Haludovo Palace Hotel
Location: Croatia
Year: 1971
Cost: $45 million*
When the Haludovo Palace Hotel debuted in 1972, it quickly became a jet-set hangout. Penthouse owner Bob Guccione sponsored the luxury resort, which contained a Moet pool. Thus, many wealthy Americans gladly boarded a United Airlines aircraft to Yugoslavia to visit. The Haludovo Palace Hotel was popular due to its lush gardens, stunning hostesses, private casino, and constant caviar, but the casino shuttered the following year. The new management tried to save the rest of the hotel but failed. New investors aim to renovate the structure, which remains closed. A place that once defined splendor for the wealthy upper middle class has died tragically. The hotel eventually became a homeless shelter during the Yugoslav War, therefore its history is more complicated.
Haludovo Palace Hotel
Hudson State River Hospital
Location: New York
Year: 1868
Cost: $14 million (adjusted for inflation)*
New York City is known for expensive structures like the Empire State Building, however not all are thriving. Hudson River State Hospital near Poughkeepsie is notorious. Built in 1868 for $800,000 ($14 million now), the Victorian Gothic edifice was a psychiatric hospital. The massive building is impressive, but it hasn’t housed patients since 2003. Multiple fires damaged the structure, but it is being renovated into a mixed-use complex including offices, a hotel, and apartments. The project is pleasant for locals who have watched the building deteriorate year after year. A bright future will soon transform the Hudson State River Hospital into something else.
Hudson State River Hospital
