There's no better way to get into the Halloween spirit than to visit a haunted hotel! Across the U.S. there are plenty of gorgeous, older hotels with some mysterious happenings for you to experience. If you're looking for somewhere to spend the weekend for the end of spooky season, or just enjoy the supernatural year-round, I have a few hotels you should look into visiting.
Stanley Hotel
Photo by Padraig O'Flannery on Unsplash
The Stanley Hotel in Colorado was famously the inspiration of Stephen King’s iconic The Shining. King was inspired by his stay at the Stanley to write the novel, and even now, people are still fascinated by the unexplained phenomena that occur there.
The hotel was built in 1907 in the beautiful Estes Park at the direction of the inventor Freelan Oscar Stanley. He had moved there in 1903 with his wife when he caught tuberculosis, believing it would be his final resting place. However, the cool, dry air of the Rocky Mountains (where Estes Park is located) cured him. Stanley and his wife stayed in Estes Park and began work on creating a resort town for others to enjoy the serene atmosphere.
The hotel is perfect for travelers looking to visit the mountain region. The resort offers many ways to experience Estes Park: historic rooms, a wellness spa, a more modern space called The Lodge, and accommodations for visitors seeking extended stays. The Stanley Hotel also offers various tours: historical tours that explore how the hotel was created, ghost tours that investigate supernatural happenings, and even a specialized tour dedicated to The Shining and Stephen King’s time at the hotel.
The gorgeous fall scenery and mountain backdrop are perfect for unwinding and exploring a small part of the Rocky Mountains. Even if you’re not passionate about the paranormal, the Stanley Hotel’s rich history makes for a worthwhile trip. If any of the tours sparked your curiosity, I can help you plan a stay there through my Hotel & Excursion Booking services.
Crescent Hotel
Photo by Alan Islas on Wikimedia under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license
From its beginnings as a luxury hotel in the 1880s, the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, has always been meant to be a sanctuary for relaxation and rejuvenation. The hotel strikes a balance between supernatural and serene, making it enjoyable in any season.
Compared to the Stanley Hotel, the Crescent Hotel is equally well-known for its elegance and hospitality as its ghostly history. After the Crescent Hotel debuted in 1886, it grew in popularity for its luxurious accommodations and design, attracting affluent travelers. It became famous for its elegance and hospitality, which remain the core of the Crescent Hotel’s service standards.
The hotel later went though a series of ownership changes. It became a women's college from 1908 to 1924, and almost a decades after, it became a hospital.
But if you’re here to learn about ghosts, here is a little bit of information on its haunted history. In 1937, the hotel was acquired by Norman Baker, who transformed the hotel into a cancer clinic. Baker was later known for his unethical practices and fraudulence. This medical history laid the groundwork for a slew of ghost stories and superstitions surrounding the hotel, and people were especially wary of the morgue and the contents that lay within. People claim that a woman named Theodora, said to be connected to Baker's clinic, continues to haunt the hotel, sharing the same spirit of hospitality as the staff currently working there.
The Crescent Hotel has something for everyone, whether you want to immerse yourself in Eureka Springs’ gorgeous environment on its walking trails, unwind at the spa, or learn more about the hotel’s mysterious history through its ghost tours. Looking ahead, the Crescent Hotel hosts numerous Christmas celebrations that open around December-time. If you miss a visit to the hotel before the end of Halloween, I can plan a trip for you and your family to celebrate the holidays together in winter!
Claremont Club and Spa
Photo by Sharon Hahn Darlin on Flickr under a Creative Commons 2.0 General license
Called the “Castle on the Hill”, the Claremont Club and Spa in Berkeley, California, is a great getaway for anyone pining for luxury and elegance. But the hotel wouldn’t have made it onto the list if it weren’t for its history: the tragic fire, a death in the Thornburg family, and a rumored death on the property.
The Claremont Club and Spa was built from an obsession with elegance and English royal design. Bill Thornburg constructed the first iteration as a Tudor-influenced house for his wife and daughter. From the beginning, this building was modeled to look like a castle and even included stables for pedigree horses.
Thornburg family suffered a tragedy before selling the house, which was the death of Bill’s wife on the property due to grief from her daughter leaving to elope. Bill sold the castle to the Ballard family, but it was destroyed by a wildfire in 1901. People debate when the most famous ghost, a little girl passed on, but her death is seemingly connected to this fire. Later on, the property was purchased by Frank Havens and Francis "Borax" Smith developed it into a resort for wealthy San Francisco city-goers, and it officially reopened in 1915.
The Claremont Club and Spa embraces this history in its ghost tours and other historical experiences, but it hasn’t let tragedy define its brand. The resort offers amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge, award-winning restaurants, and many different ways to practice personal wellness. If you love unique holiday dining, you should keep the Claremont Club and Spa in mind for a December visit. We can plan your Bay Area stay at Claremont together, and include other unforgettable local holiday experiences for you and your loved ones.
Hawthorne Hotel
Photo by kd1s on Flickr under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license
Finally, if you’re looking to immerse yourself in America’s history of magic and superstition, try the Hawthorne Hotel. It is located in Salem, Massachusetts, the city notorious for the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. In fall, Salem boasts colorful scenery and Halloween ambiance, making it the perfect destination to enjoy the height of autumn.
The Hawthorne Hotel gets its name from author Nathaniel Hawthorne, who lived in Salem in the mid-1800s. The hotel finished construction in in 1925, just celebrating its 100th anniversary last year, serving as more modern accommodations for business travelers. From there, the hotel often welcomed large celebrations, events, and important guests. Notably, the hotel hosted the filming of the TV show Bewitched, the attempted séance to contact Harry Houdini on the 64th anniversary of his death in 1990, and held its first Halloween Party in 1991.
But the Hawthorne Hotel experiences paranormal activity of its own that continues to fascinate guests and reaffirm its place as a Halloween icon. It is believed that the ghost of Bridget Bishop, the first woman executed in Salem for witchcraft, haunts the halls of the hotel, along with the spirits of sea captains who were a part of Salem’s Marine Society.
Aside from the many Halloween events the hotel plans for guests, local year-round ghost tours visit the Hawthorne Hotel and share its full history. Looking to celebrate Halloween differently this year? I can help you plan a stay at the Hawthorne Hotel so you can learn about the history of the Salem Witch Trials, enjoy holiday activities, and maybe have your own paranormal experience!
My Final Thoughts
Whether you believe in ghosts, or not, the hotels I've shared with you today certainly have very interesting histories. If you're looking to explore them and learn about the circumstances that led to the luxurious and unique accommodations they offer today, I would be happy to help! As your travel advisor, I can take the planning off of your plate so you can spend more time enjoying the sights, celebrating Halloween, and maybe enjoying a ghost encounter of your own. When you're ready, fill out my client inquiry form, and I can begin to create an itinerary for your next getaway.