There's a market for everything these days in the global travel space. Even for those looking to have a fright – and that's not reading the bill for a weekend stay! For hotels offering extra spirits of the supernatural kind, Wise Traveller has chosen 13 unique destinations.
Italy: Hotel Burchianti, Florence - Visions of a skipping child and an icy sensation will send a shiver down the spine of any tourist, but are you brave enough to stay? This hotel was once an early 20th-century location for poets, politicians and opera singers.
U.S: Hotel del Coronado, San Diego - Apparitions and strange noises are all part of the make-up of this luxury hotel. It was the scene of an 1892 murder mystery after the body of guest Kate Morgan was found on the hotel's steps.
Puerto Rico: Hotel El Convento, San Juan – This hotel, once a home for nuns, has guests reporting the sounds of robes and even the sighting of Dona Ana, a Spanish noblewoman whose home it originally was.
Taiwan: Grand Hyatt Hotel, Taipei – Said to be located on the original setting of a political prison, where many of the inmates were executed, the luxury hotel supposedly has several spooky residents that never left.
England: The Langham, London – A 19th-century hotel that has long been tied to its ghostly past. Ten years ago, it hit the headlines when several English cricket players left after experiencing mystery heat and lights at night. The hotel's lively spirits include former resident Emperor Louis Napoleon III and a German prince.
U.S: Hotel Monte Vista, Flagstaff, Arizona – You may feel a bit crowded with the permanent residents of this locale. From a crying baby and a phantom bellboy who knocks on doors and declares 'Room Service' to a woman rocking by a window in Room 305, murdered women who wake guests with chilling glares in 306, and a long-term border who hung raw meat from the chandeliers in room 210. Not to forget, two women thrown from the third floor who now attempt to suffocate male guests in their sleep. You're in for a charming, if head-twisting, stay.
U.S: La Fonda on the Plaza, Santa Fe, New Mexico – Supernatural guests range from a murdered bride, a judge in black and a salesman who took his own life. But the hotel offers so much more, including its fantastic location. Don't lose your nerve to check it out.
England: Mermaid Inn, Rye - This inn has a roll call of spooky guests dating back to the 12th century so that the experiences can be different for everyone. Rocking chairs, mysteriously cold areas, ghosts wandering through rooms and ex-employees make for a memorable stay.
U.S: Oatman Hotel, Oatman, Arizona – With the spirits of Hollywood couple Clark Gable and Carole Lombard said never to have left, the hotel is a curiosity. Guests report moving glasses and spilt water – but that's down to resident Oatie, the ghost of an Irish miner who drank himself to death.
U.S: Lord Baltimore Hotel, Maryland – A hotel that positively takes its love of the ghosts to a new level – they employ an on-staff ghost haunter for guided tours. According to him, guests have reported a child ghost known as "Molly" playing with a ball in the hotel's hallways, a lift that randomly takes itself to the 19th floor and a ghostly couple dancing silently in the ballroom.
U.S: The Sayre Mansion, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania – The ghosts here are a playful bunch, from tugging at guests' clothes to turning off TVs. The Sayre Mansion, however, saw a fair share of tragedy. The Sayre Family moved into their Gothic Revival-style Victorian mansion in 1858. Of the family's 12 children, eight survived into adulthood, with six dying at the family home.
England: The Jamaica Inn, Cornwall – The Inn is the centre of Daphne du Maurier's novel of the same name. It was historically used by pirates to hide their smuggled treasure. Guests report phantom sounds of horses' hoovers, a man in a hat walking through walls and other ghostly goings.
Sweden: Borgvattnet Haunted Vicarage, Ragunda – Now a bed and breakfast, this building dates back to 1876. Guests experience crying ladies, footsteps, and music. Apparently, for such creepy goings on, the owners reward visitors with a certificate, declaring they made it through the night!
Andy Probert is an independent PR writer and journalist who writes about travel experiences, airlines, airports, new tech and business. His work has appeared on the BBC, in The Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph, The Sun, Daily Mirror, as well as many newspapers/magazines globally.
