13 Haunted Hotels You Can Still Stay In

Believed to be the most haunted hotel in Canada, the château-style Fort Garry was built between 1911 and 1913 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. At that time, Winnipeg was known as the "Chicago of the North," and the hotel's guest list included royalty, politicians and movie stars. It's a National Historic Site, and has been used as a film set (including 2005's Capote).

Any building with this much history is bound to have a ghost or two. Room 202 and the entire second floor are hubs of supernatural activity, and there are two leading stories told by guests at the Fort Garry. In one, a spirit woman dressed in a white ball gown has been spotted. This is believed to be the ghost of Lady McMillan who stayed at the hotel for its grand opening in 1913. The other story is far more tragic, with the ghost of a bride who died by suicide shortly after her wedding. She had sent her new husband out for headache pills when he was tragically killed, and although the exact way she died was never confirmed, her ghost waits on the bed for her husband to return.

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When you're the hotel that inspired one of Stephen King's greatest tales, you can be sure of some superior spectral activity. The Overlook Hotel in The Shining was based on the Stanley, a hotel that's included in the National Register of Historic Places, and located near Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.

Many guests have reported feeling the spirits of past guests as well as the founders of the hotel, Freelan Oscar and Flora Stanley, a couple who relocated from the East Coast to the Rocky Mountains when F.O. was struck with tuberculosis. Stephen King and his wife stayed in room 217, which became room 237 in his bestselling book. The hotel has fully embraced its spirited legacy, offering nighttime ghost tours of the property, and also hosting a horror film festival.

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Towering over Old Quebec is this historic building that celebrated its opening in 1893. Declared a National Historic Site in 1981, it was named for the Comte de Frontenac, Louis des Buade, who was the governor of New France. When he died, he requested that his heart be sent in a box to his fiancé in Europe. Consumed by sadness, she sent it back. Staff and guests alike have reported seeing the Comte wandering around the hotel looking for his soul mate. Some guests have also reported another ghost, a woman in white, who gets into bed with them.

Located right on Hollywood Boulevard in Tinseltown is the Hotel Roosevelt, the longest operating hotel in Los Angeles. Named for the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, it has been a playground for the rich and famous since it opened in 1927 and was the original location of the Oscars.

A couple of guests loved the hotel so much that they've been rumoured to be hanging around the property decades after their deaths. Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe has been seen in her suite, #1200, where she is said to appear in the mirrors. Actor Montgomery Clift has been spotted in room 928 where guests have stated that he prevented them from moving while on the bed, or that they've seen him pacing the hallway outside the room. Other ghost sightings include 5-year old Caroline who is constantly looking for her mom, and a male spirit who loves to play the piano.

The Fairmont Banff Springs in Alberta's Banff National Park is the luxury mountain resort that some guests loved so much that they never checked out. Several rooms are supposedly haunted, with guests reporting that their pillows have been yanked out from under them, or that some unseen force has pushed them out of bed. There is one specific room that's rumoured to be the location where an entire family was murdered. Past reports have included guests hearing screams or turning the light on to see bloody handprints, but if you go in search of the room, it's been sealed off.

The Banff Springs has two famous ghosts. First is The Bride, a young woman who died in her gown on her wedding day, either when she fell down one of the marble staircases to her death, or her dress caught on fire when it brushed against a candle. Guests and staff have seen a veiled woman moving up and down the stairs or dancing in the ballroom. The second resident ghost is Sam the Bellman, aka Sam McCauley, the old Scotsman who was the head bellman during the 60s and 70s. Guests claim that he's helped them get into rooms when keys wouldn't work.

A former hospital and psychiatric facility, the Hotel Parq Central is one of New Mexico's most haunted spots. The building opened as the Santa Fe Hospital in 1926, and treated employees of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway company. In the 1980s, it was renamed Memorial Hospital, and treated children and young adults with mental conditions. In 2010, it reopened as a hotel.

Rather than shy away from its history, the hotel has embraced the antique hospital aesthetic in its decor, complete with door hangers that read "Quarantine" instead of "Do Not Disturb" and "Nurse!" instead of "Housekeeping Please." I've actually stayed at the Parq Central, and while I didn't experience anything paranormal in my first floor room, I did hear guests at breakfast saying that something kept pulling their blankets off them in the middle of the night in their third floor room (which is the most reported activity). A female apparition has also been seen watching people in the hallways of the right wing's top floor.

The Algonquin Resort is listed as one of the most haunted places in New Brunswick, and they've embraced that reputation by offering ghost tours and a paranormal pub crawl. Located in coastal St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, the luxury resort with its spa, golf course, and fine dining attracts guests from all over the world each year.

