The Best Haunted Hotels Across America To Stay At (If You're Brave Enough)

Historic hotels come with a lot of interesting stories that accumulate over the years. Some of those stories may even be a little out of this world. Strange noises while sleeping in an unfamiliar hotel room can let the imagination run wild, but is it really your imagination? Some would say that depends on where you were sleeping. Some hotels seem to be hotbeds of paranormal activities, whether it's due to unfortunate events that have happened there or other reasons. 

Certain types of adventurous travelers even specifically seek out haunted islands that will creep you out, and haunted hotels to stay at, and we have rounded up 12 of the best haunted hotels in the United States. Naturally, they tend to be historic hotels that have accumulated noteworthy stories and guests over the years. The hotels on this list not only have interesting tales that will make you question reality, but they're also great hotels that offer comfortable rooms and superior amenities. If the sightings and whispers at these hotels keep you up at night, at least the plush bedding might help you fall asleep. 

One of the most famous options on this list, Stanley Hotel is the hotel that inspired Stephen King's "The Shining." The hotel was built in 1909 by an inventor named Freelan Oscar Stanley. While King's novel was fictional, inspired by a nightmare he had while staying at the hotel, the stories of hauntings go back to before his stay. Stanley built a concert hall for his wife, Flora, who was a piano player. Some say Flora still haunts that building today and sometimes you can hear music in the concert hall. The most famous ghost story is about a housekeeper named Elizabeth Wilson. In 1911, Wilson was checking the rooms with a candle in her hand when a gas leak in room 217 combined with her candle caused an explosion. While Wilson survived the explosion, it's said that she still haunts that room. Incidentally, this is the room where Stephen King slept when he had the nightmare that inspired him to write "The Shining." 

While some hotels don't want to talk about their haunted history, Stanley Hotel leans into it, hosting late-night séances and events with paranormal investigators. Ghosts and nightmares aside, Stanley Hotel is a four-star hotel with a view of the Rocky Mountains. Since Stanley Hotel has made its more "spirited" rooms with higher paranormal activity a separate bookable category, you can book the ones you're most comfortable with. 

The iconic Hotel Roosevelt dates back to 1927 and hosted the first-ever Academy Awards in 1929. The legendary Hollywood hotel has also hosted many celebrities from Marilyn Monroe to Charlie Chaplin but it seems like some of them loved it so much they never left, even though they did not die at the hotel. Guests have reported seeing Marilyn Monroe in her favorite room, suite 1200. Some also say Montgomery Clift haunts room 928 and a five-year-old girl named Caroline can be seen around the hotel, wearing a pink jacket. The spirit of actor Errol Flynn also supposedly still roams the hotel. 

What drew the celebrities here in the first place still draws travelers today. The four-star hotel offers spacious guest rooms with Malin+Goetz toiletries. Some of the rooms offered here include the beautiful midcentury-modern cabana rooms near the pool and the individually decorated suites. The Marilyn Monroe suite is sleek, with a large white leather daybed that brightens up the room. Hollywood Roosevelt also has some great dining options, including Shirley Brasserie and the cocktail lounge with vintage bowling lanes, The Spare Room. 

Coronado Island is the crowning jewel of America's finest city — San Diego — and is best known for the historic Hotel Del Coronado. In fact, San Diego is also home to one of America's most storied haunted houses. When the hotel opened in 1888, it was the largest resort in the world. In the 20th century, there were enough reports of unnatural phenomena that the hotel hired a paranormal investigator in 1992. The result? There were quite a few happenings that could not be scientifically explained. 

The most haunted room at the hotel is said to be room 3327. The story goes that in 1892 a young woman checked into the hotel under a false name and five days later took her own life with a handgun. Her real name was Kate Morgan, and she was found in room 3327 (which was room 302 back then). She's not the only ghost who seems to be haunting Hotel Del, though. Another room is said to be haunted by a mistress of one of the previous hotel owners.

