Hotel Haunted: A Guide to Haunted Lodging Worldwide

Château de Brissac, France

2020-01-01T09:20:00.000-08:00

The Château de Brissac has a long and often violent history. It was built sometime in the 10th century by the Dukes of Anjou. Over the centuries, it was captured and ransacked time and again. Eventually, the Dukes of Brissac gained ownership over the castle in the 19th century; the family still owns it today.

The château is open for visits by the public, and it serves as a bed and breakfast - if you can put up with the Green Lady.

The Green Lady (La Dame Verte, in French) is said to be the daughter of King Charles VII and his mistress, Agnès Sorel. This made the Lady, Charlotte de Brézé, the half-sister of King Louis XI. However, being illegitimate, she was not "true" royalty. She married nobleman Jacques de Brézé - not of her own choosing. The marriage was made for political reasons, and the two had virtually nothing in common.

It wasn't long, of course, before Charlotte began to look elsewhere for companionship. This was made easier by the fact that Charlotte and Jacques didn't share a bedroom, let alone a bed. Charlotte started up an affair with a man named Pierre de Lavergne. Jacques was, at first, unaware, but the servants definitely knew.

On May 31, 1477, Jacques returned from one of his many hunting trips and, after dining with Charlotte, retired for the night. He was awakened by a servant, who informed him of the affair between Charlotte and Pierre. Enraged, Jacques hurried to Charlotte's room and murdered the two lovers.

It wasn't long before the ghosts made their appearance known by frequent moaning. Jacques was driven out of the castle by the noise.

Now, it appears that only Charlotte haunts the castle. Sounds of moaning are heard in the castle very early in the morning. She has also frequently been seen in the chapel, wearing a green dress (which is the source of her name). Worse, she appears with holes in her face where her eyes and nose should be.

NOTE: The link above leads to Booking.com. As of this writing, the website isn't taking bookings for the château. However, since this appears to be the only way to book, I've used the link for the time when it goes live again.

Mason House Inn, Bentonsport, Iowa, USA

2019-12-23T02:12:00.000-08:00

Built in 1846, the Mason House Inn (then known as Ashland House) was originally an inn designated for serving passengers on steamboats traveling the Des Moines River. In the course of its existence, it was a stop on the Underground Railroad, a holding area for wounded Civil War soldiers awaiting transport to the hospital in Keokuk, and a sanitarium for tuberculosis patients.

The main building contains six rooms. A seventh is not exactly a room, but a converted train caboose near the main house. The caboose has its own kitchen.

Stories of the house are fascinating. According to legend, Room 7 was the site of a murder, and the ghost of the victim (a man named Knapp) still haunts it. The ghost of an elderly woman has appeared in more than one room. A little boy haunts Room 5, where he tugs on the clothing of whoever is staying there.

Room 8 is for the more intrepid. This one is haunted by a floating head.

The owners are open to ghost hunts, with very strict rules (no alcohol, no seances, no Ouija boards, etc.). Happy haunting!

Fort Garry Hotel, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

2019-11-30T13:39:00.000-08:00

The Fort Garry Hotel is an impressive building dating from the early 20th century.

For those who want an added experience, Room 202 is said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman who hanged herself in the closet. Guests have reported sounds of (wet) footsteps coming from the bathroom, hangers moving in the infamous closet, the lights and TV turning on, footsteps around the bed at night, sounds of sobbing, and a cloaked figure hovering above the foot of the bed.

Canadian Liberal MP Brenda Chamberlain stayed in the room once, and claimed that the ghost actually got into her bed. "I actually felt the bed move," she claimed.

More disturbing is that some guests in 202 have reported seeing blood trickling down the walls. The unfortunate woman's ghost has been seen crying in a corner of the hotel lounge, as well as walking the corridors.

It seems that all the employees at the hotel know about the ghost - and that she may have no intention of ever leaving.

Lindsey Hotel, Rockland, Maine, USA

2019-11-28T11:31:00.000-08:00

It appears that Captain Lindsey loves his house so much, he's still there.

The 1835 Lindsey Hotel in Rockland, Maine is near the waterfront and has a number of attractive amenities. The website doesn't mention the ghosts, however. According to various sources, the Captain Lindsey who built the house - and for whom the house is named - is one of the spirits haunting his former home. Doors slam, beds are rumpled (but only when unoccupied by the living), and voices are heard.

