The Hallway
Every door leads somewhere different.
Some are unlocked.
Some aren’t.
Residents come and go. Rooms appear and disappear.
And every so often, someone leaves a key behind.
Choose carefully.
Room 307
Someone left the light on.
You can hear something moving inside.
You are almost certain this room was not here the last time you passed.
The door is unlocked.
No one appears to be stopping you.
The Architect Suite
Blueprints have been appearing beneath the door.
Some show rooms you recognize.
Others show entire wings of The Pink Hotel that do not appear on any directory.
One drawing has your room number written in the margin.
A note is pinned to the door:
Maps are only useful when the building agrees with them.
Knock on the Architect’s Door →
A guest on the seventh floor:
“I swear there wasn’t a door there yesterday.”
The Grand Ballroom
Applause comes first.
Then music.
Then the unmistakable feeling that something has already begun without you.
The ballroom has hosted dances, celebrations, impossible parties and evenings the Residents still refuse to explain.
Tonight, the lights are on.
The doors swing open.
Someone inside raises a glass in your direction.
The Shadow Room
A thin line of light slips beneath the door.
You hear a voice.
Then another.
Then music from someplace much closer than it should be.
This is where stories get told after midnight.
Some are true.
Some become true because someone told them well enough.
There is a chair waiting for you inside.
The Honey Gunn
The door opens onto velvet, champagne and a little trouble.
Someone laughs behind the bar.
Someone else disappears through a curtain you hadn’t noticed.
The Hotel has always had a taste for cabaret.
A matchbook rests on the floor outside the door.
On the back, someone has written:
Come in. Stay curious.
You Pass Someone in the Hallway
Footsteps approach.
A Resident appears at the far end of the corridor.
For a moment, you recognize them.
Then you aren’t certain.
They pass without stopping.
Something falls from their pocket.
You look down.
Nothing.
When you look up again, they are gone.
The Hotel has many Residents.
Most have stories.
A few have secrets.
BB Gal
A door opens.
BB Gal steps into the Hallway carrying more than she can reasonably explain.
She pauses when she sees you.
Looks you over.
Smiles.
“You’re new.”
It is not a question.
Before you can answer, she disappears back through the door.
It remains open.
Selenight
You notice the light first.
Then the silhouette.
Then Selenight.
She looks as though she was expecting someone.
Possibly you.
Possibly not.
She leaves without closing the door behind her.
Whether that was an invitation is entirely up to you.
The Lost & Found
Keys.
Gloves.
Lipstick.
Letters without envelopes.
A single earring.
A photograph of someone no current Resident recognizes.
There is no attendant.
Only a handwritten sign:
NOT EVERYTHING HERE BELONGS TO YOU.
Below it, someone has added:
YET.
The door is locked tonight.
Keep walking.
Room 222
There is no name on the door.
Only three brass numbers.
222
You try the handle.
Nothing.
A small keyhole sits beneath it.
You check your pockets.
No key.
Someone has scratched a message into the wood:
If you find it, keep it.
Room 222 is not accepting guests. Yet.
The Elevator Landing
The elevator doors open.
No one gets out.
Inside, the brass panel lists more floors than the Hotel appears to have.
LOBBY
2
3
7
11
?
One button is already glowing.
You don’t remember pressing it.
The elevator often has opinions about where guests belong.
The Hotel Map
There is a framed map on the wall.
At first glance, it seems straightforward.
Then you notice the problem.
Some rooms are missing.
Others appear twice.
One hallway ends where this hallway clearly continues.
And someone has drawn several additions in pink pencil.
Maps are comforting.
The Hotel is not.
Front Desk Incident Report #041
Guest attempted to return a key belonging to a room not listed in the registry.
Key was accepted.
Room was not discussed.
The Observatory
The door is almost always locked.
Tonight is no exception.
There is, however, a fresh note taped beneath the brass handle.
NOT YET.
You could swear you see starlight beneath the door.
This would be less unusual if the Observatory were not several floors underground.
Continue down the Hallway.
The Atelier
Scissors flash beneath a work lamp.
Fabric spills across a table.
A dress form stands in the corner wearing something that looks suspiciously like it was made for you.
Then the light goes out.
A small brass plaque reads:
ALTERATIONS
TRANSFORMATIONS
REINVENTIONS
The door does not open.
Not tonight.
Perhaps another time.
A Door With No Number
No sign.
No keyhole.
No sound from inside.
Only a small handwritten card taped to the wood.
It says:
NOT YET.
You decide to come back later.
The Hotel appreciates patience.
Sometimes.
Before You Continue
There is a framed list hanging beside the elevator.
At first you assume it is decorative.
Then you begin reading.
Some rules are obvious.
Others seem strangely specific.
One has been crossed out.
Someone has written beneath it:
You should probably know these before going any farther.
Resident Advice
Walk slowly.
Notice details.
Trust your curiosity.
Take the stairs occasionally.
Never ignore an open door.
If you find a key, keep it.
If the Hallway seems longer than before, continue forward.
The Hotel usually knows what it is doing.
Usually.
Where Will You Go Next?
The Hallway connects every story inside The Pink Hotel.
Some doors lead to performances.
Some lead to Residents.
Some lead to rooms that are not ready to meet you yet.
And some doors appear only after you have been here awhile.
Choose your next move.
The elevator is waiting.
It has already selected a floor.
Someone just turned the corner.
You could mind your own business.
But that seems unlikely.
You notice something strange on the map.
A room has appeared where there wasn’t one before.
Perhaps you should start over.
The front desk clerk is still awake.
And there may be something they forgot to give you.
The Hotel Is Bigger On The Inside
The Hallway is part of The Pink Hotel, Vaudezilla’s evolving immersive story world in Chicago, connecting characters, rooms, live performances, burlesque experiences and hidden stories.
Guests can explore the Hotel online, encounter its Residents, attend live experiences and discover doors leading deeper into the world.
You don’t have to understand the Hotel before entering.
In fact, it may be better if you don’t.
The desk clerk looks up.
“Checking in?”
