The world's eeriest abandoned hotels, resorts and airports

Posted on : 09/26/2020
The world's eeriest abandoned hotels, resorts and airports
Travel 



Slide 1 of 70: Wallpaper peeling from the walls, moldy ceilings and furniture left frozen in time – these popular airports and destinations for vacationers were once filled with buzzing conversations and laughter but now they’ve turned into eerie time capsules. We take a look at the most astonishing abandoned spots that are now playgrounds for urban explorers, photographers and ghost hunters alike.
Slide 2 of 70: Overlooking the stunning Tequendama Falls, this hotel opened in 1929. For decades it welcomed thousands of wealthy tourists, who came to see the spectacular waterfall.
Slide 3 of 70: But as the Bogotá river got increasingly contaminated with sewage and other liquid waste, the tourist numbers slowly dwindled. The hotel closed in the early 1990s but a museum exhibition about biodiversity was recently set up in the abandoned space.
Slide 4 of 70: This ship-like Art Deco building first opened its doors as a hotel in 1932, but due to its proximity to the Spanish border it was closed during the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War. Unable to regain its former glory it closed down for the final time in 1983.

Slide 5 of 70: Part of the building is now restored into vacation flats retaining the original features. However, the rest of the hotel remains unused. 
Slide 6 of 70: A kosher establishment, catering primarily to wealthy Jewish clients from New York, Grossinger’s grew from a Victorian hotel in the early 1900s to the first ski resort in the world to use artificial snow in 1952.
Slide 7 of 70: The hotel closed in 1986 after Grossinger's descendants sold it and has been empty ever since. Inside many features such as this bathroom and the indoor pool are still broadly intact.
Slide 8 of 70: Salton Sea in California used to be a bustling resort town in the 1950s. While its name might suggest a coastal spot, it's actually a lake located in the desert to the southeast of Palm Springs. 
Slide 9 of 70: After a series of unfortunate events, which began with Hurricane Kathleen in 1976, the town was cleared out. Now, only empty diners, abandoned motels and deserted hotels remain.

Slide 10 of 70: The Lee Plaza opened in 1928, facilitated by local developer Ralph T. Lee. However, both Lee and the hotel suffered during the Great Depression and he ended up bankrupt in 1935.
Slide 11 of 70: In the coming decades the hotel was turned into a senior citizens’ home until it was closed in 1997. Currently, the building is set for redevelopment, with work to turn it into apartments and retail spaces expected to start in 2021. Now take a look at America's most eerie abandoned building.
Slide 12 of 70: Originally opened in 1953, this resort became extremely popular after it appeared in the 1961 Elvis Presley film Blue Hawaii. It was closed in 1992 when Hurricane Iniki swept across the island. However, the luxury resort reopened in 2018 under Hyatt ownership.
Slide 13 of 70: One of the pioneers of Croatia’s tourism, Kupari vacation village was a military resort for the elite of the Yugoslav army from the 1960s. When the Croatian War for Independence broke out in 1991, the army fled, and the resort was heavily bombed.
Slide 14 of 70: It has been a popular attraction for urban explorers, but this won’t last for long – the old ruins look set to be replaced by a new 5-star resort.

