(picture credit: Forbes)
For those who have an interest in the paranormal, staying at a haunted hotel might be more relaxing than terrifying.
A fascination with the unknown drives many travellers to the most bone-chilling corners of the world. Sometimes it’s a lonely place with a violent or macabre past said to be haunted by the tormented souls of those killed there. Of all the eerie places around the world, and there are a lot of them, there is something extra chilling about haunted hotels. It could just be the influence of so many films and TV shows, but things going bump in the night seem to be even bumpier in a hall packed with sleeping strangers.
In an interview with the Financial Times, James Probert, director of marketing at Historic Houses which represents independently owned historic homes, Historic Houses is a not-for-profit organisation that represents more than 1,650 privately owned historic country house, castles and gardens throughout the UK said ghost tours and hotels are growing as a source of visitors and income. Having said that, those same haunted hotels can also be extremely luxurious, with more than just urban legends to get one’s heart thumping. From a chateau in France to a haunted hotel room, these are the places one should visit if they like being spooked.
Hoia-Baciu Forest, Romania
(picture credit: Haunted Happening))
From the moment a military technician captured a photograph of a UFO hovering over the forest in 1968, Hoia-Baciu has gained paranormal notoriety around the world, with some believing it to be a portal that causes visitors to disappear. Those who have passed through the forest without being zapped into another realm have reported rashes, nausea, and feelings of anxiety. Known as the “Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania” the spooky curved trees that populate the forest just add to the eerie atmosphere.
Chateau de Brissac, Brissac- Quince, France
(picture credit: Huffpost)
One of the tallest castles in all of France, the seven-story Chateau de Brissac is perhaps best known as the home of ‘The Green Lady’,” or the ghost of Charlotte of France. The chateau’s website tells the legend of Charlotte, the illegitimate daughter of King Charles VII, who was murdered by her husband after he discovered her having an affair. Named for the colour of her dress when she was killed, the Green Lady can be found roaming the chapel’s tower room and moaning in the early hours of the morning.
Stanley Hotel, Colorado, USA
(picture credit: ABC Action News)
The Stanley Hotel’s stately Georgian architecture and world-renowned whiskey bar have lured travellers to Estes Park since it opened in 1909, but the hotel reached new levels of fame after Stephen King, an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, and fantasy novels, who wrote The Shining after spending the night at The Stanley. Many believe owners FO Stanley and his wife Flora are the more prominent ghostly guests, often seen in the billiards room or making the music room’s piano play. In 1974, horror author Stephen King stayed in room 217 at the hotel and based his novel The Shining on the hotel. The hotel offers nightly ghost tours, an on-site psychic, and TVs that play thrillers on a continuous loop. They’ve even installed a miniature tree maze in the front of the property as a nod to the film especially The Shining. Guests can stay in one of several reportedly haunted guest rooms.
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
(picture credit: Visit Scotland)
One of the biggest attractions in Scotland’s capital city is also considered to be one of its most haunted. With sections dating back more than 900 years, the historic fortress’s ancient dungeons have led visitors to the castle to report sightings of colonial prisoners from the American Revolutionary War, French prisoners from the Seven Years War and even the ghost of a dog wandering the castle’s dog cemetery.
Fairmont Banff Spring Hotel, Canada
(picture credit: Yahoo)
Built-in 1888 to encourage tourism into the then undiscovered Wild West and to sell trains tickets, this chateau-style hotel sits in the Rocky Mountains in Banff National Park. It gets a tad more gothic once one gets inside and it is not about the architecture. Several ghosts have been reported as regulars, including a bride who supposedly fell down the stone staircase during her wedding. But there’s a less tragic spirit too like Sam the doorman, who worked at the hotel until 1975 and claimed he’d come back to haunt the joint. His spirit supposedly helps people with their bags before disappearing.
