Are you afraid of the dark? You certainly will be after a night in one of these terrifying hotels that are home to ghosts and ghouls of every variety. Ghosts of young girls, weeping widows, and floating apparitions will keep you company in these haunted buildings, and you may even spot a celebrity spectre floating past your bedroom door.
1. The Stanley, Colorado, USA
This creepy hotel inspired one of the greatest horror novels of all time, The Shining. Legend has it that when Stephen King and his wife stayed here, they briefly left their hotel room only to return and find their suitcases unpacked and their things stowed away in the closets. Guests at the hotel include the ghost of a woman who froze to death in the basement, and the building’s former owner F.O. Stanley roams the halls supervising the hotel from beyond the grave.
2. Karosta Prison Hotel, Karosta, Latvia
Bring your nerves of steel if you plan on spending a night in this former military prison. Used by the Nazis and Soviets, the prison walls still depict the graffiti of former prisoners which makes for chilling bedtime reading, and guests will have company in the form of the ghost of a woman who hung herself after learning her fiancé was executed here.
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3. Akasaka Weekly Mansion, Tokyo, Japan
No one does horror movies better than the Japanese, and visitors to this hotel will see where they find their inspiration. Ghostly mists appear from the air vents in this spooky hotel, and guests report feeling the touch of icy hands during the night.
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4. The Crescent Hotel, Arkansas, USA
Ghost hunters should book a night in room 218 of this hotel to meet Michael. Legend has it that Michael reaches for guests from the bathroom mirror, and he is said to be the ghost of a stone mason who fell to his death during construction of the hotel. A former cancer hospital, the Crescent is haunted by the ghosts of former nurses who can be seen pushing corpses around on gurneys, and guests often wake up and find their clothes scattered about the room.
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5. Chillingham Castle, Northumberland, England
The appropriately named Chillingham Castle is definitely not for the faint hearted. Guests can visit the torture chamber where traitors met a grisly end on the executioners block which still remains in place along with various items such as thumb screws and eye gougers.
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6. Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
For some celebrity ghost-spotting, the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel will surely not disappoint. Guests have reported seeing the ghost of Marilyn Monroe sashaying through the Tropicana Night Club while others report hearing the trombone of Montgomery Clift who stayed at the hotel in 1953.
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7. Hawthorne Hotel, Massachusetts, USA
Located in the infamous town of Salem where 20 women were hung during the witch trials of 1692, the Hawthorne Hotel sits on the site of a former apple orchard belonging to Bridget Bishop who was one of the first women to be executed. Guests staying at the hotel report seeing the ghost of a crying child in their room, and others have felt the touch of invisible hands.
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8. Elvey Farm, Pluckley, England
Photo:www.elveyfarm.co.uk
England’s most haunted village is home to Robert Du Bois who met a grisly end at Fright Corner, and the ‘weeping wanderer’ is regularly sighted making his way around Elvey Farm. A phantom coach and horses have been rumoured to appear at the top of Maltman’s Hill, and brave guests can take a walk in the nearby ‘screaming woods’.
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9. Hotel Burchianti, Florence, Italy
This haunted hotel is home to the ghosts of a young girl who can be seen skipping down the halls, an old lady seen knitting in a chair, and an old man who is preceded by an eerie pink glow. Visitors who hear a bump in the night should not be alarmed, as it’s just the ghost of a dead maid going about her cleaning duties.
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10. Dragsholm Slot, Sealand, Denmark
Dragsholm Slot is a 12th century castle with 3 resident ghosts, the Earl of Bothwell, the White Lady and the Grey Lady. During renovations workers discovered a skeleton entombed inside the walls wearing a white dress, and legend has it that it is the body of a nobleman’s daughter who was imprisoned there by her father after she fell in love with a commoner.
Haunted hotels make fantastic options for a Halloween break, or provide an alternative holiday experience for spooky thrill-seekers. Those who feel brave enough can even spend the night alone if they dare, but it may be a good idea to bring a friend along for moral support.