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Haunted Hotels in the
United States
Stanley Hotel - 333 Wonderview, Estes Park, Colorado
If you are a Stephen King fan, request room 217. It was in this room that King, inspired by the hotel, wrote half of "The Shining." Room 418 gets the most reports of haunting activity apparently from children’s spirits. Cleaning crews report having heard many strange noises from the room, as well as seeing impressions on the bed when the room has been empty. When guests stay in the room, they often report that they hear children playing in the hallway at night. One couple reportedly checked out of the hotel very early in the morning, complaining that the children in the hallway kept them up all night. However, there were no children booked in the hotel at the time. Another ghost is in room 407, which is said to sometimes be occupied by Lord Dunraven, who owned the land prior to F.O. Stanley. Reportedly, he likes to stand in the corner of the room near the bathroom door.
Crescent Hotel - 75 Prospect Ave., Eureka Springs, Arkansas
A number of rooms are haunted in this historic hotel. Room 218 is the spot where Michael, an Irish stonemason, landed when he fell from the hotel's roof during construction. His ghost is said to bang on the walls and turn the lights and television on and off. Rooms 202 and 424 are also said to be haunted. Outside of the Recreation Room, the ghost of Dr. Norman Baker often appears, looking a bit confused. He ran a controversial hospital and health resort in the building during the 1930s. A nurse, dressed in a white uniform, has been seen on the third floor. A woman in Room 419 introduces herself as a cancer patient to guests and housekeepers, then vanishes.
Hotel San Carlos - 202 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona
On May 7, 1928, 22 year-old Leone Jensen ended her life by jumping off the roof of the seven-story Hotel San Carlos. Dressed in an evening gown as if she had planned for a night of dancing, Jensen died heartbroken from the lost love of a bellboy at a nearby hotel. Seventy-five years later, her spirit remains at the hotel, leading some to wonder if she did indeed jump from the roof, or if in fact she was pushed. The two different newspapers in Phoenix reported vastly different circumstances surrounding her death. Since her death, there have been reports of strange breezes, haunting noises and the white cloud of a woman's figure throughout the hotel. Leone Jensen checked into the Hotel San Carlos in 1928, and to this day has never checked out.
Queen Mary
- 1126 Queen Hwy., Long Beach, California
From its beautiful Art Deco salons to the depths of its darkest corridors, the Queen Mary has been a constant source for stories, articles and documentaries about supernatural sightings and other unexplained activity aboard the historic ship. Even as this piece is being written, testimonials from passengers and crew members continue to be reported and documented, all of them wanting answers to what they have experienced. Do ghosts really exist aboard the Queen Mary 2?
Hawthorne Hotel - 18 Washington Square West, Salem, MA
The hotel is located on the Common which was the focus of the dreadful witch hunts. Over 200 people died during the witch trials. Many of them may in fact now be residing in this hotel.
Landmark Inn - Lake Superior, Michigan
Around the time the hotel first opened in 1930 on the shores of Lake Superior, a librarian in town fell in love with a sailor. He was to make one last journey before coming home to marry her, but the ship and crew never returned. The librarian is said to still haunt the Lilac Room, which has a view of Lake Superior. She is believed to be watching for her sailor's return.
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza - 35 W. Fifth Street, Cincinnati, OH
During the hotel's construction in the 1930s, one of the laborers was killed. His body was never found. "The Lady in Green" has been seen in the Mezzanine level and the Hall of Mirrors. It is believed that she is the widow of the construction worker who died, and her restless spirit seeks his body.
Bullock Hotel - 633 Main St, Deadwood, SD
The hotel was founded by Seth Bullock, Deadwood's first sheriff, and he has never left. His ghost walks the halls. Bullock was sheriff in the 1870s and died here in 1919 but was never really laid to rest. He was the sheriff "whose gaze could stop fights." Since then, nearly three dozen people have seen his ghost. These include guests, employees, and managers of the hotel.
