13 of the MOST Haunted Hotels Around the World

TW: This post discusses haunted hotels around the world, and talks about d*ath and ghosts, please read at your own discretion.

Hi friends! As a lot of you know, I've been struggling with writer's block for the past week or so. I'm trying to force myself back into writing so that I really enjoy it. I also really want to batch content better for when we go to NZ so that I'm not having to write heaps when I'm there. I can just kind of hit post and then do my newsletters sort of thing, if you get my drift.

Anyway, with all that being said, I wanted to keep on theme with spooky topics leading up to Halloween for Spooky Season because who doesn't love a good spook? Today, we're discussing some of the scariest haunted hotels around the world! #spookyseason #hauntedhotels

Please enjoy.

A quick disclaimer before we get started - a lot of the references in this blog post are secondary references and most of the alleged "hauntings" are just witness accounts - so there isn't a definite way to fact-check them.

13 of the MOST Haunted Hotels Around the World

• Hotel Windsor, Melbourne, Australia - Dame Nellie Melba is said to be one of Australia's most notable opera singers in the 20th century and she lingers on at the Hotel Windsor (allegedly). When Melba was super famous, she was a regular at Hotel Windsor. However, Melba passed away at the ripe age of 69 in Sydney due to sepsis. Melba passed away in Sydney following a concert, but many guests of the Hotel Windsor in Melbourne claim that they can hear Melba's singing in the corridors of the hotel. Apparently, Melba used to meet her "lovers" in the hotel and would pay staff to stay silent. Melba also allegedly has another ghostly companion that wreaks havoc at the Hotel Windsor. This spectre is believed to be a teenage boy who lingers around level one of the hotel and people think he is protecting Melba's room.

• The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado, United States - yep, this is the hotel where Stephen King stayed, had a terrifying dream, and was inspired to write The Shining - and yep again, The Overlook Hotel is based on this hotel. So spooky! Stephen King and his wife stayed in Room 217 and his lucid dream was as follows: "In a lucid nightmare, the author dreamed of a coiled fire hose coming to life and chasing his screaming son as he ran down the halls of the hotel. After waking in a panic, King lit a cigarette and stared out the window. By the time he had finished the cigarette and gone back to bed, the rough outline of The Shining was fully formed in his mind." The Stanley is claimed to be one of the biggest paranormal hotspots in America, where events go back much further than the 1970s. Allegedly, in 1911, the hotel's power went out following a flood, and so the owner - Freelan Stanley took it upon himself to put gas lanterns in each room so that guests would have lights and if the power went out again, they would always have a back up light. However, there was a gas leak that caused a gas build up in Room 217 and when the head chambermaid (Elizabeth Wilson) entered the room with a candle, there was a massive explosion. This chambermaid survived the explosion but other guests weren't as lucky with some who even reported seeing a bathtub fly up into the air. The chambermaid is often mistaken as to have passed away in this explosion but this is incorrect as she was employed right up until 1950. However, many guests believe that Elizabeth Wilson's ghost inhabits Room 217, with many reporting waking up to a room that was way tidier and organised than the day before. One couple have even claimed that their bed was made with them still in it. At least the ghost is helpful?

• Chateau de Marcay, Marcay, France - This 15th-century castle turned into a 22-room hotel. The legend goes that a former lady resident turned into a werewolf every night and that happened until a petrified farmer unfortunately shot her. In the morning, the farmer realised he had shot a woman and not a werewolf, so he buried her on the property, in secret. Guests of the hotel report seeing a woman wandering the courtyard and some of the halls in a white dress.

• Ballygally Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland - I feel like both Ireland and Northern Ireland have a bit of a reputation for being some of the most haunted places in the world so of course we've gotta have a haunted hotel here. Also a fun fact before we move on to the "ghost" part is that this castle was one of the doors in Game of Thrones - this place was the battle between House Stark and House Bolton. According to Ballgally's blog, there is a woman ghost by the name of Lady Isabella Shaw who haunts the castle. Following the birth of her daughter, Lady Shaw fell out of love with her husband who stole the baby and locked Lady Shaw in a small room at the top. Struggling to cope with hearing her baby's cries, Lady Shaw tried to escape through a window but unfortunately, this would be her demise - she fell to her d*ath. According to many guests and hotel staff, Lady Shaw wanders the corridors at night knocking on doors, searching for her daughter.

• Hotel Viking, Newport, Rhode Island, USA - This hotel was built "by the community, for the community, and entirely through community investment at the height of the roaring twenties." However, many guests and hotel staff report paranormal experiences have occured at Hotel Viking. One of these reported sightings is that of a little boy ghost who cleans the floors of the historic wing of the hotel. There have also been reports of ghostly "partygoers" by hotel staff who have heard the noises of grand parties at crazy hours of the night when no events have been planned. In my research I also stumbled across one Reddit thread of a person who happened to experience something "paranormal" while staying at the Hotel Viking. You can read that "here".

• The Langham, London, England - At The Langham, it is said that Room 333 is the most haunted room (or where the most activity occurs). There are 4 particular ghosts at The Langham. These are 1) A man who m*rdered his wife and then unalived himself on their honeymoon. This man manifests as a silver-haired Victorian man with a neckband and cloak, and has staring eyes. He ONLY makes appearances in October. 2) A German Prince who fell to his demise out of a window. This man has been described as "beefy, with cropped hair, sporting a military-style jacket that buttoned up to the neck". This prince is most active in the early morning hours (I assume witching hours - like 3 am). 3) A man that has a gapping wound on his face and 4) Emperor Napoleon III, who lived his last days there and likes the basement.

