A queue of hundreds formed outside an historic Paget hotel for a massive house sale as the resort sold off everything from chinaware and furniture to sunscreen.

A man strapping a carpet to the roof of his car outside the main door of the Elbow Beach Hotel said at least 50 people were on the scene at 8am and that momentum had been “building up ever since”.

The man added: “I’m coming back for more.”

One of the security team on site said people were “grabbing what they can” and that the ground floor of the main hotel building was jammed with people.

He added: ”I got here at 8.45am – the line’s been long like this since I got here and moving swiftly since. They keep on coming.”

Volunteers from the charity Art Outreach for Kids, or AOK, which will benefit from the sale, were on site to help shepherd the crowds, alongside volunteers from the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art.

The fitness fundraising charity is the museum’s volunteer arm, which raises money for children’s art classes.

Ginny Evans, a volunteer, said: “The feeling of the day is nostalgia. It’s a bit sad but it’s nostalgia for so many people.

“There’s a lot of stories, a lot of people who worked here or spent time here who wanted to take mementoes to have a piece of the history of the place.

“It’s been really interesting going through the rooms from start to finish.”

One woman on the lookout for a deal on twin beds said she had spotted the sale in the paper and wanted a bargain.

Her companion said: ”I just came to see what’s going. It’s a lot here.”

She added: “My dad used to work here. He came up every weekend.”

Jodie Beneloulou, one of the volunteers, said: “It’s sad to see for the hotel.

“But Bermudians know a good deal when they see one. We’re so happy there’s big interest – it’s a lovely turnout.”

A former member of staff who used to work in food and beverage at Elbow Beach before the hotel shut said: “It’s really sad walking through it all.

“You can see the mould in places. In its heyday, this was the place.”

He added: “Let’s hope we don’t see history repeating itself with people walking around at a place like the Fairmont Southampton looking at what’s up for sale.”

An elderly man examined at wall paintings stacked by chairs going for $20 each said he had been drawn by curiosity and to pick up some “memorabilia”.

He added: “Back in the years, college weeks, the nightclub and all that stuff, they had a lot up here.

“I remember this from when I was a little boy.”

A woman nearby said she had even seen boxes of tissues for sale.

She added: “There’s a lot on sale – but it’s a bit of a shame.”

A man who said he had come for a large mirror was waiting for assistance with a $200 item that he said was “a lot to pay, but still good”.

He added: “I’m just staying with it in case somebody else gets it.”

He said he had waited in line for more than hour this morning.

A woman who came because she wanted a queen size mattress said new models often went for $800.

She found one in the hotel lobby, propped against a table, for $40.

The woman said the closure of Elbow Beach had come as a surprise.

The resort, which was already part-mothballed, was an early casualty of the pandemic in March 2020, like the Fairmont Southampton.

The woman added she was amazed by the range of items for sale, including piles of diving masks and scuba gear.

She said: “I’m surprised the chandeliers aren’t for sale.”