Hotel Del Coronado remains a desirable beach resort destination to this day, in part because it's one of the rare places in California with a private beach club. This beachfront locale is a four-star hotel that still maintains a 4.5 Google rating. 

Located in New York City, Hotel Chelsea was built between 1883 and 1885. It has hosted many famous names, especially artists and musicians, from Andy Warhol to Bob Dylan with many of them immortalizing the location in songs. It wasn't just a haunt for the creative types — many macabre happenings have occurred here and the hotel is also said to be one of the most haunted places in NYC. One of the most famous incidents was when Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen were staying there in October of 1978, and Spungen was found stabbed to death in the hotel bathroom. Other stories involve a woman cutting off her own hand and leaping off a fifth-story window and an artist who shot himself after he was robbed. 

There are stories of guests who asked to switch rooms after seeing, hearing, or feeling things. Lights go on and off. All the stories did not deter the hotel from becoming one of the best hotels in the city, though. Concierge service and beautiful marble bathrooms are just some of the things that make this hotel highly rated. The hotel was awarded one Michelin Key (the new Michelin hotel awards similar to their restaurant star system) and has a near-perfect five-star rating on TripAdvisor. 

Taking a ghost tour in New Orleans is a must, so why not stay at a haunted hotel while you're in town as well? The Bourbon Orleans Hotel started as the Orleans Theatre & Ballroom which first opened in 1815, although that original building was completely destroyed by a fire in 1816. It was rebuilt in 1817. In the late 1800s, the building was converted into a convent, girl's school, and orphanage run by the Sisters of the Holy Family. Apparitions of children assumed to be from this period of the hotel's life, are commonly reported. In 1964, the property was sold and it was then converted into a hotel. 

The hotel is also said to be haunted by a Confederate soldier and the ballroom is haunted by a woman seen dancing under the chandeliers. If apparitions don't bother you, Bourbon Orleans Hotel is a good choice for your next New Orleans trip, as it's conveniently located in the French Quarter. TripAdvisor reviewers noted the comfortable beds and the friendly staff here. 

The Marshall House is the oldest operating hotel in Savannah, first opened in 1851. Savannah itself is a city known for its spooky legends (making it perfect for a Halloween vacation) and The Marshall House is one of the most haunted spots in this city. 

The ghost rumors mostly arose from when the hotel was used as a hospital during the yellow fever epidemic in the mid-1800s. It was again used as a Union hospital during the Civil War. Flickering lights, faucets that turn on and off, ghosts of amputee soldiers, and the sounds of children playing are just some of the eerie happenings reported here. 

The Marshall House underwent extensive renovations and reopened as a hotel in 1999. Since then, the hotel has been voted the best boutique hotel in Savannah and has a 9.6 rating on Hotels.com. The amenities offered at the hotel include a hot breakfast, wine reception in the evening, and nightly entertainment. 

The Davenport Hotel recently celebrated its 110th anniversary and the long history came with a few stories. The most well-known ghost story at this hotel involves a young woman from New York named Ellen McNamara. In 1920, she fell through a skylight, crashing into the lobby. It's believed that her fall was accidental, as at the time the hotel had French-style doors on the third floor that led to the skylight. Her last words before she died were, "Where did I go?" When the hotel reopened in 2002, there were reports of guests encountering a woman in a white 1920s gown muttering "Where did I go?" Some also say that Louis Davenport, the founder of the Davenport Hotel itself, still haunts the hotel to make sure everything is running up to his standards. 

Ghosts aside, the historical details of the hotel have been beautifully restored, with an impressive lobby and elaborately decorated ballrooms (some staff members have reported hearing music in the ballrooms while they were cleaning.) The guest rooms are all equipped with The Davenport's plush, custom-made signature beds that this writer can personally confirm are very comfortable. 

One of the oldest hotels in California, Holbrooke Hotel started as the Golden Gate Saloon, built in 1852. Built during the Gold Rush, the hotel has had many famous guests in the past, from Mark Twain to multiple U.S. presidents. Some guests are more infamous, such as the outlaw Black Bart, who's said to still haunt the room named after him. The ghost that's said to haunt room number nine, on the other hand, would help unpack your bags. Rumor also has it that the most haunted spot in the hotel is the women's bathroom in the basement, next to their bar, The Iron Door.

