37 Abandoned Resorts From a Bygone Era You Can Still Visit
34. Hachijo Royal Hotel, Japan: A Concrete Palace Lost to Time
Built in 1963 on the remote volcanic island of Hachijō-jima, the Hachijo Royal Hotel was once one of Japan’s largest resorts, styled like a European palace to appeal to honeymooners. Its grand halls, curved staircases, and artfully decaying interiors feel frozen in time. Abandoned in the early 2000s due to waning tourism, the hotel’s eerie stillness and distant ocean views have made it a favorite among urban explorers. Despite the peeling paint and rusted banisters, its scale and symmetry remain hauntingly beautiful—an echo of Japan’s forgotten island glamour.
