Top 10 Haunted Hotel Spas to Scare the Stress Away

Top 10 Haunted Hotel Spas

We dare you to visit these fab haunts, where guests check in…but do they check out?

There’s nothing spookier than hearing a scary ghost story or frightening yourself with a horror movie, especially during the Halloween season. If you like haunted houses, we’ll do you one better: Get spooked at one of these haunted hotels and resorts, where ghosts — Sam the Bellman, Mary Todd Lincoln, Napoleon III, etc. — have been said to make their presence known, lingering in the lobby, running through the hallways, riding the elevator or playing the piano. Hey, these hotel/resort spas are so fabulous, we wouldn’t want to leave either!

Photo supplied by 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, Eureka Springs Arkansas

The Equinox – Manchester Village, VT

History repeats itself at this luxury golf resort and spa, where rumor has it Mary Todd Lincoln’s spirit haunts certain floors of the south wing.

Photos courtesy of The Equinox

Hotel Galvez & Spa – Galveston, TX

Rumors have long circulated about mysterious incidents at the “Queen of the Gulf” property: Hotel staff seeking refuge here following Hurricane Ike reported seeing apparitions, and former tales at the spa include one of the salon stylists hearing a toilet flush repeatedly; when she called out, “Hello, it’s just me,” she heard children giggling, an incident that was included in Extreme Bathrooms on the Travel Channel. Other eerie encounters include bride-to-be Audra, who would stay in Room 501 while waiting for her mariner fiancé; she later hanged herself in the west turret upon receiving news that his ship sunk (a few days later, he arrived at the hotel).

Photo courtesy of Hotel Galvez and Spa

Hotel Monteleone – New Orleans, LA

New Orleans can arguably be called one of the most haunted cities—and the mystique of its French Quarter creates the perfect setting for a bit of old-fashioned spookiness. For generations, guests and staff of the luxury Hotel Monteleone (a local haunt for Truman Capote, Ernest Hemingway and Anne Rice) have reported such experiences as a locked restaurant door opening and closing almost every evening, and an elevator that transports people to the wrong floor where a chilly hallway exposes ghostly images of children playing.

Photo courtesy of Hotel Monteleone

The Stanley Hotel – Estes Park, CO

Sound familiar? You’d be hard-pressed to find a haunted hotels list that doesn’t include The Stanley Hotel, the location of Stephen King’s The Shining. It’s also the setting of several supposed ghost sightings (only happy ghosts, the hotel insists!) like former guests F.O. and Flora Stanley; F.O. strolls the lobby, while Flora tickles the ivories of her piano in the Music Room.

Photo courtesy of The Stanley Hotel

The Fairmont Banff Springs – Alberta, Canada

We’re not talking about Casper the Friendly Ghost here, but Sam the Bellman, a former employee/current apparition who supposedly still calls the hotel home, does come to the aid of guests who get locked out of their room — all while decked out in his work uniform garb.

Photo courtesy of The Fairmont Banff Springs

The Langham, London – London, UK

Don’t be spooked if you stay here — the 147-year-old Langham has, after all, been called one of England’s most haunted hotels, hosting up to seven ghosts, so you shouldn’t be surprised. Spirits include French emperor Napoleon III, who allegedly haunts the basement; a Victorian doctor who committed suicide after murdering his new bride while they honeymooned at the hotel; and another Victorian-era ghost, with legs cut off two feet below the ground, who haunts Room 333 (theories suggest he lost part of his limbs when the floors were raised following the installation of central heating pipes).

Photos courtesy of The Langham, London

1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa – Eureka Springs, AR

The 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa is not for scaredy pants — it’s been considered “America’s Most Haunted Hotel” by sites like Yahoo.com and TripAdvisor.com and is famous for “guests who check out but never leave.” This Historic Hotels of America property (which arranges nightly ghost tours) is haunted by Michael, an Irish stonesmason who fell to his death while helping build the hotel in 1885; Norman Baker dressed in a white suit and lavender shirt; and even Morris the cat.

Photo supplied by 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, Eureka Springs Arkansas

Spa at The Del – Hotel del Coronado – San Diego, CA

Hotel del Coronado is famously haunted by the spirit of Kate Morgan, a young woman who checked into the property under an assumed name November 24, 1892…and has yet to check out. Nicknamed “beautiful stranger,” for the lack of information known about her, Kate’s suicide at the hotel became widespread news and remains a mystery.

Photo courtesy of Hotel del Coronado

Castle Leslie and the Victorian Spa – Glaslough, Ireland

Legend has it Norman Leslie, who was to inherit Castle Leslie Estate, appeared on the castle terrace in broad daylight one week before he was killed in 1914 on France’s battlefields (he’s also been seen shuffling through letters in the Red Room). The fear factor amps up with a stay in Norman’s Room, where the four-poster bed dating back to 1607 (and imported from Brede Place, the most haunted house in England) has been said to levitate its sleeping occupants.

Photos courtesy of Castle Leslie

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