Do you know what experts suggest before you book your stay in a haunted hotel?
A real hotel ghost photo.
Planning a Stay Overnight in a Haunted Hotel or Haunted Motel or B&B? Here is what the experts think you should know!
An overnight stay in one of the Haunted America Tours Top 10 Hotels can sometimes make for a really unforgettable paranormal experience. But if you plan to visit one of our Top 10 or another haunted hotel, here are a few tips that many professional paranormal investigators believe you should follow.
by Goldi Beals
I am always looking for information about a supposedly very haunted Hotels or B&B to stay at since I travel a lot for Scifi conventions. Each year I attend Dragon Con In Atlanta and usually share my haunted hotel stories with those in attendance while sipping a tankard Klingon ale or my personal recipe for Romulon Rum. Many tell tales of Haunted Motels across the country and how they checked in and checked out real fast because it was haunted! Haunted hotels I beleive gives you a chance to get up close and personal with a few real ghosts.
Ghost stories are great but what do you do when the room your staying in is haunted by a ghost that wants you out! Or one that will do anything to get your attention.
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, which inspired Steven King's 'The Shining,' has a few ghosts of its own. I stayed there during TAPS And Wrestlemania's own CM Punk's visit one Halloween.
A reported real Ghost photo from the Stanley Hotel.
Ghost Hunters Live Scared
Up Big Ratings For SCI FI Channel Ghost Hunters Live
, a never-before-attempted, live, 6-hour Ghost Hunters
investigation delivered impressive Halloween-night
ghost sightings. Sci Fi orders fourth 'Ghost Hunters'
season, extends third season with wrestler Elijah
Burke and now a new fourth season in production.
I got really spooked and wanted leave, so did a few
others but their was no place to go. America's Most
Haunted Places to me are hotels, motels and B&B's..
I always wonder how many people check in and don't
check out because they die in the bed or room I'm
sleeping in.
The most famous haunted hotel I stayed in during a convention in Hollywood is, without a doubt, the Hollywood Roosevelt. And yes I stayed there and investigated with my daughters two friends that just had to leave at the first sounds they heard at 2:am.
USA MOST HAUNTED HOTELS, INNS & BED & BREAKFASTS
ARIZONA
Hotel Vendome
230 S. Cortez Street, Prescott, Arizona
Phone: 888-468-3583 928-776-0900 vendomehotel@aol.com
Hotel manager Abby Byr and her cat passed away in
1921 after sending her husband to get medicine, he
never returned. Refusing to eat or drink, Abby still
waits for her husband. Guests, paranormals, ghost
hunters experience and feel her presence. Many television
shows, magazines and books share her story.
CALIFORNIA
Groveland Hotel
18767 Main Street
Groveland, CA 95321
Phone: 800-273-3314 209-962-4000
Home to Lyle, our resident ghost. He's very quiet
and doesn't really bother anyone; but, he has been
seen on many occasions. Lyle, while working on the
Hetch Hetchy Water Project, died of mysterious circumstances
in this room. Mirrored English armoire, marble topped
night table, Queen size French bed, private bath.
Ask for Lyle's Room #15.
COLORADO
Stanley Hotel
333 Wonderview, Estes Park, CO 80517
Phone: (970) 586-3371
If you are a Stephen King fan, request room 217. It
was in this room that King, inspired by the hotel,
wrote half of "The Shining." Room 418 seems
to have the most ghostly activity reported. In fact,
the entire fourth floor (formerly the servants quarters)
is quite active. Often, the sound of children playing
in the halls can be heard, even when no children are
present.
CONNECTICUT
Whitehall Mansion
42 Whitehall Avenue, Mystic, CT
Phone: 860-572-7280
cpeck@waterfordhotelgroup.com
The Whitehall Mansion was built in 1771 by Dr. Dudley
Woodbridge, a former theologian and minister of Groton,
CT, who later became a successful medical doctor,
Guests have reported hearing children laughing and
seeing "floating clouds". Lucy, Dr. Dudley's
daughter is said to be the "main" ghost
in the house.
FLORIDA
Don Cesar Beach Resort
3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Petersburg, FL
Phone: 813-360-1881
The Don Cesar Beach Resort is haunted by Thomas Rowe,
who built the hotel in 1928. He build the hotel as
a tribute to his beloved, Lucinda, a Spanish opera
singer. Lucinda dies before the hotel was completed.
