Here Are The Most Haunted Hotels In The World

The impressive Fairmont Banff Springs in Alberta, Canada was unveiled in 1888 as a railway hotel. Over the years, though, it has apparently acquired the spirit of a newlywed who died here in a fall on her wedding day. Some people say she still likes to dance in the ballroom.

There's only one place in California that has more celebrity sightings than Hollywood Boulevard, and it's the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Of course, the celebrities who frequent the hotel are said to be a little, well, difficult to access. Tinseltown titans Marylin Monroe, Clark Gable, and Charlie Chaplin all stayed at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Roosevelt, and it's rumored that some of them are still guests to this day.

In 2014 members of the English cricket team were ridiculed in the press for saying that ghosts had kept them awake during their stay at London’s Langham Hotel. But why would an entire cricket team lie? In actuality, the hotel is said to have at least seven spirits, with room 333 being a particular hot spot for hauntings.

The Hotel Chelsea has seen its fair share of darkness over the last few decades. In 1953 the poet Dylan Thomas passed away in the New York hotel, and in 1978 the Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious was accused of murdering Nancy Spungen in the hotel’s room 100. And according to some believers, both Thomas and Vicious are still checked into the hotel... as permanent guests.

It has been said that guests of Dragsholm Slot – or Dragsholm Castle – must share the accommodation with up to 100 ghosts. The most famous of these specters is the White Lady, who was reputedly imprisoned below the castle for loving a peasant.

It's been said that Taiwan’s Grand Hyatt Hotel was constructed on the site of what used to be a political prison, and it’s thought to be haunted by the tormented souls of those detainees who lost their lives while in residence. Hotel management has, apparently, made efforts to ward off these otherworldly guests... but we wouldn't want to risk accidentally spending the night with an angry prisoner.

The Skirrid Inn in Monmouthshire, Wales, has apparently been around for nearly a century and was previously used as a courthouse and execution arena. In fact, its “hanging beam” is still in place today, and, unsurprisingly, guests have reported being visited by ghostly victims during their stays. That's downright eerie.

Ghostly activity at The Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon, seems to be limited to rooms 703, 803, and 1003. This is allegedly because somebody leaped off the building to their death and is now plaguing the rooms they passed before they hit the ground. Talk about tragic.

The Mermaid Inn is so overbooked with spooks that it even featured on an episode of Most Haunted, a British paranormal investigation show. It's no surprise that the place is rumored to be haunted, as it was once frequented by a dastardly cast of characters, from smugglers known as the Hawkhurst Gang to men engaged in a violent duel.

The Russell Hotel sits in an area of Sydney, Australia, known as The Rocks and is allegedly home to the ghost of an old sailor. This deckhand is said to haunt Room 8, where he frightens guests by appearing to watch over them. Yeah, the last thing we'd want to see in the middle of the night is a grizzled old sailor staring back at us.

New Orleans is famous for its colorful cast of ghostly characters, and Louisiana’s Bourbon Orleans is no exception. It used to be an orphanage, and guests have reported seeing a ghostly girl racing after a ball along one of its hallways. Plus, the ghost of a dancer has been spotted in the ballroom, and the specter of a soldier apparently stalks the corridors.

At Latvia’s Karosta Prison Hotel — sounds cheerful, no? — lodgers are treated just like the real prisoners of war who were detained here during World War II. They’ll also reportedly have to share the cells with the spirits of those who died while incarcerated. We can barely share the bed with our dog, let alone a vengeful spirit!

The Baker Hotel is currently undergoing renovations, meaning guests will soon once again be able to stay in this imposing but celebrated hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas. They might also encounter its resident ghost: the spirit of a spurned woman who committed suicide. And who knows who else a guest could see in the dark of night? Everyone from Lyndon B. Johnson to Bonnie and Clyde spent time in the hotel.

Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII’s second spouse, is said to haunt her previous residence of Hever Castle in the U.K. With all those ancient, drafty halls, it's the perfect place to spend eternity as a ghost! She supposedly likes to make her presence felt the day before Christmas — the ghost of Christmas past, indeed.

Arkansas’ 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa practically thrives on its reputation as “America’s Most Haunted Hotel” and even offers ghost tours to curious visitors. Its haunters are many, including a female in Victorian underwear in room 3500 and a 19th-century laborer in room 218.

The 17th-century Ballygally Castle in Ireland was once described as "a living postcard," though the castle's oldest inhabitant certainly doesn't fit that description. The castle is home to Lady Isobel Shaw, who allegedly suffered a fatal fall from one of the windows in the 1600s. These days, she is known to knock on guests’ doors and cause a general feeling of creepiness.

Cecil Hotel’s truly horrifying past is almost as fascinating as its stories of ghosts. It has previously been home to two serial killers, and at least five others have been found dead in or around the hotel, and in gruesome ways, too. In 2013, for example, a woman was found floating in a water tank on the roof of the hotel, with no explanation as to how she got there.

Spooky occurrences inside the Hotel Burchianti in Italy include the sighting of a pink wraith — AKA, the specter of a person just before their death — in the Fresco Room. Some guests have also reported feeling like they’re being crushed under an inexplicable weight. That doesn't sound pleasant. Perhaps this is down to the hotel’s building dating back to the 1600s?

The Queen Mary has long been called “one of the most haunted places in the world” and is believed to hold up to 150 ghosts on its imperious deck. That's a whole fleet of ghosts! One of these ghouls allegedly died in 1966 and now wanders the ship on approach to room 13. Room 13 — how fittingly creepy.

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, is well known as the inspiration for The Overlook Hotel in Stephen King’s The Shining. And it's no wonder so many people feel creeped out inside the hotel: the staff claims that the hotel's original owners “continue to go about the business of running their beloved establishment as though they were still alive.”

Married couple Elizabeth and Donald Fraser managed the Riccarton Racecourse Hotel in Christchurch New Zealand. In 1933 Donald was murdered at the hotel, killed by two blasts from a double-barreled shotgun. Elizabeth had found out weeks before that her husband had been having an affair and became a suspect in the slaying.

Outwardly, the residence at Fall River’s 230 Second Street looks like an everyday 19th-century clapboard house. But it’s been known as the Borden House since 1892 because it was the scene of a hideous axe murder. At the age of 32 Lizzie Borden brutally butchered her own father and stepmother in cold blood. Her unknown motivations keep people up at night to this day.

The truth is that there’s no real evidence to show that Bram Stoker was thinking about this particular castle when he wrote his Gothic masterpiece Dracula, published in 1897. Even so, Bran Castle has become known as “Dracula’s Castle.” Pay a visit to the 14th-century stronghold, and you’ll see why.

The Mizpah commenced business in the Nevadan city of Tonopah back in 1907 when it was one of the state’s first truly upmarket hotels. If you fancy the possibility of a ghostly encounter, check into the Lady in Red Suite. It’s named after an unfortunate woman who died at the hotel and reportedly haunts guests, especially men, by whispering sweet nothings to them. 

The timbered walls of the Ancient Ram Inn have scarcely a single straight line between them. That’s hardly surprising, since the building this former pub occupies in the English village of Wotton-under-Edge in Gloucestershire dates back to medieval times. The Ancient Ram’s reputation for ghostly presences means it’s been featured on TV shows such as Ghost Adventures.

Washington Irving’s 1820 short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow made the town of that name famous. Irving’s sinister tale deals with a fearsome apparition, a headless horseman who haunts Sleepy Hollow. Visitors flock to the township today, hoping to experience some of the horror Irving described. Well, the jury's still out on whether or not an actual headless horseman can be seen stalking the streets.

