Ghost tales may have you shaking in your boots or shaking your head in apathy. Many ghost stories seem to thrive in old, historic hotel buildings. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the stories are often taken from people who were truly once living, breathing hotel guests who met their demise on the premises. The haunted tales that surround the following hotels might give you the chills or, rather, give you an eerie glimpse of life in a bygone era.
Haunted Hotels
A Young Ghost in New Orleans
Since 1886, the Monteleone Family has been dedicated to making their hotel a sparkling jewel in the heart of the French Quarter. Hotel guests of the historic Hotel Monteleone have told similar stories of sighting a friendly ghost of a young boy on the 14th floor (which in actuality is the 13th floor). Legend has it that he is the son of a couple who stayed at the Monteleone when they came to New Orleans to attend an opera in the late 19th century. While the son stayed in the hotel with a nanny, the couple was involved in a horse and buggy accident on their return from the opera. Something spooked the horse and the father was killed as he was thrown from the buggy. It is said that the mother died of a broken heart within a year. The hotel’s resident ghost is thought to be their young son roaming the halls in search of his parents.
[hr]
.
Spooky Sounds of WWII
The Grande Colonial Hotel in La Jolla, California is an elegant and historic hotel. On one unusual evening, a guest of the hotel heard a bit of history as she awoke on the 60th anniversary of D-Day to the sounds of heavy footsteps exiting a nearby room. What the guest was unaware of at the time was that a nearby room was actually used as a temporary barracks for soldiers during WWII and the floors were not carpeted at the time accounting for the loud sound of boots on hardwood.
[hr]
Historic Hauntings in London
London’s Langham Hotel has welcomed royalty, dignitaries and celebrities since 1865 when it opened as Europe’s first grand hotel. There are reports of visits by a number of ghosts as well. The most common sighting is of a man in Victorian evening wear in Room 333 as well as the figure of a man in military attire standing by a window. The second is thought to be the ghost of a German Prince who jumped out of a window before the start of the WWI.
[hr]
Hollywood Hauntings
Guests and Roosevelt Hotel staff have reported seeing a blonde woman in the long mirror found in one of the hotel’s suites. Perhaps it is the ghost of Marilyn Monroe who was once a resident in this suite which hosted the first Academy Awards in 1929. Her presence is also said to be felt in the hotel’s poolside nightclub.
[hr]
Wandering Spirits in Taiwan
Taipei’s luxurious Grand Hyatt Hotel was supposedly built over a former wartime political prison and is said to be haunted by the ghosts of several inmates who were executed there. The hotel has placed large scrolls in the lobby to ward off any spooky spirits.
[hr]
Hotel Del Hosts the Ghost of Kate Morgan
The Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego was built in 1888 and has hosted many famous visitors since. One intriguing guest left a mystery behind at the hotel. Days after checking in under a false name, the beautiful young woman, later learned to be Kate Morgan, was found shot to death. Guests who have stayed in her room have reported flickering lights, the television turning on by itself, and a woman standing by he window.
[hr]