Construction workers began seeing the ghost of Thomas
in 1972. Thomas is seen wearing a panama hat. He liked
to roam the fifth floor where he used to live and
the lobby.
LOUISIANA
LA PAVILLION
833 Poydras Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
Toll Free: 800-535-9095 Phone: 504-581-3111
www.lepavillon.com
Within a five-minute walk you can find yourself at
the Louisiana Superdome for a NFL Saints home game
or at the New Orleans Arena for a world-class concert
or NBA Hornet’s game. If your travel to New
Orleans is conference related, you will be pleased
to know that Le Pavillon is only eight blocks to the
Morial Convention Center, the largest convention center
in Louisiana. During Carnival season in New Orleans,
Hotel Le Pavillon is an ideal location as Mardi Gras
parades roll only two blocks away from the grand entrance
of this classic French Quarter hotel.
Built in 1907, Le Pavillon New Orleans Hotel is a
member of Historic Hotels of America and maintains
membership in the Leading Hotels of the World. Le
Pavillon New Orleans Hotel has been the proud recipient
of AAA’s four-diamond award since 1996. Out
of hundreds of eligible New Orleans Hotels, Le Pavillon
Hotel was named to the "Gold List" by Conde
Nast for 2005. At one point a few years ago the hotel
management was said to have hired several local well
known paranormal investigator, who identified several
ghosts in the hotel. One group found four and recorded
EVP"s saying "Please, get out." and
" Hold On I see You Now.", another Investigative
team say they documented over 100 individual Ghost
and haunted hotspots in the hotel. And still another
Ghost group said it was actually a portal to the other
side.
MASSACHUSETTS
Whistler's Inn
5 Greenwood Street
Lenox, Massachusetts
Toll Free: 866-637-0975 Phone: 413-637-0975
whistlersinn@hotmail.com
English Tudor mansion featured on the "Travel
Channel, Haunted Hotels - 'Where Spirits Speak",
National Geographic Travelers, Great Escapes, NY Mag,
Fodors. In the heart of the Berkshire Hills. Home
of author Richard Chase Mears. Novel "Anubis
Rex" reflects mystery of the inn.
Whistler's Inn is named after Ross Whistler, a railroad
tycoon and
relation to the artist James Abbott McNeil Whistler.
The inn is also
called The Love Inn since all the stories that have
taken place in
the inn have been about love affairs. The main story
is told by a
relative of one of the ghosts about Mrs. Whistler
who befriended a
Swedish beauty queen after Mrs. Whistler's husband
died. Needing help at the Whistler's mansion Mrs.
Whistler hired (at the suggestion of the beauty queen
) the beauty queen's sister and husband (from Sweden)
not knowing that the beauty queen was in love with
the sister's husband. A scandal ensued and today three
ghosts wander around the Whistler mansion. The beauty
queen, her sister and husband are buried together
in an old cemetery across the street. Odd things are
constantly happening at the inn. Windows unexpectantly
fall from their casings. Water appears in strange
places at strange times. Guests have asked to move
to other rooms because of strange, uncanny impressions.
(Rms #1, #5, #7 and #12). Also, the innkeeper reports
having a dream of one of the ghosts, a black lady
who may have been the main (devoted) servant at the
Whistler Estate. They feel that she has possessed
them in order to maintain the spirit and upkeep of
the estate.
MICHIGAN
Landmark Inn
Lake Superior, Michigan
Phone: 888-752-6362
Around the time the hotel first opened in 1930 on
the shores of Lake Superior, a librarian in town fell
in love with a sailor. He was to make one last journey
before coming home to marry her, but the ship and
crew never returned. The librarian is said to still
haunt the Lilac Room, which has a view of Lake Superior.
She is believed to be watching for her sailor's return.
MONTANA
Garnet Ghost Town - Garnet
Preservation Association
3255 Fort Missoula Rd.
Missoula, Montana
Phone: 406-329-3883
garnetghosttown@yahoo.com
Ski, snowshoe or snowmobile to GARNET GHOST TOWN and
stay in a miners' cabin which comes complete with
beds, cook-stove, heat-stove and plenty of split wood.
