The haunting of the Hotel del Salto seems almost inevitable. If there exists a checklist of conditions that could invoke otherworldly wrath upon a place, this structure surely ticks its fair share of boxes. A quick look at the hotel’s history should be enough to convince even the most skeptical that, if it is not cursed, it certainly ought to be.
The location, perched on a mountain ledge overlooking Tequendama Falls, offers an awe-inspiring view of natural beauty. It’s hard to imagine a more picturesque site for a home, and that’s exactly what celebrated architect Carlos Arturo Tapias had in mind when he designed the structure in 1923.
The Tequendama Falls had long been sacred to the Muisca people, who had lived in the area for over twelve thousand years. During the Spanish colonization, their culture was violently assimilated, and many Muisca chose to leap from the falls, believing their spirits would be transformed into eagles, soaring to freedom rather than submitting to slavery. Sadly, the tragic suicides at the falls continue even today, drawing both from local despair and the enduring pull of these ancient myths.
By 1928, after the structure was remodeled and expanded, the building opened as the Hotel del Salto, or “Hotel of the Leap.” It catered to the Bogotá elite, hosting lavish galas and pretentious functions, but it did not take long for its dark history to catch up. Guests frequently reported hearing screams throughout the hotel at night, as well as voices speaking in an unknown language. One particularly disturbing incident involved a guest who, allegedly driven by the voices he heard in the hotel, brutally murdered a young socialite in a desperate attempt to appease them. Her restless spirit is said to haunt the hotel to this day, seeking vengeance.
An alarming number of suicides occurred on the property, and several guests mysteriously fell to their deaths from the hotel balcony. While these incidents were often written off as drunkenness or misadventure, the sinister history of the hotel leaves much room for doubt. Bizarre mud and rockslides along the access road have also been documented, with many attributing the phenomenon to paranormal activity.
By the 1950s, the hotel’s creepy reputation was well-established, and an extensive remodel was planned. However, this was never realized. Over the years, the growing city of Bogotá began polluting the Bogotá River with untreated sewage and industrial waste, gradually destroying the ecosystem and the natural beauty of the area. By the time Hotel del Salto closed in the early 1990s, Tequendama Falls had earned the dubious distinction of being the world’s largest human waste fall.
The hotel sat abandoned for two decades, rotting in its decadence, home to squatters and ghosts. During that time, the Colombian government adopted a more eco-conscious attitude and began regulating pollution, helping reverse the environmental damage. In 2011, the hotel was renovated and repurposed as the Tequendama Falls Museum of Biodiversity and Culture, symbolizing Colombia’s commitment to environmental restoration.
The museum operates with typical nine-to-five hours, leaving the hotel’s spectral residents to roam in solitude after dark. Whether the change in purpose has brought peace to the troubled spirits of the Hotel del Salto remains unknown.
Jason Roberts is a Seattle-based author noted for his acclaimed Western Horror series The Dead Wind Trilogy and other works of cosmic horror infused with historical fiction. His web-based series, Dark Distractions, examines paranormal mysteries, unexplained phenomena, and all things strange.