Slide 15 of 70: One of the buildings in the resort known as Bokor Hill Station, the Bokor Palace was built as a mountain retreat for Europeans in the early 1920s, when Cambodia was under French rule.
Slide 16 of 70: It was first abandoned by the French in the 1940s and was then used as a stronghold by various political movements until the early 1990s. Modern infrastructure has made the mountainous region accessible again and there has been a stunning hotel on the site since 2017.
Slide 17 of 70: Located by the spectacular Puente del Inca rock formations and hot springs, this hotel was built in 1925. Every room in this luxury retreat had its own spa until the frequent landslides disabled the trans-Andean train service and it was abandoned in 1965. Now only a small part of the original building, pictured here, survives.
Slide 18 of 70: Built between 1936 and 1939, this beach resort spanned an astonishing 2.8 miles (4.5km) along a lagoon separating the continent from the Baltic Sea. A particularly striking example of the Brutalist architecture during the Third Reich, the eight vacation buildings were actually never used for their intended purpose.
Slide 19 of 70: Since 1945, when the Soviet Army took over, the complex has been subject to various uses: one of the buildings has been repurposed as a residential development and four others are in the process of redevelopment, while another serves as a youth hostel. However, three still stand abandoned. Now discover the world's abandoned train stations.
Slide 20 of 70: Initially intended as a resort for the US military, this project was never finished due to financial troubles and the deaths of several construction workers in the 1980s.
Slide 21 of 70: The pod-like houses were a tourist attraction due to their unusual appearance. However, in 2010 they were demolished to make way for a new resort and water park.
Slide 22 of 70: Originally founded as a tavern in the Pocono Mountains, this resort was popular with honeymooning couples. It expanded to include 100 bedrooms, a ski resort and a golf course.
Slide 23 of 70: Sadly, it closed when its co-founder Frances Paolillo died in 2009 and the county took over the estate due to unpaid taxes. It has been abandoned ever since.
Slide 24 of 70: North of Kobe in Japan, the Maya Hotel sits atop Mount Maya. Built in 1929, it was only accessible via a cable car and when that was suspended during the Second World War, the hotel closed too.
Slide 25 of 70: Since then, damaged by a typhoon and a strong earthquake, it has become a popular spot for urban explorers.
Slide 26 of 70: First established as a health retreat in the early 20th century, Gagra was intensely developed as the Soviet Riviera along the coast of the Black Sea during the 1920s. The resort town was immensely popular with vacationing Soviets, but also served as a rehabilitation site for soldiers wounded in the war.
Slide 27 of 70: In its heyday the town had its own railway station, theater and beachside colonnade, and was filled with stunning vacation homes. However, it was abandoned in the late 1980s, when tensions grew between different communities in the region. The resort suffered heavy damage during the Abkhazian-Georgian war in 1992.
Slide 28 of 70: Notable for its unusual Moorish décor, this Italian palazzo in Tuscany was built in 1605. Redeveloped into a luxury hotel in the post-war era, the stunning building was abandoned in 1990 and has been neglected for more than 20 years.
Slide 29 of 70: However, its Moorish beauty remains, with colorful tiling and murals throughout. Now privately owned, it's off limits to visitors although you can read more about the property here. Now discover incredible pictures of tourist attractions that no longer exist.
Slide 30 of 70: Before the Turkish invasion in 1974, Varosha – situated in the southern quarter of Famagusta – was a thriving vacation destination filled with resorts and hotels. Thanks to its stunning sands, it once attracted celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot. Take a look at these vintage photos of Hollywood stars' vacations.
Slide 31 of 70: When the Turkish army invaded, its inhabitants and visitors fled, and the once-popular tourist destination has been uninhabited ever since.
Slide 32 of 70: Dubrovnik, Croatia’s most popular tourist destination, is a thriving city, usually attracting millions of visitors every year. However, just a few miles outside the UNESCO World Heritage Site, this 5-star luxury hotel has been abandoned since the Croatian War of Independence in the early 1990s.
Slide 33 of 70: Located just above the seashore, with views of Dubrovnik and the island of Lokrum, this sprawling resort has fallen victim to vandals. However, part of the hotel was used during the filming of season four of Game of Thrones. There are plans for the site's demolition and redevelopment. 
Slide 34 of 70: Another abandoned vacation resort in the Pocono Mountains, Buck Hill Falls was originally founded in 1901. Financial troubles and several fires led to the closure of the 400-bedroom resort in 1990.
