For some thrill-seekers, there’s something frighteningly fun about the thought of spending the night in one of the world’s most haunted hotels. Whether it’s the influence of films like The Shining—which was inspired by the real-life Stanley Hotel in Colorado—or the hope of a spooky encounter in a dark hallway, plenty of travelers say that “paranormal activity” is a must-have hotel amenity.
No judgment here. Traveling is all about new experiences, after all. Luckily, for those who crave a spine-tingling chill, plenty of America’s historic hotels have reported ghost sightings and unexplained phenomena. Marilyn Monroe’s apparition has been seen at the Roosevelt in Hollywood; Civil War soldiers have been spotted at the Marshall House in Savannah, Georgia. Overseas, where many hotels are several centuries old, travelers might find themselves sharing a room with the poltergeists of royals or WWII prisoners.
Intrigued? These 23 hotels are some of the creepiest real-life haunted houses you can pass through this Halloween or any time of year—if you dare.
Leave it to one of the longest-running hotels in the United States to be home to not one ghost but two. Omni Parker House is a luxury hotel located in Boston, where the spirit of its founder, Harvey Parker, is rumored to roam the halls to make sure guests are enjoying their stay. Others swear that the ghost of Charles Dickens may still linger somewhere on the third floor adjacent to a room where the author briefly lived.
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Patti Smith, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, and Madonna are among the many boldface names who once called the Hotel Chelsea home, but two of its famous tenants never left. While the hotel closed its doors in 2011 for renovations—and reopened in 2022—former residents and employees have long noted paranormal activity from the ghosts of Sex Pistols’ bassist Sid Vicious, who was accused of murdering his girlfriend Nancy Spungeon while they lived there, and Dylan Thomas, whose dedicated plaque on the outside of the building reads: “Dylan Thomas lived and wrote at the Chelsea Hotel and from here he sailed out to die.”
The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts has had its share of visits from paranormal investigators and mediums. They say the fourth floor, in particular, has the most activity. And it’s not just the paranormal professionals who make these claims: both cleaning staff and guests have reported seeing a “ghostly young girl carrying flowers” and “a man in a top hat.” Guests have also said they’ve awoken to the feeling of someone standing over them at the foot of the bed. Creepy!
Chelsea’s chic Cadogan Hotel is well-known for being a celebrity haunt. Artists, models, and tastemakers have all stayed at the Belmond-owned property; and perhaps most famously, Oscar Wilde was arrested here in room 118 for “gross indecency” in 1895. The historic hotel is, of course, also well-known for being haunted—though apparently Wilde isn’t the ghost that’s regularly seen. Instead, the tales of hauntings usually revolve around a friend of Wilde, actress and socialite Lillie Langtry, who at one time also owned the property. Though she died in 1929, she’s often spotted in the hotel’s restaurant—especially around Christmas when there are fewer crowds.
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