Most everyone has stayed in a hotel at some time. Have you ever stopped to think about all the things that could have happened in the hotel you stayed in? A hotel room is not the same as your bedroom at home. People from many different walks of life have slept there. Did all of them leave the room alive? Just think, the last occupant of your room could have been a thief, a bank robber, a kidnapper, or a murderer. Possibly a smuggler, a bootlegger, or a gangster used this room as a hideout. Maybe several people who have inhabited this room had evil spirits residing in them, and some of these spirits could have stayed behind. Just how safe are you in this strange room? Before you settle into the bed at night, before you snuggle underneath the covers, you might want to have a look around for mysterious bloodstains or strange items that have been left behind.
Here is a list of some of the haunted hotels in the United States. Stephen King was inspired while staying in the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. Perhaps you will find some inspiration in one of them too. I share a bit about some of the hotels, but not all of them. Why not see what you can discover about each of these places? Each one is full of ideas for stories.
The Victoria Inn in Anniston, Alabama
The Rawls Hotel in Enterprise, Alabama
Silverbow Inn in Juneau, Alaska
Golden North Hotel in Skagway, Alaska
Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee, Arizona is haunted by a prostitute who committed suicide.
The Jerome Grand Hotel in Jerome, Arizona was built as a hospital in 1926, so you can imagine how many ghosts it would inhabit.
Basin Park Hotel in Eureka Spring, Arkansas
Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas could be America's most haunted hotel.
Hotel de Coronado in San Diego, California
The Queen Mary Hotel in San Diego, California
Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colorado
Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado is where Stephen King wrote part of The Shining. If you happen to be one of his fans, you can request room 217, the room he stayed in. The ghosts in the hotel are not supposed to be as evil as the ones in his book though.
The Lighthouse Inn Resort in New London, Connecticut is haunted by two Victorian women.
Homespun Farm B & B in Griswold, Connecticut
The Addy Sea Inn in Bethany Beach, Delaware
David Finney Inn in New Castle, Delaware
Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida
Casablanca Inn in St. Augustine, Florida
17Hundred90 Inn in Savannah, Georgia is Savannah's oldest and most haunted inn.
The Marshall House in Savannah, Georgia
Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii
Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort in Oahu is supposed to be haunted by Pele, the volcano goddess.
Owyhee Plaza Hotel in Boise, Idaho
The Bates Motel in Couer d'Alene, Idaho is not the one from the movie Psycho, but there has been a bit of ghostly activity.
Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago, Illinois is the largest and most haunted hotel in the city.
Mineral Springs Hotel in Alton, Illinois
The Story Inn in Nashville, Indiana
Baums Bridge Inn in Kouts, Indiana is haunted by an elderly man who hates it when people invade his space.
The Mason House Inn in Bentonsport, Iowa
Blackhawk Hotel in Davenport, Iowa
The Beaumont Hotel in Beaumont, Kansas is haunted by a cowboy named Zeke.
The Midland Railroad Hotel in Wilson, Kansas
The Old Talbott Bed & Breakfast in Bardstown, Kentucky
The Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, Kentucky
Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Louisiana
Provincial Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana
Carriage House Inn in Seasport, Maine is supposed to be haunted by two ghosts, each of whom met an untimely death.
Tides Inn By-the-Sea Inn in Kennebunkport, Maine – This inn's resident ghost is Emma Foss, the lady who had the inn designed.
The Lord Baltimore Hotel inBaltimore, Maryland
Admiral Fell Inn in Fells Point, Maryland
The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast in Fall River, Massachusetts is the house where the Bordens were supposedly murdered by their daughter. It is now an inn, and guests are given a breakfast almost exactly like the Bordens ate on the morning of their infamous deaths.
Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts
The Holly Hotel in Holly, Michigan has plenty of ghosts, but there are three that are seen and heard the most. One of them is a little girl who died there. She likes to stay in the kitchen and play with the meat cleaver. When she isn't in the kitchen, she can be heard running up and down the hallways.
The Landmark Inn in Marquette, Michigan
Thayer's Historic B & B in Annandale, Minnesota
Palmer House Hotel in Sauk Centre, Minnesota
Monmouth Plantation in Natchez, Mississippi
Stained Glass Manor in Vicksburg, Mississippi
The Wall Street Inn in Springfield, Missouri
The Lemp Mansion Inn in St. Louis, Missouri – Mysterious sounds are heard, doors will lock and unlock on their own, and glasses will lift off the bar and fly through the air. There is a piano in the bar that will even play on its own.
