<strong>Hotel Polissya, Pripyat, Ukraine: </strong>This then 10-year-old hotel was evacuated along with the rest of Pripyat after the explosion of the Chernobyl reactor nearby. Today, "disaster tourists" climb to the roof for views across the desolate city.
Hotel Polissya, Pripyat, Ukraine: This then 10-year-old hotel was evacuated along with the rest of Pripyat after the explosion of the Chernobyl reactor nearby. Today, "disaster tourists" climb to the roof for views across the desolate city.
Courtesy Ville Ruusunen
<strong>Lee Plaza, Detroit, Michigan:</strong> Detroit might still be recovering from bankruptcy but signs of its former glory hang on inside the Lee Plaza hotel. Closed for more than two decades, the 15-floor art deco structure has deteriorated badly.
Lee Plaza, Detroit, Michigan: Detroit might still be recovering from bankruptcy but signs of its former glory hang on inside the Lee Plaza hotel. Closed for more than two decades, the 15-floor art deco structure has deteriorated badly.
Ann Hermes/Christian Science Monitor/Getty
<strong>Ryugyong Hotel, Pyongyang, North Korea:</strong> The 105-story Ryugyong Hotel sits unfinished 30 years after construction began in 1987 and was halted by the North Korea economic crisis of 1992. The exterior was completed in 2011 but the hotel has yet to open.
Ryugyong Hotel, Pyongyang, North Korea: The 105-story Ryugyong Hotel sits unfinished 30 years after construction began in 1987 and was halted by the North Korea economic crisis of 1992. The exterior was completed in 2011 but the hotel has yet to open.
Will Ripley/CNN
<strong>Sheraton Rarotonga, Cook Islands:</strong> This sprawling almost-resort is still shown on Google Maps even though it's never hosted a single guest. Called the "Heartbreak Hotel" by islanders, the project nearly bankrupted the tiny Pacific nation.
Sheraton Rarotonga, Cook Islands: This sprawling almost-resort is still shown on Google Maps even though it's never hosted a single guest. Called the "Heartbreak Hotel" by islanders, the project nearly bankrupted the tiny Pacific nation.
Shutterstock
<strong>Sofitel Heiva, Huahine, French Polynesia:</strong> Although ideally located on a secluded spit of the island, it's been more a decade since the last guest checked out here and the property is falling apart.
Sofitel Heiva, Huahine, French Polynesia: Although ideally located on a secluded spit of the island, it's been more a decade since the last guest checked out here and the property is falling apart.
courtesy roderick eime
<strong>Hotel Renakse, Phnom Penh, Cambodia: </strong>This century-old French colonial style hotel was owned by the Cambodian People's Party has been uninhabited since 2009.
Hotel Renakse, Phnom Penh, Cambodia: This century-old French colonial style hotel was owned by the Cambodian People's Party has been uninhabited since 2009.
courtesy roderick eime
<strong>Varosha, Famagusta, Cyprus: </strong>Varosha was once frequented by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot, but since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 the former resort has become a fenced-off no man's land.
Varosha, Famagusta, Cyprus: Varosha was once frequented by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot, but since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 the former resort has become a fenced-off no man's land.
LAURA BOUSHNAK/AFP/Getty Images
<strong>Igloo City, Alaska, United States:</strong> Starting construction in the 1970s, Igloo City contravened so many building codes it was never able to open.Serving variously as a souvenir stand and gas station since, it's now all but derelict.
Igloo City, Alaska, United States: Starting construction in the 1970s, Igloo City contravened so many building codes it was never able to open.Serving variously as a souvenir stand and gas station since, it's now all but derelict.
courtesy travis shinabarger
<strong>El Hotel del Salto, Colombia: </strong>A horribly polluted river and a reputation as a suicide spot put guests off staying at this ornate little hotel, and it eventually failed.
El Hotel del Salto, Colombia: A horribly polluted river and a reputation as a suicide spot put guests off staying at this ornate little hotel, and it eventually failed.
courtesy Cesar Alejandro Uribe T. (CAUT)
<strong>Unknown hotel, Vientiane, Laos:</strong> Just as some abandoned hotels are famous for their once lavish decor and celebrity guests, others are notable for their anonymity.This forlorn, riverside pension still has a couple of ground-level occupants but is largely abandoned
Unknown hotel, Vientiane, Laos: Just as some abandoned hotels are famous for their once lavish decor and celebrity guests, others are notable for their anonymity.This forlorn, riverside pension still has a couple of ground-level occupants but is largely abandoned
Courtesy Roderick Eime