• The Hawthorne Hotel, Salem, Massachusetts - I feel like Salem is well-known for its witch hunts and all that so there's got to be a lot of places here that are haunted. Many guests and hotel staff have reported seeing furniture moving around the hotel, odd noises, and even a ghostly woman roaming the halls, with many believing that the ghosts that lurk in this hotel are those who were those executed in the witch trials. However, this hotel gained notoriety when the tv series "Bewitched" filmed an episode in a lift in the 1970s.

• Hotel Kurrajong, Canberra, Australia - It is said that the ghost of former Prime Minister Ben Chifley haunts the first floor. Chifley passed away in Room 214 (now Room 181) from a heart attack. Guests describe sightings of an outline of a man in a grey suit who points at Parliament House authoritatively.

• Roch Castle Hotel, Pembrokeshire, Wales - Researching all these lovely castle turned hotels makes me want to stay in one, maybe I can convince Luke to one day hehe! Roch Castle was built in the 12th century. It's not clear from the sources whether Norman Knight Adam de Rupe built the castle himself or was the first resident there (or both). Maybe it's both. Anyway, the legend goes that Adam never left the castle. He was told by a "witch" that he would pass away from a snake bite the following year. If he didn't get bitten by a snake, then he would live. He tried to follow the witch's advice. However, ultimately, Adam ended up getting bitten by a snake that was hiding in some wood in the winter for warmth. Another ghost said to lurk at Roch Castle is Lucy Walter. Lucy was born in the castle in 1630. Lucy was King Charles II's mistress and they had a son together. It is said that Lucy roams the halls in a white dress.

• The Nottingham Road Hotel, Nottingham Road, South Africa - At this very hotel, many guests and staff have reported seeing a ghostly apparition of a woman (most active in Room 10), who is known as "Charlotte." Charlotte is seen as a gentle ghost who moves flower arrangements, puts clothes away, and tidies bedding. Legend says that Charlotte was a chambermaid who threw herself out of a building after being rejected. Some believe that Charlotte may have been pushed.

• The Riccarton Racecourse Hotel, Christchurch, New Zealand - I wrote about this hotel back in my "Haunted Places in New Zealand" blog post earlier this year, and yep, obviously I had to put this one in because I'm from Christchurch. I'll put what I wrote in the post here:
  

  "I remember mum telling me this place was haunted but I don't know if she ever saw anything. I mean, she might have? I feel like she probably did see something, or had a feeling (or she was just more aware of the backstory because I didn't learn about it until I decided to write this post). Apparently, Riccarton Racecourse Hotel is haunted by its former licensee Donald Fraser (41). It was 1933 and Donald Fraser was sleeping next to his wife and was m*rdered in cold bl**d by two shots from a double-barrelled shotgun. No one was ever convicted of the crime and Donald walks the corridors of the hotel searching for his murderer. Many people were suspected of the crime. However, it's said that there wasn't ever enough evidence for a jury to convict someone. Spooky. Check out a really epic take on this case "here". Did his wife do it? We might never know." According to "this source", "Guests claim his disembodied ghost roams the hallways, making it one of the most haunted buildings in New Zealand."

• Hotel Burchianti, Florence, Italy - In the 20th century, this hotel was a great hang-out spot for poets, politicians, and opera singers. Today, it is popular with those seeking luxury travel. There have been many reports of people seeing a woman knitting in a chair, a child skipping down the halls, and people feeling an icy breath sensation in some rooms.

• Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff, Alberta, Canada - Canada is one of the places that I really want to visit sometime soon and this hotel looks gorgeous (even though it's said to be haunted). There are a few ghosts said to haunt this hotel. These are: 1. Sam McCauley - an elderly Scotsman who was a bellhop at the hotel before he passed away. Many guests/staff describe Sam to be a helpful and kind spirit, even assisting people at times. Historic Hotels say: "One famous tale involved two women who called upon the front desk for service after their guestroom key would not work. When the regular bellhop did not respond for 15 minutes, the two women walked back to their guestroom defeated. But then another hotel employee matching Sam’s description approached their door, who proceeded to unlock it. The bellhops staffing the front desk that night were stunned to learn that such a figure had manifested to help the two women! Other stories involve guests seeing Sam haunt his old office on the mezzanine floor, which is currently a guestroom. A few have even watched his ghostly façade materialized at various sports on the sixth, seventh, and ninth floors of the hotel." 2. The Bride - who has been spotted since the 1920s. Legend says that there was once a young couple who wanted to get married at Fairmont Banff Springs when it first opened. The Bride was walking down the stairs, looking beautiful as ever, but something startled her (we don't know what) and she stumbled towards the floor. She did not survive this fall. Many have reported seeing a veiled figure gliding across the stairwell and other reports of seeing a woman dancing through areas of the hotel in a massive wedding dress.

  
  

  
  

So there you have it, 13 of the MOST haunted hotels around the world. I hope you enjoyed this post and I am going to try and get out a few more spooky posts for spooky season!

Much love,

Ash xx

PS: Stay spooky.