diplomat hotel - baguio city

the only sound were just raindrops. the floors were all wet and we were standing right infront of its lobby. no one else was there just the two of us and the fog surrounding the hill.we've heard so many stories about this structure, which made us curious how it looks like today. known to many as a haunted place over a hill. a structure built in 1915 under the Dominican order over a 17hectare land on top of Dominican hill overlooking the city of Baguio.constructed first as a vacation house but was then converted into a school then later turned into a vacation house again. it was during the World War II when several refugees were killed there. just few years after the war ended, it was reconstructed with its original framework and design almost restored.during the early 1970s, it was transformed into a hotel, the Diplomat Hotel Baguio. after several years, it ended its operations and was closed in the 1980s. as it was degraded through the years, many claimed that it has became a haunted place.it was drizzling when we arrived at the place, the gate was closed but then a security guard approached us and allowed us in. we registered in the log sheet and went around its compound.since it was now raining, we entered the main lobby but still drops of water were falling from the ceiling. the place seem to have been abandoned through the damaged walls but the flooring was relatively shiny and clean.no matter how old it was, the structure remains to be elegant through the look at its framework. two small garden fountain inside the building remains to be beautiful. a nice circular stairway can also be seen on one side of the garden.though the place seems to be abandoned and damaged, it still is a beautiful structure. looking at the design of its windows and walls, one can still be awed at how beautiful it could have been before it was abandoned.since the place is believed to be haunted, we made sure that we prayed for the souls of the people who died there. there's a small prayer garden just outside the building. today, we've heard rumors that some Koreans were interested in buying the place because of its beautiful overlooking view of the city. others say, that the a group wanted it to convert into a museum.it has a resemblance of Bacolod city's The Mansion Ruins, which is now a beautiful tourist spot in that region and so i hope that whatever is the plan, they will still retain the structure's design.here ends my Baguio trip with my cousin Claire and I'd like to thank Tito Roland and Tita Jul for this trip. it was my nth time in Baguio, but it still is a city one needs to explore.