First built in 1419 on top of an ancient Roman road, the Treasurer’s House is in the northern English city of York. One man, Harry Martindale, claimed to have come face-to-face with that Roman link from centuries ago. He was just 18 when he was working in the basement of the Treasurer’s House when the sound of a trumpet caught his attention.

The Driskill, an imposing hotel in the Texan city of Austin, first opened its doors to guests in 1886 and it continues today as a popular tourist haunt. But there are others who, it’s claimed, also haunt the property. There's said to be a bevy of ghostly presences. Notable among those is the ghost of the hotel’s founder, Jesse Driskill.

The splendid Chateau de Brissac dates back to the 11th century, although it was entirely rebuilt in the Renaissance style in the 15th. Occupied by the current Duke of Brissac, the magnificent castle is apparently haunted by La Dame Verte, “The Green Lady.” This specter is said to be connected to a pair of murders from the 15th century.

There were various witch trials in 17th-century New England, but those that took place in Salem, Massachusetts, are the most remembered today. Innocent men and women were dragged from their homes and accused of practicing witchcraft. A total of 20 unfortunate citizens were put to death for their alleged witchcraft.

Gunkanjima, sometimes called Hashima Island, was once a thriving Japanese community with coal mining at its heart. The tiny island was covered in buildings, but all that’s left now are the tumbling brick and concrete ruins of the city. The abandoned town is all the more spooky because of its WWII history, when the mines were worked by forced labor, toiling under brutally inhumane conditions. 

Sarah Pardee married William Winchester in 1881. This Winchester was fabulously rich thanks to the success of his armaments business, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. When he died in 1881 Sarah inherited some $20 million, a colossal sum at the time.

Windsor Castle, about 20 miles west of London, has been a grand royal residence for nearly 1,000 years. William the Conqueror established the magnificent palace in the 11th century and 40 British kings and queens have lived there. Unsurprisingly, it’s a location which a plentiful crop of ghosts have allegedly haunted over the centuries.

The so-called Witch’s Castle in Portland’s Forest Park has gained an unenviable — or perhaps enviable — reputation for all things ghostly and ghoulish. The castle consists of the ruins of a 1930s stone-built Park Ranger’s post. The site is spooky enough, but the truth is that there never seem to have been any actual witches there.

Just ten miles from Paris, the stunningly opulent Palace of Versailles was one of Europe’s grandest royal residences until the 1789 French Revolution. Today, it’s one of the nation’s most important historic sites. In 1793, revolutionaries put France’s last queen, Marie Antoinette, to death, beheading her with the fiendish guillotine.

This property in Charleston started life as a theater, became a hotel, but then reverted to a place of dramatic performance. But it was during its time as a hotel that the Dock Street Theater’s most famous ghost story started. Actress Nettie Dickerson was apparently standing on one of the hotel’s balconies when lightning struck her dead.

The Romans founded London in 43 A.D., and with a 2,000-year-long history there’s no shortage of claimed ghosts in the city. But one place that has a particular concentration of specters is the Tower of London. Over the last few centuries, many people, including royalty, have been imprisoned and executed in the tower.

Rent a cabin at the Hard Labor Creek State Park in Rutledge, Georgia, and you may be in for a none-too-pleasant surprise. For the ghost of an old man allegedly haunts the park, and his habit is to bang on cabin walls in the dead of night. Another specter, said to be a young boy, reportedly pushes a red ball into the path of park visitors.

Isla de las Muñecas — Island of the Dolls — is a tiny spot of land surrounded by the Xochimilco canals near Mexico City. Trees and shrubs on the island are festooned with children’s dolls, creating an unsettlingly macabre atmosphere. The dolls are said to commemorate the spirit of a tragic young girl whose drowned body was discovered on the shore of the island.

Ghost towns are spooky by definition, and one of America’s spookiest is Jerome in Arizona’s Black Hills. The township was founded back in 1876 when gold and silver had been discovered nearby. As many as 15,000 people lived there at one time, but after the gold rush ended, the population sank to 50.