See for yourself what sort of vibe this place has!

Dr. Holms Hotel, Geilo, Norway

2019-11-16T13:10:00.000-08:00

Hotels (and motels and other lodging places) seem to be a magnet for suicides. A person who decides to end his/her life will often leave home, check into a hotel, and do the deed. This ensures that the body will be found relatively quickly, and that the suicide's loved ones won't have to clean up the mess (though they'll be stuck with the hotel bill and cleanup costs).

Dr. Holms Hotel in Geilo, Norway, has a tale to tell that is found in other hotels, in other countries. A married couple came to the hotel to spend their honeymoon, and all seemed well - until the bride found her new husband in bed with another woman. Distraught, the bride disappeared. When she was found three days later, she had hanged herself in the attic.

She is still in the hotel, particularly in Room 320.

Hotel Chelsea, New York City, New York, USA

2019-11-14T09:05:00.000-08:00

The Hotel Chelsea is virtually a Who's Who of artists. Past guests include Allan Ginsberg, Brendan Behan, William S. Burroughs, Mark Twain, Dennis Hopper, Stanley Kubrick, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Tennessee Williams, and Andy Warhol.

Two infamous guests were Sid Vicious, of Sex Pistols fame, and his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen. Their violent relationship culminated in murder, when Sid allegedly stabbed Nancy to death. She was all of 20 years old when she died. (There are theories that Nancy was killed by a drug dealer while Sid was zonked out on drugs.) Vicious is believed to haunt the Chelsea; evidently, Sid (who died of a drug overdose in 1979, just a few months after Nancy) makes his presence known in the elevator, as well as in Room 100, where Nancy died. Oddly enough, for someone who in life was so self-destructive, Sid is very helpful in the elevator, pushing buttons and opening and closing the doors. Room 100 is a different story; guests have reported sounds of a couple arguing in there.

On November 4, 1953, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas walked into the Chelsea and announced, "I've had 18 straight whiskies. I think that's the record!" Five days later, he was dead of bronchial disease. His presence is particularly eerie; he is said to haunt Room 206, where he stayed before his fatal illness, and his disembodied head has been seen at the ends of guests' beds.

Eugene O'Neill has appeared at the Chelsea, as has Thomas Wolfe. Both of them have been seen in the hallways.

A less-famous ghost is that of a woman named Mary, who survived the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Her husband was among those who went down with the ship. Overwhelmed with grief over her loss, Mary hanged herself in her fifth-floor room at the Chelsea. She is seen gazing at her reflection in the mirror.

Hotel Bela Vista, Portimão, Portugal

2019-11-11T04:52:00.000-08:00

Now a luxury hotel and spa overlooking the ocean, Hotel Bela Vista was once a private home. Evidently, the daughter of the former owner died in the house, and remains there. Screams and moans have been reported, and Room 108 is supposed to be the room where the unfortunate girl died.

The Farnsworth House Inn, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA

2019-11-06T13:07:00.002-08:00

This inn, located in a building dating from 1810, should be haunted simply due to its location. Gettysburg is the site of one of the most famous battles of the U.S. Civil War; the fighting raged for three days in July, 1863. The Farnsworth House was occupied by Confederate sharpshooters during this time, and one of these men may have been responsible for the shooting death of Mary Virginia Wade (known as "Jennie"), the sole civilian to die during the battle. They took aim at Union soldiers from an attic window, but occasionally, one of the Confederates took a bullet from the Union side. His body was then unceremoniously dumped into a corner of the attic.

Gettysburg itself is said to be badly haunted - the battlefield itself, of course, as well as many buildings that were turned into makeshift hospitals. The Farnsworth House was one such hospital. Mary, a nurse who treated the wounded there, is still on duty, it seems. She is the blue-clad ghost seen occasionally on the lower level of the house. Other ghosts include some of the above-mentioned Confederate sharpshooters. (The inn's walls still bear marks left by Civil War bullets.)

The Sara Black room is supposed to be one of the most haunted rooms; the adjoining bathroom was once a bedroom, when a young boy named Jeremy died after a carriage hit him outside the house. The ghost of Jeremy's father is alleged to hammer fruitlessly on the door of the bathroom, anxious to hear whether his son will live or die. Pictures of the room on the house's website show a dressmaker's dummy wearing a white dress - certainly enough to freak out most guests who wake in the middle of the night.

