Stranger Than Fiction: The Tale of the Voyeur Hotelier

A Colorado hotel owner spied on guests for three decades, confessing all to a journalist in 1980 who kept the story secret until now.

It’s a tale reminiscent of fiction’s creepiest hotels, but late last week in The New Yorker, writer Gay Talese revealed that a Colorado-based hotelier had spied on his guests for more than 30 years. What’s more, Talese himself acted as the man’s confessor and even once joined him on one of his voyeuristic expeditions.

It’s a story that spans decades, but, Talese explains, begins with Gerald Foos, who purchased a hotel in Aurora, Colo. in the 1960s. From there, things take an odd turn.

Due to inconsistent records, the year of property’s purchase is given either as 1966 or 1969, but one thing is certain: as soon as he bought the hotel, Foos immediately set out to indulge his voyeuristic tendencies, carving holes in ceilings over rooms and installing a carpet that ran the entire length of the hotel attic.

From his perch, Foos observed guests social and sexual activities, keeping a meticulous diary of their behavior.

In 1980, he wrote a letter to Gay Talese, confessing his actions and inviting the famous journalist to join him at his hotel.

In return, Talese agreed to keep Foos’ activity under wraps. Foos continued to observe guests until the property was sold in 1995 and in 2013, Talese was given consent to share the story. The hotel was destroyed in 2014.

In his article, Talese intimates that Foos saw himself as an Alfred Kinsey-type observer, but the writer also reported that Foos claimed to have witnessed a murder at his property in the late 1970s.

There seems to be no record of a murder taking place during this time, but there’s no doubt, as Talese’s article begins to illuminate Foos’ behavior, possible motives and observations, that the hotel owner did witness quite a lot of interesting things during three decades of watching his guests.

Talese’s piece has sparked a wider debate over source confidentiality, with some believing that he is an indirect accomplice to a crime.

The ethical debate may rage on, but one thing’s for certain: this is a story that no hotel guest will forget anytime soon.

[Photo: Aurora Sentinel]