Abandoned Stripper Hotel
By Mark McConville
EERIE images show a last look at the abandoned hotel attached to actress Jennifer Lawrence’s drinking hole the Clermont Lounge.
Stunning pictures show what remains of the once-thriving Clermont Motor Hotel that was once stayed in by notorious gangster Al Capone and American rockstar GG Allin – before it is renovated into a new boutique hotel.
The haunting snaps show the iconic sign still standing outside the hotel as well as the crumbling remains of the rooms, offices and stairways.
The spectacular shots were taken in Atlanta, USA by local photographer Jeff Hagerman (36).
“Most people have heard of the world-famous Clermont Lounge, but not many people know about the hotel that it’s attached to,” he said.
“Fewer have seen the inside, let alone having been inside. These may be some of the last images you’ll see of the place before they transform it into a 94-room boutique hotel.
“I was asked by friends that run a local organization called weloveatl (weloveatl.org) to join them on a rare chance to go inside the hotel, so I jumped at the chance.
“I had been by the hotel a few times, but never found a way in. It’s a good thing, because the was a guy living inside, apparently providing his 24/7 security services for a room to sleep in.
“The hotel was recently sold and the contractors allowed a small group of us to explore the building for a couple hours.”
The Clermont Motor Hotel was built in 1924 and only closed in December 2009 on orders from the health department for numerous health-code violations, including dirty linen, old bedding, bed bug stains, mould growing on the walls, black water spilling from faucets, and broken toilet fixtures.
The hotel is being revived as a full-service boutique hotel. The Clermont Lounge is Atlanta’s first and longest continually operating strip club, opened in 1965.
Located in the basement of the Clermont Motor Hotel regular visits are rumoured to include celebrities such as actors Bill Murray and Kiefer Sutherland as well as Jennifer Lawrence.
“I love this type of photography because it shows a glimpse of the inside of buildings most people won’t get to see, many of them being time capsules, scenes trapped in a specific moment in time,” said Jeff.
“Some people don’t even realize the lounge is connected to a hotel, so people are surprised to see that it exists and the kind of condition that it’s in.”
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