The 9 most haunted hotels in America

Whether it’s an elevator that consistently stops on an unwanted floor or a bathroom door that opens and closes on its own, there are plenty of unexplained phenomena plaguing America’s hotels. For some, the thought of sleeping with ghosts is enough to send them packing, but for others, it’s an invitation.

Just in time for Halloween, we’ve searched high and low to bring you the creepiest, spookiest, and scariest hotels from across the United States. Some of the hotels are haunted by one famous ghost, others are the stomping ground of several unearthly creatures. But however they’re haunted, these 9 hotels are sure to provide a frightfully good time this Hallows’ Eve.

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles:

The Roosevelt competes with the Knickerbocker for most celebrity hauntings–Marilyn Monroe supposedly appears in a full-length mirror from Suite 1200, where she stayed when she first started becoming famous; Montgomery Clift is said to hang out in and around room 928, where he lived while shooting From Here to Eternity. One psychic says he’s also detected Humphrey Bogart, Carmen Miranda, and Betty Grable. There’s also a cold spot in the Blossom Room (the first home of the Oscars) near where a dapperly-dressed thirties-era man is said to hang around.

The Omni Parker House in Boston, Massachusetts:

Harvey Parker, the hotel’s developer, who died in 1884, is said to inhabit the 10th-floor annex; and was once described by a spooked guest as “a heavy set older man with a black mustache,” according to the hotel’s website. Elevators also arrive at the third floor (where Charles Dickens stayed for a time) without any buttons being pushed or anyone awaiting a lift.

The Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas:

The Driskill is probably Austin’s most famous haunted space, and is infested by so many ghostly presences that staff has a handout on them for guests. They include its namesake, Civil War Colonel Jesse Driskill, who had the place built and then promptly lost it in a card game; he makes his presence known with the scent of his cigar smoke, especially in rooms occupied by women. A spirit that might or might not be Driskill has been reported to operate the elevators, move furniture, push guests out of their beds, and hide their belongings. Then there are the creepy “suicide brides” and the painting haunted by a four-year-old girl who fell to her death at the hotel.

The Winecoff Hotel (now called The Ellis) in Atlanta, Georgia:

Opened back in 1913, the Winecoff Hotel was billed as “absolutely fireproof”—a claim much like the “unsinkable” Titanic—with the steel structure encased in protective concrete. Early in the morning of Dec. 7, 1946, a fire broke out on one of the lower floors of the sold-out hotel. Of the 304 guests in the hotel that night, more than one-third—119 people—lost their lives in what became the deadliest hotel fire in U.S. history. After that night, the Winecoff Hotel was closed and stood vacant for years. But unlike many other old downtown buildings, the landmark has survived to this day and still operates as a hotel—now known as The Ellis. Ever since, guests and staff have reported seeing apparitions, smelling mysterious smoke, and hearing screaming in the hallways. The fire alarm sometimes goes off at 2:48 a.m., the exact time of the suspected arson.

The Leland Hotel in Detroit, Michigan:

Despite being Detroit’s best hotel in 1927 (Jimmy Hoffa and the Purple Gang were said to be regulars), the Leland today is home to some colorful characters and an odd, yet charming diner on the first floor. For creepiness, you can still check out City Club.

The Hotel Sorrento in Seattle, Washington:

Even back in the 1900s, Seattleites were marijuana supporters. Alice B. Toklas was credited with the invention of pot brownies back in 1954. Today she is credited with roaming the halls of The Sorrento Hotel, specifically the fourth floor, and even more specifically in and around room 408. When asked about their ghost, The Hotel Sorrento responded, “Our ghost is very hip.”

The Oxford Hotel in Denver, Colorado:

As Denver’s oldest hotel, The Oxford has had plenty of time to acquire quite the reputation for ghostly inhabitants. In 1898, a woman named Florence Montague found her lover in bed with another woman; she immediately shot and killed him before taking her own life. Since then, single male guests who stay in room 320 have reported sheets being ripped off the bed and their arms being pulled by an unseen force. Meanwhile, in the hotel’s Cruise Room bar, bartenders say that a male ghost routinely walks into the bar wearing his post office uniform, mutters something about “getting gifts to his children,” and leaves. Apparently it’s the ghost of a 1930s gentleman who was on his way to deliver Christmas presents but never made it.

The Omni Royal Orleans in Louisiana:

From Curbed NOLA: On the site of a former slave market, the hotel is rumored to be haunted (as is just about every place in the Quarter). More creepiness: This is where Zack Bowen jumped to his death after murdering and dismembering his girlfriend, Addie Hall.

The Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington D.C.:

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