Cook Development took great care in renovating this Holly Hill landmark to preserve its architectural integrity and rich history, while ensuring that it met current building standards.
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The Riviera Hotel as it appeared in its earliest days. (Image enlarges)
Its walls exude the nostalgia of its rich history while many of its current residents recall fun times spent enjoying the top entertainment, nightclub gambling and elegant receptions once held in the rooms in which they now live.
Originally constructed in 1923 by Walter Hardesty, The Riviera Hotel was a members only club for the elite of the South. This elegant structure played host to some of the most influential people of that time by offering choice accommodations, activities and nightlife. Despite its immense popularity, the Great Depression took its toll on the landmark hotel and in 1948 its owners sold the hotel to Charles Ballistic who converted it to the Trocadero Club and ushered in another era of immense success with the addition of an elite nightclub.
Although the hotel remained open over the years, the building gradually lost its luster and was eventually closed because it did not meet building code standards. In 1998, Doug Cook of Cook Development purchased the hotel for the sole purpose of restoring it to its original state of beauty and grace. Cook Development took great care in renovating this Holly Hill landmark to preserve its architectural integrity and rich history, while ensuring that it met current building standards. The interior of The Riviera was gutted and major renovations were done on the building's plumbing, electrical and air conditioning systems. The original elevator, arch doorways and windows were brought up to code and an additional, larger elevator was added in a more central location. The original 150 rooms were converted into 62 two-room suites and 14 one-room suites that are more comfortably designed to meet the needs of current residents.
Today, after 80 years, Cook Development has brought back the Riviera Hotel as the Riviera Assisted Living Residences, a 76-room facility complete with an enormous and elegant living room, dining room, activity room, library and patio reminiscent of the Victorian era and the old Riviera Hotel.