Around the world, there are many abandoned ‘ghost hotels’ – with not a single guest in sight.
While many hotels are getting ready to welcome hordes of happy sun-seeking vacationers this summer, some properties remain guest-free all year round.
Around the world, there are dozens of ‘ghost hotels’ – empty, abandoned buildings that were once popular tourist destinations.
Abandoned by the sea or abandoned in the mountains, there is something equally terrifying and fascinating about these eerie habitats.
Incomplete construction, financial pressures – even a tragic past – have left these buildings forgotten and in disrepair, without a single visitor in sight.
Below are some of the scary structures that are still standing around the world.
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Kupari, Croatia
Known as the ‘Bay of Abandoned Hotels’, this remote village has a very sad history, as the area suffered much damage during the Croatian War of Independence and the complex – originally made up of six hotels – is now completely barren.
Now neglected for almost twenty years, the ruins document a turbulent period of history, as the area was attacked by locals when the Yugoslavian People’s Army tried to drive Croatian soldiers from their home – Kupari was destroyed in the fighting.
Hotel Anza, Spain
This seaside skeleton hasn’t had a single guest since construction stopped in the 1970s, and the hotel isn’t just a haunted eyesore – five people have lost their lives inside the vacant property, which will house 741 apartments.
Since no company’s name was included in the property deeds, the Santa Cruz City Council is responsible for the building, and after complaints about tragic accidents and safety concerns, it was decided that the abandoned building would be demolished.
Burj Al Babas, Türkiye
These creepy neo-Gothic villas, costing around £400,000 each, are reminiscent of tiny castles – looking distinctly Disney-esque – and have been left empty since the country’s recession.
The project, which aimed to bring Arab buyers to Europe, remained incomplete, and now 587 partially built properties are just an empty ghost town.
Stoke Rochford Hall, UK
Located in South Lincolnshire, this stately home has had no guests around the grand hall that has been lying vacant for the past year, with only staff allowed to enter the property.
The hotel was initially closed to the public to house asylum seekers, but guests had to leave when the government contract with the hotel expired and the property was closed.
Hyatt Orlando Resort, Florida
Now a defunct landmark, it used to be a bustling hub of resort activity, welcoming a stream of tourists to its 3,400 hotel rooms and convention center – an especially popular destination thanks to local attractions like Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.
The site closed its doors forever in 2010 due to several changes in ownership and a failed rebranding into Orlando Sun Resort.
Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel, Liberty, New York
Part of the famous Borscht Belt vacation destination scene, an area frequented by Jewish families in New York, this gorgeous vacation spot used to be the epicenter of summer fun and the ultimate warm weather travel destination.
Following the sale of the hotel, it has since become a ghost town – filled with memories of last summer.
Polisya Hotel, Pripyat, Ukraine
Another abandoned hotel with a tragic past, the Polisya Hotel stands as a monument to the events of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, when a catastrophic explosion occurred at the nearby power plant, releasing huge amounts of radioactive material into the environment.
This space originally served as accommodation for visitors to the plant but was partially destroyed during the explosion.
