You guys are going to love this.
In the early 80s big holiday parks with lots of holiday homes were being build in The Netherlands.
First they were called Sporthuis Centrum but since that didn't sound too great for foreigners the name was later changed to Centerparcs.
You know the kind of parks that are mainly centered around one of those big subtropical swimming paradises. first these stood alone, later they made entire covered centers around it with restaurants, shops, bars and yes some small arcades too.
These still operate today.
In the mid 80s the creator of Centerparcs got this brilliant idea to put one of those swimming paradises right in the middle of Rotterdam, at a great spot, at the bank of the river so you could watch the ships while bathing.
It was called Tropicana and opened in 1988 and was a success.
In the beginning.
Center Parcs was sold to a Scottish beer company and they felt that Tropicana didn't dit in the concept. They sold it already one year after it had opened. The new owners never updated anything or even did maintenance very well, let alone did they invest in big updates.
More and more decay set in. One of the reasons, as I may say so, were the kind of visitors that started to dominate the place more and more (not families, like in the Center Parcs). Following this, girls got harassed and the place simply got a bad name.
It closed doors in 2010 and now it just stands there. Many people want it to be demolished to regain the view on the river.
Anyway, here a video about how it looks now. I recognize every bath and slide. I've been there a number of times. I already love these kind of pics and videos, but actually knowing the place gives it an extra thrill....
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ojZKSjyX9Iw
