The air is getting cooler, pumpkin spice is on the shelves and the last of summer produce is coming off the shelves. Maybe you missed out on the summer escape you’d been hoping for. Or maybe autumn has you aching for a getaway. Well, do you like a little spook to your vacations? Have you been power-watching Ghost Adventures in anticipation of Halloween? Maybe it’s time to stop leaving the paranormal investigation to other people and book a room for yourself at one haunted-as-heck hotel.
These hotels have harrowing pasts and even creepier modern-day tales. Some of them embrace their haunted stories, others have tried to distance themselves from things that go bump in the night. All of them are worth considering for your own personal ghost tour.
From stories of flashing lights and shrieking voices to histories of disappearing bloody fingerprints, check out these terror-inducing tales from haunted hotels.
Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables, Florida
In the 1920s and 1930s, the Biltmore was a glamorous hotspot. During World War II, it was converted into a hospital and later abandoned. That’s when locals started hearing rumors of ghosts in the building. In 1983, the hotel was completely renovated and employed Linda Spitzer to tell stories about the hotel’s history and potential hauntings. The best stories, she told WLRN, came from the hotel guests themselves. “There’s a loud band playing upstairs,” the guests would tell the receptionist, who would have to inform them the room above them was vacant. Spitzer also reported that the elevator would rise to the 13th floor unprompted. Now, the hotel is trying to step away from its spooky past, though people have been known to get a room on the 13th floor to try to have a ghostly encounter.
Bourbon Orleans Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana
This building, built in the 19th century, has history as both a theater and a convent. There are reports of several spirits there, including a man who appears to be a Confederate soldier who haunts the third and the sixth floors. In the ballroom, reports have been made of a lone woman dancing underneath the chandelier. The hotel was featured on A&E’s Psychic Kids, where host Chip Coffey claimed to communicate with the spirits of several children. The hotel offers a special rate for their Spirits Package, which includes two night’s accommodation, a ghost tour and alcoholic beverages with souvenir glasses to calm your nerves.
Hotel Andra, Seattle, Washington
Hotel Andra doesn’t seem to want to talk about reports of hauntings, but as a building that’s been around since the 1920s, the rumors fly. One former guest wrote on Trip Advisor that she experienced “a definite poke in the small of [her] back. There was nobody around except [her] husband at a barstool some distance away. It was very startling.”
Another wrote, “A night during the slow season is best. Experience sounds of people sprinting by your room’s door, doors slamming, doors shaking, window sounds, what sounds to be high heels on wood, although the hallways have plush carpet, and if you’re ‘lucky’ you’ll see 1920’s Japanese men and women sometimes speaking to one another and who never acknowledge you.”
Whether they’ll claim their haunted reputation or not, it’s worth booking a room.
Fairmont Banff Springs, Alberta, Canada
Fairmont Banff Springs has its share of ghost stories. A ghost bridge, a bellman who still helps guests to their rooms, a room they have trouble keeping booked because of all the strange activities that keep guests awake at night. But the creepiest account by far is for room 873. The story goes that an entire family was murdered there. Afterward, guests would wake in the night to loud shrieks and even bloody handprints on the mirrors. Eventually, the hotel sealed off the room altogether.
People still appreciate the hotel for its incredible scenery, and a select few visit hoping they’ll have a ghostly encounter.
Ballygally Castle, Northern Ireland
Lord James Shaw and his wife Lady Isabella were the original occupants of this castle. From here, the story is lost to history — what we know is that Lady Isabella died falling from the tower. Some say she was locked there, her baby daughter ripped from her arms by her husband, and fell trying to escape. Others say she was pushed, and others say she jumped. Now, visitors report seeing her spirit looking for her daughter. The hotel has a room dedicated to Lady Isabella, The Ghost Room, where guests can explore.
Copper Queen Hotel, Bisbee, Arizona
The Copper Queen Hotel has been in operation for over 100 years. Finished in 1902, the hotel is said to be haunted by several spirits, the most notable of which is Miss Julia Lowell, a sex worker who reportedly killed herself after being rejected by a client she’d fallen in love with. The story goes that her spirit only appears to men, often whispering in their ears. There are also reports of child spirits who hide items from the guests. The Copper Queen offers ghost tour packages that explore the hotel and provides guests with gear to go hunting on their own.
Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado
Built in 1909, this is the hotel that inspired Steven King’s The Shining. According to the hotel, a gas leak explosion in room 217 injured a chambermaid in 1911, and she is said to haunt the room now. Just last year, a man named Henry Yau took a photo of the lobby only to later see what he believed to be a ghost. If you want to investigate for yourself, the hotel offers daily spirit tours for its guests.
The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Built in 1893, The Pfister Hotel has been serving Milwaukee visitors for more than 100 years. There’s little lore about who the ghosts at Pfister are, but they seem to keep up on their baseball players — at least 10 MLB players have publicly acknowledged experiencing paranormal activities during their stays at the hotel. Player Carlos Gómez heard voices as he stepped out of the shower in his room and was so spooked by his iPod going haywire that he ran into the hotel lobby without putting on his pants or shoes. Brendan Ryan saw a moving light. Players have even gone so far as to pay their own way at another hotel when they’re in town. The Pfister seems to have removed any mention of ghosts from their website, but you can still book there to see what spooked these men for yourself.
Hotel del Coronado, San Diego, California
In 1982, a young woman named Kate Morgan checked into the Hotel del Coronado, telling the staff that she was waiting for a man. Five days later, the man never showed, and Morgan was found on an outside staircase with a bullet wound to her head. The police determined it was self-inflicted. According to staff and visitors, Morgan still wanders the ground, particularly fond of the room she stayed in while alive. Guests report the TV turning on and off and unexplainable breezes blowing through the room.
Queen Mary Hotel, Long Beach California
The Queen Mary Hotel is also a ship docked in Long Beach, California. The ship began as a luxury liner and during WWII, was converted for use in the military. Death surrounds the boat. In 1942, the Queen Mary accidentally crushed a lead boat in front of it, leading to the death of hundreds of the smaller ship’s passengers. Two women drowned in the ship’s swimming pool. One of the ship’s rooms had so many strange occurrences — beds shaking, malfunctioning lights, voices — that they sealed the room off for good.
Except for BuzzFeed. BuzzFeed had two staff members stay the night in the hotel and wrote a piece on the experience. It’s pretty chilling. The ship offers a series of nighttime tours to get you appropriately creeped out.
Langham Hotel, London, UK
There are tons of ghosts that people have claimed to see here, from a German prince who supposedly jumped from a window to a doctor who murdered his wife before committing suicide to Napolean III ,who people say they have seen in the basement. The hotel reportedly spooked a bunch of British cricket players as well. “It was so hot in the room I just couldn’t sleep. All of a sudden the taps in the bathroom came on for no reason. I turned the lights on and the taps turned themselves off. Then when I turned the lights off again the taps came on. It was very weird,” Stuart Broad told the Daily Mail in 2014. The hotel doesn’t appear to embrace its spooky reputation. There are no mentions of hauntings on their website.
Marshall House, Savannah, Georgia
The history of the Marshall House isn’t for the squeamish. During the Civil War era, the building was being used as a Union hospital when an especially harsh winter struck, leaving the ground frozen. Unable to bury amputated arms and legs, doctors were forced to put body parts under the floorboards. That was in 1964. The remains weren’t discovered until 1999 when the hotel was being restored. Guests have reported strange noises, being touched and doors being locked on their own. If you’re looking for a spooky night, the fourth floor is reportedly where the bulk of the paranormal activity happens. It also makes it a popular location, so be sure to book in advance.
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