting on a busy street on the city's Southwest side, this hotel was closed down several years ago and has fallen into disrepair. The City of Columbus declared the building a public nuisance and hazardous in August of 2009. The owner has declared bankruptcy, and has no funding/ability to rehab the building or board it up. Vandals have destroyed guest rooms, hallways and the bar/restaurant area. Almost all of the windows have been shattered, and debris is everywhere. Thieves have helped themselves to furniture and mattresses by day and night.

One side of the sign out front says Hamilton Plaza Hotel; the other side of the sign says Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel. Inside, there are mattresses and chairs piled as barricades in some hallways. The pool, which was full over the winter, has now been drained and shows the furniture and debris that vandals had tossed into it. Some hallways reek of animal and human waste along with dampness and mildew. The rooms have been stripped for the most part... sinks and door locks are gone, and most of the furniture has been carried off. What remains is broken, stained or otherwise not fit for use. Signs of squatters abound, from food wrappers to blankets and empty toiletries. Oddest of all, key cards for the rooms are strewn throughout the hotel in almost every room. As the hotel has been a Hampton Inn, Sheraton and Howard Johnson at points in its history, there are key cards for each brand tossed everywhere. Overall, it's pretty eerie. Curtains still hang in the empty windows, blowing in the frames of the glassless windows. Sounds of scurrying animals and the wind banging things together startles you from time to time.

My husband and I visited the hotel today, and took many photos. There is a link below to my Flickr stream with a few photos. Over the next few days, I'll be posting more pictures of our visit. I won't post the address of the hotel publicly, but will share over PM for those who want to check it out for themselves.

Edited by jendemonium, 12 April 2010 - 10:46 AM.

[Chaindrive]

As always, great work!

From an article I read about the motel, March 2010:

The City of Columbus declared the building a public nuisance and hazardous in August of 2009.

The City Attorney’s office filed a civil suit against the owner Jan. 12, 2010.

The owner has until March 19, 2010, to respond to the suit.

Assistant City Attorney Michelle Cox said the owner told the city that he’s declared bankruptcy, although the city has not received any verification.


From another article dated November 2005:

Victor G. Harvey Sr.'s Capital City Hotel Partners LLC bought the 205-room Hamilton Plaza hotel at 2124 S. Hamilton Road on Oct. 31 for $3.7 million.

[...]

It opened in 1970 as a Marriott and later became the Ramada Inn East. A California investment group bought it in 1997 for $4.1 million and converted it to a Four Points by Sheraton. OM Management LLC bought it in May 2002 for $2.7 million.

[abandonedfreak]

Chaindrive, on 11 April 2010 - 05:50 PM, said:

As always, great work!

From an article I read about the motel, March 2010:

The City of Columbus declared the building a public nuisance and hazardous in August of 2009.

The City Attorney's office filed a civil suit against the owner Jan. 12, 2010.

The owner has until March 19, 2010, to respond to the suit.

Assistant City Attorney Michelle Cox said the owner told the city that he's declared bankruptcy, although the city has not received any verification.


From another article dated November 2005:

Victor G. Harvey Sr.'s Capital City Hotel Partners LLC bought the 205-room Hamilton Plaza hotel at 2124 S. Hamilton Road on Oct. 31 for $3.7 million.

[...]

It opened in 1970 as a Marriott and later became the Ramada Inn East. A California investment group bought it in 1997 for $4.1 million and converted it to a Four Points by Sheraton. OM Management LLC bought it in May 2002 for $2.7 million.

Damn girl, are you like part of the CIA or IRS? You seem to know about everything that goes up on here.

[Chaindrive]

I'm just curious about stuff is all. And I (fortunately or unfortunately - I don't know which) have the patience to try to research stuff. If it interests me, I go looking on the internetz...try to see if I can find anything.

[jendemonium]

Having lived in Columbus for the past decade, I've seen that hotel go through many iterations and changes of ownership and brand. The area it's in isn't the greatest, and has steadily declined along with the rest of that part of town. I live on the opposite side of town, and hadn't thought of that area much until a news story around a month ago highlighted the dangers to the public the hotel was presenting. Unfortunately, I went to England for 2 weeks and was unable to explore it until now.

There have been a few stories on the news about the hotel lately, and if your Google-Fu is strong you can find a video of it on YouTube. After the Green House I hesitate to post an address in public, but the place itself is easy to find with a quick Google search, if anyone is so inclined to check it out for themselves. Probably a good idea to not go alone or at night though, as there is plenty of evidence of people living there.

[abandonedfreak]

Chaindrive, on 11 April 2010 - 08:34 PM, said:

I'm just curious about stuff is all. And I (fortunately or unfortunately - I don't know which) have the patience to try to research stuff. If it interests me, I go looking on the internetz...try to see if I can find anything.

Then you must either 1) have TONS more patience than I have 2) know better ways to search than I do 3) choose places that there is online info about I never have the kind of luck you do and usually end up frustrated and growling a "F**k it"

[N1Hawk]

Great Work on the Hotel Story guys. My G/F lives out in Amherst OH, So I might take a trip out to Columbus, OH to see this place if it's still around in may when I come out that way. Thanks for not posting the address!

N1Hawk

[Urban_Explorer]

I love Motels - got one within 30min from me, havn't to it yet, but will make a trip sometime before July.