{"id":18120,"date":"2013-09-14T05:13:00","date_gmt":"2013-09-14T05:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/the-resort-that-never-opened-sheraton-rarotonga-cook-islands-2\/"},"modified":"2013-09-14T05:13:00","modified_gmt":"2013-09-14T05:13:00","slug":"the-resort-that-never-opened-sheraton-rarotonga-cook-islands-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/2013\/09\/the-resort-that-never-opened-sheraton-rarotonga-cook-islands-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The resort that never opened: Sheraton Rarotonga, Cook Islands."},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
Around the world there are numerous tales of failed hotel projects, but in the South Pacific at least, this is a celebrated case. If ‘celebrated’ is the right word. Some say the grounds are cursed<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The project was kicked off by a shady Italian who managed to enlist numerous backers. He seduced the tiny island nation of the Cook Islands<\/a> and the project ran wildly over budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Building works were invoiced and paid, but never actually completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

And the backers and insurers eventually said, “enough” and stopped all the funds when the place was within a whisker of opening. Several attempts to restart the project have all failed. Hilton were brought in at one stage, but their attempt also stalled. The last work to be done was around 1993.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Bathrooms were tiled and fitted out. Air conditioning wired and installed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Some rooms were even furnished to ‘lock up’ stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Some 200 rooms were constructed. A few are occupied by careful squatters, others by gangs, the rest are just ruins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Windows broken and open to the elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Nature reclaiming the common walkways and corridors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Once almost ready to receive guests, now just hosting weeds and debris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The main reception area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

This wing is where the gangs have their headquarters. Dont go in there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Under the main reception building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Out onto the expansive central courtyard, gardens and pool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Auxiliary buildings at rear. Maybe laundry or something?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Offices in a shambles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

A true ‘Heartbreak Hotel’<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Four-legged guests now patrol the grounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c) Roderick Eime<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Around the world there are numerous tales of failed hotel projects, but in the South Pacific at least, this is a celebrated case. If ‘celebrated’ is the right word. Some say the grounds are cursed. (c) Roderick Eime The project was kicked off by a shady Italian who managed to enlist numerous backers. He seduced […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[106],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-roderick-eime"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18120"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18120\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}