A night tucked into bed inside a haunted hotel is at the top of the bucket list for most traveling paranormal enthusiasts.
Like a ghostly siren call, many people are drawn to open themselves up to the possibility of a paranormal encounter for just one night. It’s like training wheels to the ghost world; a brief stay in a haunted building surrounded by hundreds of other strangers seems to be a safe choice.
After all, if the night becomes too terrifying, room service is just a phone call away. It’s a chance to experience the excitement of staying in a haunted room, knowing it will all be over in the morning if the spirits prove to be too much to handle.
Ghost City Tours has compiled a list of the top ten haunted hotels in the United States to experience paranormal activity. Some of these hotels embrace their ghostly residents, urging you to get up-close and personal with the spirit world through their evening ghost tours and demonstrations. Others rely on their decadence and old-world charm to satisfy guests, remaining tight-lipped about their visitors who checked in and never checked out.
2024 Seawall Blvd, Galveston, Texas 77550
Historically known as The Playground of the Southwest for the wealthy, celebrities like Jimmy Stewart, Frank Sinatra, and even President Franklin D. Roosevelt stayed at Hotel Galvez. In business for more than 100 years, the hotel has experienced its fair share of tragedy.
In search of a gulf view for your stay? Try room 501. You may be sharing it with Audra, a young bride-to-be who reportedly took her life when she learned the ship of her seaman fiance had sunk.
If you have kids, they may be quick to find a playmate at Hotel Galvez; it’s said to be haunted by the ghosts of children who died in the Hurricane of 1900.
Read more about the Ghosts of Hotel Galvez here.
1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach CA 90802
In the 1930s, the Queen Mary was a cruise liner for the stars. Winston Churchill, Greta Garbo, and Clark Gable all set sea on the ship. The golden days came to a halt when the ship was retrofitted to ferry soldiers to the frontlines in WWII.
The vessel is now permanently docked in Long Beach and serves as a hotel for curious travelers brave enough to stay at what’s known as one of the most haunted vessels in the country.
It’s hard to pinpoint what kind of ghosts you could expect to encounter as it’s said to be home to about 150 different spirits. Does its home on the water serve as a conduit for paranormal activity?
The hotel embraces its terrifying designation and offers a variety of creepy evening activities for guests. You can participate in paranormal investigations, explore the ship on ghost tours, and even Dine with the Spirits,at the award-winning restaurant and lounge. Learn more about Queen Mary on their website.
520 S Michigan Ave, Chicago
Considered the most haunted spot in Illinois, stay here and you might be lucky enough to get a glimpse of the ghost of Al Capone. The Congress Plaza was said to be the location of his business meetings, and a hangout for his crew. It’s easy to see why they enjoyed their time there; the hotel is ornately designed as a symbol of luxury and privilege.
A room on the fourth floor is infamous for hauntings. Guests staying there make more calls to security than any other room in the hotel. Explore the hotel’s hallways, and you’ll notice several rooms in the building are locked or even sealed from the outside. Is too much paranormal activity scaring away guests?
415 Dauphine Street, New Orleans LA 70122
Not only is the Dauphine Orleans Hotel considered one of New Orleans finest and most luxurious places to stay, but it’s also considered the most haunted.
The property used to be a brothel, home to wicked prostitutes known to rob and attack men to steal their money. Glasses drop, doors open and close on their own, and one employee even claims to have seen a barstool levitate.
Excellent service and a warm ambiance bring you into the hotel, but it’s the spirits that make this lodge-like nowhere else.
Read more about the hotel’s ghosts here.
7000 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles
If you travel to Hollywood in search of the rich and famous, this hotel could give you an experience like no other. The stars that frequently make an appearance in this hotel are from beyond the grave.
In business for 90 years, The Roosevelt is Los Angeles's most iconic hotel. It even housed the first Academy Awards ceremony. In true celebrity fashion, the ghosts here prefer to make their presence known on camera when their picture is taken. The Marilyn Monroe suite is said to be haunted by the icon herself; her apparition regularly appears in the room’s mirrors.
Back in the day, this hotel is where young actors and models would come in hopes of being seen and scouted by agents. Are their ghosts still hoping to make a lasting impression on the guests brave enough to stay here?
333 E Wonderview Ave, Estes Park Co
When a hotel gives legendary author Stephen King nightmares, you know it has to be horrifying. King’s first best-seller, The Shining was based on the Stanley Hotel after he stayed here with his wife in 1974.
During his visit, the hotel had fallen on hard times and was preparing to close for the winter with only a skeleton crew remaining. A terrifying dream King had that night inspired his book and also saved the hotel. After the book was published, tourism spiked and the hotel continues to operate as a luxurious inn located in beautiful Estes Park today.
Operating for more than 100 years, the hotel was haunted long before the book was released. The apparition of its founder reportedly checks in guests arriving late at the reception desk. The ghost of his wife sometimes can be heard playing the piano in the empty music room.
Stay here and opt for the Ghost Adventure Package, and receive a pocket-sized electromagnetic field reader and even a souvenir “REDRUM” mug.
705 E Houston St, San Antonio TX
One of the most luxurious hotels in San Antonio, it’s also been named by USA Today the third most haunted hotel in the world.
Pull up to this hotel and lay your eyes on the terra-cotta gargoyles climbing up the walls. Formerly a hospital and a morgue, the structure has only operated as a hotel since 1984.
To avoid bad luck, the owners never named the 13th floor, skipping from 12 to 14, but their efforts may not have been successful. All of the floors in the hotel are rumored to be haunted. It’s recommended to book your stay on the seventh day of the month if you want to experience paranormal activity.
Guests report the lingering heavy scent of medicine. It is not out of the norm for families to leave the hotel in the middle of the night or demand to switch rooms.
Read more about the haunted hotel here.
2500 Calvert Street NW, District of Columbia
The grand hotel opened in D.C. in 1930, and it didn’t take long for tragedy to strike.
The wife, child, and housekeeper of one of the hotel’s owners died unexpectedly in suite 870. When the suite sat vacant for four decades, staff were plagued by guest complaints about odd noises and even a loud piano playing late at night.
The suite still terrifies staff who refuse to work in it alone. Visions of a little girl running around the halls and an older woman in a long, old-fashioned dress are common.
18 Washington Square West, Salem Massachusetts.
The filming location for the popular TV show Bewitched, the Hawthorne Hotel is well-known for its ties to magic. Memorabilia haunts the walls in the hotel’s lobby, and scripts from old episodes are on display.
According to Travelocity, it’s also the fourth most haunted hotel in America. Guests report phantom hands tugging on their sheets in the middle of the night and water faucets turning off and on mysteriously on their own.
Hotel packages that include tickets to the Witch Museum or the House of Seven Gables are available for guests interested in learning the history of witchcraft while on a mission to experience some paranormal activity.
Read about the Ghosts of the Hawthorne Hotel
123 E Broughton St, Savannah
Built in 1851 to be a hotel, the Marshall House in Savannah has housed a long history of guests. During the Civil War, it served as a Union hospital and housed yellow fever patients in the 19th century.
When workers were restoring the hospital in 1990, they discovered human remains, believed to be amputated Civil War soldiers’ amputated limbs. The fourth floor is rumored to be especially haunted.
Read more about the ghosts behind loud noises known to occur in the early-morning hours with no explanation here.
If you get the chance to stay at any of these infamous haunts, let us know should something go bump in the night!
Ghost City Tours would love to hear about your experiences and see pictures of any unusual guests you may encounter during your stay. Hopefully, a stay at one of the Top Ten Haunted Hotels in the United States won’t be your last!
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