Heaven On Earth Inn

The war-​torn-​looking eyesore building is 30 stories high. This review uses stories to show parallels between this dead hotel & its last operating owner, the Maharishi Mehesh Yogi (died at 90 in 2008), the popular founder of Transcendental Meditation, and once a guru for The Beatles.
His quotes precede each ‘story’:
30 — «The highest state is laughter»
Because he often laughed in interviews, he was referred to as the «giggling guru».
The top of the building has a tree growing in the same location of the tree signaling the completion of the top floor during construction in 1971 of the Holiday Inn. Maharishi would giggle at that.
29 — «Problems or successes, they all are the results of our own actions. … Karma.»
Holiday Inn failed. Bought and renamed Days Inn (1984). Failed. Bought (1992) & renamed by Maharishi, who went through a series of name changes himself. Again, the hotel failed, and new owners renamed it. Some architects now see the main value is the parking garage (Car-​ma).
28 — «The Beatles made Maharishi great? Pah!»
The Beatles did not find meaning through drugs, and dropped them when they found Maharishi. They travelled to India in 1968 to learn his TM techniques. Suddenly, Maharishi was world renowned, & after success with TM, his picture made the cover of Time magazine.
27 — «Man is born to enjoy»
Their relationship abruptly ended when John Lennon was convinced by actress Mia Farrow that Maharishi groped her. When the Maharishi asked why they were leaving, John supposedly replied, «Well, if you’re so cosmic, you know why.» After packing their bags to leave India, an angry Lennon wrote the song ”Sexy Sadie”. Lennon had scratched the lyrics into a piece of wood. The original title was ‘Maharishi’ and the lyrics contained obscenities. Lennon refined the lyrics, and had to change the title for fear of being sued. But, Maharishi is song’s Sexy Sadie. Prudence Farrow, Mia’s sister, was also there, and Lennon also wrote «Dear Prudence.»
26 — «Absolutely everything is fixed, and absolutely everything can be changed at any time.»
Does that sound Helter Skelter? Because one of his followers was nicknamed ‘Sadie’, Charles Manson believed the Beatles were talking directly to him through their White Album.
25 — «I lack only $ 1 billion to make a better world»
Maharishi’s acquired a net worth of several $billion by travelling the world giving lectures, writing 20 books, and building an empire by setting up 370 TM centers with over 6000 teachers.
24 — «I will fill the world with love and create Heaven on Earth.»
One of his organizations bought this closed hotel in 1992 for $ 2 mil as a TM training center, giving it the memorable name.
23 — «I am upset and completely disappointed in the government, the millionaires and billionaires in the U.S. See what’s happening to the country? Look at all the health problems, the economy and crime.»
Hotel did not make enough money, nor get Maharishi’s money, to maintain it. Thus, the decline in hotel led to a decline in the clientele, leading to reports of drug abuse, theft & other crimes.
22 — Don’t quote me on this, but the structure is still in good shape. No cracks.
After Maharishi left, it became a crack hotel in the 90′s. The police cracked down and the City shut it down in 1998 for safety & building code violations.
21 — «In the USA we have the great Harvard Business School, but America is the country with the greatest debt in the world.»
Facing a huge debt, the owner New Era filed for bankruptcy in 2011 to avoid foreclosure. They cannot afford to clean and restore it, especially the asbestos removal.
20 — «Managers are the most creative people in the world»
A 3^rd investment management firm bought the deteriorating building with a creative vision to create a new living place.
19 — «We should not be influenced by the winds»
Their vision was cloudy enough when hurricane Allison caused damage. Then they defaulted on the loan, and back to Yogi.
18 -«Nature knows best how to organise»
After the storm, squatters starting breaking in to stay, and caused more damage.
17 — «The important thing is this: to be able, at any moment, to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.»
The problem investors have with the current structure is 8′-8″ floor-​to-​floor, too many columns, designed for equipment in basement (which hurricane destroyed, changing building code), too far from downtown and does not connect with the downtown tunnel system. Meditate on that. Oh! I know! A pet hotel!
16 — «Just think of any negativity that comes to you as a raindrop falling into the ocean of your bliss.»
Maybe the area will boom, creating opportunity.
15 — «Only a new seed will yield a new crop.»
Right now, this dilapidated building brings to mind the Beatles’ song «Help!» and perhaps to the owner, the Doors’ «Light My Fire».
2 – 14 — Review is cleaned of rubble to fit the Unilocal 5000 character limit.
1 — «What you see you become.»
OH-​H NO-​O-​O !!! Ommm…