The Menger Hotel - 204 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX
One night after an argument with her husband, Sallie White, a chambermaid at The Menger Hotel in San Antonio, stayed at the hotel (presumably with another man). The next day her husband threatened to kill her. On March 28, 1876, Sallie was attacked by her husband and she died two days later. The hotel paid for the funeral cost of $32, as recorded in the hotel ledger. Legend has it that Sallie White still roams the halls of the Victorian wing of the hotel. A few years ago, a guest wanted extra towels. He opened the door of his room and called out to a maid who ignored him. The guest called the front desk to inquire why the maid was so rude. He described the maid and her uniform -- one that was worn in the late 1800s.
Equinox - 3567 Main Street, Manchester Village, VT
Mary Todd Lincoln spent two summers vacationing at The Equinox with her children. Hotel staff has reported spotting the apparition of a mother and son, believed to be Mary Todd Lincoln and one of her sons.
Hotel del Coronado - San Diego, California
Ghostly tales abound at San Diego's Hotel del Coronado. The most well-known legend is that of Kate Morgan, who checked into the hotel in 1892 to meet her estranged husband. He never showed up, and days later she was found dead on the beach from a gunshot wound. Some believe her spirit still haunts the hotel, and there have been numerous reports of noises, odd breezes and sightings of ghosts. When President Ford visited, one of his Secret Service agents complained of odd noises. He was staying in Morgan's room--a classic tale of one spook meeting another. Rates start at $215 per night.
Dracula's Castle, Transylvania
Post-Communist Romania has embraced tourism with a bloodthirsty vengeance, with several castles claiming to be "Dracula's Castle." In fact, the future Dracula theme park is going not to the real site of his home but to the town making the highest bid. For the record, the castle occupied by the real Dracula (aka Vlad the Impaler) is in ruins, so what is known as Dracula's castle is Castle Bran in Transylvania, where Vlad spent a few days. Guests who sign up for the annual Dracula Tour, sponsored by Connecticut's International Tours & Events, visit Castle Bran and then spend the night at a nearby castle in Borgo Pass called, of course, Dracula's Castle. The tour price, which includes flights, accommodations and some meals, is $1,699.
Castle Stuart - Scotland
This 17th century tower-castle near Inverness has not one but four ghosts who supposedly haunt it. The castle has been the site of many Highland battles and feuds, and reports of hauntings have existed since the late 1700s. The Stuart family claims the east tower is haunted, and that's where carpenters have fallen off ladders, furniture has been turned upside down and bloodcurdling screams have been heard. Castle Stuart is on the Whisky Trail, which could also have something to do with it. Rates start at £95 ($147) per night per person.
Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel - Alberta, Canada
Some people might think that room service that arrives too late can be scary...but how about room service that keeps on coming back? The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, Canada, is supposedly haunted by Sam the bellman. Sam retired in 1967 but said he would be back. Although he died a few years later, he has apparently kept to his word. Some guests claim to have spotted a bellman wearing a 1960s-type uniform. Bed-and-breakfast packages start at $242.50.
Hotel Maison de Ville - New Orleans
For a case of Southern discomfort, head to the Hotel Maison de Ville in New Orleans, which seems to be haunted by a soldier with a penchant for country music (Garth Brooks, anyone?). Twenty years ago, a hotel employee opened the door to Cottage No. 4 and saw a man dressed in military uniform, who then disappeared. Supposedly, whenever the cottage's radio is turned to a classical station, the ghost changes it back to a country station. Rates start at $235.
Langham Hilton - London, England
Journalists are known to keep late hours and be jittery from too much coffee, which could fuel their reports of ghostly sightings. The Langham Hilton in London, built in 1865, was once owned by the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC). Reporters, perhaps to weasel out of deadlines, claim to have seen ghosts in Victorian garb, as well as the ghost of a German soldier. Some claim that Napoleon III haunts the Langham's basement. If you stay, Room 333 is supposed to be the most haunted. Rates start at £295 ($459).
Haunted Hotel Websites
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