Speaking of freaking out in the middle of the night, the Inn has an interesting condition noted on the website. It reads: "If guests wish to stay in different Bed & Breakfast rooms while they visit with us, guests are subject to a $50 room switching fee, per day, per room."

Maybe the hauntings have been a bit much for some guests.

Notice for owners of haunted lodgings

2019-11-01T06:33:00.000-07:00

Do you own or manage a haunted hotel, B&B, or other form of lodging?

Would you like me to blog about it?

Simply add a comment, and I'll get back to you.

The Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast, Fall River, Massachusetts, USA

2019-10-31T17:52:00.000-07:00

If the house isn't haunted, it should be. Granted, there are many places where more murders occurred - such as the dwellings of the late and unlamented John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer - but the Borden house is one that has gone down in history for the crimes committed there.

In the 19th century, the city of Fall River, Massachusetts was the center of the U.S. textile industry. The city was also known for the production of iron, twine, thread, and looms. Towards the end of the century, however, the city became infamous for a shocking double murder.

On August 4, 1892, leading citizens Andrew and Abby Borden were hacked to death with a hatchet. Abby was murdered first, struck down as she changed the sheets in the guest bedroom. Andrew was murdered while sleeping on a couch downstairs.

Andrew's 32-year-old daughter, Lizzie, and the maid, Bridget Sullivan, were the only ones who could have committed the murders - unless an extremely resourceful killer was able to gain access to the house, kill Abby, hide long enough for Andrew to come home and fall asleep in order to commit the second murder, then leave the house without being noticed by Lizzie, Bridget, or any of the neighbors.

Lizzie was accused, charged, and tried for the murders of her stepmother and father. Despite the fact that she kept changing her story, not to mention the fact that she hated her stepmother, she was found not guilty. The police investigation of the murders was, at best, slipshod, and the fact that Lizzie was a woman worked in her favor. Juries of the time still consisted entirely of men, and none of them could belief that Lizzie, member of a prominent family (and a woman!) could be capable of such a crime.

She most certainly could, and in my opinion, she was guilty of both murders.

Andrew and Abby Borden's former house, where they met such gruesome ends, is now a bed and breakfast. The house also serves as a museum, where guests can see photos of the crime scene. The whole house looks much as it did when the Bordens lived there.

The house is open for tours, including night tours. You can also take part in a Paranormal Night at the Borden house, as well as "A Night with Lizbeth Borden" at Lizzie's later residence, Maplecroft.

Stay on Main (formerly the Cecil Hotel), Los Angeles, California, USA

2015-10-21T03:29:00.001-07:00

Constructed in 1927, when the neighborhood was in much better shape, Stay on Main/Hotel Cecil has a long and gruesome past.

In 1962, 27-year-old Pauline Otton, suicidal following an argument with her husband, threw herself from her window. Otton got her death, but so did an unlucky pedestrian after she landed on him.

In 1964, guest Goldie Osgood was both strangled and stabbed (in addition to being robbed and raped). Her murder is still unsolved.

Serial killer Richard Ramirez (aka "The Night Stalker") lived in the Cecil in 1984-85, during which time he murdered 13 women. Not to be outdone, copycat killer Jack Unterweger moved into the Cecil in 1991, prior to murdering 3 women.

On January 26, 2013, 21-year-old Elisa Lam, a Canadian student, checked into the hotel. She was visiting various cities along the West Coast, and planned to spend five days in L.A. before continuing to San Diego. She called her parents daily, but on the day she was supposed to leave L.A., no phone call came. Her parents promptly contacted the Los Angeles police and flew to the city to search for their daughter. The search was extensive and fruitless, until guests of the hotel began complaining of low water pressure and an odd taste to the tap water. On February 19, one of the water tanks on the roof of the hotel was opened, and found to contain Lam's naked body. The autopsy concluded that death was due to accidental drowning.

Questions surround her mysterious death. How did she access the roof, when the doors were locked and protected by an alarm? Why would she want to climb into one of the water tanks in the first place? Assuming that she climbed into it herself, how did she lift the heavy lid? Why was she naked, with her clothes in the tank with her? Why did police dogs, which were brought to the roof, fail to find her scent?

