VIDEO: Famed hotel that inspired ‘Dirty Dancing’ destroyed by fire

LIBERTY, N.Y. (Gray News) - The New York hotel that inspired the film “Dirty Dancing” has been destroyed in a fire.

According to the Liberty Fire Department, crews responded to the Grossinger’s Catskill Resort property around 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Fire officials said the first units at the scene had to cut through a gate to access the roadway to get to the fire. The resort has been closed since 1986.

A drone video shared by Schwartz Brothers Media showed flames devouring the nearly four-story structure nestled in the woods. A firefighter could be seen on a tower ladder aiming water at the upper stories with emergency vehicles lining the roadway.

As the drone moves farther away, a massive column of smoke is shown towering over the area.

According to the department, the overgrowth and other barriers on the property hampered extinguishing efforts, which lasted about six hours.

After the firefighters extinguished the flames, Town of Liberty Code Enforcement requested the building be demolished. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by New York State Police and Sullivan County Bureau of Fire.

In “Dirty Dancing,” teenager Baby (Jennifer Grey) meets dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) at a resort in the Catskills. A sequel to the 1987 film, also called “Dirty Dancing” and starring Jennifer Grey, is scheduled to release in 2024.