The abandoned resort of the Cook Islands

The abandoned resort of the Cook Islands

This derelict seaside resort of Sheraton has a population of 10,500, about 70% of the country's population. The resort dates back to 1987 when the Cook Islands government signed an agreement with an Italian bank to fund the resort. The government acted as guarantor of the $ 36 million loan, while Sheraton committed to manage the property.

The construction of this 5-star hotel with 200 suites, including a golf course, began in 1990 but ended abruptly when the complex was 80% completed. The project ran out of money when most of the $ 36 million disappeared into a black hole dug by mafia and other crooks. As a result, the country's finances have been paralyzed and taxpayers are still struggling with the interest bill. There have been suggestions regarding the possible redevelopment of the station but nothing has progressed.

Many Rarotongans think that the project was realized from the beginning of the site in 1911, after a fierce dispute over the ownership of the land. At the official launch of the project, the grandson of the woman dressed as high priest in the resurrection of her grandmother's curse. Then he slammed his spear into a rock on which the plaque had just been unveiled by the Prime Minister, marking the beginning of the Sheraton project. When the rock broke down, locals saw it as if the resort was still cursed and condemned.