These 5 Hotels In Texas Might Be Abandoned, But You Definitely Won't Be Alone
By Katie Lawrence|Published July 17, 2017
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Katie Lawrence
Author
Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and began writing for OnlyInYourState in 2015.
Today, Katie writes, edits, and performs several other tasks for OnlyInYourState and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on with a hot cup of coffee, practicing yoga, baking, or exploring the beautiful Lone Star State (in particular, the vast and mystical West Texas desert).
As local travel experts, we know what travelers are looking for when it comes to finding the perfect accommodations for their next trip. To compile our lists, we scour the internet to find properties with excellent ratings and reviews, desirable amenities, nearby attractions, and that something special that makes a destination worthy of traveling for.
Abandoned buildings are hauntingly beautiful. Whether fully intact or withering away from the elements, their remains tell stories of the thriving businesses that once existed inside the now empty walls. These five hotels in Texas closed their doors long ago, but they still stand as tall and proud as ever – maybe due to some paranormal presences keeping them alive.
The most famous abandoned hotel in Texas, this foreboding building closed its doors in 1972 after thriving during the '20s and '30s. It allegedly has a large paranormal presence, notably that of a lady in white who was said to be Mr. Baker's mistress. Tours used to let visitors see the inside, but now they only cover the grounds.
Laredo's first hotel, the Bender was built in 1913 and was the talk of the town with its impressive 50 rooms and grandiose balcony. It was built in 1926 and abandoned in the later years of the century. In 2011, a paranormal TV crew visited the hotel and reported unexplained knocking and thumping - even in the daytime hours.
Catarina was a thriving boomtown in the 1920s, but all good things must come to an end. When the artesian wells dried up, residents fled to greener pastures, leaving only a few dozen people inhabiting the town. This hotel was built in 1926 and is one of the few remaining buildings there today.
This once-beautiful hotel was abandoned in the '40s or '50s, but nobody knows exactly why. The windows are boarded shut, the walls are decaying, but one sign of the life that once existed inside still remains - a sign reading "air conditioning" propped up in a window.
Built in 1915 as a stop for business travelers, Hotel Viggo soon became an important part of Texas history after it was used as a fortress to protect against Pancho Villa's army. Although abandoned, it remains intact, sitting in the historic Jim Hogg County Courthouse square, where it will remain until the elements wither it away to nothing.
Have you heard of any of these hotels? Are there any other abandoned hotels in Texas that are still completely intact?
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