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Halloween might bring spirits out to play one spooky night a year, but for a few infamous dwellings around the country, paranormal activity is reportedly a regular occurrence no matter the season.
At the most “haunted” hotels in the US, ghost legends and reported spectral sightings are plentiful as otherworldly visitors who’ve never checked out continue to rub shoulders with unsuspecting guests all year-long. And with October 31 just around the corner, there’s never been a better time to book a potentially sleepless stay at one of these 25 residences.
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado inspired Stephen King to write “The Shining.”
No list of haunted haunts would be complete without a mention of the Stanley Hotel, which famously inspired Stephen King to pen his horror novel “The Shining.“
Although guests at the Colorado-based hotel won’t be privy to any “redrum” moments or creepy twins, the ghost of its first proprietor, F.O. Stanley, allegedly makes appearances on the grand staircase with his wife, according to Haunted Travels USA.
The hotel even offers a “Night Spirit Tour” which claims to, “educate you on how to interact with the type of activity many people claim to encounter.”
The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Massachusetts has a terrifying history.
Back in 1982, Lizzie Borden was the main suspect in the bloody hatchet killings of her father and her step-mother. Although she was eventually found not guilty, some in the community still suspected that she was the one responsible.
Years later, guests of the bed and breakfast claim they saw all three ghosts roaming the premises, according to the inn’s proprietor.
Furthermore, a YouTube video claims to show what looks like the apparition of Andrew Borden in a crime scene photo, located on the far left, looking at his body.
The Driskill Hotel in Austin is the second oldest hotel in Texas.
Located in the heart of downtown Austin, the Driskill Hotel was built in 1886 by Civil War veteran Jesse Driskill.
As the oldest hotel in Austin and the second oldest in the state of Texas, it claims to have its share of spectral activity. Driskill is allegedly known to make appearances (along with a smell of cigarette smoke) and, according to Creepy Ghost Stories, room 525 is a hotbed of sightings and unexplained occurrences.
Guests at the Kehoe House in Savannah, Georgia claim to have experienced eerie activity.
At night, guests staying at the Kehoe House claimed to hear the sounds of children laughing and playing, as well as the sensation of being touched by an otherworldly spirit on TripAdvisor.
Regarding claims the hotel is haunted, the hotel’s site says, “The Kehoe family consisted of 10 children and rumour has it that two of them died in the house. This tale is completely unsubstantiated but is repeated often on Savannah’s haunted pub craws and ghost tours.”
Guests at The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts allegedly saw “ghostly undercurrents.”
According to TripAdvisor reviews, guests claim Quaint Stockbridge’s Red Lion Inn has “ghostly undercurrents” with some reporting that they have awoken due to feeling like there was someone standing above their bed.
The fourth floor of the hotel and room 301 are favourites of the paranormal-seeking crowd, who hope to catch glimpses of frequent apparitions of a young girl holding flowers and a man wearing a top hat.
Visitors reported haunted sightings at 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
According to the hotel’s website, visitors have claimed to see all sorts of spooky sightings at the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, such as the ghost of a woman clad in a Victorian nightgown who apparently stations herself at the foot of the bed in room 3500 and watches guests sleep.
Two star-crossed lovers reportedly died at the Seelbach Hilton Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky.
According to USA Today, two star-crossed lovers reportedly came to an unfortunate end at the Seelbach Hilton in Louisville. Distraught by the news of her groom-to-be’s untimely death, a bride is rumoured to have jumped down the hotel’s elevator shaft.
Guests claim she still haunts the halls, looking for her lost love.
Guests report creepy activities at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts.
Salem, Massachusetts is already renowned for its complex history, but the Hawthorne Hotel has gained attention as guests claim to experience paranormal activity, according to TripAdvisor reviews.
The 91-year-old hotel has guests claiming that lights and water faucets turn off and on by themselves, especially in rooms 621 and 325.
The Hollywood Roosevelt in Hollywood, California is reportedly haunted by the stars.
It’s fitting that a historic hotel in Hollywood would apparently be the not-so-final resting place of some of the best and brightest actors and actresses from Hollywood’s golden era.
“Many see Marilyn in the mirror. They also see a little girl in a blue dress,” a maintenance worker told The Hollywood Reporter.
Bourbon Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana is almost 200 years old.
Located in the heart of the French Quarter, the almost 200-year-old Bourbon Orleans Hotel has seen its fair share of history, and its alleged lingering ghostly residents are from a medley of different eras, according to the hotel’s website.
The hotel’s site claims a Confederate soldier is said to haunt the third and sixth floors, while women and children from when the hotel was a convent in the 1800s can often be heard running around. There’s even apparently a dancer, from when the building was the Orleans Ballroom and Theatre, who the hotel claims will dance around in the ballroom.
Battery Carriage House in Charleston, South Carolina reportedly features a headless torso, according to the hotel’s site.
The historic Battery Carriage House, which was founded in 1843, boasts seven quaint guest rooms in the heart of old Charleston. While it touts itself as the “most romantic bed and breakfast in Charleston,” lovebirds hoping for a romantic getaway might be in for an otherworldly surprise.
According to the inn’s website, the charming spot is also home to several ghostly apparitions, including a “headless torso.”
The Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing, New York is beautiful.
In addition to luxurious accommodations and a prime spot on Lake George, Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing is allegedly a hotbed of otherworld activity, according to LakeGeorge.com.
