Some of these hotels were evacuated due to warfare, natural disasters, or nuclear accidents, while others were simply abandoned due to economic troubles — but all of them are equally haunting.
The world’s grandest hotels were built on dreams of eternal prosperity — glittering buildings designed to host the elite, celebrate milestones, and create lifelong memories. Yet, scattered across the globe stand the hollow shells of once-magnificent resorts and hotels, their empty corridors and ballrooms telling stories of disasters, tragedies, and changing times.
Some of these abandoned hotels were casualties of warfare. Others fell victim to natural disasters, economic collapses, or environmental catastrophes. Many resorts simply became obsolete, as tourism patterns changed and prospective visitors sought new destinations.
Today, these abandoned hotels are somewhat like time capsules. Their decay offers a glimpse into places that once thrived with laughter, music, and celebration, now silent except for wind whistling through shattered windows and nature reclaiming what humans built.
North Korea’s Ryugyong Hotel: The Abandoned “Hotel Of Doom”
Wikimedia CommonsDespite promises that the Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang would open someday, it has yet to happen.
The Ryugyong Hotel is one of the world’s most infamous architectural failures. It’s a massive, 105-story, pyramid-shaped skyscraper that clearly dominates Pyongyang’s skyline in North Korea.
The idea for the hotel first emerged in 1987 during a period of economic competition with South Korea. The North Korean government had envisioned the building as a symbol of their prosperity and as a statement of national pride. The structure was designed to reach 1,083 feet with 3,000 rooms, which would have made it the world’s tallest hotel at the time.
Instead, it became a symbol of shame.
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 eliminated North Korea’s primary economic supporter, creating a severe financial strain. The country couldn’t afford to continue the expensive project. In addition, structural and engineering problems soon emerged. The concrete framework was reportedly poor quality, and the building lacked adequate elevator shafts.
By 1992, construction had completely halted with the hotel still just a concrete shell — windowless and uninhabitable.
For years, the Ryugyong Hotel stood as a hollow monument to failed ambition. The North Korean government was so embarrassed by this highly visible failure that the building was sometimes airbrushed out of official photographs and omitted from city maps. Meanwhile, foreign media dubbed it “the worst building in the world” and the “Hotel of Doom.”
Wikimedia CommonsYears of economic depression in North Korea and multiple delays on construction have made Ryugyong Hotel one of the tallest unoccupied buildings in the world.
In 2008, construction on Ryugyong Hotel surprisingly resumed when an Egyptian telecommunications company, Orascom Group, invested in completing the exterior of the building as part of a broader business deal with North Korea. By 2011, the structure boasted dazzling glass panels, giving it a more finished appearance, at least from the outside. More recently, the LED screens on its sides have been used for propaganda displays.
However, the interior remains largely incomplete and the hotel has never opened to guests. Experts question whether the aging concrete structure is even safe for occupancy after so many years of exposure to the elements.
Ominously, in November 2025, it was reported that large fires from a factory or warehouse burned down a building in central Pyongyang, located near the Ryugyong Hotel. The unnamed building was left as a massive pile of ashes.
While the fires didn’t damage the Ryugyong Hotel itself, its close proximity to the burned building ensured that the hotel would appear in the reporting — once again reminding the world of North Korea’s infamous failure.
