For some thrill seekers, the idea of spending the night in one of the world’s most haunted hotels can provide some spooky fun, thanks to movies like The Shining and its real-life counterpart, the Stanley Hotel. Check out hundreds of forums discussing destinations with spooky histories on TripAdvisor For many, paranormal activity is another must-have amenity, like a swimming pool or free Wi-Fi.
Ghost sightings and unexplained occurrences are common at some of America’s most famous hotels, such as the ghost of Marilyn Monroe at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood and the ghost of a Civil War soldier at the Marshall Building in Savannah, Georgia. Abroad, you could find yourself sharing a room with the ghosts of royalty or World War II prisoners. Are you curious? These 17 hotels are the scariest real-life haunted houses you can walk into this Halloween if you dare.
Omni Parker Home, Massachusetts
One of America’s longest-running restaurants is haunted by not one but two ghosts. The Omni Parker House is a luxury hotel in Boston where the spirit of its founder, Harvey Parker, stops by the lobby and checks in guests to make sure they enjoy their stay. Others swear that the ghost of Charles Dickens still haunts the third floor, next to the room where the author once lived.
Chelsea Hotel New York City
Many celebrities such as Patti Smith, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Madonna have settled in the Chelsea Hotel. But it is said that there are two people living in this hall. Although the hotel was closed for renovation in 2011 and reopened earlier this year, former guests and employees have long reported paranormal activity around the ghost of Sid Vicious, who often roams the hotel. This is where he died.
Red Lion Inn Massachusetts
Also in Massachusetts, the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge has had many paranormal investigators and psychics visit the site. The fourth floor in particular is said to be the liveliest. Both cleaning staff and guests claimed to have seen “a ghostly young girl holding flowers” and “a man in a hat.” Guests also began to feel someone standing at the foot of their beds.
Dickins in Big Sur, Big Sur
According to “American Horror Story: Hotel” set designer Ellen Brill, the charming old woods cabin is often haunted by the ghost of its founder, affectionately known as “Grandpa Deetjen.” “She heard footsteps and doors slamming, and she panicked,” Brill said in October.
Driskill, Texas
Austin, Texas is home to many ghost tours, but at the top of the list is undoubtedly this popular downtown hotel. President Lyndon B. Johnson is one of the famous ghosts said to haunt the premises. He and his wife had their first date here in 1934, and they watched the results of the 1964 presidential election in the Presidential Suite, after winning which Lyndon Johnson celebrated in the Grand Ballroom; before that, in 1887, a four-year-old child fell to his death from the grand staircase. Paranormal investigators reportedly managed to capture the faint sound of a ball hitting the wall, as well as a mischievous laugh. Perhaps one of the most famous ghosts, however, is a pair of unwed brides who ended their lives decades apart in Room 329.
Emily Morgan Hotel (San Antonio)
Built in 1924, the Emily Morgan originally operated as a medical facility, with the 12th and 14th floors used as a hospital and surgical areas. Guests have reported seeing a woman dressed primarily in white on these floors and receiving mysterious phone calls in the middle of the night with no one on the other side. The hotel is adjacent to the Alamo, a historic cemetery of fallen soldiers that is rumored to be haunted.
Omni Shoreham Hotel (Washington, DC)
The Omni Shoreham Hotel is one of Washington, DC’s oldest and reportedly most haunted hotels. According to a frequently heard story in the early 20th century, a young girl and a maid died mysteriously in one of the hotel rooms. Since then, guests have reported hearing strange noises from the area of the hotel where they died on the night of their deaths.
Marshall House, Savannah
The Marshall House is located in one of the most haunted towns in the United States, reportedly haunted by the spirits of the former Civil War-era hospital’s patients. Ghosts have been reported in the hallways and halls, as well as other spooky occurrences, such as faucets turning on randomly – without any human interaction.
