With Halloween fast approaching and grey days complete with endless drizzle and thick fog, our minds effortless wander off to the otherworldly and we check out some of the top haunted hotels around the world to give you the chills this season of spook.
Hotel Roosevelt, USA
Marilyn Monroe was a resident at this landmark Los Angeles hotel which hosted the first Academy Awards in 1929. Guests and hotel staff have reported seeing a blonde woman in the long mirror found in Monroe’s former suite. She is thought to be one of many restless spirits that haunt Hollywood's glamorous Hotel Roosevelt, where she lived for 2 years while her modelling career was taking off. Her presence is also said to be felt in the hotel's poolside nightclub Tropicana. The ghost of actor Montgomery Clift has also been reportedly heard playing his trombone from Room 928, where he once stayed. Other reports of cold spots, photographic orbs and mysterious phone calls to the hotel operator add to its mystique.
Ballygally Castle Hotel, Larne, Northern Ireland
Built in 1625, Ballygally Castle might have a less than intimidating name, but it possesses quite a formidable history. It belonged to the Shaw family for many years, until finally becoming the property of Cyril Lord, a carpeting magnate who modernized and expanded the property. It was sold again, finally becoming a hotel. One of its former residents was James Shaw, husband of Lady Isobel who is said to have crossed her husband somehow—some speculate that she’d been an adulteress and still others that she’d been unable to produce a male heir.
Shaw had his wife imprisoned in the turret room where, starving to death, she flung herself out the window to her dorm. Lady Isobel has since proven a very active presence in the castle, appearing frequently to guests and knocking on guests’ doors at odd hours. James himself might also be present; it is rumoured that he was poisoned in the castle. The mischievous laughter of children is also heard tinkling in the hallways.
Stanley Hotel, USA
Colorado's Stanley Hotel was opened by F O Stanley, the inventor of America's Stanley Steamer automobiles, in 1907 and paranormal activity has been a part of the hotel's history ever since. Elisabeth Wilson, a former housekeeper, who died at the hotel in 1911, is said to have returned to assist guests in Room 217 in the past, unpacking and storing away their belongings. The sounds of children running and giggling down the halls are also regularly reported on the fourth floor. The ghosts of Mr Stanley and his wife are said to pass through the lobby quite frequently, according to staff members and guests. Mrs Stanley is also said to be heard playing her piano in the music room.
We can’t forget to mention that Colorado's Stanley Hotel is also spook horror master Stephen King’s inspired setting for "The Shining." Want to go on your own "spooky sojourn?" Brave one of the Stanley Hotel's ghost tours, including a 5-hour ghost hunt and popular night tour.
Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Canada
Located high in the Canadian Rockies, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel calls to mind a beautiful medieval castle in the wilderness. The Fairmont management adamantly denies any ghostly activity, but repeated stories say otherwise. One spirit frequently witnessed is that of a bride allegedly killed in a tragic accident right before walking down the aisle. The other, far more whimsical tale involves an elderly bellhop named Sam McAuley. Sam so adored the hotel that after he passed, he continued to work there. Guests report a white-haired bellhop helping them, only to vanish before they have a chance to tip him.
Dragsholm Slot, Denmark
Built in the 12th century, the Dragsholm Slot castle is said to be haunted by the ghosts of two women and the Earl of Bothwell. It's rumoured that one woman used to work as a maid in the building while the other was the daughter of one of the previous castle owners. The Earl of Bothwell was allegedly imprisoned in the castle and died in the cellars in 1578.
Grand Hyatt Hotel, Taipei, Taiwan
It is rumoured that the Grand Hyatt was erected over land that had once served as a Japanese execution ground and prison camp during World War II. The earth was so poisoned by death and despair that paranormal experiences abounded in the modern hotel, and locals shun the place like the plague. Even action star Jackie Chan reported a creepy experience, storming out of his suite in the middle of the night after encountering a ghost. Desperate, management turned to feng shui experts, who installed wind chimes, amulets, and Buddhist scrolls in the lobby designed to frighten off spirits.
Hotel Chelsea, USA
The historic New York hotel was built in 1884 and known for its high profile guests, from Andy Warhol to Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan. There are plenty of famous guests and ghosts at New York's Hotel Chelsea, including the ghost of Welsh writer and poet Dylan Thomas, who died at the hotel apparently after a night of excessive drinking but is also rumoured to have who died of pneumonia and is believed to have never left the hotel.
The ghost of American novelist Thomas Wolfe is also said to haunt the eighth floor, while that of former Sex Pistols member Sid Vicious, who was suspected of stabbing his girlfriend in Room 100, is said to linger at the east elevator of the hotel. Unfortunately, the hotel has been closed the past several years for renovations.
Russel Hotel, Sydney, Australia
Australia has a rough and tumble history, with origins as a British penal colony. The Russell Hotel shares those dark origins; it served as a hospital during deadly outbreaks of smallpox and bubonic plague, and later became a rooming house and hostel for sailors. It would seem that at least one of the seamen refuses to leave. Guests of Room 8 report waking to find a dark presence looming over their bed, peering down at them.
Others claim to have seen the ghosts of prostitutes wandering the hall or doors opening and closing. Some claim that recent renovations on the old sandstone building have only served to rile up the old spirits, and activity is reportedly up.
Le Pavillon Hotel, New Orleans, USA
Built in 1907, the hotel’s website describes is as “A place where guests can instantly conjure the days of genteel luxury, romantic evenings and glittering nights.” Guests might also have a brush with the dead; Le Pavillon is reportedly haunted by at least five different ghosts. The most famous of these is Adda, a tearful teenage spirit killed by a runaway carriage; she has been known to bump into people in the lobby, claiming to be lost, then vanishing. Adda might predate the construction of the hotel itself, witnesses claim she’s dressed in the style of the mid 1800s.
A gray haired old woman in a black dress has been spotted, as have a spectral couple holding hands. Some say they can smell the man’s cigar smoke and smell the lady’s perfume. Most amusing of all is the hotel’s resident hippie—a young man in colourful attire, bell bottoms, and no shoes, who is frequently seen running around and disappearing into the walls. The hippie ghost is a prankster, often charged with hiding objects and yanking blankets off unsuspecting guests.
