The Sandcastle Resort on Lido Beach in Sarasota was built in 1953, and is now being demolished.
The hotel was long ago purchased by New York hotel magnate Leona Helmsley. When Helmsley died in 2007,
though, she left her dog named Trouble the hotel and $12 million.
But, Trouble the dog died in 2011, and the money he received was added to a family charitable foundation.
And like many older, ground-level beach hotels in the area, The Sandcastle was heavily damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Crews from J.P. Services of Sarasota began demolishing the hotel last week and will take several weeks to complete.
Leona Helmsley was a brash, high-powered New York businesswoman who owned hotels and real estate. She was known for battling Donald Trump.
New York writers dubbed Helmsley the “Queen of Mean.” Her famous quote is “We don’t pay taxes. Only the little people do.
The property is now owned by the Ocean Properties, which is approved to build a new luxury resort on The
Sandcastle property.
