32 Grand Old Railway Hotels Left Vacant Along Forgotten Routes

17. The Grand Hotel (partially, in decline), Scarborough, UK: Victorian Seaside Colossus

Overlooking the North Sea, Scarborough's Grand Hotel (1867) was designed to resemble a calendar, with four towers, 12 floors, 52 chimneys, and 365 rooms, directly serving the throngs arriving by rail for seaside holidays. While still operating, its sheer scale and the decline of traditional British seaside resorts meant large sections often felt underutilized or dated for decades, particularly before more recent efforts to revitalize parts. It stands as a colossal, sometimes melancholic, symbol of railway-driven Victorian leisure.