With histories steeped in conflict, tragedy and intrigue, there are some fabulously spooky hotels, castles and inns around the world. Read on and discover the creepiest places to stay where things very much go bump in the night.
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Karosta Prison, Latvia
With a dark past as a military prison used by both the Nazis and Soviet military, it’s not surprising that Latvia’s Karosta Prison is still the site for some spooky goings-on. Curious guests can check-in to the foreboding building and see if they’ll come face-to-face with any of the thousands of inmates who died within these bleak walls. It’s a far from luxury experience with sleeping quarters in the cells and convincing actors doling out tasks as prison officers. So whether the spooks show up or not, guests are in for a rough night.
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Karosta Prison Hotel, Latvia
All overnight visitors have to sign a release form before interring themselves in the notorious prison for the night to consent to being treated as a prisoner. The red-brick building dates back to 1900 and was first used as an infirmary before being commandeered by the Nazis and later the Soviets, who sentenced many Latvian deserters to death here. Now the creepy prison-themed hotel embraces the building’s murky past for tourists looking for an extreme adventure. Ghost tours are usually also available.
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Toftaholm Herrgård, Sweden
Lapped by Lake Vidöstern, this former 14th-century manor house in southern Sweden looks perfectly idyllic. But as with many historic hotels, it’s riddled with rumors of spooky goings-on. Numerous guests have reported hearing chilling noises at night and seeing windows seemingly open by themselves. Rumor has it that the charming hotel is haunted by the ghost of a young man who hung himself here after his love, the daughter of the baron who owned the house, was forced to marry another.
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Toftaholm Herrgård, Sweden
A man called Jöns Skötta first founded Toftaholm, turning it into a manor house when he became nobility. It was later turned into a fort by his grandson and became part of Sweden’s defense system against Denmark. According to legend, there is an underground passage from the fort to the northern wing of the manor house. Today, the hotel lures visitors with its country house charm and lovely lakeside spa, but it also capitalizes on its creepy past by hosting regular murder mystery evenings.
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1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, USA
Often cited as the most haunted hotel in America, the 1886 Crescent in the Ozark Mountains has a grisly history. The building was originally opened as a hotel in the spa town of Eureka Springs but was transformed into Baker’s Cancer Curing Hospital in 1937. Norman Baker, a former magician with zero medical training, claimed to be able to treat cancer patients here. Unfortunately, many perished under Baker’s pseudo-care and now reportedly wander around the hotel.
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1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, USA
It’s said that the spirits of Baker’s wronged patients stalk the hotel’s long halls along with nurses, whose ghostly figures have been seen pushing gurneys toward the basement. It was used as a morgue at one time. An intriguing archive of the historic property’s past is kept on the fourth floor. Typically 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa runs regular ghost tours of the property, including the basement where an autopsy table still sits – check here for current availability.
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Bourbon Orleans Hotel, USA
A proliferation of phantoms have been spotted prowling around the grand rooms and halls of French Quarter grande dame, the Bourbon Orleans Hotel. It’s not surprising the hotel has a certain ambience given it has a history stretching back some 300 years. In this time the building has been used as a ballroom, theater, convent and orphanage so there’s plenty of stories steeped into its walls.
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Bourbon Orleans Hotel, USA
One of its most poignant spooky tales is the little girl who’s been seen rolling a ball and chasing it down the sixth-floor corridors. She’s thought to have been a victim of the yellow fever epidemic that struck New Orleans when the hotel was used as a convent and orphanage.
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Bourbon Orleans Hotel, USA
There’s also the solitary dancing ghost who has been seen in the hotel’s famous Orleans Ballroom (pictured), which hosted some of the city’s grandest social events in the 19th century, and the Confederate soldier who’s sometimes spotted on the sixth and third floors. The Bourbon Orleans hasn’t shied away from its paranormal past, opening its doors to ghost hunters on guided tours of the Big Easy’s creepiest sites.
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The Marshall House, USA
Historic Savannah is one of the most haunted cities in America so it stands to reason that its oldest hotel, The Marshall House, is shrouded in eerie tales. Human bones were reportedly discovered under the floorboards during extensive renovations of the handsome heritage hotel, which first opened in 1851. They were most probably the amputated limbs of soldiers from when Marshall House was occupied by Union troops between 1864–65 and used as a hospital.
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The Marshall House, USA
It also housed patients through two yellow fever epidemics. Many guests have reported seeing a Union soldier roaming about and hearing the light steps of children running down its long, narrow halls at night. Taps have also been seen turning on by themselves.