Slide 35 of 70: In the early 2000s the crumbling resort was the victim of an arson attack. After much wrangling about what to do with the historic property it was demolished in 2017.
Slide 36 of 70: One of the first high-rise buildings in the city, the Divine Lorraine first served as a luxury apartment complex before it reopened as a hotel in 1900. In 1948 the hotel was bought by spiritual leader Reverend M. J. Divine (or Father Divine, as he was also known), who turned the hotel into the first fully racially integrated hotel in the USA. It closed in 1999 and was reduced to a hollow shell, with no windows, doors or floors remaining. The building has recently been renovated and now houses 101 luxury apartments.
Slide 37 of 70: Opened in 1989 to lure tourists to the then untrammeled Azores, Hotel Monte Palace only operated for just over a year before it was shut. Since then, the mountaintop resort has been abandoned and become a popular destination for urban explorers.
Slide 38 of 70: Today, you can wander around the ghostly building, which is located on São Miguel island, just above the village of Sete Cidades. Now take a look at the world's most fascinating ghost towns.
Slide 39 of 70: Built in the 1960s, Kozubnik was a communist party vacation resort complete with swimming pools, saunas, restaurants, bars and even a bowling alley. Located in the valley of Mała Puszcza (meaning Little Wood) in southern Poland, it is surrounded by hills and thick forests.
Slide 40 of 70: After communism fell in Poland, it was sold to a private company, who closed the hotel when it went bankrupt in 1996. Much photographed over the years, the complex has now been purchased and redeveloped.
Slide 41 of 70: Captured here by urban explorer and photographer Yannick Vandermolen, Villa Cannaert used to be a 4-star luxury hotel and restaurant. It was sold to private investors, who have since fled the country after being caught for tax evasion. “The place has been seized by the authorities and is now up for auction. While this beautiful place is waiting for a new owner, it makes the joy of urban explorers,” Yannick said.
Slide 42 of 70: This Belgian hotel was built in 1904 and could hold up to 80 guests in its once-luxurious rooms. When Yannick photographed the building, he met the owner too: “He told me that it closed because it went bankrupt, that no one volunteered to take over the hotel and that he wasn't able to afford the cost of maintenance. He seemed very sad about it. This hotel must have been a big part of his life.”
Slide 43 of 70: Built in 1868, this spa resort (once known as a thermal institute) closed when a new spa resort opened up nearby. Interestingly, the hotel never had a name, so it was given one. “Urban explorer (urbex) community loves to give strange nicknames to the abandoned places, so the guy who found it called it Alla Italia, probably due to the beautiful painted ceilings and the columns that somehow reminded him of Italian architecture,” Yannick explained.
Slide 44 of 70: Another urban explorer and photographer Brian, who runs the website preciousdecay.com, captured this dilapidated scene at a former boarding house in Germany. Little is known about the property, but Brian has given it the name Mold Hotel – and it's clear why.
Slide 45 of 70: Untouched for 20 years, this ski resort in Saxony was frozen in time as soon as it was abandoned. During Brian’s visit, he captured not only the deteriorating inside but also discovered a room still filled with old ski equipment.
Slide 46 of 70: Also photographed by Brian, this castle in Germany – known as Villa Woodstock thanks to its glorious wooden interior – used to be a hotel and spa built in 1883. From 1990 it was used as a home for the elderly until it closed in 2012 and was left abandoned.
Slide 47 of 70: Very little information about this vacation resort is available as it has been abandoned for many years and its original name has been lost in time. Brian, who captured this shot, says there are actually several abandoned buildings covering a large area.
Slide 48 of 70: Opened in 1900, this hotel had its own pastry shop, a Viennese restaurant and numerous tennis courts. Since then, the hotel has undergone several renovations and was finally demolished last year. In this picture, Brian captured the lost soul of the hotel bar by illuminating it with colored glow sticks.
Slide 49 of 70: The hollow shell of the once-thrumming Royal Hotel is all that remains of Linda, a ghost town in western Tasmania. The abandoned mining town had thrived in the late 19th century, but when the mines closed, the settlement fell into decline. 
Slide 50 of 70: Royal Hotel, which gained notoriety for its raucousness and one serious brawl in particular, eventually shuttered in the 1950s too. Now its crumbling carcass is a reminder of the town that once was. You can find more of Australia's abandoned buildings here. 
Slide 51 of 70: Built by the Intercontinental Hotels chain in 1960, the Ducor Palace Hotel had 106 rooms and for many years was one of the few 5-star hotels on the African continent. It closed in 1989 due to political turmoil and since then has been damaged by two civil wars, looters and squatters, leaving it in the state of disrepair you see today.
