Thanks to films like The Shining and its real-life inspiration, the Stanley Hotel, for some thrill-seekers the prospect of spending the night in one of the world’s most haunted hotels is fun. Just take a look at the hundreds of forums on TripAdvisor discussing destinations with a history of spooky occurrences. For many, like access to a pool or free Wi-Fi, paranormal activity is another must-have amenity.
Ghost sightings and unexplained phenomena have long been noted at some of the most famous hotels in the US, like Marilyn Monroe’s apparition at the Roosevelt in Hollywood, and Civil War soldiers at the Marshall House in Savannah, Georgia. Overseas, you might find yourself sharing a room with the spirits of royals or WWII prisoners. Intrigued? These 17 hotels are some of the creepiest real-life haunted houses you can book a stay at over Halloween – if you dare.
Omni Parker House, Massachusetts
Leave it to one of the longest-running hotels in the United States to be home to not one ghost but two. Omni Parker House is a luxury hotel located in Boston, where the spirt of its founder, Harvey Parker, is rumoured to roams the halls, checking to make sure guests are enjoying their stay. Others swear that the ghost of Charles Dickens may still linger somewhere on the third floor, adjacent to a room where the author briefly lived.
The Hotel Chelsea, New York City
Patti Smith, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Madonna are among the many boldface names who have called the Hotel Chelsea home. But there are two who are said to still haunt the halls. While the hotel closed its doors in 2011 for renovations – and reopened earlier this year – former tenants and employees have long noted paranormal activity surrounding the ghosts of Sid Vicious, accused of murdering his girlfriend while they lived there, and Dylan Thomas, whose dedicated plaque on the outside of the building reads: “Dylan Thomas lived and wrote at the Chelsea Hotel and from here he sailed out to die.”
The Red Lion Inn, Massachusetts
Also in Massachusetts, The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge has played host to many paranormal investigators and mediums. The fourth floor, in particular, is said to have the most activity. Both cleaning staff and guests have claimed to see a “ghostly young girl carrying flowers” and “a man in a top hat”. Guests have also reported waking to the feeling of someone standing over them at the foot of the bed.
Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn, Big Sur
According to American Horror Story: Hotel’s set designer, Ellen Brill, this charming old cabin in the woods is haunted by the ghost of its founder, lovingly referred to as “Grandpa Deetjen”. Brill says she “heard footsteps and a door slam and started to freak out” while there. If that’s not enough, the Point Sur Lighthouse allegedly holds the spirits of deceased sailors, and it hosts moonlight and ghost tours throughout October.
The Driskill, Texas
Austin, Texas, is home to many ghost tours, but top of the list is without a doubt this popular downtown hotel. President Lyndon B Johnson is just one of the famous spirits said to roam the grounds. He and his wife had their first date here in 1934, and he also watched the results of the 1964 election from the presidential suite. After he won, LBJ celebrated in the grand ballroom. Before that, a four-year-old child toppled down the grand staircase to their death in 1887. Paranormal investigators have reportedly managed to catch the faint sound of a ball ping-ponging against walls while a mischievous voice giggles. However, perhaps the best-known ghosts are the pair of jilted brides, each of whom took their own life while staying in Room 329 a few decades apart.
Emily Morgan Hotel, San Antonio
The Emily Morgan was built in 1924 and originally operated as a medical facility, with floors 12 and 14 acting as the hospital and surgery areas. Guests have reported sightings on these floors, mainly of a woman in a white dress, and mysterious phone calls in the middle of the night with no one on the other end. The hotel is also situated directly next to the Alamo, a historic gravesite of fallen soldiers that is also rumored to be haunted.
Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.
The Omni Shoreham Hotel is one of Washington, DC’s most historic – and allegedly most haunted – hotels. In an oft-told tale dating back to the early 20th century, a young girl and a maid both died of mysterious causes in one of the hotel suites. Since then, guests have reported hearing bizarre noises with no explanation coming from the part of the hotel where they passed away that fateful night.
The Marshall House, Savannah
Located in what’s regarded as one of the most haunted cities in America, the Marshall House allegedly holds the spirits of Civil War-era patients from its former iteration as a hospital. There have been ghost sightings in the hallways and foyers reported, as well as other creepy occurrences like faucets randomly turning on on their own.