Furthermore, what caused Lam's bizarre behavior in the hotel elevator on the day after she had intended to check out of the Cecil and depart for San Diego? Video footage (released on February 14) shows Lam entering the elevator, making odd gestures, leaving the elevator, and re-entering it. However, the doors remain open for much longer than the usual time. Was someone outside the elevator, and outside the field of view of the elevator camera, pressing the button? Was Lam interacting with this person? The video is available on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQcTuTXpj3c

This blog post differs from the others in that the hotel doesn't abound with ghost stories - but it is, by all accounts, a creepy place to stay.

Jailer's Inn Bed & Breakfast, Bardstown, Kentucky, USA

2014-10-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

True to its name, the Jailer's Inn was once a jail. It operated almost two hundred years, from 1797 to 1987, being converted into a b&b in 1988. This, of course, provides more than enough history to account for several hauntings.

One of the odd things reported is the sound of a baby crying - the child of one of the inmates? The child of a warden? Nobody knows. Whispering and conversation are heard, along with footsteps traveling upstairs and down.

The courtyard, now used for serving meals, was once the site of the gallows - a little gruesomeness with your breakfast. Guests stay in converted cells, though they are not locked in.

Chillingham Castle, Northumberland, England

2014-01-22T12:23:00.000-08:00

Chillingham Castle is exactly what one might expect from a castle - it's hundreds of years old, it's solid, and it's haunted.

The castle caters enthusiastically to its ghost-seeking clientele, with ghost tours offered (only to those aged 16 or older) and even all-night vigils. Those wishing to stay in the building can do so, with elegant rooms offered - and a little extra; some guests have reported supernatural occurrences in their rooms. Visitors can see the castle's original torture chamber, with frightening instruments

The castle was the site of no less than eighteen executions, some by drawing and quartering, a particularly gruesome, drawn-out method involving hanging, disembowelment, and the body being quartered. It seems, however, that it is not these unfortunates who haunt the castle, or if they do, they are kind enough to appear intact.

A white ghost in the "Inner Pantry" appears from time to time, always begging for water. A "blue boy" once glided out of a wall in one of the rooms, wearing clothing appropriate for the time of King Charles II. He was dressed in blue and surrounded by a blue glow, hence the name. Only in the 1920s, when restoration work was being performed, did anyone break into the wall - to reveal the skeleton of a young boy, with shreds of blue clothing adhering to it. The bones were given a proper burial, and the ghost never appeared again, though flashes of blue light were occasionally seen in the room after dark.

The Story Inn, Story, Indiana, USA

2013-12-30T12:05:00.001-08:00

The Inn has the distinction of being the whole (tiny) town of Story, Indiana. The Story story is listed on the website. Old buildings that once served other purposes (the general store, old mill, carriage house, etc.) have been converted to provide lodging, with a restaurant in the basement of the general store.

The Inn also boasts a resident spirit, known as the Blue Lady. Rumor has it that she can be summoned simply by turning on a blue lamp. The Inn offers a "Ghost Hunter's Special", despite the fact that the owner is reluctant to believe in the Blue Lady, or in any other ghost. More information on the haunting is available here.

Cedar Grove Mansion, Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA

2013-12-22T06:23:00.002-08:00

Built in 1852, Cedar Grove Mansion was the property of the Klein family until 1919. The first owners were John Klein and his young wife, Elizabeth. Of their ten children, four died young - two in infancy (the cause of death is not given, but may have been SIDS), a daughter from undisclosed causes, and one of their sons, who dropped his gun, which then discharged and killed him. He was seventeen.

During the Civil War, the mansion was occupied by the Union Army and used as a hospital, where more than one soldier died. Another occupant of the house at a later date shot herself in the ballroom.

Elizabeth Klein, who loved her house, still looks after it, as more than one eyewitness can attest. John Klein's pipe smoke is noticed when someone he dislikes enters or goes near the parlor. Babies crying have been heard; a little girl has been seen on the staircase to the second floor. Ghosts of Union soldiers have been reported.

The St. James Hotel, Selma, Alabama, USA

2013-10-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

The St. James Hotel was originally known as the Brantley, built in 1837. Union forces used it for lodging during the Battle of Selma in the Civil War. The hotel survived the burning that destroyed most of the city during the war.