Slide 52 of 70: Visitors can still visit the site, where some features remain intact. The hotel's once-popular French restaurant, which had views of the Atlantic, was directly above the driveway pictured here.
Slide 53 of 70: It's not just resorts that lie abandoned around the world, airports can suffer the same fate too. Perhaps surprising, given their size, there are many examples of commercial airfields left to rack and ruin. One such example is Nicosia International Airport (NIM). Trapped in a 1970s-time warp, it was once the principal airport of Cyprus, welcoming hundreds of thousands of tourists a year.
Slide 54 of 70: On 20 July 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus, and the country's international airport, which was the scene of fierce fighting between Turkish and Cypriot forces, was heavily bombed.
Slide 55 of 70: The airport was declared a United Nations Protected Area (UNPA) during the conflict and found itself within the UN-controlled buffer zone once hostilities had ceased.
Slide 56 of 70: Situated in a no-man's land between the Republic of Cyprus and the self-declared state of Northern Cyprus, the airport has remained largely untouched since the conflict.
Slide 57 of 70: These days, the site is used as a headquarters for the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus, but much of the former terminal building and its contents still exist, including signage and seating. While the future of the airport is uncertain, plans have been floated to re-open it under UN control and even transform the site into a special tax-free industrial zone.
Slide 58 of 70: Ciudad Real Central Airport in central Spain opened in 2008 to much fanfare, but the massive infrastructure project, which cost an eye-watering $1.3 billion was doomed from the get-go. Stuck in the middle of nowhere, the airport's completion coincided with the global financial crisis of 2008 and resulting recession, and the hub failed to attract enough airlines to make it profitable.
Slide 59 of 70: Vueling, the last airline to operate scheduled flights to and from the airport, pulled out in 2011. A year later, the private airport went into receivership.
Slide 60 of 70: The airport, which was poised to welcome as many as 10 million passengers a year, was effectively abandoned in 2012.
Slide 61 of 70: An example of how not to plan a new international airport, a massive walkway was partly completed to connect the airport to a train station on the Madrid–Seville high-speed rail line that was never built and a large parking lot was constructed that's remained completely abandoned.
Slide 62 of 70: Luckily, things are looking up for the ill-fated ghost airport. In 2015 a consortium of investors snapped up the site for $50 million and plans are afoot at last to redevelop Ciudad Real Central for commercial use. Most recently it was used by cargo planes to transport medical equipment during the coronavirus pandemic in May 2020 and some airlines stored their parked planes here too. 
Slide 63 of 70: Athens' Ellinikon International Airport was the Greek capital's main airport for decades, until it was closed in 2001 to make way for the new Athens International Airport.
Slide 64 of 70: The airport was partly repurposed as a venue for the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, and the northwestern section of the site was used for field hockey, baseball and more.
Slide 65 of 70: One of the airport's hangars was even revamped to host various fencing events and basketball games. Since the Olympics, the airport has been left to rack and ruin. An ambitious project to convert the airport into a municipal park was in the pipeline but was canned following the Greek Debt Crisis that pretty much bankrupted the country.
Slide 66 of 70: Several plans to lease the site to investors and convert it into a sprawling coastal resort have been proposed but, to date, the airport remains abandoned and forlorn.
Slide 67 of 70: This major international airport near the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip was completed with funding from the international community and opened by the then-US President Bill Clinton in 1998.
Slide 68 of 70: The $86 million airport, which was named in honor of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, was able to handle as many as 700,000 passengers a year. The airport was in operation for a mere two years. It closed for good on 8 October 2000 during the Second Intifada.
Slide 69 of 70: In December 2001, an Israeli bombing campaign severely damaged the air traffic control tower, followed by the runway and the state-of-the-art terminal building. Around a month later, Israeli bulldozers moved in and destroyed much of what was left, including the runway.
Slide 70 of 70: Now a complete wreck, the airport has been totally abandoned and proposals to rebuild the hub have been vetoed by the Israeli authorities. Discover more of the world's creepy abandoned airports here

