Millenium Hotel
Millenium Hotel
Hello, Ive been urbexing for about a year with about a 5 month break in the middle of that time. Ive had my eyes on the Millenium Hotel, however it appears that there are cameras on the perimeter. If anyone knows if they recently installed those or if they've been there for a while(year). As im not sure if the people ive seen get in there did it with or without security, or if a fairly new explorer should attempt to get in.
Re: Millenium Hotel
Definitely not recommended for people new to urbex. Those cameras are all new within the past year and completely unsurprising to those of us who've accessed the building over the years and observed how people were acting up in there.
I ranted about this in detail on my blog post but the TLDR is:
Leaving evidence behind or publicly identifying/bragging about a location, especially one with active security, is a guaranteed way to blow the spot 98% of the time. What happened here is now the perfect, textbook example, of blowing a spot which we can forever refer back to. There have been plenty others before, but none so public as this.
The Millenium Hotel has always had security guards who were almost always home. Doing stupid shit like tagging the spot/bragging about it publicly on social media/giving news interviews was a guaranteed way to blow the spot. But some people are just noobs and/or are desperate for attention, so they tagged it up/bragged about it on social media/gave news interviews. Which prompted security to clamp down on that shit and install cameras and whatnot. A completely expected result that was completely avoidable.
This is the most beginner level urbex 101 inconvenient truth which has always made people all butthurt whenever you point it out. For some reason, a lot of people don't seem to understand the consequences of their actions. Or they're just selfish and need attention so badly that they don't care if they fuck it over for everyone else. IDK.
For context: we had access to the Millenium for the 8 years spanning 2015-2023 and didn't leave a trace of evidence in there (ok I did eventually write my name in the dust in an elevator after others had already done so). And the usual entrance had remained the same basically the whole time. If you were ok with being inside a building with security present and you knew where the perimeter weaknesses were, and had the composure necessary to walk across the exposed no-man's land to the entrance, then it was entirely "doable" with the understanding you had a 50/50 chance of being detected.
I definitely don't plan to ever try going back at this point because IMO that place ain't even worth it. But I was barely interested in it back before it was blown up on the internet since it's not really the type of location that appeals to me.
Nothing's impossible, though. So if you have your heart set on it, be observant and patient and eventually you may crack it. I predict that security will be tight for a couple years before its major water leaks rapidly accellerate the deterioration of the structure which will force their hand and they demolish it. There's usually a goldilocks window just prior to demolition when security has all but given up.
I ranted about this in detail on my blog post but the TLDR is:
Leaving evidence behind or publicly identifying/bragging about a location, especially one with active security, is a guaranteed way to blow the spot 98% of the time. What happened here is now the perfect, textbook example, of blowing a spot which we can forever refer back to. There have been plenty others before, but none so public as this.
The Millenium Hotel has always had security guards who were almost always home. Doing stupid shit like tagging the spot/bragging about it publicly on social media/giving news interviews was a guaranteed way to blow the spot. But some people are just noobs and/or are desperate for attention, so they tagged it up/bragged about it on social media/gave news interviews. Which prompted security to clamp down on that shit and install cameras and whatnot. A completely expected result that was completely avoidable.
This is the most beginner level urbex 101 inconvenient truth which has always made people all butthurt whenever you point it out. For some reason, a lot of people don't seem to understand the consequences of their actions. Or they're just selfish and need attention so badly that they don't care if they fuck it over for everyone else. IDK.
For context: we had access to the Millenium for the 8 years spanning 2015-2023 and didn't leave a trace of evidence in there (ok I did eventually write my name in the dust in an elevator after others had already done so). And the usual entrance had remained the same basically the whole time. If you were ok with being inside a building with security present and you knew where the perimeter weaknesses were, and had the composure necessary to walk across the exposed no-man's land to the entrance, then it was entirely "doable" with the understanding you had a 50/50 chance of being detected.
I definitely don't plan to ever try going back at this point because IMO that place ain't even worth it. But I was barely interested in it back before it was blown up on the internet since it's not really the type of location that appeals to me.
Nothing's impossible, though. So if you have your heart set on it, be observant and patient and eventually you may crack it. I predict that security will be tight for a couple years before its major water leaks rapidly accellerate the deterioration of the structure which will force their hand and they demolish it. There's usually a goldilocks window just prior to demolition when security has all but given up.
Re: Millenium Hotel
Yeah, emphatically what Sub said. This spot is way too hot right now.Definitely not recommended for people new to urbex. Those cameras are all new within the past year and completely unsurprising to those of us who've accessed the building over the years and observed how people were acting up in there.
Don't be a dick. Keep your ego off Instagram.Doing stupid shit like tagging the spot/bragging about it publicly on social media/giving news interviews was a guaranteed way to blow the spot. But some people are just noobs and/or are desperate for attention, so they tagged it up/bragged about it on social media/gave news interviews.
I politely disagree with Sub here. Just don't even try it. I am downtown daily, very familiar with the area, and would not dare tempt it in its current state.Nothing's impossible, though. So if you have your heart set on it, be observant and patient and eventually you may crack it.
Sorry man, that's the way she goes.
Would you like to know more?
IG:@Gnarlord_of_the_Wasteland
IG:@Gnarlord_of_the_Wasteland
Re: Millenium Hotel
I'll try not to add to the ranting, but the practice that sublunar mentioned is increasingly happening everywhere. A lot of spots that sat for 10+ years, accessible to us explorers are now becoming harder/impossible to do because of this behavior. I think its only recent here in the midwest just because a lot of the social media bros are just now discovering that our fly-over cities have shit. Its unfortunate.
I'm not a STL regular and I haven't seen the buildings condition (although at the time it was deteriorating) since late 2022. I can't tell you whether or not its even still "worth it". I would honestly take Gnarlords advice if I were you.
Since your a new explorer, if you really are wanting to roll the dice, some advice I'll give you is to assess the risks. You could be just told to leave by security/cops but you could also end up in jail for night and end up thousands in the hole for fines and lawyers and waste your possible "get-out-of-jail" (diversion) card just on an empty hotel that has cool roof areas.
Just some things to consider
Welcome to the fun of urban exploring!
I'm not a STL regular and I haven't seen the buildings condition (although at the time it was deteriorating) since late 2022. I can't tell you whether or not its even still "worth it". I would honestly take Gnarlords advice if I were you.
Since your a new explorer, if you really are wanting to roll the dice, some advice I'll give you is to assess the risks. You could be just told to leave by security/cops but you could also end up in jail for night and end up thousands in the hole for fines and lawyers and waste your possible "get-out-of-jail" (diversion) card just on an empty hotel that has cool roof areas.
Just some things to consider
Welcome to the fun of urban exploring!