A BEAUTIFUL hotel clinging to a cliff and overlooking a crystal blue Italian lake has been left to rot for more than two decades.
Hotel Ponale, dubbed “Casa della Trota”, is located in the hamlet of Biacesa along the stretch of Lake Garda in Italy.
Originally a restaurant, it gained a lot of fame because it is nestled between the mountains in a beautiful position – cantilevered over the water which makes it seem literally in the middle of the water.
The building, owned by Francesca Cicciarello and her husband Emanuele Lazzara, is part of the history of Alto Garda tourism.
Another reason that made this place so popular was the fact that the restaurant would serve fresh trout caught directly from the lake, and it was a real delicacy for all those who went to eat there.
Many illustrious names, including Fausto Coppi, Monica Vitti, Willy Brandt and have been here to enjoy some freshly caught trout fish.
Over the years, the structure has expanded, thus transforming itself from a restaurant to a hotel.
Despite this, the name has remained the one it was originally given, to carry with it the roots and history that characterize this unique place.
According to the owners, the story of this iconic site dates back to around 1600 – and they claim to have paper documents dated 1830 which attest to its presence.
Francesca’s family became owners of the structure, passing down the management and all the responsibilities from generation to generation.
Now she and her husband, after years of bureaucratic challenges, have received the license to renovate this place and start it again in full blow.
For more than two decades, the restaurant-turned-hotel was left to rot, but the couple overseeing renovation work have great plans to blow life into the beautiful coastal site.
Intentions are to turn it into a “hotel tourist residence” – with housing units, accommodation, rooms and a restaurant.
Meanwhile, another luxurious high-rise hotel that dates back to the early 20th century has been left to rot after owners failed to pay taxes worth millions.
Established in 1901 by famous hotelier Charles Slutsky, the Nevele Grande is situated in the picturesque Catskills region in New York.
Surrounded by two lakes in a valley west of the Shawangunk Mountains, the extravagant property grew over time to become a vacation home for the super-rich.
The Nevele Grande Resort lived up to its grandiose name – at its peak, it had 430 guest rooms and employed a staff of 800.
Within two decades, the resort was extended with new wings and a lot of other lavish features exclusively available for the visiting guests.
