AROUND the world, many ‘ghost hotels’ are left abandoned – with not a single guest in sight.
While many hotels are gearing up to welcome hordes of happy holidaymakers looking for a spot of sunshine this summer, some properties remain guestless all year round.
Around the world, there are dozens of ‘ghost hotels’ – empty, derelict buildings that were once popular tourist spots.
Abandoned on the seafront or left alone in the mountains, there is something equally sinister and alluring about these eerie lodgings.
Incomplete construction, financial pressures – even tragic pasts – have left these buildings forgotten and unkempt, with not a single visitor in sight.
Below are some of the spooky structures that are still standing around the globe.
Kupari, Croatia
The abandoned complex may see a new lease of life, a reported £130 million redevelopment of the village is in the pipeline Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Coined the ‘Bay of Abandoned Hotels’, the remote village has a hauntingly tragic past after the area suffered substantial damage during the Croatian War of Independence with the complex – originally made up of six hotels – now completely barren.
Neglected for some twenty years now, the ruins document a turbulent period of history, as the area was attacked by locals when the Yugoslav People’s Army tried to drive out Croatian troops from their home – with the battle leaving Kupari destroyed.
Hotel Añaza, Spain
Those who choose to trespass into the ghost hotel will face a fine of around £437 Credit: Getty Images
The seafront skeleton has since construction was abandoned in the 1970s and the hotel is not just a ghostly eyesore – inside the empty property, which would have held 741 apartments, five people have lost their lives.
As no company names were included in the property deeds, Santa Cruz City Council is responsible for the building, and after the tragic accidents and complaints regarding safety concerns, it was decided that the derelict building would be demolished.
The Burj Al Babas, Turkey
The Disney-style housing has been left untouched for years Credit: Getty Images
These creepy neo-Gothic villas, each costing around £400,000, are reminiscent of tiny castles – distinctly Disney-esque looking – and have been left empty since the country’s recession.
The project, aiming to bring Arab buyers to Europe, was left unfinished, and now the 587 partially built properties are just an empty ghost town.
Stoke Rochford Hall, UK
It was recently announced that the vast estate had been sold for an undisclosed sum to The Timeless Collection Credit: Getty Images
Located in south Lincolnshire, the stately home has no guests rattling round its grand halls having been empty for the past year, with only staff permitted to enter the property.
The hotel was previously closed to the public to house asylum seekers, but guests had to leave when the government contract with the hotel ended, and the property closed.
Hyatt Orlando Resort, Florida
The sun set for good on this former hotel back in 2010 Credit: Jam Press/freaktography.com
Now a site of destitution, the resort used to be a bustling hive of activity, welcoming a stream of tourists to its 3,400 hotel rooms and convention centre – a particularly popular destination thanks to local attractions like Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.
Multiple changes of hands regarding ownership and a failed rebranding into the Orlando Sun Resort saw the site shut its doors for good in 2010.
Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel, Liberty, New York
The area was one of many in the Catskill Mountains frequented by holiday goers in the summer months Credit: Getty Images
Part of the renowned Borscht Belt holiday destination scene, an area frequented by Jewish families in New York, the grand vacation spot used to be a hub of summertime joviality and the ultimate warm weather travel destination.
Following the sale of the hotel, it has been a ghost town ever since – haunted by the memories of summers past.
Polissya Hotel, Pripyat, Ukraine
Tourists are able to visit the abandoned hotel today Credit: Global Images Ukraine via Getty
Another abandoned hotel with a tragic past, the Polissya Hotel stands as a memorial to the events of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, when a horrific explosion occurred at the nearby power plant, releasing huge amounts of radioactive material into the environment.
The site originally served as lodgings for visitors to the plant but was partially destroyed during the explosion.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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