The Dahl Cabin ($40/night) sleeps eight while McDonald's
Cabin ($30/night) sleeps four. Fees help preserve
the town 40 miles east of Missoula.
OHIO
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland
Plaza
35 West Fifth Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: 513-421-9100
During the hotel's construction in the 1930s, one
of the laborers was killed. His body was never found.
"The Lady in Green" has been seen in the
Mezzanine level and the Hall of Mirrors. It is believed
that she is the widow of the construction worker who
died, and her restless spirit seeks his body.
OREGON
The Heathman Hotel
1001 SW Broadway at Salmon, Portland, Oregon 97205
Phone 800-551-0011
Room 703 in particular is a hot spot. Guests who leave
a clean room return to find a towel used, a glass
of water out, a desk chair moved. Hotel records report
no one used the electronic key to get in to the room.
The incidents happen too often to be brushed off as
a fluke. All the rooms in a particular column (703,
803, 1003) have reports of mysterious phenomena.
VERMONT
Back Inn Time
68 Fairfield Rd.
St. Albans, VT 05478
Phone: 802-527-5116
This beautifully restored Victorian Manor was built
in 1858 by Victor Atwood in the old Railroad town
of St. Albans, VT. The house is haunted by several
ghosts. Guests have reported seeing "Laura"
a former resident of the house and a gentleman has
been seen in the sitting room.
Grey Gables Mansion
122 River Street
Richford, VT 05476
Phone: (800)-299-2117
Stories circulate about the ghost of an old lady who
likes to clean, of a boy and girl who stare out from
the bedroom window and the old lady watching from
the widow's peak.
WISCONSIN
Ramada Plaza Hotel
1 North Main Street St.
Fond Du Lac, WI
Phone: 920-923-3000
Employees have reported Optional strange occurences
in the ballroom. The chandelier inexplicably shakes
and sways. One employee who heard a noise late one
night saw a couple dancing. They disappeared, and
he turned and left as fast as he could. The staff's
code name for the ghosts who are responsible for the
strange happenings at the hotel is "Walter,"
after the original owner of the hotel.
Some hotels like to keep these legends under wraps, while others, like the Queen Mary, use it as a marketing tool by offering ghost tours and special packages. But if you like the idea of possibly sharing your room with an unpaying, not to mention transparent, ghost, er, guest, these haunted hotels will be sure to raise your spirits.
Haunted hotel Check these TOP TEN MOST HAUNTED HOTELS
When to book your Haunted Hotel Stay?
The swinging chandelier ghost photo, it also spins when ghosts are present.
Never make your reservations or plan your stay during
"holiday" dates, such as Halloween, Christmas,
or, in New Orleans, Mardi Gras. The haunted world
doesn't know the difference or the date, and unless
the actual haunting is connected to that date or to
a particular ghost, don't expect the spirits to show
up "on cue." Try finding out details about
the haunting and, if possible, information about the
most usual times to experience it: hotel clerks and
staff are often quite aware of their "haunted
attraction" and generally don't mind giving out
helpful information. Also, consider that a holiday
booking may make it harder for you to secure a room,
and your stay more expensive. If the haunting is connected
to a historical figure, research will tell you facts
about that person and can also provide dates that
were significant to that individual in life, such
as a birthday, anniversary, or actual death date.
Worried about what costly ghost detecting equipment you should bring?
Many experts state that the job can usually be accomplished easily. Your basic supplies should consist of a flashlight or two (with extra batteries), a film camera (digital cameras are often unreliable and tend to translate anything on the lens into a "ghostly" image), also bring extra film and camera and flash batteries. A small voice recorder is helpful, and a camcorder -- with those extra batteries. A pad and pens are useful to record your impressions, a written "Ghost Journal" of sorts, and are also good to have to draw a diagram of rooms, and to record the location of cold spots and/or manifestations.
What do I do with it all, you ask?
Paranormal Expert Gina Lanier suggests that a hand-held tape recorder works best when used by one or two investigators at a time, since the presence of more people can "pollute" the tape with unnecessary noise. It's also easier and more successful to conduct a "question and answer" session with a spirit in a less cluttered environment.
