Dark Bloo Inn
- “This hotel gets creepier every time I see it.”
- —Huey, Paper Mario: Color Splash
Dark Bloo Inn is a location in Paper Mario: Color Splash. The path leading here is unlocked after getting the blue Mini Paint Star in Mondo Woods, and unlocks a path leading to Plum Park.
History
The history of Dark Bloo Inn, from the manual:
Many years ago, when the Dark Bloo Inn first opened, six Toad friends made a promise—a sacred oath, really—to have a tea party there. They checked into the inn the day before, intending to spend the night before their party began at 3:00 p.m. the next day. But as it happened, the grandfather clock at the front desk broke. When the Toads finally realized this, 3:00 p.m. had long since passed. The six friends fell into a deep depression, and as the years passed, their tea-sipping aspirations remained unfulfilled. Exactly 200 years after the founding of the inn, the grandfather clock was repaired in commemoration. From the moment the clock once again began to mark the passage of time, mysterious phenomena started occurring within the hotel.
Layout
After Mario enters the hotel, he is informed by the Toads at the front desk that there is suspicious paranormal activity. Just then, a silent phone call comes at the front desk. Huey and Mario agree to investigate. The hotel is locked in a time loop, and if the clock strikes three, the ghost Toads are heard saying "We didn't make it in time..." as fog appears, and Mario is forced out to the world map. When Mario enters the library located north from the lobby, the books come flying off the shelves, except a big orange one; using the Paint Hammer reveals a ghost Toad who is looking for a certain book. The dining room to the left of the lobby is empty, while a Toad is searching for a rare red bird outside. The linen closet is blocked off by three Shy Guys. After painting in the elevator, Mario can ride it to floor 2 or 3.
On floor 2, a cart is moving back and forth. Mario can use the Paint Hammer to reveal a ghost, who is looking for room 201. To unveil the room, Mario must use Cutout while at the far left of the room. After talking to the Toad, he checks in his luggage and leaves for a tea party. Room 202 is blocked by an outside force, and after Mario enters room 203, he sees a Shy Guy jump out of the window while holding an invisible object. Another ghost Toad can be revealed, banging on the railing.
On floor 3, room 301 contains overturned furniture. Room 302 has a Toad reading a blank book; after Mario paints it in, it is revealed to be a Tea Recipe Book and he instructs Mario to bring it to the lobby bookshelf. Finally, room 303 contains another ghost Toad and a Birdcage that Mario can paint in. By going back to the lobby and exiting through the right, Mario enters the birdcage area, at which a Koopa Troopa, Shy Guy, Spike, and Shady Sledge Bro are admiring the invisible object. The Shady Sledge Bro battles Mario, and after he is defeated, the other enemies run away and surrender the object.
Before Mario re-enters the lobby, he must give the Birdcage to the Toad outside. This causes a Koopa Paratroopa to fly in, and Mario can collect the Caged "Bird". Back in the library, Mario can give the Tea Recipe Book to the ghost Toad, who goes to the dining room. In room 203, Mario can return the invisible object to the ghost Toad, who sets it on the table before going for tea; Mario can paint it to reveal a Yoshi, who runs off. Mario also must return the Caged "Bird" to the Toad in room 303.
To unlock room 202, Mario has to hammer the bed in room 302, revealing a hole he can jump down. The door to room 202 is blocked from the inside by a crate that can be destroyed with the hammer. Painting near the bed reveals a ghost Toad who is searching for his glasses, which are actually on his forehead. After Mario hammers him, knocking down the glasses, he leaves for tea.
To find the ghost in room 301, Mario must enter and wait for the janitor to appear. After the room is cleaned, he can paint near the telephone receiver to find a ghost Toad angrily calling the front desk for new bedsheets; he was the one doing the silent phone calls, but the Toads could not hear him because he is a ghost. To get the Fresh Sheets, Mario must go back to the lobby and enter the linen closet, at which a string of eight Shy Guys are holding on to the sheets. Once they are defeated, he has to return to the room and change the sheets, as the Toad is satisfied and leaves for the tea party.
With all the Toads in the dining room, a hotel worker notices that their teapot is missing. The front desk Toad searches in a back room for the teapot, but can only find furniture and a purple Mini Paint Star, which he offers to Mario and Huey. Huey notices that the time loop has been broken, and when Mario collects the Mini Paint Star, he unlocks access to Plum Park.
After the Teapot has been recovered from Plum Park, Mario has to use Cutout to insert its card into the painting in the dining room. The ghost Toads drink tea and ascend upwards, reappearing in the painting. With the hotel back to normal, the owner thanks Mario and gives him a 3rd card slot for battle.
Enemies
Colorless spots
| Dark Bloo Inn | |
|---|---|
| Outside the hotel, on the Toad. | 
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| In the lobby, on the leftmost painting. | 
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| In the lobby, on the ground. | 
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| In the lobby, on the elevator. | 
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| On floor 2, on the wall. | 
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| On floor 2, on the ground. | 
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| On floor 2, on the ground. | 
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| On floor 3, on the wall. | 
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| On floor 3, on the ground. | 
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| On floor 3, on the ground. | 
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| In room 302, on the Tea Recipe Book. | 
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| In room 303, on the Birdcage. | 
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| In the linen closet, on the ground. | 
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| In the linen closet, on the ground. | 
|
Cutouts
| Level | Location | Reward | Hint | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Bloo Inn | On floor 2, at the far left. Cutting this out reveals room 201. | Required for completion | None | 
|
| In the dining room, on the painting. The Teapot card must be inserted. | Required for completion | None | 
|
Record
Gallery
World Map Icon
The hotel lobby.
The hotel dining room.
The ghost on floor 2.
Library books going off the shelves.
The ghost in the library.
The Shady Sledge Bro and his group.
Mario fighting the Shady Sledge Bro.
Mario collects "it."
A Toad with the birdcage.
Mario fighting Shy Guys in the linen closet.
Mario changes the bedsheets.
The Yoshi jumps out of the window.
Room 202's ghost.
A Shy Guy jumping out of the window in room 203.
The ghost in room 203.
The ghost Toad in room 301.
The ghosts in the dining room.
The purple Mini Paint Star.
Tea is served to the ghosts.
The ghost Toads in the painting.
Dark Bloo Inn returned to its normal state.
Dark Bloo Inn concept art.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ホテル オーシャンブルー[?] Hoteru Ōshanburū |
Hotel Ocean Blue | |
| German | Hotel Ultramarino[?] | Ultramarine Hotel | |
| Russian | Пансионат «Аквамарин»[?] Pansionat «Akvamarin» |
Pension "Aquamarine" | |
| Spanish | Hotel Cerúleo[?] | Cerulean Hotel |
Trivia
- Portraits of the Yoshi Sphinx and Hither Thither Hill from Paper Mario: Sticker Star can be seen on the wall near the dining room. There is also a portrait of a snowy area, likely referencing World 4 from the same game.
- The owner makes a reference to Luigi's Mansion, informing Mario upon arrival that he tried to call Luigi to eradicate the paranormal activity, but he did not answer.
