The Block’s newest renovation project is Melbourne’s infamous Gatwick hotel and it’s had quite the reputation over the years – and not for a good reason.
Channel Nine bought the decrepit property last year for an eye-watering $10 million. But now that producers are prepping the hotel for filming (and the new Blockheads to move in), they’ve had to call in specialist forensic teams to clean up the mess.
Cleaners found a horrifying number of dirty syringes (389 to be exact) underneath the carpet and wedged into the floor, an insider told The Daily Telegraph.
The ‘Hell Hotel’
“Some rooms in the hotel were immaculately maintained by elderly boarders and then right next door would be an ice lab,” the insider revealed.
“It was not a safe environment.”
The building’s walls were covered in graffiti and dirt.
The 1950s building, located in St Kilda, has been called many names over the years because of its crime-filled history. Dubbed ‘The Ghetto’, ‘Hotel Hell’ and ‘Hotel of Horrors’, the Gatwick saw 50 reported crimes – including rape, drug dealing, assault, theft and arson – in a six-month period in 2016, according to The Herald Sun.
Four deaths have been linked to the notorious property, including a case in 2011 where a man was stabbed to death by an alcoholic.
The Block host Scott Cam teased a promo for the upcoming season in the show’s finale last year.
“Yes, we’ve done breathtaking. Yes, we’ve pulled off the impossible and yes, we’ve captivated and occasionally even stunned the nation,” he said, as he walked through the dodgy corridors.
“But we have never attempted anything like this before.”
If one thing’s for sure, we know that The Block can certainly flip a rundown property and turn it into a luxury, multi-million dollar home.