The crumbling brickwork graves of the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 have a ghoulish charm all of their own. Receiving its first residents in 1789, it’s the city’s oldest cemetery, and there is a compelling reason why the tombs are built above ground. The cemetery is sited over a swamp, and bodies would float to the surface if buried there.

There’s a spot in Waco’s Cameron Park that’s known as “Lover’s Leap.” It apparently earned its name from the tragic tale of two Native Americans who fell in love even although they were from two warring tribes. This, of course, is the familiar plotline in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In any case, tragedy struck when the lovers leapt to their deaths from a clifftop.

When Tsukimi Ayano was a child, about 300 people lived in her village. But when she returned in the early 2000s to look after her aging father, the population had shrunk to not much more than 30. So, she decided to do something about it. But instead of fixing up the town and recruiting new neighbors, she began to make life-size dolls to replace the villagers.

Master of horror Edgar Allen Poe wrote some of the most chilling stories you’re ever likely to read. In 1844 he moved to a cottage in the village of Fordham with his wife and mother-in-law and continued writing there until his death five years later.

Perched on rocky outcrops in the southern region of Basilicata, Craco is one of the most poignant of Italy’s abandoned villages. Many villagers emigrated to America early in the 20th century, and later, natural disasters took their toll on the once-bustling village.

The English east-coast resort town of Whitby has become a mecca for Dracula fans for two reasons. The first is that Bram Stoker actually used the real-life ruins of Whitby Abbey as one of the settings in his book Dracula. The second is that Stoker spent time in Whitby and wrote his vampire blockbuster in the town.

Set by the River Thames some 12 miles southwest of London, splendid Hampton Court Palace with its formal gardens was a favorite hangout of Henry VIII. So it’s only fitting that two of the many ghosts that are said to haunt the place are those of his wives Jane Seymour and Catherine Howard.

Tucked away amid the craggy peaks of the Greater Caucasus range in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania is a bizarre village. Dargavs is actually more accurately described as a necropolis than a village. That’s because it’s only the deceased who occupy these peculiar cottages, which look very much like giant beehives.

Edinburgh can plausibly make the claim of being Scotland’s most haunted city, and its castle is reportedly the capital’s single most ghost-infested site. One of the most famous specters said to reside there is the forlorn figure of the Gray Lady. She was a noblewoman called Janet Douglas who fell foul of the complex political shenanigans of the 16th century.

You might not have heard of Griffith Park but you’ll know about one of its features: the huge “Hollywood” sign set on one of its slopes overlooking L.A. But it apparently has another claim to fame: its extraordinary number of ghosts.

Nobody knows for sure how many are buried in the biggest of all Parisian cemeteries, Père Lachaise, but it could be as many as a staggering 1 million. Most of those are like you and me — plain everyday folks. But not all: the roll call of famous names that count the cemetery as their last resting place is undeniably impressive.

A rocky island connected by a tidal causeway to the mainland, enchanting Mont-Saint-Michel’s village and monastery cling to the cliffs and date back to medieval times. As you’d expect there are said to be some ghostly monks on the island.

Once the seat of the Earls of Caithness, the Castle of Mey was the Highland home of Queen Elizabeth II’s mother. Built in the 16th century but much altered in the 19th, the castle is said to host one especially notable ghost. She is Elizabeth Sinclair, known as the Green Lady.

Bodie was a boom town back in the 1870s for the familiar reason of that era: the gold rush. The precious yellow metal was discovered and mined nearby in the hills around Mono Lake. Now it’s a ghost town with the status of a State Historic Park. Specters reportedly haunt the old township and ghostly music is said to come from long-closed saloons. 

The trees of the Pine Barrens forest in New Jersey stretch across 1 million acres and it was once a thriving center for the timber industry. But that industry died out, leaving behind abandoned townships, unfelled trees, and, some superstitious locals believe, a terrifying beast.