One of the Algonquin's most famous ghosts is a bride who was left at the altar. She's been seen in room 473, heartbroken and sobbing, or looking out the windows of the tower — an area that has been closed for years. Another is the older man who shows guests to their rooms while telling them about the history of the hotel, and disappears when the guests turn around to tip him. There's also a watchman who roams the halls while jingling his keys, a woman who rearranges table settings in the dining room, and a child who laughs and plays throughout the hotel.

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One of the most famous hotels in Texas is also one of the most haunted. While The Driskill has hosted presidents and rock stars, it's also home to several ghostly guests. Opened in 1886, it was built by Colonel Jesse Driskill, a cattleman who spent his entire fortune on it, only to lose it in a card game two years later. Following his passing in 1890, his spirit returned to the hotel. The aroma of cigars often accompanies his appearances, which happens more frequently with female guests. His portrait also looms over the mezzanine stairs with eyes that look like they're following you.

One of the other famous ghosts is that of four-year-old Samantha Houston, the daughter of a US senator, who died when she tripped on the grand staircase while she was playing with a ball. Visitors have noted the sound of a girl's laughter and a bouncing ball, and a fourth floor painting that may be of Samantha has been reported to change facial expressions while others report feeling ill while looking at it. Another ghost is that of Mrs. Bridges, a front desk employee who was very dedicated to her job. She's often spotted in her Victorian garb, surrounded by the scent of roses, walking from the vault to the centre of the lobby.

The Hotel Vancouver first opened in 1939, and was among the grand Château-Style buildings constructed by the Canadian National Railway, and was the site of an annual Christmas ball that attracted the who's who in the early 20th Century. One of those attendees was Jennie Pearl Cox, a socialite who loved visiting the hotel along with her husband and daughter for its holiday celebration. When she and her family were killed in a car accident, Pearl returned to the Hotel Vancouver in her festive gown, and is known affectionately as the Lady in Red. Guests and staff have mostly seen her on the 14th floor, gliding down the hall and passing gracefully through the elevator doors. Disembodied footsteps and unusual sounds have even been recorded by security cameras in a stairwell. The Lady in Red is one of the hotel's most beloved guests, and there's even a cocktail named for her in the lobby bar.

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New York's famous Bowery Hotel is a popular venue for everything from film premiere parties to Fashion Week shows, but in addition to celebs and style icons, you'll also see some eerie sights. It's built right beside the New York Marble Cemetery where more than 2000 souls have been laid to rest... and possibly above part of the graveyard as well. Some guests have claimed they entered their rooms to find the ghost of a woman in white sitting on their bed, while others say there's a poltergeist that plays around with the lights and elevators. Even though the Bowery is now one of the most chic neighbourhoods, it was once the home to the city's poorest residents, many who met tragic ends so it's no surprise that the hotel is listed as one of the most haunted places in NYC.

One of Ontario's most charming towns was also the site of major bloodshed during the War of 1812. The Prince of Wales Hotel, right in the heart of Niagara-on-the-Lake, is built on the site of a tragic death. A young American soldier raided a wooden house and used his bayonet to pierce what he thought was a British soldier, but it was actually an unarmed woman, Molly McGuire. She had been standing in the window waiting for her husband to come home and did not hear the soldier enter the house, and died on the spot that is now Room 207 at the hotel.

Guests have shared stories of Room 207, including flickering lights, inexplicable footsteps, and the showerhead turning on and off by itself. Plus, right outside the hotel, a ghost horse and carriage has been seen on more than one occasion. End a day of touring the local wineries with a spooky tour and a stay at this Victorian hotel.

When the Royal York Hotel opened in 1929, it was the tallest building in the British Commonwealth. Prime Ministers, royals and celebrities have all graced its hallways, and shared them with some spirited company. One noted ghost is an older man with grey hair who walks through the halls at night, believed to be a former staffer who died by suicide in a stairway leading to the roof. There are also some more lively ghosts who congregate in the now defunct Crystal Ballroom. Guests staying on the floor below report hearing music and voices coming from above, and the elevator often stops on the ballroom floor when no visible person has pressed the button.

If a hotel is going to be haunted by anyone, it might as well be a renowned Canadian artist. Emily Carr, a member of the Group of Seven, stayed at Victoria's James Bay Inn following a stroke, and painted what is now the upstairs lobby. In fact, her room is now the location of the men's bathroom in the hotel pub. She passed away there following another stroke, and her ghost is seen floating around the first floor bedrooms as well as the pub, and is said to haunt those who criticize her art.