Abandoned Hotels Where the Past Still Checks In

10. Ryugyong Hotel, Pyongyang, North Korea

Towering ominously over Pyongyang’s skyline, the Ryugyong Hotel is one of the most bizarre and haunting unfinished skyscrapers in the world. Dubbed the “Hotel of Doom,” this 105-story pyramid was meant to be a shimmering monument to North Korea’s prosperity when construction began in 1987. Instead, political turmoil and economic hardship halted progress in 1992, leaving the concrete giant a hollow shell—windowless, lifeless, and looming over the city like a dystopian monolith. For years, it remained completely abandoned, drawing fascination and confusion from the outside world. Locals never mentioned it. Foreigners weren’t allowed to photograph it. Its eerie presence felt like a secret too big to hide, yet too shameful to acknowledge. In 2008, glass cladding was added, giving the illusion of completion, but the interior remains largely unfinished and inaccessible to the public. Despite reports of ongoing work, no guests have ever stayed within its walls.