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The Marshall House, USA
Despite the unnerving nocturnal noises, it’s a beautiful spot in the heart of Savannah’s old quarter. Many of the building’s original 19th-century features remain and rooms are dotted with antiques, including some with gorgeous claw-foot tubs. The hotel’s stunning wrought-iron balcony is a replication of its original veranda and a great vantage point for watching life go by in Georgia’s oldest city. Discover more of the most haunted hotels in America.
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Lord Milner Hotel, South Africa
Built by a Scotsman called James Logan in 1884 and named after the governor of the Cape at the time, the Lord Milner Hotel is reportedly riddled with spooks and specters. The stunning building was used as a military hospital during the Anglo-Boer War with its turrets functioning as enemy lookouts. The hotel apparently has a long-staying resident ghost nurse from this era called Katie who likes to play cards at night in her room.
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Lord Milner Hotel, South Africa
On the other hand, the ghost of Lucy – who died here during the Anglo-Boer war – likes to roam around. She’s fond of rattling guests’ door knobs at night. Lady Milner, meanwhile, is also often seen wafting about the place in her long white dress. Aside from intriguing tales, the historic hotel is also a little gem of a place to stay to experience the old-world atmosphere of the Victorian-era town of Matjiesfontein. The small heritage-listed spa town sits on the edge of South Africa’s vast and lonely Karoo region. The hotel is currently only open for domestic tourists.
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Ballygally Castle, Northern Ireland
Surveying the golden sands of Ballygally Bay and the wild Irish Sea, this commanding 17th-century castle has all of the right ingredients for a haunted pile. First built in 1625 by Scotsman James Shaw, Ballygally Castle in County Antrim has had a turbulent history. It’s thought that some stones used in the building were plundered from the ancient Cairn Castle, which once stood on nearby rocks. Whether that’s true or not the sturdy baronial-style castle, which was built with defense in mind, was targeted during the 1641 uprising and came under attack when the Gaelic Irish rose against the English and Scottish settlers.
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Ballygally Castle, Northern Ireland
Today Ballygally Castle is renowned as one of the most haunted places in Northern Ireland. A regular ghostly visitor is thought to be Lady Isabella, wife of James. Legend has it she plunged to her death while trying to escape from being locked up in the tower. Curious guests can try to catch a glimpse of the tragic wraith in the Ghost Room, found at the top of one of the turrets in the oldest part of the castle. But no one is allowed to stay overnight in the tower. Another playful ghost is known for knocking on bedroom doors late at night and for the faint rustling of her silk dress in the corridors.
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Ballygally Castle, Northern Ireland
Peppered with period features and with original beamed ceilings, Ballygally’s tower rooms are the best place to get a feel for the hotel’s history. They lie off a stone spiral staircase that rises from the castle’s original entrance (which bears James and Isabella’s initials and coat of arms). This real-life haunted castle usually runs spooky sleepovers in October which include a special Halloween afternoon tea.
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Ettington Park Hotel, England
Guests may be in for some unexpected company when sipping their aperitif on the veranda in this grand Warwickshire hotel. Lady Emma, the country pile’s most frequently spotted ghost, likes to lurk about here at dusk. Thought to be the ghost of a former governess at the manor house, she’s also known to glide along the corridors of Ettington Park Hotel at night in her long white gown before vanishing into the walls.
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Ettington Park Hotel, England
The imposing 19th-century neo-Gothic mansion, which was built on the site of an earlier manor house in the pretty Stour Valley, sits on a very ancient site – archaeological evidence suggests a Roman villa used to be here. Owned by one of Warwickshire’s oldest families for years, the Shirleys, Ettington Park became a nursing home in 1935 and later a prisoner of war camp. After an extensive fire in 1979, the building was derelict for several years before being restored and reopening as a hotel in the 1980s.
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Ettington Park Hotel, England
It’s not surprising that with such an intriguing past, the house is surrounded by tales of ghostly goings-on. Sightings include the apparition of a monk both inside and within the hotel’s extensive grounds, which feature an old and spooky Norman chapel, and two young boys from the Shirley family who drowned in the nearby Stour River in the 1800s.
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Hotel Burchianti, Italy
The age-old city of Florence is steeped in atmosphere and intriguing tales with more than its fair share of paranormal presences. Visitors with a penchant for ghost stories adore staying at the historic lodgings of Hotel Burchianti. Based in the old area of San Lorenzo and just steps from the Duomo and Santa Maria Novella, the boutique hotel used to be part of a Florentine palace that belonged to the old noble Castiglioni family. Many beautiful restored 15th-century frescoes still decorate its walls.