The Holbrooke Hotel reopened after extensive renovations in 2020 after the property was acquired by Acme Hospitality Group. The renovated hotel offers beautifully appointed and individually decorated rooms that stay true to the historic past, but are equipped with all the modern comforts. Every so often, the hotel offers a Haunted by History tour, led by their resident historian who will regale guests with both true accounts of history and haunted tales. 

Santa Fe in New Mexico is not only the oldest state capital in the U.S. but it's also home to one of the country's most haunted hotels. The hotel even offers ghost tour packages so guests can explore the haunted history of not just La Fonda but of Santa Fe. 

The building that La Fonda on the Plaza now occupies was first built in 1922 and was expanded later in the same decade, taking on more Native American and Spanish design influences that we now associate with Santa Fe. The most well-known ghost story at La Fonda is about a guest who reported hearing heavy footsteps from the hallway. When an employee went to investigate, he saw a man in a long black coat who then just vanished. It's thought that the man was the ghost of a judge who was killed during an argument in the hotel lobby. 

La Fonda has won multiple awards since its reopening and is ranked as the 6th best hotel in Santa Fe on TripAdvisor with reviewers noting its convenient location and well-appointed rooms.

The Emily Morgan Hotel is considered one of the most haunted hotels in the country, and the story starts even before the hotel was built. You see, the hotel is located right across the street from the Alamo so the grounds the hotel sits on were part of the site of the Battle of the Alamo where over 600 men died. It doesn't stop there, though. 

The hotel's Gothic Revival building was first built as a Medical Arts Building, housing doctor's offices and a hospital, another prime breeding ground for ghost stories. The hotel's website noted some mysterious occurrences that have been reported over the years including unnatural reflections in mirrors, apparitions of a nurse, faint whispers in room 810, and more. 

While it still keeps the Emily Morgan name, this beautiful historic hotel is now actually a DoubleTree hotel so you can expect the DoubleTree signature beds, bathrobes, a 24-hour fitness center, and of course, the famous complimentary cookies when you check-in. 

The Biltmore Hotel is located in this underrated Florida area, bustling with art and architecture like Italy, and opened in 1926. It is also a registered National Historic Landmark. The hotel was considered highly fashionable during the Jazz Age and hosted famous personalities from Bing Crosby to Al Capone. President Franklin D. Roosevelt even set up a temporary White House at the hotel while he was vacationing. 

The ghost rumors at the hotel started pretty early on. Most famously, in 1929, a New York mobster named Thomas "Fatty" Walsh was shot on the 13th floor and his ghost is said to still haunt the floor. During World War II, the hotel was transformed into a military hospital and there have been reports of people seeing figures in hospital gowns or soldier uniforms. 

Just like during its heyday, the Biltmore remains one of the best luxury hotels in South Florida with its spacious, jewel-toned guest rooms, one of the most luxurious pools around the world, and a legendary golf course. 

The Hay-Adams got its name because the hotel sits on the site where the homes of Secretary of State John Hay and historian Henry Adams (and descendant of John Quincy Adams) once stood. The hotel was built in 1927 in the Italian-Renaissance style, but the ghost tale goes back to the period before.  

The Hay-Adams is said to be haunted by Henry Adam's wife, Marian "Clover" Hooper Adams, who committed suicide in their house before the hotel was built. People have reported sightings of Clover, followed by a scent of almonds. Clover had committed suicide by ingesting cyanide, which smells like almonds. 

In 2001, the hotel underwent a $20 million renovation and reopened in 2002. Since its reopening, the Hay-Adams has been named one of the best hotels in D.C. and the world by various travel publications. The five-star luxury hotel is also part of The Leading Hotels of the World. President Obama and his family stayed at the Hay-Adams for two weeks before his inauguration, so the hotel is evidently President-worthy.