Inside abandoned hotel that still has full bar with enormous champagne bottles

06 December 2023 , 10:47

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Inside abandoned hotel that still has full bar with enormous champagne bottles

A huge unopened bottle of champagne, neatly laid dining tables and a fully stocked bar were among the extraordinary finds at a hotel abandoned since 2020.

Photos show the plush establishment - which was once owned by Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg’s dad William until the 1970s - looking well-kept but a little dusty with everything in the hotel kept pretty much as it was before it shut its doors.

The four-star Ston Easton Park Hotel in Bath, Somerset, also had prepared beds, luxurious bathrooms, and a wine cellar. An urban explorer from the area, who goes by the TikTok handle Urbecs, made the discovery and said the experience was so surreal because of the lack of people.

The hotel bar was still loaded with unopened booze (mediadrumimages / @urbecs)

She explained how she was one of the locals who had treasured the hotel when it was open and had fond memories of the afternoon tea there. She said: “I have pictures of me inside when it was open in 2014 and I think that’s what made this explore more special as it was 100 per cent more personal to me than anything else.

“I like to try and capture shots which really show the true beauty of the building. A lot of people look at an abandoned building and wonder what’s inside but never actually go in and find out. I like to be the one to show people what’s inside and feed their curiosity. My favourite thing I found was 100 percent the massive champagne bottle. It was the size of my upper body.”

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TikTok explorer Urbecs was stunned to find a bottle of champagne the size of her torso (mediadrumimages / @urbecs)

Urbecs shared her discovery with her followers on TikTok (mediadrumimages / @urbecs)

Although Urbecs does not normally share the location of her explorations for fear they will be ransacked and looted, she has named this location as the former hotel now has security and dogs protecting it. The manor has also been used as a filming location for period dramas, including the BBC adaptation of The Pursuit of Love starring Lily James and Dominic West. Urbecs never takes anything from the locations and leaves them as found as her mission is purely to document the inside of beautiful places.

She added: “I always feel happy when I look back at my camera roll and see a photograph or video that I’m particularly proud of. The whole urban exploring side of things can get very addictive. Hunting a place through research, then you visit, sometimes these places are sealed and there’s no way in and it leaves you feeling frustrated. But when there is a way in and the place is stunning inside – the feeling of achievement and accomplishment is something unmatched personally.”

Sophie Jones