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Hotel Burchianti, Italy
For all its warmth and period charm, Hotel Burchianti has also been the site of some downright chilling goings-on. Past guests have reported seeing children skipping down the halls, an old woman knitting in a chair and the ghostly figure of maid doing her chores in the early hours. It’s also rumored that the Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini once stayed here. Take a look at these abandoned hotels you won’t want to stay in.
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Ruthin Castle Hotel & Spa, Wales
With stone lions guarding its doors and preening peacocks roaming its parklands, this formidable fort in north Wales makes for a grand getaway. But it’s also steeped in grim and dastardly tales of bloody battles and betrayals. Originally known as The Red Castle in the Great Marsh, it was built for King Edward I in 1277 by Dafydd, brother of Prince Llewellyn ap Gryyudd. Edward granted Dafydd the stronghold in return for his help in controlling the Welsh. However, Dafydd was later executed for high treason having been captured for Edward by Reginald de Grey, to whom Ruthin Castle was then passed on to.
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Ruthin Castle Hotel & Spa, Wales
Among the 13th-century ruins of the original castle are the remains of its dungeons, a drowning pool and whipping pit. As well as harrowing tales of tortured prisoners, it’s said the spurned specter of Lady Grey has haunted the halls, chambers and battlements of Castle Ruthin ever since she was put to death for murdering her husband’s mistress. Other spectral sightings reported by guests of the now gentile country escape include the shadowy figures of a little girl and a soldier. The hotel is currently closed due to local lockdowns but check the website for updates.
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Jekyll Island Club Resort, USA
The Jekyll Island Club was founded by members of an incorporated hunting and recreational club who bought the barrier island in 1886. The exclusive private island retreat flourished during the early 20th century and counted America’s wealthiest families among its members including the Morgans, Rockefellers and Vanderbilts. It was quite the place to be for decades but the elite retreat fell on hard times during the Great Depression and the Second World War. It was purchased by the state of Georgia in 1948 and opened as a park. The hotel’s clubhouse was bought and reopened as the lavish Jekyll Island Club Resort in 1987.
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Jekyll Island Club Resort, USA
The hotel and wider historic isle, which has National Historic Landmark District status, are said to be rife with lingering spirits. One of its most famous ghost stories involves the son of club member and railway magnate Edwin Gould who was shot and died in a hunting accident in 1917. He always took roses to his grandma who lived in Cherokee Cottage (pictured) where the scent of flowers is said to linger in the air at dusk, the time he died. The hotel is said to be haunted by a bellman who is mostly seen on the second floor. There’s an annual ghost-hunt weekend for true believers, with tours led by a paranormal researcher.
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The Jamaica Inn, England
This isolated old coaching inn on Cornwall’s bleak and treacherous Bodmin Moor claims to be one of England’s most haunted pubs. Horses’ hooves are often heard late at night on Jamaica Inn’s cobblestones and a man in a tricorne hat has been witnessed striding through doors. Strange voices can sometimes be heard whispering about the place too, in what’s thought to be old Cornish.
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The Jamaica Inn, England
The historic inn, which was built in 1750, was also one of the West Country’s most notorious smuggling spots, used as a base for taking contraband through the moorland tunnels that are said to run beneath Bodmin Moor. It was where Daphne du Maurier set her novel of the same name about Cornish pirates and smugglers. The inn has a fascinating smugglers museum on site which documents murderous tales of Cornwall’s wreckers and contains the author’s original writing desk.
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The Stanley Hotel, USA
Immersed in the wilds of Colorado’s Estes Park, the secluded Stanley Hotel opened in 1909 as a grand mountain retreat for wealthy urbanites. It still draws guests with its old-world charm – its grand lobby has vast fireplaces, an elegant staircase and original ornate brass elevator – but it’s also a magnet for ghost hunters. Famous as the inspiration for Stephen King’s haunted hotel in The Shining, this Colorado institution has spooky stories by the book-full.
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The Stanley Hotel, USA
Room 217 is where King and his wife stayed one snowy night (sparking his idea for the book’s ominous Overlook Hotel) and what’s said to be the most haunted bedroom in the entire building. A housekeeper who perished on the hotel grounds is said to lurk here. Other favorites with ghost-spotters are rooms 401, 407, 428 and 1302.
