"I knew Molokai was very special. Unlike the other Hawaiian Islands, there is very little tourism on it. It's for people who want to slow down and experience the old Hawaii and its culture," she told Business Insider.
While staying at the only operating hotel on the island at the time, she discovered the abandoned Kaluakoi Resort. Its skeletal exterior intrigued her.
"I love photographing abandoned places around the world whenever I can," she said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Today, the resort is sitting on Molokai Ranch, a property that's for sale for
The Kaluakoi Resort originally opened in the 1970s, and passed through various owners.
It finally closed in 2001, when the company that was leasing the property, went bankrupt.
To find the abandoned spots on the island, Ott asked the locals.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I had heard rumors there were a few old hotels," she said.
While exploring the grounds, Ott didn't venture up to the second floors. "Many of the stairs were broken and seemed unstable," she said.
Ott explored the property by herself. She said nearby the deserted hotel there were "beautifully manicured lawns and pristine condos that were exact replicas of the abandoned buildings." Because of this, "It’s a very unusual setting," she said.
She did peer inside the buildings when she could.
"I was able to go on the patios and look through the dirty, broken windows and see inside," she said.
ADVERTISEMENT
"All of the rooms, however, were locked with extremely rusty padlocks," she siad.
Ott described the scene as "Mournful, crumbling, and disturbing."
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7scHLrJxnppdkr6p7xaKlmqaTmnyntc2apZydXZqys7XEZqehp6SkwG6%2Fx6iuZpldna64rciimKdloprAsL7TZquhmaSoeqOxxKdkmpqRo7GwusSdZJ%2BnomK8t7HRZphmnJWYrqWxjqaZpa%2BVqMA%3D