As the autumn leaves fall and the chill of October sets in, travelers looking for more tricks than treats this Halloween season might want to consider trading a standard accommodation for a night at one of the world’s most famously haunted hotels. From glamorous high-rises in the heart of Hollywood to a stately grand dame overlooking the historic streets of Dublin, there is no shortage of storied properties around the globe that invite guests to embrace the All Hallows’ Eve spirit. For travelers who prefer their historic lodgings with a side of the supernatural, many of these legendary buildings can be booked directly—and in some cases, using reward points. Featuring a careful selection of urban towers, historic mansions, and centuries-old retreats rumored to host otherworldly guests, these ten historic properties offer travelers a chance to experience history and mystery firsthand.
The Stanley Hotel
Perhaps no property is more iconic for its literary and cinematic ties to the macabre than The Stanley Hotel, located in Estes Park, Colorado. Opened in 1909 with the grand ambition of serving as a posh mountain getaway for America’s upper crust to rival the finest luxury hotels on the East Coast, the property eventually fell into severe disrepair by the 1970s. It might have faced complete demolition had author Stephen King not famously stumbled upon the sprawling estate during a heavy winter storm in 1974, an experience that directly inspired his seminal horror masterpiece, "The Shining." While the hotel features a sprawling hedge maze today, it happily boasts a much warmer and friendlier conclusion than the icy cinematic finale immortalized on film.
Featuring 140 guest rooms, the historic property designates 13 specific accommodations as its most haunted. The hotel’s official booking platform even highlights these "spirited" rooms for guests who wish to test their nerves. Among them is Room 217, the exact space that inspired King’s novel. It is said to be haunted by the spirit of former head housekeeper Elizabeth Wilson, who miraculously survived a severe gas explosion in the room during the early years of the hotel’s operation. According to local lore, Wilson returned to the room after her passing to continue her earthly duties, occasionally unpacking guest luggage, folding clothes, and neatly lining up shoes. Alternatively, guests can book "Lucy’s Spirited Grand King," a room reportedly inhabited by the lingering spirit of a playful young girl named Lucy and her feline companion.
The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa
Dating back to 1769, The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa in Vermont has welcomed an illustrious guest list over the centuries, including former United States Presidents William Howard Taft, Ulysses S. Grant, and Theodore Roosevelt. Beyond its political legacy, the resort is home to several enduring phantoms, most notably a former First Lady. The melancholy spirit of Mary Todd Lincoln, who famously sought solace at the resort alongside her two sons in 1864, has reportedly been spotted wandering the property with one of her children. Guests and staff have noted instances of rocking chairs and household items moving independently in her wake. Additional local folklore includes sightings of a female specter haunting the grand staircase, Revolutionary War-era spirits lingering in the historic Marsh Tavern—where local patrons have gathered for two and a half centuries—and frequent accounts of an elderly bellman named George, who apparently decided to remain on staff long after his earthly departure.
Bourbon Orleans Hotel
New Orleans has long held a reputation as one of the most paranormally active cities in the United States, making uninvited spectral guests a common fixture across many of its historic quarters. Among the most notorious locations for reported ghost sightings is the Bourbon Orleans Hotel. Originally constructed in 1815 as a grand theater and ballroom, the sprawling building suffered severe devastation from fires in 1816 and 1866. It was subsequently acquired by the Sisters of the Holy Family, the first Black American religious order in the country, who transformed the site into a convent, an orphanage, and a school for Black American girls. The property also functioned briefly as a military hospital during the Civil War.
Today, visitors report encountering spirits hailing from each distinct era of the building’s tumultuous past. Among the most frequent sightings are young children who tragically succumbed to yellow fever during the property’s time as an orphanage, a Confederate soldier who paces quietly through the corridors, and a mysterious phantom known to conceal itself behind the heavy drapes of the grand ballroom.
The Hollywood Roosevelt
Constructed in 1926 just steps away from Los Angeles’s famed Hollywood Boulevard, The Hollywood Roosevelt has served as a glamorous sanctuary for silver-screen icons for nearly a century. Legend and history intertwine deeply within its walls: Marilyn Monroe famously resided in a suite above the Tropicana Pool for two years at the start of her career; a young Shirley Temple took her very first tap-dancing lessons alongside Bill "Bojangles" Robinson in the lobby; and Hollywood power couple Clark Gable and Carole Lombard reportedly utilized the hotel’s penthouse for secret rendezvous while Gable was still married to actress Maria Langham.
According to long-standing rumors, several of the hotel’s most legendary stars never truly checked out. The reflection of Marilyn Monroe has famously been reported by guests in mirrors throughout various guest rooms, while other visitors describe seeing a young girl in a blue dress skipping through the halls—prompting speculation that the spirited child might be the lingering presence of a young Shirley Temple.
The Marshall House
With a complex past shaped by early maritime piracy, its role as a major hub in the trade of enslaved African people, and devastating outbreaks of yellow fever, Savannah, Georgia, is consistently ranked among the most haunted cities in America. At the center of this haunted landscape stands The Marshall House. Built in 1851, the historic hotel served a vital medical role on two separate occasions, operating as a hospital during a yellow fever epidemic and later functioning as a Union medical facility toward the conclusion of the Civil War.
