KURIOUS: Strange and Unusual Stories 2026

Room 1107 and the Hotel That Never Lets Its Guests Truly Check Out Even After the Doors Are Closed

·1 hr 2 min·5 clips

Freelance reporter Ruth Can Lie checks in, and the clerk's mouth twitches as he hands her a heavy iron key.

This episode of KURIOUS presents a fictional, atmospheric narrative about a reporter checking into a mysterious hotel called the Opaline Tower. The unnamed narrator, a freelance reporter named Ruth Canlie, arrives late at night to investigate the establishment. The story unfolds through her detailed, first-person observations of the hotel's eerie environment and staff. The Opaline Tower's marble facade shows signs of urban decay despite a faint golden gleam from the street. Inside, a lobby mixes old-world details like a gold-leaf ceiling and baroque chandeliers with incongruous modern neon strips. The night clerk is described as young, pale, with sharp collarbones and unnaturally dark eyes, performing his duties with brittle courtesy. He enforces a strict policy that room assignments are final after 8 p.m., refusing a change for another guest. The clerk exhibits subtle, strange behaviors, including a lingering look at the narrator's ID and a faint twitch before assigning her a key. He provides the narrator with a heavy iron key attached to a dark wood fob for her room. The narrative builds tension through the clerk's unnerving, precise demeanor and his violation of normal social cues, like avoiding eye contact. The hotel itself is portrayed as a character, trying to outlast its prime and filled with hesitant, shadow-like travelers. A memorable detail is the contrast between the luxurious, aged decor and the scuffed, dulled reality of the marble floor. The story suggests a hidden layer of rules and control within the hotel, exemplified by the inflexible room assignment policy. The narrator's own professional unease adds to the suspense, as she admits she isn't used to her reporter front in such eerie settings. The tone is immersive, descriptive, and suspenseful, crafted to build a sense of gothic unease. The style is a first-person narrative, rich with sensory details and a slow-burning, mysterious plot. Listeners who love slow-burn, atmospheric horror and richly detailed weird fiction would enjoy this episode. Those who prefer fast-paced action or non-fiction storytelling might find it too slow.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from KURIOUS: Strange and Unusual Stories 2026