Diplomat Hotel

The Diplomat Hotel occupies Dominican Hill in Baguio, in the mountains of northern Luzon, Philippines. The building was completed in 1915 as a retreat and seminary run by the Dominican Order, known as Colegio del Santissimo Rosario. During the Second World War the hill and its buildings were caught up in the fighting and Japanese occupation, and the site suffered greatly. After the war it was rehabilitated and, in the 1970s, converted by Tony Agpaoa into a hotel, the Diplomat, which operated until the late 1980s before being abandoned and falling into ruin.

Given its wartime history and years of dereliction, the empty white structure has become one of the Philippines' most talked-about 'haunted' places, with many reported sightings and sounds. These stories are anecdotal and part of local popular culture; they reflect the building's dramatic past and eerie, roofless condition rather than any verified supernatural evidence.

Beyond the legends, the site has real historical value as a monument to Baguio's religious, wartime and tourism history. Now managed as a heritage and tourist attraction, it stands as a striking, atmospheric ruin overlooking the city.

The Diplomat Hotel is a ruined structure that is open to the public as a free heritage and tourist site on Dominican Hill, managed by the city of Baguio, generally accessible during daytime hours. Visitors can walk through the shell of the building and enjoy views over the city.

Because it is an unrestored ruin, care should be taken around open edges, stairs and uneven surfaces, and visits are best made in daylight. Travellers are asked to respect the site's history, including its wartime associations, keep it clean, and follow any posted rules or caretaker guidance.