6 Haunted Hotels In The United States You Should Dare To Visit
The world is filled with haunted legends. From forests to abandoned parks, there’s a spirit-run playground for everyone. And while
Victoria Liotta
The world is filled with haunted legends. From forests to abandoned parks, there’s a spirit-run playground for everyone. And while something like Aokigahara in Japan is a location that people choose to be haunted by, hotels are less a choice and sometimes more of a must.
There’s something extra spooky about staying in an eerie building filled with hallways of strangers where bumps and creeks become your alarm clock. And, while some of you might prefer to keep an arm’s distance from those types of stays, we know that there are some thrill seekers out there looking to channel their inner Mike Enslin.
Check out these 6 certified haunted hotels to put on your bucket list for your next trip.
Hotel Sorrento – Seattle, Washington
Casper isn’t the only friendly ghost out there. One of Seattle’s best stays, Hotel Sorrento, is the home to a fancy ghost named Alice B. Toklas. Guests of the hotel have reported numerous encounters with Alice, mostly around room 408, which was allegedly her favorite accommodation. Despite her spiritual energy, all run-ins with the lady herself have been said to be friendly. So, if you’re looking to ease your way into ghostly stays, this looks like a good place to start.
Bourbon Orleans Hotel – New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans’ history dates back over 300 years making it a home to many -alive and well, not so alive. With all of the ghosts that flood the city, hotels are the main stopping ground for their spirits. One of the most famous haunted stays is the Bourbon Orleans Hotel thanks to its history of as many things as a ballroom, theater, and for many decades, a convent and orphanage. Guests have reported spotting ghosts from different eras in the hallways and lobby, as well as one lonely dancer who can be found swaying under the ballroom’s crystal chandelier.
The Emily Morgan Hotel – San Antonio, Texas
Okay, now we’re talking ~haunted~. And, we mean like, pillows being thrown across the room haunted. Initially, the building of this hotel served as a medical center from 1924 to 1976. It has a hospital, psychiatric ward, morgue, and crematorium. The site became the Emily Morgan Hotel in 1984 however, stripping the building of its name and interior design didn’t mean setting it free from all its dark past. The hotel itself is in fact very open about the haunted occurrences that have gone on, writing on their site, “The staff and guests of the hotel have shared their stories about weird occurrences at the hotel. These moments of weirdness have led some to conclude the hotel is haunted. For example, the phone will ring in the middle of the night and when picked up, there is no one on the other end of the line. A room attendant will clean a room and after emerging from the bathroom, will find the pillows from the bed were tossed to the ground.” The site also reveals, “The staff has made several reports of seeing doors close for no reason and feeling a presence on certain floors with no one else around. Guests have heard what they describe as hospital carts outside their door, and the 14th floor has a distinct smell of antiseptic or a band-aid odor.” Oh, and did we mention that the Emily Morgan Hotel is ranked as the third most haunted hotel in the world?
Jekyll Island Club – Jekyll Island, Georgia
By the beginning of the 20th century, Jekyll Island Club was considered one of the most exclusive resorts in the world with members including William Vanderbilt and William Rockefeller. This site was also the location of the first transcontinental phone call to Alexander Grahm Bell in 1915. During the Great Depression and WWII the resort, unfortunately, fell into hard times and became a hotel in the 1980’s. Over the last few decades, guests of the hotel have reported run-ins with historic spirits including Railroad magnate Samuel Spencer who has been spotted reading the Wall Street Journal, and others catch whiffs of J.P. Morgan’s cigar smoke seeping out of the financier’s former rooms.
The Omni Mount Washington – Bretton Woods, New Hamshire
The Omni Mount Washington was built in 1902 and has had the pleasure of hosting noteworthy guests including Thomas Edison and three U.S. presidents. It has also been the stay of noteworthy clientele like Carolyn Stickney, the widowed wife of the hotel’s original owner. Legend states that even after her death she stuck around and travelers have woken up to Stickney brushing her hair at the foot of her four-poster bed that still sits in one of the third-floor guest’s rooms.
Lizzie Borden House – Fall River, Massachusetts
Lizzie Borden was 32 years old when she was accused of brutally killing her father and stepmother with a hatchet in 1892. Although she was acquitted of her crimes, she wasn’t able to escape the rumors. The house in which the crimes took place is now a famous [haunted] landmark in New England. Travelers looking for a lack of sleep can book a room for the night and even stay in the actual room where the murdered bodies were discovered.
Which haunted stay will you be booking first?