Hotel Kuroshio Inn

The end of the day is drawing near—too near, in fact. Nightfall is fast approaching, and we absolutely must explore an abandoned hotel before embarking on an all-night drive for tomorrow’s itinerary. The setting is idyllic, nestled between the mountains and the sea, and our GPS indicates that our destination is just 500 meters away. However, we arrive to find the only road leading to the hotel blocked off. This is a real setback given our tight schedule, so we improvise a quick trek. After slipping past a battered barrier, we walk up this derelict road strewn with fallen trees; it looks as though a massive storm ripped through the area.

The hotel is perched high up, and we can barely catch a glimpse of it through the dense foliage. We quicken our pace, desperate to catch the last rays of daylight to get our shots before darkness falls completely.

It is hard to imagine what these grounds looked like in their heyday, as the place has transformed into an absolute jungle. Before this exploration, I had done some research into its history to understand why it closed—even though, more often than not, it simply comes down to bankruptcy. Here, however, I found absolutely nothing. No history, no dates, no vintage photographs. A total mystery, which, in the end, lets you imagine your own story for the place.

After about a twenty-minute walk, we finally arrive in front of a bleak concrete structure. It is hard to believe this was ever a hotel. Now a charmless ruin, we step inside with very little enthusiasm.

We do a quick sweep of the ground floor since there is next to nothing to see; the place is collapsing in several areas. Fortunately, our curiosity pushes us down into the basement, where we stumble upon a massive surprise: a room completely preserved, weathered only by the passage of time. We are standing in what looks like the hotel bar, sporting a distinct seventies vibe with fluorescent orange and yellow lamps. The atmosphere here is magical, offering a stark contrast to the rest of the hotel we just saw. We also spot a counter with the room keys still hanging there—this must have served as the hotel’s main reception and bar.

To wrap up our exploration, we climb up to the roof to take in the panorama. The scenery is magnificent. We leave the premises with lingering questions: how is it possible that the bar was the only preserved room in the entire establishment? There was strictly nothing else left—not even a battered bed to remind us of what this place used to be… A total mystery.