If tricks and treats aren’t enough to get you in the Halloween spirit, you may want to book yourself into one of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ most historic hotels around the world. These properties have had people coming and going out of their buildings for centuries, collecting legends and lore along the way.
Nearly a mile away from the Alamo stands the Holiday Inn Express San Antonio N-Riverwalk Area hotel, but in 1878 it was the Bexar County Jail, and some of its past residents have allegedly never left.
“I have been with the hotel for years, and I know of the alleged stories of those hearing whispers from down the hallway only to turn around to no one being there,” says Janice Flores, General Manager. “But I think the most bizarre encounter I have ever experienced was when a woman came to the front desk to show us a picture she had just taken. The image appeared to be of a tall gentleman resembling that of the former jail warden. And it was in that moment that I knew I dare not say that I don’t believe in ghosts anymore.”
And there are few places in the world with more haunting tales to tell than New Orleans, Louisiana.
Dubbed America’s most haunted city, it is also home to more haunted hotels than any other city in America. So, where better to stay than one of New Orleans’ most storied buildings? Crowne Plaza New Orleans French Quarter has a history going back to 1852 – a time when the city was plagued by yellow fever earning it the grim title, “City of The Dead.”
The hotel was originally an A. Schwartz & Son department store, later becoming a Woolworth’s. It continued in this capacity until the 1990s, though the building itself underwent significant renovations and reconfigurations. While it wasn’t until the new millennium that the property was transformed into the Crowne Plaza New Orleans French Quarter, hotel guests have reported encountering ominous energies, mysterious orbs, and apparitions in the historic Alexa Tower – part of the oldest section of the hotel. Not surprising for a city famous for its mystical arts, Voodoo queens, pirates, and yes, even professed vampires. If you’re on the hunt for a good haunt this season, the hotel is offering stays in the Alexa Tower along with 20 per cent off Ghost City tours this season.
However, if the tales of mythical beings aren’t spine-tingling enough for you – we have a stay that will hit a little closer to home (and where something more terrifying than political infighting can be found) at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in D.C.Â
More than 140 years ago, the Kimpton Hotel Monaco served as the city’s general post office. During the Civil War, the post office was where women would wait daily – desperate for a mail from their loved ones away at war. Legend has it that there is still one woman waiting.
Several years ago, a young woman dressed in a full-length Victorian outfit caught the attention of a construction worker doing renovations at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco. He said she looked anxious and was pacing back-and-forth in a courtyard area that was restricted to the public at that time. Seconds later, the woman simply vanished, turning the man’s curiosity into confusion, and having some claim the hotel is haunted by the war widow’s cries.
Now, haunted stories can sometimes just be a figment of our imaginations. And there is no better place to let your imagination run wild than InterContinental Mark Hopkins. Opened in 1926, the hotel is located at Number One Nob Hill on the site of the former 40-room mansion belonging to California businessman, Mark Hopkins. Unfortunately, Hopkins died before the house was finished in 1878. In 1906, the mansion was destroyed by the Great San Francisco Earthquake (along with several other homes). That site was eventually transformed into a luxury hotel featuring his namesake.
The hotel quickly became a part of San Francisco’s rich and colourful culture. Royalty, statesmen, political personalities, and celebrities with backgrounds as diverse as the places they come from a stay at the Mark Hopkins. One of its biggest attractions is the historic “Top of the Mark” lounge, situated on the building’s towering 19th floor.
During World War II, GIs would come to the lounge to have one last drink and take in the view before being shipped off. The northwest corner was even called the “Weeper’s Corner,” because the soldiers’ sweethearts would watch with tears in their eyes as the ships departed the bay carrying their loved ones off to war. InterContinental Mark Hopkins has seen so many different walks of life over time – there’s bound to be some eerie energy lingering around.
Across the pond, for those that prefer a not-so-spooky stay in an oh-so-spooky town, look no further than the Hotel Indigo Dundee in Scotland.
Transformed from a 200-year-old jute mill, the Hotel Indigo Dundee has a rich history dating back to 1822. The spinning mill, which was a first-of-its-kind, put Dundee on the map. But the textile industry and world trade are not the only things that put Dundee on the map. For years, the city has been the setting of ghoulish tales that would send shivers down anyone’s back.
One is that of William Henry Bury – who was suspected of being history’s most infamous serial killer, “Jack the Ripper.”
As the story goes, Bury killed his wife in Dundee shortly after the height of the London Whitechapel murders, which were attributed to the unidentified serial killer “Jack the Ripper.” Bury’s previous London home near Whitechapel and similarities between the Ripper’s crimes and his led the press to suggest he was the Ripper. He protested his innocence to the crimes, but after his execution in Dundee, “Jack the Ripper” never struck again.
While this theory is not a widely accepted one, Bury is accredited with bringing the age-old nightmare to the streets of Dundee where he is now – allegedly – laid to rest. So, while you may not have an encounter with things that go bump in the night while staying at Hotel Indigo Dundee, you can visit and investigate London’s oldest unsolved mystery.
But, then again, maybe you’re looking for somewhat of a fright. And what better than immersing yourself in the Middle Ages?
Close to the heart of Oxford, on the banks of the River Thames, lies voco Oxford Thames hotel. The earliest reference of the hotel goes back to the 12th century – meaning the hotel’s surroundings have quite a story to tell. Originally the headquarters of the Knights Templar, the house and its lands have been owned by notable religious figures, lords, and even kings throughout the centuries.
But perhaps one of the most interesting stories was that of the Powells – linking voco Oxford Thames to the infamous past of the Oxford Castle and prison. Like most castles, Oxford Castle has a long, complex history with ghost stories set in the building for centuries. You know, the classic reports of disembodied footsteps and other untraceable sounds? But it was that of a seminary priest that was quartered for treason in Oxford Castle that makes voco Oxford Thames a some-what supernatural stay. According to the hotel, his quarters were set on the four gates of the city, but one was stolen and secretly buried in the chapel of the manor house where the hotel stands today.
Of course, there is no telling whether or not you will experience any sort of encounter or ghostly aura, but if you’re in the mood for a bit of fright and fun this Halloween, spend an evening in one of IHG’s historic haunts.
