Yesterday the balcony of the Belmar Hotel on the old part of the Malecon collapsed. I wrote about this place and its tile covered lobby about a month ago here and now it's days are likely numbered. The Belmar was built in the 1920s, long before Mazatlan was a tourist destination. It was the first hotel in town that had an ocean view and many celebrities stayed there in the 40s and 50s. There were gardens and exotic birds and its restaurants held dances and celebrations. It was integral to the carnaval celebrations in the early days. The Belmar was visited by hollywood stars like Robert Mitchum, Bing Crosby and Rita Hayward. The balcony where these people and others (like Anias Nin) stood and looked out to sea is now a pile of rubble.
It's likely that the balcony was constructed from beach sand and rebar and the rebar rusted away. Fortunately nobody was injured, but it is a sad day for the old hotel.
Another interesting thing about the Belmar--until recently there were a couple of boa constrictors that wandered the hotel. They had been brought in by the owners to take care of the mice and could be seen in the halls and ceilings from time to time! Oddly enough this didn't seem to bother the guests of the hotel.
Lucky you to have been able to find this beauty and share it with us (who are also fortunate) before it was gone forever. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing story, including the snakes. I can't say they wouldn't bother me. Thanks for sharing the story.
ReplyDeletejoanna i rememeber this post because i love gorgeous old hotels -especially those in exotic locales like this. hotels are like people though, eventually their bodies crumble and tumble but their memories and legacies live on!!! have a lovely mexican evening. steven
ReplyDeleteA sad day indeed. I love that old place!
ReplyDelete-Lin