Sarasota hotel, one owned by a dog, demolished

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Sandcastle Resort on Lido Beach in Sarasota was built in 1953. Later it was purchased by New York hotel magnate Leona Helmsley. When Helmsley died in 2007, though, she left her dog named Trouble the hotel and $12 million. 

But, Trouble the dog died in 2011, and the money he received was added to a family charitable foundation.

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And like many older, ground-level beach hotels in the area, The Sandcastle was heavily damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Crews from J.P. Services of Sarasota began demolishing the hotel on Monday. They believe it will take several weeks to demolish the hotel and separate materials.

The backstory:

Leona Helmsley was a sometimes brash, high-powered New York businesswoman who owned hotels and real estate. She was known for battling one of her arch business rivals, Donald Trump.

New York writers dubbed Helmsley the "Queen of Mean." Her most famous quote is "We don't pay taxes. Only the little people do."

What's next:

The property is now owned by the same hotel company which owns the local Opal Collection hotels in Clearwater, Sarasota and Naples. They plan to build a new luxury resort on The Sandcastle property. It will take several years to build.