The Block’s new Hotel of Horrors was once the scene of an attack by a ‘vampire gigolo’

But this rundown South Yarra property, which be transformed into luxury apartments over the next couple of months, could also be dubbed the Hotel of Horrors.

Several years ago, the eight-sided building was the scene of a brutal rape by a self-proclaimed vampire gigolo who was later shot dead during the midst of his trial.

Male prostitute Shane Chartres-Abbott was accused of brutally raping a female client at the hotel in 2002.

The woman was found by hotel staff half conscious in the shower of her room with blood bubbling from her mouth, bruising to her neck and jaw and teeth marks on her thigh.

Part of her tongue had also been ripped out.

Chartres-Abbott, who allegedly told his victim that he was a 200-year-old vampirewho drank blood to stay young, was arrested after the attack, but he was shot outside his home before his trial concluded. 

While details of the hotel’s past have been made public before, what is not clear is how this information will be dealt with in the program.

In NSW, real estate agents must disclose a property’s dark history however in Victoria, where the hotel is located, agents only have to mention a crime has taken place if asked.

It is understood the room where the attack took place no longer exists.

A Channel Nine spokesman told news.com.au the hotel’s horrific past had “no relevance” and was unable to clarify if the room where the attack occurred was part of one of the luxury apartments.

He also did not clarify how the program intended to deal with the disclosure matter or if the couple renovating the floor where the room was located was aware it formed part of their apartment.

“What we see is an interesting building that has enormous potential,” the spokesman said. “Every room is a pizza shape so will present all sorts of challenges to our Blockheads [contestants].

“We think Australia’s going to love what they’re planning. As for Melbourne, it can’t come soon enough for this ugly duckling.”

Real Estate Institute of NSW president Malcolm Gunning said despite Victoria having different laws, he thought the information should be disclosed.

“Many people are superstitious and won’t buy into a property [based on that superstition],” he told news.com.au. “There’s particularly some Asian cultures that it’s bad luck. In reality [in NSW], if there’s been a murder or other issues in the building which may influence people’s decisions to buy, it must be disclosed.

“If this property is going to be sold. I thought they should indicate what room it took place in.

“For some people it won’t bother them but for others, they might not want a bar of it because of the bad karma. It’s an issue, and it’s an issue that must be disclosed.”

More than a decade ago in NSW, the law regarding disclosure, called the material fact legislation, was introduced after the house Sef Gonzales murdered his family in went on sale.

The buyers of the property, a Taiwanese Buddhist couple, were not aware of it’s history until after they paid their $80,000 deposit.

They believed the house, in Sydney’s North Ryde, was haunted and would bring them bad luck.

Following adverse publicity from the sale, the couple were reimbursed their money and the agents fined $20,900 for not disclosing its past.

It ended up being sold to a private buyer in 2005.

Last year, the house where the Frisoli brothers, Albert and Mario, were stabbed to death by a former business associate Giuseppe Di Cianni sold for more than $2.2 million.

While the Rozelle property in Sydney’s inner west sold for $200,000 above the reserve, three prospective buyers ruled themselves out after learning of its gruesome history, Fairfax reported.

Mr Gunning said superstition still played a big part in some sales, or non-sales.

“People say they are not superstitious but you look at how many don’t buy number 13,” he explained. “The Chinese won’t go anywhere near the number four, won’t even go in the house. So superstition sometimes says ‘maybe not’ even if the price is there. So this will be interesting to see. I would have thought the producers [of The Block] would have to disclose it. The auctioneer should or there maybe enough press leading up to it, they won’t need to.

“They definitely couldn’t hide it.”

Mr Gunning also said he wanted to see if the hotel’s history would affect price.

He explained how a person died in a house did affect price.

“Death, old age, that sort of thing not so much but certainly murder or a brutal crime, it can be a problem,” he said. “It does affect price, in some cases it really does.

“In this case here this will be a completely refurbished property.

“The other side of it is, some might think they could buy it cheaper. Then, lo and behold, it sells for market value.

“This will be an interesting test case to see if it has any affect on price.”

Season 11 of The Block begins at 7pm on Sunday on Channel 9.

Source: News Limited, 6^th September 2015
Originally published as: The Block’s new Hotel of Horrors was once the scene of an attack by a ‘vampire gigolo’