Hotels are built to welcome guests, offering a haven of comfort, luxury, and relaxation. Yet, across the world, there are once-grand hotels that now stand eerily empty, their hallways silent, their lobbies gathering dust. These forgotten hotels, abandoned due to economic collapse, natural disasters, war, or simple neglect, now serve as haunting reminders of ambition gone wrong.
Some of these hotels were left unfinished before ever hosting a guest, while others operated for years before closing their doors forever. Whether perched on tropical beaches, hidden deep in forests, or standing in the middle of bustling cities, these abandoned hotels tell stories of lost dreams, financial failures, and the relentless march of time.
The Ryugyong Hotel
Standing at 105 stories, the Ryugyong Hotel dominates the Pyongyang skyline, its pyramid-like structure making it one of the most recognizable buildings in the world. Yet, despite its imposing presence, it has never welcomed a single guest.
Construction began in 1987, intended to showcase North Korea’s technological and economic prowess, but when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, funding dried up. By 1992, construction halted, leaving an empty concrete shell. For years, it remained a symbol of North Korea’s economic struggles, an unfinished giant looming over the capital.
Though glass windows were added in 2008, giving it the illusion of completion, the inside remains unfinished. The Ryugyong Hotel stands as a monument to ambition that never materialized.
The Ghost Palace Hotel
High in the misty mountains of Bali, the Ghost Palace Hotel was meant to be a luxurious resort with panoramic views of lush landscapes. Funded by a wealthy Indonesian businessman, construction was well underway in the late 1990s, with grand staircases, spacious rooms, and traditional Balinese architecture.
However, mysterious circumstances halted the project. Some say the businessman was arrested for corruption, others claim supernatural forces cursed the site. Whatever the truth, the hotel was left to decay before it ever opened, with vines creeping over balconies and empty hallways echoing with the wind.
Local legend claims that ghosts of workers who died during construction still roam the site, making it one of Bali’s most haunted places.
The Hotel del Salto
Perched on a cliff overlooking the breathtaking Tequendama Falls, the Hotel del Salto was once a luxury retreat for Colombia’s elite in the early 20th century. With breathtaking views and elegant architecture, it became a symbol of wealth and prestige.
But by the 1990s, pollution in the Bogotá River made the once-pristine falls unattractive to tourists, leading to the hotel’s decline and eventual closure. Left abandoned, it gained a dark reputation, with locals claiming it became a site for suicides and ghostly encounters.
The eerie shell of Hotel del Salto remained untouched for years, its once-grand halls covered in dust, graffiti, and decay. Recently, it has been transformed into a museum, preserving its haunting history.
The Diplomat Hotel
The Diplomat Hotel has a history drenched in tragedy. Originally built as a monastery in 1915, it was converted into a hotel in the 1970s, offering visitors a luxurious escape in the cool mountains of Baguio City.
However, its past is dark and violent. During World War II, Japanese forces took over the building, turning it into a site of brutal executions and torture. Many believe the spirits of the victims still haunt its crumbling corridors.
When the owner of the Diplomat Hotel died in 1987, operations ceased, and the building was left to rot. Today, it stands as a ghostly ruin, attracting paranormal investigators and curious explorers drawn to its grim history.
Haludovo Palace Hotel
Built in 1972, the Haludovo Palace Hotel was an extravagant resort funded by Bob Guccione, the founder of Penthouse Magazine. Designed as a hedonistic playground for the ultra-rich, the resort featured private beaches, lavish casinos, and extravagant parties.
But by the 1980s, financial troubles hit. The Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s sealed its fate, turning the once-opulent hotel into a shell of its former self.
Today, the skeleton of Haludovo still stands, with graffiti-covered walls and overgrown courtyards, a haunting reminder of a glamorous past that ended in chaos.
Bokor Palace Hotel
Built in 1925 by French colonists, Bokor Palace Hotel was a luxury retreat overlooking the Cambodian countryside. However, it was abandoned just 15 years later as war and conflict ravaged the region.
For decades, the empty hotel stood as a decaying ghost palace, its once-grand halls now filled with crumbling walls and broken windows. During the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s, the area became a battleground, further sealing the fate of the hotel as an abandoned relic.
Though attempts were made to restore it, the eerie atmosphere remains, and many still believe it is haunted by the ghosts of soldiers and lost souls.
The Grand Hotel Kupari
Once a luxurious retreat for Yugoslav military elites, the Grand Hotel Kupari was a prime destination along the Croatian coast. Golden beaches, grand architecture, and high-end service made it one of the most exclusive resorts in the region.
Then came the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s. The hotel was bombed, looted, and left to rot, never to be repaired. Today, it stands frozen in time, its walls riddled with bullet holes and its rooms stripped of all their luxury.
Despite its eerie decay, the abandoned hotel is a stark reminder of a glamorous past cut short by war and destruction.
The hotels that time left behind are more than just crumbling buildings—they are monuments to grand ambitions that fell apart, whether due to economic collapse, war, natural disasters, or simply poor planning. Each one holds a story of excess, mystery, and lost dreams, standing as a silent witness to the relentless march of time.