Among the hotel's less-than-savory guests were those notorious train-robbing brothers, Frank and Jesse James. Jesse and his lover, Lucinda, are often reported as persistent guests at the hotel. Jesse is seen in rooms 214, 314, and 315, since he often stayed in those rooms. Guests have complained about the barking of a dog in the courtyard, which faded as soon as anyone investigated the source of the noise. Jesse was known to have a dog. Jesse is also seen, unsurprisingly, in the bar.

Lucinda announces her presence - seen or unseen - with the scent of lavender, her favorite. Sometimes, she is seen strolling the halls of the hotel.

In addition to the famous couple, guests have seen people wearing 19th-century clothing in the courtyard.

The Plains Hotel, Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA

2013-03-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

The Plains Hotel is an imposing building in Wyoming's capital city. It opened in 1911, offering one hundred guest rooms and five elevators - no small feat for a hotel of that time, even in a major city.

It's no surprise that the hotel was a destination for honeymooning couples. One new bride, called Rosie, checked in with her husband on what was to be the last trip of her life.

Rosie's husband (no Prince Charming, he) wandered down to the lounge one evening for a drink or two. Hours later, when he hadn't returned to their room, Rosie found him still in the bar, getting friendly with a prostitute.

Rosie's new husband, with his new friend, left the bar and went to the prostitute's room on the fourth floor. Rosie followed, and with her husband's gun, shot the prostitute, her husband, and (back in the honeymoon suite) herself.

The ghosts of all three parties to the murder/suicide have been seen by staff and guests. Rosie, wearing a blue gown, walks the hallways of the hotel. Laughing and crying have been heard from the room that was once hers. Her husband is seen on the fourth floor, and - oddly - the basement. The prostitute is seen on the second floor.

Kewaunee Inn, Kewaunee, Wisconsin, USA

2013-03-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

The Kewaunee Inn (once the Karsten Hotel) is close to Lake Michigan, Green Bay - and the supernatural.

The building turned 100 years old in 2012. In 1966, work was done on the hotel, and it seems that this operation brought out the spirits of three people once attached to the hotel - a former owner, his grandson, and a maid.

Why the maid (Agatha Struck) haunts the inn is a mystery; she was not an owner, and she didn't die on the premises. Rumor has it that she was in love with a former owner; if so, given the fact that they both haunt the place, she may be happy now. She has been seen performing her old duties, such as sweeping the halls. One guest who stayed in 310, Agatha's old room, watched, freezing, as a filmy wraith floated through the wall. She is known to move objects, especially when the inn was renovated in 1984; Agatha showed her displeasure by hiding tools, opening and closing doors, and turning lights on and off.

William Karsten, Sr., has been seen having an ethereal beer in the bar. Like Agatha, he moves things (in his case, furniture) when upset; he also causes a foul odor to show his unhappiness.

Billy Karsten, William's grandson, died of meningitis at the age of five. Living children have played with a little boy on the second floor, a boy who looks strikingly like the photo of Billy. He has also been heard running down the hall to his grandfather's room.

Ross Castle B&B, Oldcastle, County Meath, Ireland

2013-01-25T10:43:00.003-08:00

Ross Castle (NOT to be mistaken for a castle in Killarney with the same name) is a rather imposing 16th-century building on Lough Sheelin.

The first owner was Richard Nugent, 12th Earl of Delvin, who had the castle built in 1536. Nugent, who was called "the Black Baron", was so eager to punish crime in his area that he had an innocent man hanged for stealing a loaf of bread (the real culprit was a dog).

In true Romeo-and-Juliet fashion, the Black Baron's daughter, Sabina, fell in love with Orwin O'Reilly, member of an enemy family. After many a secret meeting, the two decided to elope. They set sail across the lake, but a storm blew up and capsized their boat. When Sabina awoke, three days later, she learned that Orwin had drowned. Distraught, she refused food and drink, with the predictable result.

Sabina still haunts her former home; some say that she is being punished for the heartless actions of her father. He has not escaped his own punishment, though; his ghost has been sighted many times.

General Lewis Inn, Lewisburg, West Virginia, USA

2012-11-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

The General Lewis Inn features at least three ghosts - a woman in white, a little girl, and a slave.

The inn was once a private home, built in 1834. During the early 1860s, the Civil War took a heavy toll on the area - and may have contributed to the ghost population.

