The spooky season is just around the corner, which means it's officially time to queue up your favorite classic thrillers, decide on your Halloween costume, and consider all the ways to make this October delightfully frightful. If you're feeling extra spicy this year, then gather your besties, fam, or partner and make a reservation at one of the country's most notoriously haunted hotels. Rumor has it the following establishments are riddled with ghosts and history of the past. Are you bold enough to book a stay?
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1
The Jerome Grand Hotel in Jerome, Arizona
Arizona is speckled with old Western mining towns that serve as ghost-y hotspots, and mountainside Jerome is arguably one of the most haunted. There you'll find the Jerome Grand Hotel, perched at the tippy top of the tiny town.
Built in the early 1900s, this historic hotel was originally a premiere hospital. So, in addition to enjoying some epic panorama views, you'll also get a chance to rub elbows with the miner spirits who are storied to still live there.
"Guests have reportedly heard labored breathing, wheezing, and voices coming from empty rooms," the hotel's website states. "Paranormal experts have also uncovered the ghosts of doctors and employees still roaming the building, still doing their jobs almost a century later."
2
The Algonquin Hotel in New York City
You may not think of the Big Apple as a place where spirits linger, but this major metropolis has a long and winding history. Among a sea of sleek and modern hotels, you'll find establishments with old bones and whispered tales. The Algonquin Hotel— situated not too far from Times Square—is the perfect example.
It was built in 1902, served as a destination for city elite, and remains a city staple to this day. Employees and hotel guests have noted run-ins with eerie apparitions, particularly in the lobby and dining room areas, and have also heard many strange noises.
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3
The Olde Harbour Hotel in Savannah, Georgia
A trip to Savannah, Georgia means candy-colored buildings, balmy waterside strolls, and mossy oak trees swaying in the breeze. You're also in for some epic ghost stories and plenty of opportunities to experience the paranormal.
One of the city's oldest properties is The Olde Harbour Inn, which legend says is home to a harmless ghost named Hank. The hotel's website states, "Guests have reported smelling cigar smoke when no smokers were present, experiencing things moving around, coins dropping on the floor, and other spooky shenanigans."
4
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California
What if we told you there was a chance you could have a modern-day encounter with the one and only Marilyn Monroe? Stories say that she still pokes around The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, which is where she lived during her early career while pursuing modeling. The hotel has even dedicated an entire suite to the blonde bombshell. People claim they've seen her appear in the room's mirror and grace the hotel ballroom.
5
The Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas
Seeing Marilyn Monroe's spirit may not sound so scary, but we can't say the same for the ghost you're apt to meet at The Driskill Hotel in Austin Texas. The hotel was built and named after Jesse Driskill in the 1880s, a man who has an ugly reputation as a warmonger. Those who've walked the storied walls say they've seen evidence of him smoking cigars, throwing back booze, and gambling the night away.
The hotel itself is an iconic landmark not to be missed, so if you're too spooked to stay the night at least swing through for a drink. Who knows, Driskill may join you.
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6
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado
Calling all cinema buffs. If you've ever seen Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, you'll instantly recognize The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. After Stephen King visited the beautiful hotel and had a terrifying nightmare there (the kind where you awake in a pool of sweat) he was inspired to write the famous thriller.
But even before then, the hotel had some spooky history. There was a deadly gas explosion there in 1911, which people say is what triggered a flurry of angry ghosts, outbursts, and odd happenings. The most haunted room of them all is #217, and it's open for bookings.
Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is known for its rich cultural scene, incredible food, amazing music, and deep history. If it's ghosts you're after during your stay, then make a reservation at the 135-year-old Hotel Monteleone, which is known for being one of the most haunted jaunts in the entire state.
"Generations of hotel guests and staff have regularly experienced haunted events that would cause even the staunchest skeptic to take pause," the website states. There's apparently a restaurant door that opens and closes on its own every night (even when locked), and an elevator that habitually stops on the wrong floor where child apparitions have been seen.