Hotel del Coronado, San Diego
The most famous ghost in San Diego is said to live at Hotel del Coronado, a historic hotel that opened in 1888. Kate Morgan has haunted the hotel since 1892, the year she checked in and awaited the arrival of her husband. The two were traveling con artists. However, her husband never showed up and, four days later, a dismal (and pregnant) Kate was found dead at the bottom of an outdoor staircase leading to Coronado Beach, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. There are frequent reports of her ghost being seen in a black lace dress both on the beach and in the hotel, in the now infamous room 3327.
The Place d’Armes Hotel, New Orleans
The Place d’Armes was built on the site of a school that burned down during the Great New Orleans Fire of 1788. Though there are several haunted hotels in the city, this is said to be the one with the most activity. Many guests have seen a bearded old man who nods at them and fades away, and recently one woman said that she had actual conversations with him.
Chateau Marmont, West Hollywood
With its countless celebrity guests, including Katharine Hepburn and more recently Lindsay Lohan, West Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont is no stranger to A-list clientele. However, one Saturday Night Live star who is said to have checked in and never left is comedian John Belushi, who died at the hotel from a drug overdose in 1982. Belushi was discovered dead in Bungalow 3, which remains the site of many strange occurrences. The most notorious incident occurred in 1999, when a family was staying in the bungalow with their two-year-old son. The boy was often found laughing and giggling by himself, and when asked what he was laughing at, he would respond: “The funny man.” When his mother was leafing through a book of celebrity guests of Chateau Marmont, the boy pointed to a photo of John Belushi and exclaimed: “The funny man!”
The Langham, London
In Room 333 at the Langham, there is apparently a man who likes to hang out in his Victorian eveningwear (though only during the month of October). Other ghost sightings at this famous hotel include a man dressed in military garb, a German prince, and former regular Napoleon III, who is said to haunt the basement.
Crescent Hotel & Spa, Arkansas
Formerly a cancer hospital in the 1930s, the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa in the Ozark Mountains is widely considered to be one of the most haunted hotels in the world. Visitors are said to have experienced chilling, tingling touches, unusual shadows, and whispers throughout their stay. The hotel even hosts annual conferences on the paranormal, curated by the hotel’s “Director of Ghosts”, with keynote speakers like Larry Flaxman of Arkansas Paranormal & Anomalous Studies Team. Common ghost sightings include Michael, an Irish stonemason who fell to his death (near Room 218) when building the hotel, and Theodora, a patient who fumbles for her keys outside Room 419.
The Hollywood Roosevelt, Los Angeles
If you’re staying at this boutique hotel – famous these days for its trendy pool parties – and you hear the faint sound of a trombone, it might just be the ghost of actor Montgomery Clift. Many visitors to the Roosevelt have supposedly heard his tune and have also spotted the ghost of Marilyn Monroe in the mirror in her old suite.
Jekyll Island Club Resort, Georgia
Once a playground for America’s wealthiest families – including the Vanderbilts, the Rockefellers, and the Morgans to name a few – this historic Georgia resort opened in 1888 as a recreational club. Some say you can still feel the presence of previous prestigious guests today. For example, as you stroll by Sans Souci Cottage, you just might catch a whiff of cigar smoke in the air while the ghost of financier JP Morgan enjoys a few puffs outside his former residence.
The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee
If it’s scary enough for tough-guy Major League Baseball athletes to admit publicly to being frightened, then this place must really have some serious haunts – and the main culprit is allegedly the ghost of the hotel’s original owner, Charles Pfister. Baseball players in town to play the Milwaukee Brewers are generally put up at this hotel and have reported lights flickering, moving furniture, and the radio turning on and off. As Brandon Phillips of the Cincinnati Reds said: “I came into the room and just sat on the bed. Then, for some reason, the damn radio turned on. So I turned it off and got in the shower. When I was done, that motherf***er turned back on.”
Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Hawaii
In 1905, the untimely death of Jane Stanford, co-founder of Stanford University, made headlines around the world. Stanford, who was vacationing in Honolulu following a strychnine poisoning attempt, died in her room at the Moana. Since then, there have been reports that the ghost of Stanford still frequents the seaside hotel. In fact, guests and hotel staff have said that they’ve seen her walking at night trying to find her room.