A lady in white (the most popular dress color for ghosts, it seems) haunts Room 208 - fittingly enough, because her portrait hangs in that room.

The little girl has been heard, both crying and laughing, though not simultaneously, in Rooms 206 and 208, as well as Suite 202. Paranormal investigators who slept in the suite reported waking in the night to see a girl in a brown outfit standing next to the bed.

The slave, who is named Reuben, was hanged on the spot where the dining room now stands. He has been seen sitting at the table. Those curious to see him might decide to eat every meal at the inn.

The Queen Mary, Long Beach, California, USA

2012-10-31T12:30:00.001-07:00

The Queen Mary was one of the most luxurious ocean liners in the 1930s, transporting movie stars such as Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Bob Hope. With the advent of World War II, however, the ship was repainted and used as a troopship. She became known as the "Grey Ghost", a fitting nickname for a ship that would come to be known as one of the world's most haunted.

As air travel increased, the era of the luxury liner came to an end; on Halloween, 1967, the Queen Mary set out on her final cruise, arriving in Long Beach on December 9. She has been there ever since, converted into a hotel.

With ghosts.

One crewman played "chicken" with a watertight door once too often, and was crushed when it slid shut during an emergency (to prevent water from flooding other sections of the ship). He has been seen near the fatal door, usually disappearing near or through it.

During her years as a troopship, the Queen Mary accidentally rammed a smaller ship, causing it to sink. Screams can still be heard in the bow.

The swimming pool in the First Class section is haunted by several female ghosts, many wearing swimsuits in the style of the 1930s.

Cabin B340 is so haunted - sheets flying across the room, faucets turning on and off - that it is no longer used as a guest room.

A cook who traveled in the ship during WWII was such a bad cook that he was stuffed into an oven and roasted. His screams are still audible.

There is also an eerie legend that during the ship's travels of the 1930s, a certain passenger asked a crew member to bring him some "company". Money changed hands, and a young woman was sent to the man's cabin to "entertain" him.

When the man didn't appear at breakfast the next morning, and didn't answer his door, the door was forced open. The cabin was found to be soaked in blood - the blood of the young woman. The man was never found; there was no record of any passenger being assigned the cabin in which he stayed, and no luggage for him was ever found.

Battery Carriage House Inn, Charleston, South Carolina, USA

2012-10-23T16:20:00.003-07:00

The Battery Carriage House Inn dates from 1843. It calls itself "Charleston's most haunted inn", and this may be true.

The ghosts are a rather obliging crew, generally staying to their assigned rooms. The most haunted areas are Rooms 3, 8, and 10.

Room 10 is the domain of a specter known as "the gentleman" ghost, who has a liking for the ladies; indeed, one guest reported that she saw a figure float over to her bed and lie down on it with one arm around her! Another woman saw a shadowy form cross the room and fade through a closed door. The ghost is thought to be a 19th-century man who committed suicide by jumping off the roof of the house.

Room 3 has several presences, as witnessed by a couple who stayed there. A light emanated from the bathroom, a cell phone refused to work, and several figures were seen.

Room 8 is one the faint of heart might like to avoid. The ghost is thought to be that of a Civil War soldier. Only the torso appears, usually next to the bed. One brave guest touched the torso (clad in rough material) and the torso made a sound as of raspy breathing. Another guest claimed to have photographed the torso when aiming her camera up at the room window from the courtyard.

Happy hauntings, everyone.

The Feathers Hotel, Ludlow, Shropshire, United Kingdom

2012-10-05T12:59:00.002-07:00

According to the New York Times, The Feathers Hotel is "the most handsome inn in the world."

According to other sources, it's one of the most haunted buildings in the U.K.

The building was constructed in 1619 as a private residence (and what a residence!) by local attorney Rees Jones. After the English Civil War, Jones' son Thomas had it converted to an inn. In 1863, The Feathers Inn became The Feathers Hotel - ghosts and all.

- In one room, a man wearing old-fashioned clothing is seen sitting in the window, a dog at his feet.

- An employee, when cleaning a lounge late at night, would hear his named called. He was the only staff member working, each time.

- Footsteps have been heard in the Prince Charles Suite.

- A couple who stayed in Room 212 were unable to remain in the room. The husband left after three hours; the two never said what had happened, but another woman claimed that King Henry VIII was there.

