It’s Halloween season, which means it is time to talk about haunted hotels. Whether you believe in the paranormal or not, there are many buildings that have long and sometimes tragic histories that many people believe are haunted because of it. The best way to see if they are actually haunted would obviously be to spend a night in one of these places. Fortunately, in the case of haunted hotels, you can simply book a room and decide for yourself. Whether you are hoping to see an apparition, prove to your friends that you're not a scaredy-cat, or you just enjoy learning about the history of these notorious places, there’s no better way to celebrate spooky season than a stay in a haunted hotel.
The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado
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One fateful night in 1974, famed author Stephen King spent a night at the Stanley Hotel in room 217 just as the hotel staff was getting ready to close for the season. Because there were few other guests staying there, it was eerily empty and any sounds they made echoed through the deserted halls. That night, he had a dream that a flaming horse was chasing his 3-year old son through the empty corridors. He woke suddenly and spent the rest of the night outlining the book that would eventually be called The Shining. The hotel has since dubbed room 217 “The Stephen King Suite.” Since then there have been many stories of full-body apparition sightings, a piano allegedly being played by the ghost of the founder’s wife, and even a vortex of psychic energy in the hotel’s main staircase. It’s enough to make you want to book a night in room 217 to see what dreams the spirits bring you.
The Millennium Biltmore, Los Angeles, California
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The Biltmore Los Angeles boasts an impressive Hollywood history, advertising on its website its 100 year legacy of hosting famous guests from John F. Kennedy to The Beatles. What they don’t tell you is that this was the last known location of Elizabeth Short, the murder victim who was dubbed “The Black Dahlia” by the newspapers. Short, an aspiring actress, was last seen making phone calls in the lobby of the Biltmore before leaving with parties unknown. Her horribly mutilated remains were later discovered abandoned by the side of the road, and her murder was never solved. The grim image of her bisected torso, drained of blood and washed clean to make her completely pale, captured the nation and ironically granted her the fame she presumably dreamt of. To this day, there are reports of her ghost being spotted wandering the halls of the Biltmore. Is she trying to give clues as to the identity of her killer? Or is she unable to let go of her dream of being one of the Hollywood elite? Spend a night at the Biltmore, and you may get the chance to ask her yourself.
Hotel El Convento, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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The building that now calls itself the Hotel el Convento dates back to 1640, and it spent centuries serving its community as a Carmelite Convent called Monasterio del Señor San José de la Orden de nuestra Señora del Carmen. With centuries of history as a holy establishment, it is no wonder that it has long been the site of much alleged paranormal activity. The story goes that a wealthy widow named Doña Ana Lanzós donated a substantial sum of money, along with her own residence to found the convent in 1651. It continued as a convent long after her death, until it was eventually shut down in 1903 before being reopened as a hotel in 1959. Some say that the ghost of its founder still walks the halls, with many residents reporting the sound of a nuns robes hastening down the empty halls. Perhaps she longs for the days when her beloved home was a house of God and not a simple tourist attraction. It is even said that she will appear to wake anyone who sleeps in too late. At least you won’t have to worry about sleeping through your alarm!
Queen Mary, Long Beach, California
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You may be thinking that we’ve moved outside the purview of this article by picking a cruise ship for our last hotel. But the Queen Mary is permanently docked and still rents out rooms, and most importantly it is notorious among paranormalists. So much so that it was voted one of the Top 10 Most Haunted Places in America by Time magazine. Originally constructed in 1930, this massive liner was refurbished to act as troop transport during World War 2 along with its sister, Queen Elizabeth. During this time, it earned the sobriquet “Grey Ghost” as its speed made it nearly impossible for German U-boats to catch it. During this time, it accidentally crashed into one of its escorts splitting the other ship in half and killing 338 men aboard. You can imagine that between the thousands upon thousands of troops that the ship carried to battle along with the hundreds killed in the accident, there may be many lingering ghosts attached to it. Many people have reported apparitions and strange sounds, but the most common experience is guests feeling sunken and drained of energy after spending a night. Which is great for paranormal enthusiasts, but not a good selling point for a hotel!