The Block's terrifying new twist has a tragic murder and rape past

The infamous Gatwick Hotel - a 66-room hotel and boarding house which has been dubbed the worst hotel in Australia - has been unveiled as the show's main site for the 2018 series.

Channel 9 officially confirmed the news with a walk-through of the derelict hotel, rumoured to have cost $10 million, showcasing the boarded up exterior and graffiti-riddled interior.

The Gatwick Hotel in Melbourne's St Kilda is surrounded by some of the city's most expensive and modern properties, but it's reputation is as low as it gets. 

Murder, violence, rape and drug dealings are just some of the many activities people believe go on in the abandoned hotel.

Between January and June of 2016, more than 50 serious crimes occurred there, according to The Herald Sun.

Leaked police data showed the property was the scene of an arson, a stabbing, two rapes, at least 19 drug offences and aggravated burglaries.

In 2011, a man was stabbed to death, which was the fourth violent death connected to the Gatwick in the preceding six years.

Before it was sold to Channel 9 in March this year, the hotel’s TripAdvisor reviews warned prospective visitors to steer well clear of the 'hotbed of violence and drugs.'

Detective Sergeant Ed Logonder said, 'There's no hiding the fact that there's been murders, violent assaults, there have been drug overdoes there.' 

We think this is going to be one interesting season of The Block, and we can't wait to tune in!

This article originally appeared on New Idea.