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All Portugal São Miguel Hotel Monte Palace

Hotel Monte Palace

This abandoned five-star hotel is now a five-star urban exploration destination.

São Miguel, Portugal

Added By
Carlos Pacheco
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Hotel Monte Palace   Chris Zielecki on Flickr
Hotel Monte Palace   KJ Vogelius on Flickr
Hotel Monte Palace   Pleroma on Flickr
Hotel Monte Palace   CarlosPacheco / Atlas Obscura User
Third floor inside   claus donau / Atlas Obscura User
  peppermintpats / Atlas Obscura User
  waveparticlepixel / Atlas Obscura User
Rooms   rachellouiseb / Atlas Obscura User
The “King’s View” from the hotel   rachellouiseb / Atlas Obscura User
Spiral staircase inside Hotel Monte at night   Tiff / Atlas Obscura User
Inside Hotel Monte   Tiff / Atlas Obscura User
Hotel Monte at night   Tiff / Atlas Obscura User
Taken on the roof of monte palace 2017   mikeyloss123 / Atlas Obscura User
Roof of monte palace 2017   mikeyloss123 / Atlas Obscura User
Top of monte palace looking in from the roof 2017   mikeyloss123 / Atlas Obscura User
  meganparmele / Atlas Obscura User
  meganparmele / Atlas Obscura User
  meganparmele / Atlas Obscura User
  meganparmele / Atlas Obscura User
Stairway to garden   tbaker394 / Atlas Obscura User
Stairway outside   tbaker394 / Atlas Obscura User
View from a room   davidmd / Atlas Obscura User
A small hall   davidmd / Atlas Obscura User
Main entrance with open gate in front of it   davidmd / Atlas Obscura User
Center Hall from top   davidmd / Atlas Obscura User
March 2022 - Someone’s torn down a section of the wall, giving access to the ruin   CarlosPacheco / Atlas Obscura User
March 2022 - Current state of the hotel.   CarlosPacheco / Atlas Obscura User
March 2022 - What the hotel looks like.   CarlosPacheco / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Outside 2017 monte palace   mikeyloss123 / Atlas Obscura User
A seemingly brutalist architecture influence   rachellouiseb / Atlas Obscura User
Inside   rachellouiseb / Atlas Obscura User
Connecting Rooms   rachellouiseb / Atlas Obscura User
View from rooftop of the hotel   knoflookperser / Atlas Obscura User
The obligatory official warning   claus donau / Atlas Obscura User
Grafitti on the top floor.   knoflookperser / Atlas Obscura User
One of the numerous graffiti   claus donau / Atlas Obscura User
Terrace (great view to the lake!)   claus donau / Atlas Obscura User
Ground floor fro above   claus donau / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Perched on an isolated mountaintop in the Azores, the Hotel Monte Palace is the dead-eyed shell of a former five-star hotel that only seemed to operate for a couple of years before simply being abandoned. 

Built in the 1980s as a speculative draw to tourists who had not yet caught on to the Azores as a vacation spot, the hotel is a massive, multi-floor behemoth designed with sharp, terraced roofs reminiscent of a pagoda. Overlooking a picturesque lake, the grand hotel featured a cavernous indoor courtyard and winding spiral staircases leading to the 88 rooms. Every type of amenity was provided as well, from two restaurants, a bar, a bank, a hairdresser, and even a black-lit nightclub. Everything a traveler on holiday might want or need was provided right at the top of the mountain. That is of course, should anyone want to make the trek in the first place.

Unfortunately, it seems that not many people did. After opening in 1989, the hotel only operated for a little more than a year before shutting its doors. According to reports, for about a decade the empty halls were patrolled by guards and dogs, but with no one interested in paying them any longer, it seems that they simply disappeared sometime in the mid-2000s. Now urban explorers who are willing to make the trek to the mountaintop resort can explore its desiccated ballrooms and crumbling halls seemingly at their leisure.

Update: In 2017, the real estate group Level Constellation purchased the property with the intent to rehabilitate the property. It is slated to reopen in 2021.

Update July 2023: At the current time the property hasn’t had any rehabilitation done and is still a deteriorating shell. It is still accessible to explorers.

Related Tags

Hotels Abandoned

Know Before You Go

There's only one road to take to go to the parish of Setes Cidades. However, just before taking a turn to go to the village you should take the road to Vista do Rei (View of the king) and it will bring you directly to the hotel. Don't try to climb the reinforced walls, there is an open door in front of the main entrance, next to the car park with the burger foodtruck. 

CAUTION: Even though the top of this hotel offers the best view of the spectacular lagoon below, you must be warned that this is a run-down building that should be shut down for safety reasons. Please be aware that visiting the inside of this place might be dangerous and it's done at your own risk. Don't enter unless you have enough light, pay constant and close attention at any pace: debris lays on the floor and might fall from the ceiling, the helicoidal staircase is without handrail and, most of all, mind not to fall down the elevator shaft as it is totally unprotected!

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Community Contributors

Added By

CarlosPacheco

Edited By

mrgiod, kceridon, davidmd, EricGrundhauser...

  • mrgiod
  • kceridon
  • davidmd
  • EricGrundhauser
  • waveparticlepixel
  • mikeyloss123
  • Tiff
  • Collector of Experiences
  • rachellouiseb
  • knoflookperser
  • peppermintpats
  • claus donau
  • tbaker394
  • meganparmele

Published

December 1, 2014

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Sources
  • http://abandonednow.blogspot.com/2012/06/hotel-monte-palace.html
  • http://ragstocouture.com/abandoned-hotel-in-the-azores-checking-in-to-the-monte-palace/
  • http://azoresacair.blogspot.com/2013/07/hotel-monte-palace.html
  • http://www.helfimed.com/2013/09/hotel-monte-palace-historia-de-uma.html
Hotel Monte Palace
9-1
São Miguel, 9555
Portugal
37.839023, -25.794671
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Lagoa das Sete Cidades (Lagoon of the Seven Cities)

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of São Miguel

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Nearby Places

Lagoa das Sete Cidades (Lagoon of the Seven Cities)

São Miguel, Portugal

miles away

Oficina Museu (Workshop Museum)

São Miguel, Portugal

miles away

Solar Branco Gin Library

São Miguel, Portugal

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of São Miguel

São Miguel

Portugal

Places 7
Stories 1

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