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The Stanley Hotel, USA
The heritage hotel runs night tours where thrill-seeking guests can get thoroughly spooked by tales of the hotel’s many paranormal sightings. Tours are currently restricted to 10 people with masks required. The fourth floor in particular is said to be oppressive with the presence of spirits. It’s where the children of wealthy guests used to stay with their nannies and the faint sound of balls bouncing down the hallway and ghostly giggles can be heard in the dead of night. Guests can calm their nerves with a Redrum Punch in the Whiskey Bar (pictured).
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The Mermaid Inn, England
An old smuggler’s inn set on one of the oldest streets in medieval Rye, The Mermaid Inn has a turbulent history that can be traced back to 1156. It’s no surprise then that it’s a contender for being one of Britain’s most haunted hotels. With its wonky rooms, creaking floorboards, secret stairways and hidden compartments, the characterful spot on cobbled Mermaid Lane is the perfect place for spooky tales to fester. Its beamed lounge even has carvings made by Catholic priests hiding out here during the Reformation. Check out the UK’s most adorable small towns and villages.
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The Mermaid Inn, England
The Elizabethan bedchamber, or room 16, seems to be a hotbed of paranormal activity with numerous guests reporting seeing ghostly figures fighting a duel. The winner allegedly throws the loser down the oubliette (secret tunnel or chamber) in the corner of the room, which leads to the bar downstairs. Other spooky tales surround Kingsmill, room 17, which goes terribly cold and the rocking chair rocks for no apparent reason – a sight that once saw chambermaids refuse to clean the room unless in pairs.
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Q Station Retreat, Australia
The former quarantine station on Sydney harbor’s North Head might have a beautiful location but it has been the site of some horrific events. Built in 1832 to quarantine early immigrants afflicted by disease, the notorious station was a place of horror for many and is said to be one of Australia’s most haunted buildings. Close to 600 inhabitants died here from scarlet fever, smallpox, typhoid, cholera or Spanish influenza. Take a look at these haunting photos of abandoned sacred places.
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Q Station Retreat, Australia
Q Station Retreat runs a host of ghost tours for people hoping to witness paranormal activities around its network of eerie buildings. As they listen to harrowing tales of its patients, guests are led on lantern-lit tours through the former hospital, shower block, morgue and gravedigger’s cottage buildings. The old doctor and nurse quarters are used as lodgings on the monthly “Ghostly Sleepover” nights or there is spook-free hotel accommodation on “healthy ground”. Accor Hotels has transformed some of the National Heritage-listed buildings – including the rooms for wealthy guests and staff quarters – into elegant rooms, suites and cottages.
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Lumley Castle, England
Hidden behind the sturdy high walls and battlements of this imposing 14th-century castle in County Durham lurk some hair-raising stories. Its network of creaky corridors and rambling halls are apparently haunted by the ghost of poor Lily Lumley. She’s said to have secretly married Sir Ralph Lumley (who converted his ancestral home into the castle), before being thrown down a well to her death by two priests after she refused the Catholic faith. Now her forlorn figure stalks Lumley Castle’s corridors. As does the figure of another ghostly presence known simply as Black Jack.
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Lumley Castle, England
Aside from these grisly goings on, the heritage property is a sumptuous place to stay with interiors fit for a medieval lord: all tapestries and candelabras, velvet furnishings, four-poster beds, old portraits and crackling fireplaces. With local lockdown restrictions currently in place in County Durham, all guests at Lumley Castle will be asked to confirm that they come from the same household or support bubble.
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Fairmont Banff Springs, Canada
The majestic and isolated mountain getaway of Fairmont Banff Springs in Canada’s Rocky Mountains has more than its fair share of unnerving tales. Most of its ghosts are said to lurk around the public areas rather than bedrooms, although most of them are friendly, especially the spirit of Sam the bellman. The long-time employee of the hotel is said to still greet some guests decked out in period dress.
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Fairmont Banff Springs, Canada
Then there’s the lingering spirit of the doomed 1930s bride whose dress allegedly caught on fire from a candle as she made her way down a winding stone staircase to celebrate her wedding in the hotel’s grand ballroom. Her tragic specter has been seen moving up and down the stairs and floating around the ballroom in her wedding gown. The hotel’s resident historian has all the tales.
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Fairmont Banff Springs, Canada
A National Historic Site of Canada and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the hotel was built in 1888 and was one of the country’s first grand railway mountain hotels. After the original wooden building burnt down in 1926, it was rebuilt in a Scottish baronial style. With its high ceilings, maze of halls and remote location amid the wilderness of Banff National Park, it’s easy to see how people’s imaginations can run riot in this rambling hotel.
