Fire consumes abandoned Catskills hotel that inspired ‘Dirty Dancing’
A devastating fire engulfed a building at New York’s historic Grossinger resort on Tuesday evening, marking a new low for the abandoned hotel that served as the inspiration for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing and hosted celebrities.
The fire devastated a three-story building on the resort’s property in Liberty, New York, and forced firefighters to trudge through overgrowth and concrete barriers, who then demolished the building with an excavator after putting the fire out.
The fire took six hours to put out, and authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire according to a Liberty Fire Department Facebook post.
Grossinger’s resort was the jewel of a vibrant vacation scene after World War 2 that saw thousands of Jewish families flock to the verdant Catskill Mountains during summertime, earning the area the name ‘The Borscht Belt.’
A fire engulfs a building at the abandoned Grossinger’s resort, which served as the inspiration behind the resort seen in the 1987 hit film ‘Dirty Dancing’
The fire took six hours to put out as authorities trudged through heavy overgrowth and bypassed concrete barriers to get to the building
The resort fell into disrepair during the 1980’s, as antisemitism in America waned and Jewish families could use air travel to fly to more popular resorts
It was once boasted an indoor and outdoor pool, along with many other amenities such as a bustling nightclub
The Borscht Belt served as an unperturbed getaway for Jews living in America, who were often unwelcome at more mainstream getaways and hotels.
Grossinger’s was the primary inspiration behind the fictional Kellerman’s resort in the 1987 hit film Dirty Dancing, as screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein recalled visiting Grossinger’s as a child and discovering her love for dancing there.
‘My parents would hit the golf course and I would just go to the dance studio as a little girl,’ Bergstein said at the Center for Jewish History in 2021.
The bustling holiday spot lessened in popularity during the second half of the 20th century as antisemitism waned and Jewish families were accepted at other resorts and destinations.
The sprawling resort was found in the rural town of Liberty, New York, and attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors each year
Vacationers are seen sitting poolside at Grossinger’s resort in 1977, a popular summertime destination for New York City’s Jewish families
Famed singer Eddie Fisher was discovered at the hotel and brought his first wife, actress Debbie Reynolds, to the resort to celebrate their wedding
Grossinger’s inspired the fictional Kellerman’s resort, which is where Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey dance in the hit 1987 film Dirty Dancing
Grossinger’s fell into disrepair during the 1980’s and was never revived, but the popular resort was once far grander.
The resort, owned by Austrian couple Harry and Jennie Grossinger, boasted a 27-hole golf course, a 1,500 seat dining room, indoor and outdoor pools, a nightclub and even an airstrip.
The resort also hosted a wide array of celebrities, including Rocky Marciano, the heavyweight champion boxer of the 1950’s who trained at the resort’s gyms.
Famed singer Eddie Fisher, who was discovered at the hotel, married his first wife, legendary entertainer Debbie Reynolds, at the resort on September 26, 1955, and also brought his second wife, iconic film star Elizabeth Taylor, there for a visit.
Fisher later shocked the newspapers when he was found to be cheating on Reynolds with Taylor, who said she was ‘shattered’ about the affair and ‘the last to know.’
The resort was owned by Austrian couple Harry and Jennie Grossinger, with Jennie acting as the hotel’s hostess
Grossinger’s was well-known for being the first place to use artificial snow for skiers in 1952, and visitors enjoyed the many pools that the property boasted
The hotel began as a small guesthouse with no plumbing or electricity in the 1900s
Grossinger’s was famed for being the first place to use artificial snow for skiers in 1952, and its golf course remains open to this day.
Hotels International bought the resort in 1985 but could not reverse its fortunes when it came to declining visitor numbers who had given up the 100-mile journey to the Catskills from New York City in favor of air travel, which had become more affordable.
The hotel began as a small guesthouse with no plumbing or electricity in the 1900s, reports AbandonedNYC.com.
Austrian immigrants Asher Selig Grossinger and his wife Malke moved to the Catskills from New York City, and Malke’s incredible kosher cooking and their renowned hospitality meant they soon needed to expand.
In 1919, they bought a bigger house – Grossinger’s Terrace Hill House – which sat within 100 acres.
The Grossingers’ daughter Jennie was the resort’s hostess and by the time of her death in 1972, she had transformed it into 35 buildings attracting 150,000 guests a year.
