Joseph Young's 1925 Hollywood-by-the-Sea Hotel with Al Capone Lore
101 N Ocean Drive, Hollywood, FL 33019
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free exterior viewing from public sidewalks
Access
Wheelchair OK
Beach boardwalk and oceanfront sidewalk
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1925 · Centerpiece of Joseph Young's Hollywood-by-the-Sea · Mediterranean Revival landmark · Associated with Al Capone's Florida visits · Multiple historical uses including military hospital and Bible college
Hollywood, Florida developer Joseph Young opened the Hollywood Beach Hotel in 1925 as the centerpiece of his Hollywood-by-the-Sea resort city. The seven-story Mediterranean Revival hotel featured 500 rooms with private baths, what was billed as the world's largest solarium, and a direct wire to the New York Stock Exchange for trading guests. Tourism in nearby Miami was devastated by the Great Hurricane of 1926, but the Hollywood Beach Hotel quickly drew stars, socialites, and athletes. Al Capone is widely reported to have visited the resort during his Florida years; he reportedly favored the second floor and local lore claims a hidden underground passage connected the hotel to the beach. Over the following decades the building's use shifted dramatically: it operated as a hotel, then served as a military hospital, then a Bible college, and later returned to hotel use. The property has been subject to ongoing redevelopment discussions in recent decades.
Sources
Guests, employees, and paranormal investigators have circulated reports of orb photography on the 7th floor and unexplained voices throughout the building's older interior spaces. Local lore associates much of the activity with the Capone-era guest population and the building's later military hospital and Bible college years, each phase adding to its accumulated legend. The Hollywood Beach Resort has been included in South Florida paranormal tour itineraries and Florida ghost-folklore compilations. Visitors should respect current building access rules and view the property from the public oceanfront Broadwalk.
Media Appearances
View the historic 1925 Hollywood Beach Resort from the public Broadwalk in front of the property. The building's status has shifted over the years between hotel use and other operations; respect any posted signage.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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