Haunted Hotels and the Ghosts That Haunt Them
Haunted Hotels are not just a Hollywood gimmick—many people believe a few real-life properties around the country play host to several long-term guests. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, there are many places that claim to have unexplained occurrences that can only be attributed to haunting lost souls. To many, going through such an event or testing one's bravado with the unknown is as exciting as riding a roller coaster or skydiving. If you happen to be that person, here is a list of haunted hotels in the United States where you can spend the night and try your luck at spotting a ghost. They all have a history of murder, suicide, accidental death, and past employees and guests that you may be fortunate enough to meet if you dare.
1) The Stanley Hotel
Generally regarded as one the most "spirited" hotels in America, The Stanley is better known for motivating Stephen King's The Shining after the author stayed there one winter’s night. In 1909, the hotel was initially built to house traveling, bourgeois city-folk and offered cars and servants to all their visitors. Today, many of their spirits still remain and guests have reported the sounds of untraceable piano music and maniacal laughs all over the hotel. These incidents are said to be the playful spirits of dead employees and guests.
2) Malaga Inn
The Malaga Inn is the only boutique inn of its kind and regarded as the most haunted hotel in Alabama. Built in 1862, this ancient property in the deep south is reminiscent of the Civil War era. It has 39 private rooms, Victorian furnishings and an outdoor courtyard. Initially, the two townhouses were constructed by two brothers-in-law as a wedding gift for the 2 sisters in the family—but that does not mean they ever left. Guests claim to have seen a ghostly lady figure in white, swinging chandeliers, lights that turn on by themselves and furniture that eerily moves on its own.
3) Omni Mount Washington
Bretton Woods, NH. Knock, knock. Who's there? at this resort, perhaps no one…whom you can see, in any case. The resident invisible resident here, Carolyn Stickney, is known to tap on doors and once inside your room (whether you invite her in or not) she has no qualms regarding borrowing your belongings. However, she is a Victorian lady through and through—all manners—and will return your belongings to precisely where she got them. Tip: Rumor has it that checking into Room 314 nets the best possibility of spotting the ‘Princess’, as she is known.
4) Omni Grove Park Inn
Asheville, NC. Back in the 1920s, a young woman either jumped or was pushed to her death from her 5th floor room. 545, to be specific. Virtually a century later, employees and guests still report her presence, mostly as a pink mist or as a woman in a flowing pink gown, thus her nickname, the Pink Lady. How do you like these apples? Tip: Allegedly, young children are extremely sensitive to spotting her, so if you really want a glimpse, you know who to let loose on her trail.
5) Otesaga Resort
Cooperstown, NY. Sizeable resort + over a hundred years of history + no sinister sagas = a perfect breeding ground for a ghost neighborhood, and a friendly ghost community at that. Its former life was a winter school for girls and to this day, a giggling gaggle of girls continues to echo through the 3rd floor hallway, when absolutely no children are checked in at the hotel. (Warning: They may be laughing at you but they are young girls after all, so please do not take it personally.) The adults, nonetheless, do want you to take it personally. People have claimed hearing their name called, absolutely out of nowhere.
6) Omni Homestead
Hot Springs, VA. It's an unending story: In the most ancient wing of one of the oldest resorts in the country (built in 1766), a jilted woman committed suicide after her fiancé left on their wedding day and never came back. Since that sad day in the early 1900s, she has aimlessly wandered the 14th floor. Stopping guests as well as employees to ask for the time, she expects to catch the hour when her groom-to-be was meant to come back to her and that this time he'll be there.
7) La Posada de Santa Fe
Santa Fe, NM. This hotel's spectral highlight, a German known as Julia Staab, feels right at home here. Prior to becoming a resort, it was her residence, built by her merchant husband in 1882. After her 8th child died shortly after delivery, Frau Julia spun into a deep depression, ultimately holing up in her room, never to be seen in the flesh again after 1896. But, in wisps and wafts she is still ever present, most often in Suite 100, her former bedroom.
8) Queen Anne Hotel
San Francisco, Ca. Not all ghosts will leave you cold. Miss Mary Lake, former headmistress of the school for girls that opened here in 1890, has been known to take care of guests who stay in her former office, Room 410, just as she really did for her pupils several generations ago. Many have revealed that their clothes were unpacked for them while others have woken up at night to find their blankets tucked nicely around them.
9) The Mayflower Hotel
Presidential alert: The customary inaugural ball at the Mayflower began while Calvin Coolidge was in office; however he missed the grand event due to his son's untimely death a fortnight earlier. To make up for the lost occasion, he apparently returns to the site yearly on the anniversary of the ball. But Silent Cal mainly remains just that in his eternal phase. The only hints of his presence are flickering lights in the Grand Ballroom at 10pm, which would have announced the ball's guests of honor back in 1925. And an elevator that will not budge from the 8th floor (the location of his holding room) until 10:15pm, which is exactly the time that he planned to make his grand entrance.
10) Esperanza Mansion
Keuka Park, NY. It's uncertain whether this one should be chalked up as local folklore. However, there are many who believe there is a phantom lady, decked out in white, wandering the property. Similar to any ghost worth his/her weightlessness, she is also highly skilled at keeping us mere mortals in the dark. No one actually knows who she is or where she came from. It’s probably better this way. Tip: If you need a vacation from waiting for the lady in white to appear, refocus your paranormal energies on nearby Spook Hill.
11. Hawthorne Hotel Salem
Salem, Ma. There has been great controversy over this supposed haunted hotel and questions still remain as to whether it is truly haunted and who is haunting it. Perhaps because of Salem’s local history, many people automatically assume it’s haunted. Nevertheless, this hotel has a rich history and some storytellers suggest that the entire sixth floor is haunted, with guests reportedly hearing unusual noises and seeing a ghostly woman wandering along the hallways.
Share Your Haunted Hotel Experience
Have you had an experience of a haunted hotel that you would like to share, then please send it to us so we can add it to this list. We may even feature your story in Paranormal Daily News. Contact us through the PDN Submissions Page. We look forward to hearing from you.