Let’s do the travel time warp

Hotel y Salto del Tequendama, Colombia

Hotel y Salto del Tequendama, Colombia

Hôtel Belvédère du Rayon Vert, Cerbère, France

Hôtel Belvédère du Rayon Vert, Cerbère, France

Part of the building is now restored into vacation flats retaining the original features. However, the rest of the hotel remains unused. 

Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel, Liberty, New York, USA

Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel, Liberty, New York, USA

Moonlight Motel, Salton Sea, California, USA

Salton Sea in California used to be a bustling resort town in the 1950s. While its name might suggest a coastal spot, it’s actually a lake located in the desert to the southeast of Palm Springs. 

Moonlight Motel, Salton Sea, California, USA

Lee Plaza Hotel, Detroit, Michigan, USA

Lee Plaza Hotel, Detroit, Michigan, USA

In the coming decades the hotel was turned into a senior citizens’ home until it was closed in 1997. Currently, the building is set for redevelopment, with work to turn it into apartments and retail spaces expected to start in 2021. Now take a look at America’s most eerie abandoned building.

Coco Palms Resort, Hawaii, USA

Originally opened in 1953, this resort became extremely popular after it appeared in the 1961 Elvis Presley film Blue Hawaii. It was closed in 1992 when Hurricane Iniki swept across the island. However, the luxury resort reopened in 2018 under Hyatt ownership.

Kupari, Croatia

Kupari, Croatia

Bokor Palace Hotel, Cambodia

Bokor Palace Hotel, Cambodia

Puente del Inca, Argentina

Prora Nazi Resort, Germany

Prora Nazi Resort, Germany

Since 1945, when the Soviet Army took over, the complex has been subject to various uses: one of the buildings has been repurposed as a residential development and four others are in the process of redevelopment, while another serves as a youth hostel. However, three still stand abandoned. Now discover the world’s abandoned train stations.

Sanzhi UFO Houses, Taiwan

Sanzhi UFO Houses, Taiwan

Penn Hills Resort, Pennsylvania, USA

Penn Hills Resort, Pennsylvania, USA

Maya Hotel, Japan

Maya Hotel, Japan

Resort in Gagra, Abkhazia, Georgia

Resort in Gagra, Abkhazia, Georgia

Castello di Sammezzano, Italy

Castello di Sammezzano, Italy

However, its Moorish beauty remains, with colorful tiling and murals throughout. Now privately owned, it’s off limits to visitors although you can read more about the property here. Now discover incredible pictures of tourist attractions that no longer exist.

Varosha, Cyprus

Before the Turkish invasion in 1974, Varosha – situated in the southern quarter of Famagusta – was a thriving vacation destination filled with resorts and hotels. Thanks to its stunning sands, it once attracted celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot. Take a look at these vintage photos of Hollywood stars’ vacations.

Varosha, Cyprus

Hotel Belvedere, Croatia

Hotel Belvedere, Croatia

Located just above the seashore, with views of Dubrovnik and the island of Lokrum, this sprawling resort has fallen victim to vandals. However, part of the hotel was used during the filming of season four of Game of Thrones. There are plans for the site’s demolition and redevelopment. 

Buck Hill Falls, Pennsylvania, USA

Buck Hill Falls, Pennsylvania, USA

Divine Lorraine Hotel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

One of the first high-rise buildings in the city, the Divine Lorraine first served as a luxury apartment complex before it reopened as a hotel in 1900. In 1948 the hotel was bought by spiritual leader Reverend M. J. Divine (or Father Divine, as he was also known), who turned the hotel into the first fully racially integrated hotel in the USA. It closed in 1999 and was reduced to a hollow shell, with no windows, doors or floors remaining. The building has recently been renovated and now houses 101 luxury apartments.

Hotel Monte Palace, São Miguel, Portugal

Hotel Monte Palace, São Miguel, Portugal

Today, you can wander around the ghostly building, which is located on São Miguel island, just above the village of Sete Cidades. Now take a look at the world’s most fascinating ghost towns.

