Would You Visit Denver’s Old ‘Royal Palace Motel’ as it Sits Today?

Millions of people tuned into the recent Netflix documentary surrounding the sketchy stories that took place at Los Angeles' notorious Cecil Hotel — but when it comes to hotels with a dark history, there's one in Colorado that could definitely rival.

While it may not have global infamy like the Cecil, Denver's, now abandoned, Royal Palace Motel is known by locals for its scandalous past.

When the Royal Palace Motel originally opened in 1969, it was a convenient spot for tourists in the Denver-metro area to stay at. But even with features like the cheery exterior and fancy glass elevator, things at the motel on the corner of Colfax and Colorado Boulevard began to go downhill.

Dead Motels USA cites issues like bed bugs and poor management as reasons for part of the motel's downfall. Denver residents and former guests left their own opinions on Facebook, claiming the motel was a major hotspot for drugs and crime. There's also the fact that several murders happened inside.

One of these murders remains unsolved. According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, John Eggers was a guest at the motel in June of 1998. A staff member entered Eggers's room to perform housekeeping duties and found the 31-year-old man deceased from a gunshot wound. The suspect responsible for the homicide has never been identified.

Similar to the Cecil, the Royal Palace ultimately shuttered its doors to the public in 2013. Though the building is fenced off, it remains in good condition and still catches the eye of people driving by.

Locals guess that squatters are probably living inside the Royal Palace nowadays, and are also puzzled as to why the building was never demolished.