USA TODAY 10Best
Best Haunted Hotel? Readers vote Union Station Hotel
Best Haunted Hotel (2021)
Ghostly apparitions, faucets turning off and on, flickering lights, and eerie sounds are just a few of the things you may encounter at one of these hotels, where certain guests have checked in but never checked out.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Haunted Hotel are as follows:
- 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa - Eureka Springs, Ark.
- La Fonda on the Plaza - Santa Fe
- The Stanley Hotel - Estes Park, Colo.
- Hotel Saranac - Saranac Lake, N.Y.
- Hotel Sorrento - Seattle
- Emily Morgan Hotel - San Antonio, TX
- The Mizpah Hotel - Tonopah, Nev.
- Fainting Goat Island Inn - Nichols N.Y.
- The Marshall House - Savannah, Ga.
- Union Station Hotel - Nashville, TN
Photo courtesy of 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa
No. 10:
Guests who want an extra scare can take a nightly ghost tour of this historic Victorian-style hotel that claims to be “America’s most haunted hotel.” Visitors at the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, a member of Historic Hotels of America, can watch ghost videos, learn about Eureka Springs’ unusual history and go on a massive ghost hunt during the Eureka Springs Paranormal Weekend, a three-day, hands-on paranormal investigation event in January.
Photo courtesy of La Fonda on the Plaza
No. 9:
The original building of La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe once served as a courthouse where felons where hanged. Today, many guests report the presence of ghosts from the Wild West—criminals, victims of shootouts and suicides from fortunes lost—especially in the main dining room and third floor restaurant.
Photo courtesy of iStock / gregobagel
No. 8:
This dramatic, massive white hotel seems to rise out of the Colorado mountains in the otherwise quaint and old fashioned tourist town of Estes Park. A member of Historic Hotels of America, The Stanley Hotel’s haunted history stretches far back, but it became famous in the ‘70s after author Stephen King visited. He set the scene for his best-selling book (and the subsequent movie), “The Shining,” at the Stanley. Today, guests visit the hotel to see the long, spooky hallways and listen to “Redrum.” The hotel organizes a special Ghost Adventure Package, complete with a room on the scary fourth floor.
Photo courtesy of Hotel Saranac
No. 7:
This historic hotel in the Adirondacks dates back to the roaring 20s on the ground of a former local high school. According to local reports, the spirit of Howard Littell, the school’s superintendent, still roams the property. Other sightings include a young girl on the fourth floor, spectral singing on the sixth floor and mysterious scratching sounds on the third floor.
Photo courtesy of Hotel Sorrento
No. 6:
Some guests of Seattle’s Hotel Sorrento have never checked out, including the spirit of Alice B. Toklas. Other occurrences include a mysterious piano playing in the penthouse suite and a strange presence within and just outside room 408.
Photo courtesy of chapin31 // Getty Images
No. 5:
One of San Antonio’s most haunted hotspots, the Emily Morgan Hotel was once an advanced medical arts facility. Hauntings are commonly reported on the twelfth and fourteenth floors, with guests reporting phones ringing mysteriously in the night, televisions suddenly turning on and glimpses of a woman dressed in white.
Photo courtesy of Historic Hotels Worldwide
No. 4:
Built in 1907, the Mizpah Hotel in haunted Tonopah has many spirits supposedly roaming its halls, including Rose, a prostitute murdered by a jealous gambler. Guests report items that mysteriously move and an old elevator whose doors randomly open and close.
Photo courtesy of ©Amityphotos.com
No. 3:
Guests of this former railroad hotel built in the late 1800s have reported numerous ghostly encounters, like being woken in the night by voices or seeing two women sitting for tea in the Fainting Room. Others report hearing footsteps on a staircase that doesn’t exist or finding a child sized chair next to the bed in the Nubian Room.
Photo courtesy of The Marshall House
No. 2:
Savannah is the oldest city in Georgia and comes with its own share of ghost stories, but the Marshall House tops them all. This historic hotel opened in 1851 and was used three times as a hospital. One story claims a doctor buried amputated body parts under the floorboards because the ground was too frozen to dig. Stories abound, of ghost sighting in the hallways to faucets turning on by themselves.
Photo courtesy of Union Station Hotel
No. 1:
The Union Station Hotel, formerly a busy train station in Nashville and now a four-star hotel, is famously known for its stories of ghost sightings and haunting experiences. Guests staying in the famous Room 711 claim they have heard phones ringing, lights flickering, and the temperature dropping, among other strange phenomena. Other notable ghostly occurrences involve the star-crossed lovers Abigail and her World War II soldier boyfriend, who are stuck in a loop where they are always missing each other.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning hotels!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Allison Taylor
The owner and content creator of Family Vacations... Read More
The owner and content creator of Family Vacations U.S is somewhat of a compulsive researcher when it comes to family vacations. Allison has 2 boys ages 10 and 12 whose antics keep her very busy, and being married to a firefighter adds a whole other element to the chaos! You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Allison Taylor
The owner and content creator of Family Vacations U.S is somewhat of a compulsive researcher when it comes to family vacations. Allison has 2 boys ages 10 and 12 whose antics keep her very busy, and being married to a firefighter adds a whole other element to the chaos! You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer... Read More
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel... Read More
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
