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GHOST TOWNS and abandoned buildings are fascinating to many people.
When the majority of its residents left in the early 1990s to seek work in the cities, it was left to decay. But nature took its course and delivered a scene beyond Instagram-worthy.
While this abandoned site has an enchanting tale, not all deserted places do.
Here are some of Asia’s once-thriving hotels and resorts which have been left to rot.
Some hold dark pasts and creepy tales while others are stark reminders of unpredictable economies.
The Ghost Palace Hotel, Indonesia
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The legends of the Ghost Place Hotel in Bali, Indonesia, formerly know as PI Bedugul Taman Rekreasi Hotel and Resort, are hard to verify and very creepy.
Built in 1990 and seemingly deserted on the eve of the grand opening, one story tells of a corrupt businessman cursed for eternity for his evil practices.
Another speaks of a thriving hotel full of guests who disappeared suddenly, leaving demons to prowl the hallways.
The reasons for the abandonment of PI Bedugul Taman Rekreasi Hotel and Resort were never confirmed, but the most likely story of its failure rests with the investor, Tommy Suharto.
He is the youngest son of former Indonesian President Suharto and a convicted criminal.
Tommy Suharto has criminal charges of murder and money laundering to his name.
As part of the conviction, the supreme court ordered the halt of the hotel’s construction.
Alas, an abandoned hotel shrouded in weeds makes for the perfect place for adventure seekers to explore.
Sathorn Unique Tower, Thailand
Sathorn Unique Tower in Bangkok was an unfortunate victim of the Asian financial crisis which struck East Asia in 1997.
The tower was planned as a high-rise condominium complex in 1990 and was 80 percent complete when work was stopped seven years later.
However, problems had started a few years before for this project.
In 1993, the building’s developer Rangsan Torsuwan was arrested for the alleged plotting to murder the President of the Supreme Court Praman Chansu.
Although Torsuwan was acquitted, he couldn’t secure funding for his projects and Sathorn Unique Tower was left to crumble.
The 47-storey, 600-unit building is a prominent sight in the Bangkok skyline and a haven for urban explorers.
Although it is officially off limits, those who have entered say a few bahts to the security guards will do the trick.
The Diplomat Hotel, The Philippines
Get ready for a shiver to go down your spine because this is a spooky story.
Built in 1911 as a rest house and seminary, the construction had a happy history until World War II.
Legend has it that several nuns and priests were beheaded here and numerous children were massacred.
But the apparent ghost sightings and haunting baby screams didn’t put off investor Tony Agpaoa, who turned the building into a healing hotel in 1987.
The peculiarities didn’t stop there though.
Soon after opening a mysterious fire broke out in the hotel, trapping seven guests.
Then, a member of staff plummeted from the roof of the hotel in an apparent suicide.
Agpaoa then suffered a massive heart attack inside the hotel and later died in hospital.
The Diplomat Hotel closed and fell into disrepair. To this day, those who live nearby recount stories of hearing screams and banging doors coming from the hotel at night.
Crag Hotel, Malaysia
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Talk about a career change; this property has been a hotel, school, film set and private residence in its time.
It is now officially abandoned on top of Penang Hill in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
A long hike or short funicular railway journey will bring you to this colonial-styled building.
It was first constructed in 1885 as the residence of Captain John W Kerr of the East Indian Company.
A short time later the Sarkies Brothers responsible for establishing Raffles Hotel in Singapore acquired the property and turned it into Crag Hotel.
The hotel then fell into the hands of the Japanese during the Japanese occupation of Malaysia in World War II.
After the war ended and the Japanese had left, it was turned into Uplands School before being moved to a different site in 1977.
Left abandoned for more than 30 years; the site was used for a scene in 1992 film Indochina.
More recently it was used as the clubhouse in British BBC Drama Indian Summers.
But since filming the site is once again empty.
Hachijo Royal Hotel, Japan
On one of the thousands of islands that form Japan, The Hachijo Royal Hotel lays deserted on Hachijo island, around 250 kilometers from Tokyo.
Once dubbed the Hawaii of Asia, the hotel saw mass tourism during the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
However, when travelers realized they could just go to Hawaii at the start of the 90s, the hotel ran out of money and closed its doors.
The magnificent French-inspired building still contains furniture, fittings, and artwork.
The stunning images on urbexsession.com showcase the bygone grandeur of the hotel which now only has jungle vegetation as guests.
The post Take a look at Asia’s abandoned hotels appeared first on Travel Wire Asia.
Source: travelwireasia.com