7 Haunted Hotels: Eerie Inns, Spooky Guests

1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa

There have been so many reports of ghost sightings at the Victorian Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas that tours are held there throughout the year. One apparition seen frequently is a red-haired stonemason that the staff calls, Michael. The ghost is believed to be one of the original workers who built the hotel in 1885. Unfortunately, while working on the roof, Michael lost his footing, fell to the second floor and died. The spot where he was killed is now room 218. Michael is believed to turn the room’s lights and television on and off and to also open and close the door. Elsewhere in the hotel, many report seeing apparitions in Victorian-era garb dancing in the dining room, a waiter carrying a tray as he walks through the hallways, and a Victorian dressed gentleman wearing a top hat seated in the lobby.

Omni Mount Washington Resort Hotel

An elegant woman in Victorian dress is often spotted in the hallways of the Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. She is believed to be the ghost of Caroline Foster Stickney, whose husband built the resort in 1902. Known affectionally by staff as “The Princess,” Caroline was a prominent figure at the hotel from its opening until her death in 1936. Special features were built for her such as an indoor swimming pool and a private dining room known today as the “Princess Room.” In addition to taps on doors when no one is outside and items disappearing and then reappearing, guests report seeing the ghost of Caroline in room 314, sitting on the edge of the same custom made four-poster bed she shared with her husband.

The Stone Lion Inn

This Inn in Guthrie, Oklahoma was once the home of F.E. Houghton and his 12 children. However, before the family moved in, their seven-year old daughter, Irene, contracted whooping cough and died (it’s believed the maid overmedicated the child with cough syrup). When the house was bought in 1986 by Becky Luker, she converted it into a bed-and-breakfast. But soon Becky realized there might be otherworldly intruders. “My son would neatly put his toys away before he went to bed, but when he woke up they’d all be scattered about,” she said. And twice he saw the ghostly image of a young girl who might have been Irene. Supposedly, Irene’s father also haunts the Inn. The scent of his pipe lingers in the front room and Becky’s cousin “saw an older man wearing a tall hat in a mirror.”

Montauk Manor

English Tudor-styled Montauk Manor in Montauk, New York is built on an area once inhabited by various Native American tribes who were often at war with one another. It's believed that the hill where the Manor now stands had once been a chiefs burial ground. Legend has it that a Native American burial ground is nearby and the Manor was built on land containing many unmarked graves. Another rumor is that when the hotel was constructed, bones were discovered and mixed in with building material to form the foundation. Over the years, many visiting the Manor have claimed to see an Indian in full headdress roaming the halls. People have also claimed to hear the sounds of drumbeats in the hallways, doors being slammed, and chanting around the property.

Myrtles Plantation

Daily guided history and mystery tours are given at The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana, where a house built in 1796 is supposedly home to several ghosts. "One afternoon when I was on a tour, I saw a heavyset African-American woman wearing an apron tied around her waist walk by the door on the porch, but when I looked again, she had vanished," said Stacey Jones, a paranormal investigator. "I thought it was someone in a period dress, but later when I asked I was told nobody dresses in costumes." Others have reported seeing children playing on the verandah, in the hallways and rooms. One day, while a gateman was at work a woman wearing a old-fashioned white dress walked through the gate without speaking to him. She walked up to the house, then vanished through the front door. The gateman quit his job and never returned to the house again.

Longfellow's Wayside Inn

Believed to be the oldest inn in operation in the U.S., the original section of the Longfellow’s Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Maine was built by David Howe and passed down to generations of Howe’s until the death of Lyman Howe in 1861. His sister, Jerusha, known as the “Belle of Sudbury” occupied rooms nine and ten until her death in 1842. Reports of soft music, unexplained footsteps, and perfumed scents, have led some people to believe that Jerusha haunts the Inn. Male guests who have stayed in those rooms have reported waking to a soft breath on their face, only to open their eyes to find Jerusha staring at them before she fades away. Others note a light touch on their skin or the sensation of someone slipping into bed and snuggling up next to them.

Whaley House

Built in 1857 by Thomas Whaley on the site of San Diego’s first public gallows, the Whaley House’s most famous documented ghost is “Yankee Jim” Robinson, convicted of attempted grand larceny and hanged four years before the house was built. Robinson can allegedly be heard walking throughout the house, unlatching windows and making chairs rock. It’s said that many guests and staff will occasionally catch a glimpse of a Whaley family member who died inside the house, such as daughter Violet Whaley who committed suicide at age 22. In 1964, Regis Philbin visited the Whaley House Museum and claimed to have a paranormal encounter with Mrs. Whaley. Philbin reportedly said “You know a lot of people pooh-pooh it because they can’t see it. But there was something going on in that house.”