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Exploring the Haunted History of the Diplomat Hotel in Baguio City
Old Diplomat Hotel: Heritage Hill and Nature Park Garden in Baguio City
The Diplomat Hotel, located atop Dominican Hill in Baguio City, Philippines, is a historic building with a rich and tragic history. Originally built as a rest house and seminary in 1911, it was later converted into a school and eventually a hotel. Despite its picturesque location, the hotel has been abandoned for decades and has become known as one of the most haunted places not only in Baguio City but in the entire Philippines.
The hotel’s tragic history is rooted in its use as a military base during World War II. In 1945, Japanese soldiers used the hotel as a concentration camp where they tortured and killed prisoners of war. After the war, the hotel was restored and used as a seminary and then a hotel until it was abandoned in the 1980s. Since then, it has become a popular destination for ghost hunters and thrill-seekers, with many claiming to have witnessed paranormal activity on the premises.
Despite its eerie reputation, the Diplomat Hotel remains a popular tourist destination in Baguio City. The local government has initiated rehabilitation efforts, which began in April 2022, with a 15 million Philippine pesos grant from the government. The rehabilitation aims to preserve the hotel’s historical significance and restore it to its former glory.
History of Diplomat Hotel
The Diplomat Hotel was originally built in 1913 as a vacation house for Dominican friars. It was later converted into a seminary, and then a school before it was finally developed into a hotel in 1973.
Dominican Heritage Hill and Nature Park
The Diplomat Hotel is situated in the Dominican Heritage Hill and Nature Park, which was once a part of the Baguio’s Dominican Hill Retreat House. The retreat house was established by the Dominican friars in 1911, and it served as a place for rest and contemplation for the friars.
World War II and Kempeitai
During World War II, the Japanese forces occupied the Philippines, and they used the Diplomat Hotel as a garrison and headquarters for the Kempeitai, the Japanese military police. The hotel was heavily bombed by the Americans during the war, and it was left in ruins.
Liberation of the Philippines
After the liberation of the Philippines in 1945, the Diplomat Hotel was rebuilt and renovated by the…
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