Reported stories of a grey-haired woman clad in a polka dotted dress who makes her way down to the hotel’s fine dining restaurant abound, as do tales of a mischievous young boy on the golf course and a woman in white who likes to hover over guests while they’re sleeping.
Some think Hotel Sorrento in Seattle, Washington has a guest.
Bibliophiles will gravitate towards the ghostly literary ties at the Hotel Sorrento, which was built at the turn of the century in Seattle. According to Seattle Curbed, Alice B. Toklas, who was Gertrude Stein’s partner, allegedly haunts room 408 and the fourth floor of the hotel.
When asked about their ghost, The Sorrento Hotel told Seattle Curbed, “Our ghost is very hip.”
The Admiral Fell Inn in Baltimore, Maryland has a long history.
Formerly known as the Anchorage, the Admiral Fell Inn at Fells Point was once where sailors would come ashore and spend their nights. Since opening in the late 19th century, thousands of seamen have passed through.
According to TripAdvisor, guests have claimed to see apparitions as well as hearing the departed’s revelry late at night.
The Queen Mary in Long Beach, California offers a uniquely spooky experience.
The Queen Mary, permanently docked at Long Beach, California, stands out from the other lodgings for its less stationary nature.
Guests staying at the ocean liner, which was known as the “Grey Ghost” during World War II, have claimed to hear screams from a sailor who met his end in the boiler room as well as seeing a ghostly woman in white and a little girl who haunts the swimming pool, according to Forbes.
The Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago has some claiming to have seen Al Capone’s ghost.
Chicago’s Congress Plaza Hotel was built to house the visitors pouring in during the World’s Fair in 1893, the hotel has its share of familiar apparitions.
Travel + Leisure reported that some claim Al Capone frequents the lobby and that other guests shared sightings of a ghost, nicknamed Peg-Leg Johnny, who roams the hotel.
The Malaga Inn in Mobile, Alabama is known to spook visitors.
The Malaga Inn in Mobile, Alabama was built in 1862 and reportedly still houses its original proprietors, according to InYourState.com.
According to Alabama Haunted Houses visitors claim to have been spooked by chandeliers and furniture that move by themselves, lights that turn on and off, and a mysterious woman dressed in white.
The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina claims to have a “ghost.”
A young woman who met her untimely death in the 1920s still lets her presence be known in Asheville’s Omni Grove Park Inn, according to the hotel’s website.
After reportedly either falling or being pushed to her demise from room 545, the “pink lady” – as she’s come to be known by the pink dress and the eerie pink mist that accompanies her – apparently likes to appear to young children.
The Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C. has a chilling incident once a year.
On January 20, guests are privy to several “supernatural disturbances” that happen every year.
According to Town & Country, at 10 p.m., the lights start flickering in the Grand Ballroom while an elevator refuses to move from the eighth floor (reportedly where Coolidge was set to stay until the festivities began) until exactly 10:15 p.m.
The Omni Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia claims it’s the site of a woman’s love story gone wrong.
Built in 1776, the historic Omni Homestead Inn in Virginia was reportedly the site of one woman’s happily ever after gone wrong in the early 20th century, per the hotel’s website.
According to the story, a woman left at the altar committed suicide in the hotel and continues to roam the floor 14 asking people what time it is.
Guests reported suspicious activity at the Farnsworth House Inn in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
The Farnsworth House is built near the battlegrounds of the Civil War’s bloody battle of Gettysburg, leaving room for many to claim it’s haunted.
According to TripAdvisor reviews, guests claim that doors rattle and open by themselves, water faucets turn off and on, and more than one person has reported feeling touched by a spirit. Keep in mind that no children are allowed to stay at the inn.
The Ghost City Inn in Jerome, Arizona is named appropriately.
A six-bedroom Victorian bed and breakfast located in the former copper-mining district, the Ghost City Inn is said to be home to a mysterious spectral woman who likes to make appearances in the Cleopatra Hill room, according to HauntedPlaces.org.
In addition to sightings of apparitions, guests have claimed that doors slam by themselves.
Guests reported strange sounds at Brass Lantern Inn in Stowe, Vermont.
According to Conde Nast Traveller, numerous visitors have reported that they have heard loud voices talking about what a great time they had at a party all coming from the same guest room, which was later discovered to be empty.
The Benson Hotel in Portland, Oregon is reportedly home to suspicious activity.
In the early 1900s, former owner Simon Benson made the Benson Hotel his brainchild, and he allegedly continues to keep a watchful eye over its proceedings to this day, according to USA Today.
Dressed in a suit, the apparition of the lumber tycoon can reportedly be seen glaring at patrons who are drinking or knocking drinks out of their hands in the common area.
Jekyll Island Club Resort in Jekyll Island, Georgia is stunning.
Built in 1887, the Jekyll Island Club Resort offers stunning views of Georgia’s Jekyll River and some five-star service.
Many guests have claimed that an overzealous ghostly bellhop – dressed in an old-timey pillbox hat and striped trousers – will knock on the doors of visitors and announce that he has laundered suits to deliver, particularly on the second floor, according to Roadtrippers.com.
In addition, guests say the ghosts of Southern Railroad tycoon Samuel Spencer as well as the Jekyll Island Club’s first president, Lloyd Aspinwall, have both been spotted on the premises.
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