From icon to eyesore, the seesawing fortunes of one of Nelson Mandela Bay’s most visible historic treasures and a former premium event and tourist destination, the King Edward Hotel, has hit a new low after falling prey to vandalism, theft and vagrancy.

Following a brief revival late in 2018 and having been closed down yet again in December, the sprawling hotel and prominent Port Elizabeth landmark overlooking the Donkin Reserve – often the first stop for international bus tours into the city – now partially resembles a prison, with a newly contracted security company having secured the premises with bars and fencing...