Diplomat Hotel, Baguio City | Ruins of a Ghastly Past
Diplomat Hotel in Baguio City , for the longest time, is infamous as one of the most haunted places in the Philippines. Headless apparitions are reported to be seen at the dead of the night.
What’s even more haunting? There’s the banging of furniture, clattering of dishes, and other strange noises that has been heard countless of times from the ruins. Moreover, wailing cries of help from children are heard from the fountain area.
Haunting of the Dominican Hill
In May 1915, the Order of Preachers saw the inauguration of their vacation house in Baguio City. It was designed by Fr. Roque Ruaño, O.P., the same architect who designed the main building of the University of Santo Tomas.
It was a retreat house for the Dominicans. The Japanese invasion saw its conversion into a garrison where barbaric acts were committed. Rape, torture, and decapitation of priests, nuns, and refugees were done within its walls.
But the Japanese forces were obliterated during the liberation of the Philippines in April 1945. The right wing was damaged massively by bombings of the Americans, while the few surviving Japanese forces executed themselves by Harakiri or suicide by disembowelment.
The retreat house was then repurposed by Tony Agpaoa as a 33-bedroom hotel in 1973. He was a psychic healer that operates on his patients without any signs of incision.
He died in 1987 of heart attack, since then the hotel was closed down and was subject to sacking and looting after.
The Wailing Walls
Creepy experiences still haunt the security personnel manning the hotel grounds. On top of that, they often hear small footsteps running around, but they say that they have been used to it.
Visitors would often hear screams, rattling and clinking sounds which will be followed by total silence. The derelict condition of the building and the cold weather of Baguio City adds to the eerie atmosphere of the ruins.
Diplomat Hotel has been, since time immemorial, dubbed as one of the most haunted places in the country. In popular culture, it has been the filming site for Halloween specials of several TV Stations such as Magandang Gabi Bayan and Kapuso Mo, Jessica Sojo. In addition, it was also visited by the Ghosthunters International group.
My experience inside the hotel was nothing short of haunting yet exciting. Our hike to Mt. Purgatory in Bokod, Benguet got cancelled because of the coming storm. After that, we opted to do a Baguio City tour with the Diplomat Hotel as the first destination.
Fog shrouded the walls that are beyond disrepair. Adding misery to the setting, light rains on overcast dark skies poured as we took shelter inside.
The chilly cold translated into this spine-tingling sensation as we wandered along the empty corridors. However, staying inside one of its rooms alone was a peaceful yet haunting experience.
If you are looking for a new kind of adventure, Transit Pinas recommends Diplomat Hotel in Baguio City for your next adventure!
How To Get There
- Diplomat Hotel is located inside the Heritage Hill and Nature Park in Dominican Hill, Diplomat Road, in Baguio City
- Entrance is free and is open daily from 08:00am to 05:00pm
- Via Jeepney, take the ones in Baguio City near the Burnham Park along Abanao Extension with the signage Dominican Hill – Mirador route. Fare is around 12pesos. Trips going back to the city is limited. One can flag a taxi after visiting the Lourdes Grotto which is just across the hotel
- Via Taxi, just tell the driver you’re going to Diplomat Hotel. Fare is around 130-150php
Have you been inside the derelict ruins of the Diplomat Hotel?
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Updated October 24, 2020