Kozubnik, Poland

Kozubnik, Poland

Villa Cannaert, Belgium

Captured here by urban explorer and photographer Yannick Vandermolen, Villa Cannaert used to be a 4-star luxury hotel and restaurant. It was sold to private investors, who have since fled the country after being caught for tax evasion. “The place has been seized by the authorities and is now up for auction. While this beautiful place is waiting for a new owner, it makes the joy of urban explorers,” Yannick said.

Grand Hotel Regnier, Belgium

This Belgian hotel was built in 1904 and could hold up to 80 guests in its once-luxurious rooms. When Yannick photographed the building, he met the owner too: “He told me that it closed because it went bankrupt, that no one volunteered to take over the hotel and that he wasn’t able to afford the cost of maintenance. He seemed very sad about it. This hotel must have been a big part of his life.”

Alla Italia, Belgium

Built in 1868, this spa resort (once known as a thermal institute) closed when a new spa resort opened up nearby. Interestingly, the hotel never had a name, so it was given one. “Urban explorer (urbex) community loves to give strange nicknames to the abandoned places, so the guy who found it called it Alla Italia, probably due to the beautiful painted ceilings and the columns that somehow reminded him of Italian architecture,” Yannick explained.

Mold Hotel, Germany

Another urban explorer and photographer Brian, who runs the website preciousdecay.com, captured this dilapidated scene at a former boarding house in Germany. Little is known about the property, but Brian has given it the name Mold Hotel – and it’s clear why.

Pension Sachsenruh, Germany

Untouched for 20 years, this ski resort in Saxony was frozen in time as soon as it was abandoned. During Brian’s visit, he captured not only the deteriorating inside but also discovered a room still filled with old ski equipment.

Refugium Pompos, Germany

Also photographed by Brian, this castle in Germany – known as Villa Woodstock thanks to its glorious wooden interior – used to be a hotel and spa built in 1883. From 1990 it was used as a home for the elderly until it closed in 2012 and was left abandoned.

Resort Euphoria, Poland

Hotel Pines, Germany

Royal Hotel, Linda, Tasmania, Australia

The hollow shell of the once-thrumming Royal Hotel is all that remains of Linda, a ghost town in western Tasmania. The abandoned mining town had thrived in the late 19th century, but when the mines closed, the settlement fell into decline. 

Royal Hotel, Linda, Tasmania, Australia

Royal Hotel, which gained notoriety for its raucousness and one serious brawl in particular, eventually shuttered in the 1950s too. Now its crumbling carcass is a reminder of the town that once was. You can find more of Australia’s abandoned buildings here. 

Ducor Palace Hotel, Monrovia, Liberia

Ducor Palace Hotel, Monrovia, Liberia

Nicosia International Airport, Cyprus

Nicosia International Airport, Cyprus

Nicosia International Airport, Cyprus

Nicosia International Airport, Cyprus

Nicosia International Airport, Cyprus

Ciudad Real Central Airport, Spain

Ciudad Real Central Airport, Spain

Ciudad Real Central Airport, Spain

Ciudad Real Central Airport, Spain

Ciudad Real Central Airport, Spain

Luckily, things are looking up for the ill-fated ghost airport. In 2015 a consortium of investors snapped up the site for $50 million and plans are afoot at last to redevelop Ciudad Real Central for commercial use. Most recently it was used by cargo planes to transport medical equipment during the coronavirus pandemic in May 2020 and some airlines stored their parked planes here too. 

Ellinikon International Airport, Greece

Ellinikon International Airport, Greece

Ellinikon International Airport, Greece

Ellinikon International Airport, Greece

Yasser Arafat International Airport, Gaza Strip

Yasser Arafat International Airport, Gaza Strip

Yasser Arafat International Airport, Gaza Strip

Yasser Arafat International Airport, Gaza Strip

Now a complete wreck, the airport has been totally abandoned and proposals to rebuild the hub have been vetoed by the Israeli authorities.

Discover more of the world’s creepy abandoned airports here

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