Another way of putting a tape recorder to good use is to leave it in a designated room while conducting your investigation of other areas, returning to it later to determine if anything "extra normal" has been recorded.
Some investigators swear
by digital cameras. "I prefer the old fashioned
film," says Lanier. "Digitals have a tendency
to distort environmental factors such as dust and
lint floating in the air or settling on the camera
lens. Magnified, this residue looks suspiciously similar
to orbs." Even a "Fun Pack" or box
camera works well, so snap away. Take photos of anything
that catches your interest, locations, furniture,
the spot where the haunting is said to take place,
or just when the mood strikes. Photo documentation
is the key here.
Always do your haunted homework!
Research the ghost story, learn the history of the property and the stories and lives of the said entities that haunt it before you go. Learn the historical and haunted history of the building and the particular area the city. Important to this also is the geography of the buildings. If it is near water, a cemetery,Church, a historical site, or major hwy. Learn what history took place in the area 100 years back. Ask about what and where are the haunted rooms, grounds and specifically the ghost phenomena locations. Pay attention and write down the type of particular haunting (orbs, manifestations, EVPs, Pk activity, Smells, sounds) so that you know what your looking for.
Finding out The Haunted Particulars.
Always ask the staff if there may be a special guest room that gets more activity than others. Many Paranormal Investigators such as Eric Monnerjahn insist you that you call the hotel staff ahead of your haunted stay with special requests. Especially a reported Haunted Hotel that is not afraid of the stigma-- chances are they'll help out if they can. Ghost-chasing-hunting is more fun if you know what you're looking for. Also search the web. (" As if you didn't already know that already.")
But don't be surprised if on your investigation you find a new ghost or haunting that others were unaware of. Remember every thing does not stay the same and a ghost like a human being, does not always do what is expected of them. Different people, different perceptions and things always do happen that are not a expected ghost haunted occurrence."Always tell them the guest and staff of your actions and haunted interest" Says Raymond Falgout a fanatic ghost hunter for the past 10 years. "You might learn more then what is written or told elsewhere." "Later you might just publish your investigation on line or write the definitive work on the haunting." "Remember new improved information is always out there if you search for it. Even if it is a very old haunted ghost story. New haunted twist turn up all the time."
Who not to Bring To a Haunted Hotel!
It is always advisable to leave small children at home. Children may be really frightened, meaning you might have to stay awake with them for months or years to come handling their fears. And not be able to investigate a haunting as you would like. Many traumatic haunting's effect children and some sensitive adults for the rest of their lives. One simple problem begins with haunted nightmares. And of course the price of years of consoling out weighs the cost of a one or two day haunted hotel stay.
Many investigators of the paranormal have all stated in one form or another that young children, or mentally sensitive adult tend to be very ghost prone to the unseen haunted world, so even if you don't tell them the hotel is haunted, they may experience things that will confuse and frighten them for 10 -20 years to come.
Well noted Investigator of the paranormal Steve Ransen tells of a woman who brought her two young sons, ages 11 and 5 at the time, with her to investigate in the late 1980's, a well known haunted B&B plantation, and how it has taken them over 20 years of Psychiatric help, not to learn to sleep with the lights off. Both her sons or now grown married men. But she says warily " Yes, they insist they still have nightmares to this day."
Finding out where the ghosts hang
out.
There may be a special guest room that gets more activity than others. Many Investigators like Thomas Plassiance insist you should call the hotel staff ahead of your stay with special requests -- chances are they'll help out if they can. They might let you roam empty Ballrooms or the back stairs or basements.
One staff member took me to the roof and even let me into to three other rooms that were haunted to investigate. I do suggest to you to tip these people well for their valuable help and ghostly tales. I have even had them ask to get the spelling of their names right when I publish my book.
Know your haunted hotel options!
A special haunted tip for the novice Paranormal Investigator or Ghost Hunter from Gina Lanier: "You often don't really know how you will react to a Ghost sighting or manifestation of sorts, until it happens to you." Gina, states. "Before you book the reservations for the night, you should of course have a specific set up backup plan." "I suggest you know what alternate hotels or motels are nearby and if they will accept a very, very late guest, who is afraid of the dark, and ready to check-in ASAP."
Excerpts Re-Published with the kind permission of Haunted America Tours.