- A woman was pulled out of her bed, by her hair, in the middle of the night. Her husband merely felt someone stroking his face.

- The man with the dog has been seen walking through one of the rooms (in an extension to the hotel, built in the 1950s) and disappearing through the wall.

- A woman has been seen outside the hotel, crossing the street and walking through a parked car. In this case, it is believed that the apparition is that of a living woman - she is wearing the clothing of the 1960s - and that the woman in question is well aware of the appearances.

St. James Hotel, Cimarron, New Mexico, United States

2012-08-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

Gambler T.J. Wright is one of the permanent guests at the St. James Hotel. Evidently, the gambler was shot at the door to his room, then staggered inside to die. To this day, the room is not rented overnight, and few people enter even for a few hours.

Chef Henri Lambert and his wife opened a saloon in 1872, during the wild-and-rowdy days of the Old West. Cowboys riddled the ceiling with bullet holes, sometimes from fighting, and sometimes from just high spirits. In all, twenty-six people - including T.J. Wright - died at the St. James, which soon became a place to stay as well as to drink and gamble.

Lawman Wyatt Earp and his brothers were guests at the hotel as they traveled west to the infamous town of Tombstone. Authors Zane Grey and Lew Wallace also enjoyed the hotel's hospitality. Outlaws Jesse James and Billy the Kid were two of the more notorious guests.

Mary and Johnnie Lambert are two benign ghosts. Johnnie, the son of the owners, died as the result of an accident in the hotel when he was three years old. He plays with the ghosts of two older girls who died in the hotel; they are supervised by Mary, Johnnie's mother.

The ghost of Wright has been seen in mirrors, and has been caught on videotape.

Then there is Melissa, who in life used to "entertain" in the hotel after Mary had gone to bed. Melissa brought her "gentlemen callers" up an exterior staircase. She has made her presence known to male guests, by touching them and/or sitting or lying on their beds.

Remember: Room 18 is not available to rent.

Geiser Grand Hotel, Baker City, Oregon, USA

2012-08-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

The Geiser Grand Hotel is one of the most impressive buildings in Baker City. It was built in 1889, when Baker City was a mining town. Two local men, Jake and Harry Warshauer, built the hotel on the site of the county's first schoolhouse; the cost ran high into the tens of thousands of dollars, a great deal for the time. It was indeed elegant, with almost one hundred rooms, electric lighting, and the third elevator west of the Mississippi. A few years later, the hotel was bought by John Geiser, along with his son, Albert; they changed the name from the Warshauer Hotel to the Geiser Grand Hotel.

The hotel's glory days didn't last long; the Depression hit hard, as did World War II. Finally, in 1968, the hotel closed and spent more than twenty years empty, its condition worsening with each passing year.

In 1993, Dwight and Barbara Sidway - no strangers to renovating hotels - purchased the building. They spent five years and a great deal of work and money on the restoration, and finally, the hotel was open for business once again.

Guests on the second and third floors have been known to complain about the party on the third floor. Upon investigation, nothing is to be found; the party ceases abruptly. The ghostly guests, though, have sometimes been seen on the balcony, apparently checking out the diners in the restaurant below.

Kitchen and bar staff have reported watching items move before their eyes, and beer taps activating with no visible cause.

Not long after the hotel's grand reopening, a maid checking the rooms found the bed in the Cupola Suite thoroughly unmade; pillows thrown everywhere, bedding pulled out, curtains twisted. The lock on the room also malfunctions frequently, and more than one guest has experienced the sensation of a perfume-wearing female ghost sitting next to them on the bed.

The Lady in Blue has been seen ascending the hotel's main staircase. When she reaches the top of the stairs, she disappears into the wall.

Takayoshi Nakayama, a director for the Japanese supernatural TV show Unbelievable, filmed a show at the Geiser Grand Hotel. He and his crew captured, on tape, a glass moving with no one nearby. More startling, when Nakayama returned to Japan, his three-year-old son began to laugh and talk to someone his parents couldn't see. The episode featuring the Grand Hotel was one of the most-viewed in the show's history, and Nakayama returned in September of 2010 for another episode.

Ghost hunters will be pleased to learn that the hotel offers occasional ghost hunts, as well as ghost tours encompassing the hotel and other haunted buildings of Baker City.