The hotel is widely believed to be inhabited by multiple spirits, including wounded soldiers with missing limbs, children whose laughter and games of marbles can be heard echoing down the hallways, and the ghost of Joel Chandler Harris. The Southern journalist and folklorist once resided at The Marshall House, and guests have claimed to hear the rhythmic clacking of typewriter keys emanating from his favorite room. Other visitors have reported hearing a phantom cat, while some have noted sudden, inexplicable odors on floors associated with heavy paranormal activity.
Fairmont Banff Springs
Nestled within the Canadian Rockies, the Fairmont Banff Springs has operated for well over a century, accumulating a substantial collection of ghost stories and benevolent specters. Among the most famous is the tale of a bride who tragically lost her footing and fell down the hotel’s marble staircase on her wedding day before she ever had the chance to walk down the aisle. Guests and staff have reported catching fleeting glimpses of a veiled woman swaying gracefully in the grand ballroom and moving through the quiet corridors. Additionally, the spirit of the hotel’s former head bellman is said to continue his rounds, ensuring that the sprawling mountain resort maintains its immaculate standards.
Specific rooms within the property are known for particularly anomalous activity. Common reports from guests staying in these quarters include pillows being mysteriously pulled from beneath sleeping heads, chilling bloody handprints manifesting temporarily on bathroom mirrors, and patrons being physically shoved from their beds in the middle of the night.
The Shelbourne
In 2013, actress Lily Collins famously recounted to late-night host Jimmy Fallon that the ghost of a young girl haunted her room during a stay at The Shelbourne, an Autograph Collection property situated in the heart of Dublin. Collins is far from alone in her experience. Numerous visitors across the 200-year-old landmark have documented strange, unexplained occurrences, such as bathroom taps turning on by themselves, sudden giggling in empty corridors, doors slamming shut without a draft, and the shadowy silhouette of a young girl wandering aimlessly, particularly on the sixth floor.
The reports of paranormal phenomena became so frequent that the hotel once asked a staff member to spend the night in the purportedly haunted room to test the rumors. According to hotel lore, the employee fled the room in absolute terror shortly after nightfall. Local tradition attributes these occurrences to the spirit of Mary Masters, a seven-year-old girl who tragically succumbed to cholera within the building centuries ago.
The Langham, London
Dating back to its grand opening in 1865, The Langham, London, has long carried a reputation for playing host to several shadowy residents, earning spooky renown even among visiting international sports teams, such as members of the England cricket team. One of the hotel’s most infamous apparitions is a doctor who reportedly murdered his wife before taking his own life while on their honeymoon. He is most frequently spotted during the month of October, wandering the halls clad in traditional Victorian-era attire.
Historical figures are also said to haunt the luxury property; Napoleon III is rumored to roam the hotel basement, which was among his favored retreats during life. Another frequently cited spirit is a German prince who died by suicide by jumping from an upper-floor window prior to the outbreak of World War I. He is said to appear and vanish during the morning hours, dressed in a historic military jacket. Meanwhile, a particularly mischievous phantom is said to frequently startle guests staying in Room 333—widely considered the most active and haunted room in the hotel—by tossing them out of bed as they sleep.
The Emily Morgan Hotel
While San Antonio is globally recognized for its proximity to the historic Alamo, travelers exploring the Lone Star city just across the street will find one of its most actively haunted commercial buildings: The Emily Morgan Hotel. Named in honor of Emily Morgan, historically celebrated as the "Yellow Rose of Texas," the building first opened its doors in 1924 and operated as the city’s Medical Arts Building and a fully functioning hospital until 1976.
Paranormal investigators and hotel staff point to the basement, the seventh floor, and the 14th floor—which actually serves as the building’s 13th floor, adhering to the older architectural tradition of omitting the designation—as the primary epicenters of supernatural activity. Among the most unsettling phenomena reported by visitors are elevator cars that routinely drop down to the basement unprompted, even when no call button has been pressed from that level. The property remains a regular stop on local ghost tours detailing the city’s extensive history.
Omni Parker House
As the longest continuously operating hotel in the United States, Boston’s Omni Parker House carries a rich legacy that naturally lends itself to ghost lore. Opening its doors in 1855, the historic hotel has hosted countless notable figures, including prominent authors, poets, government leaders, and culinary pioneers. Local history notes that Charles Dickens chose the property to host his very first American public reading of "A Christmas Carol."
Both hotel staff and overnight guests maintain that the spirit of founder Harvey Parker continues to supervise his creation, frequently spotted pacing the hallways of the 10th floor. Visitors have similarly reported hearing hushed whispers just outside their doors, only to open them and find empty corridors, alongside unexplained ambient noises emanating from unoccupied guest rooms and elevators summoned repeatedly to the third floor. As the autumn season progresses, the hotel’s historic Parker’s Bar incorporates seasonal decorations and Victorian-inspired cocktails into its menu for guests seeking a taste of Boston’s storied past.