San Diego del Coronado Hotel
San Diego’s most famous ghost resides at the Hotel del Coronado, a historic hotel that opened in 1888. Kate Morgan has lived at the hotel since 1892, when she checked into the hotel and waited for her husband to arrive. Both are travel con men. However, her husband never arrived, and four days later, a depressed (and pregnant) Kate was found dead at the bottom of the outside stairs leading to Coronado Beach, with a bullet wound in the head. Her ghost often appears on the beach wearing a black lace dress and is often seen in her now infamous hotel room 3327.
Dalme Plaza Hotel (New Orleans)
The Place d’Armes was built on the site of a school that burned down during the great fire of New Orleans in 1788. Although there are many haunted hotels in the city, this one is believed to be the most active. Several guests have reported seeing a bearded old man nodding at them before disappearing, and one woman recently said she actually had a conversation with him.
Chateau Marmont Hotel, West Hollywood
Home to many celebrity guests including Katharine Hepburn and more recently Lindsay Lohan, West Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont is no stranger to A-list clientele. However, comedian John Belushi, who died at the hotel from a drug overdose in 1982, is said to have checked in and never left. Belushi was later found dead in Bungalow No. 3, where a number of strange events occurred. The most infamous incident occurred in 1999, when a family lived in the bungalow with their 2-year-old son. The boy could often be found laughing and giggling – and when asked what he was laughing at, he would reply: “Funny man.”
The Langham, London
Room 333 at the Langham Hotel is apparently inhabited by a man who likes to walk around in Victorian evening wear (albeit only in October). Other ghosts at the famous hotel include a man in military uniform, a German prince, and Napoleon III, a former regular who is said to haunt the basement.
Crescent Springs Hotel, Arkansas
The Crescent Hotel & Spa, located in the Ozark Mountains, was built in 1886 as a cancer treatment hospital in the 1930s and is considered one of the world’s most haunted hotels. Visitors are said to have experienced chills, tingling sensations, unusual shadows and whispers during their stay. The hotel also hosts an annual conference on the paranormal, run by the hotel’s “ghost director” with guest speakers including Larry Flaxman of the Arkansas Paranormal and Anomaly Research Team. Common ghosts include Michael, an Irish mason who fell to his death while building the hotel (near room 218), and Theodora, a patient whose key was found outside room 419.
Hollywood Roosevelt, Los Angeles
If you stay at this boutique hotel, now known for its trendy pool parties, and hear the faint sounds of a trombone, it could be the ghost of actor Montgomery Clift. It is believed that many visitors to the Roosevelt heard his tunes and even saw the ghost of Marilyn Monroe in the mirror of his old suite.
Jekyll Island Club Resort, Georgia
Once the playground of America’s wealthiest families, including the Vanderbilts, Rockefellers and Morgans, this historic Georgia resort opened as a recreation club in 1888. Some say you can still feel the presence of distinguished guests from the past. For example, you might smell cigar smoke in the air as you stroll through the Sanssouci villa, while the ghost of financier J.P. Morgan takes a few puffs outside his former home.
Pfister Hotel (Milwaukee)
If MLB diehards are publicly admitting to something so spooky, there must be some serious haunting going on in this place – and the culprit is reportedly the ghost of the hotel’s original owner, Charles Pfister. Baseball players coming into town to play for the Milwaukee Brewers often stay at the hotel and report flickering lights, shaking furniture and intermittent radios. As Brandon Phillips of the Cincinnati Reds said, “I walked into the room and sat down on the bed. And then, for some reason, that radio came on. So I turned it off and went to take a shower.”
The Westin Moana Surfrider Resort & Spa, Hawaii
The untimely death of Stanford University co-founder Jane Stanford in 1905 made headlines around the world. Stanford died in her room on the Moana while vacationing in Honolulu. Since then, reports have surfaced that Stanford’s ghost still frequents the beachfront hotel. In fact, guests and hotel staff alike said they saw her wandering around at night looking for her room.
