The Top 10 Haunted Hotels in the World pt 1.

I watched The Shining again recently, and it made me glad that I have never stayed in a hotel like that. Seriously, that movie has got to be one of the scariest of all time. At any rate, even though I've never stayed at a hotel as spooky as The Overlook, there are plenty of haunted hotels out there.I've put together a short list of them here, including the famed hotel that inspired STephen King to write The Shining.

Menger Hotel, San Antonio, TX This hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places, and has been graced by such famed guests as Robert E. Lee, Ulysses Grant, Oscar Wilde, Dwight Eisenhower, Mae West, and Babe Ruth. However, the owners seem even prouder of the 32 ghosts they claim inhabit the building. Spook-tacular encounters can range from hanging out with a buckskin-clad cowboy, to a mysterious woman knitting, while utensils float around the kitchen and restaurant. President Teddy Roosevelt himself (supposedly) still shows up to have a few drinks in the hotel bar every now and then. Chambermaid Sallie White still wanders the Victorian wing halls, carrying towels but ignoring housekeeping requests. Richard King, owner of the famed King Ranch, died in his private suite here and supposedly walks through the walls. Staff member have reported hearing heavy footsteps, only to find a pai of army boots by their door. This hotel was built right next to the ruins of the Alamo, just 23 years after it fell, prompting the rise of the theory that undead soldiers haunt the area.

Heathman Hotel, Portland, OR Also on the National Register of Historic Places, this hotel was renovated in the 1980s and quickly became the linchpin for downtown Portland's redevelopment. However, it's also known for the nasty ghost of a man who jumped down the stairs outside of room 703. His restless spirit apparently now haunts the rooms on the way down, although baffling phenomena seem to occur all the way up to room 1003. Although all the rooms in that same vertical column (1003, 903, 803, etc) have reported unnatural occurences, room 703 is the real hot spot. Ojects moving around inexpliably, strange tapping noises, and cold spots appear with creepy regularity. Photos taken in this room occasionally depict a dark cloud, and videos contain strange shadows, distorted faces, even electronic voice phenomenon. Guests have reported that upon returning to their room after leaving for the day there was the appearance that someone else had used the room. Apparently, things like glasses taken out, towels used, and furniture having been moved around gave them that impression. However, the electronic key record has always been able to verify that no one else had entered. One guest actually reported hearing increasingly heavy breathing as his bed sheets practically mummified him. When he finally freed himself from their stranglehold, his large heavy luggage flew across the room towards him, followed immediately by a figure running into the closet. Security was able to demonstrate that he was quite alone in the room at the time, though.

The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, CO During a stay here in the 1970s Stephen King, one of the masters of modern horror, had the living crap scared out of him. Yup, this converted mansion overlooking the Rocky Mountain town of Estes Park inspired the fictional Overlook Hotel, the setting for King's novel, The Shining. The building and the land surrounding it was originally developed by the English Earl Lord Dunraven. He built a hunting lodge, cabin, and hotel for his guests and illegally homesteaded up to 15,000 acres (61 km2) in an unsuccessful attempt to create a private hunting preserve. However, angry locals as well as lengthy and costly legal battles eventually drove him out and the famed automaker F.O. Stanley opened the Georgian-style hotel in 1909. Apparently, the tenaciously bitter Lord Dunraven (jerk that he is) still haunts the 4th floor, his ghost particularly fond of terrorizing guests in rooms 401, 407, 412 and 418. Lights switch on and off mysteriously and the furniture has a habit of moving around by itself. In addition to Lord Dunraven, the ghosts of children have also been heard playing in the hallways, and his late wife likes to play the piano in the ballroom. This is also the only hotel I've come across where a guest has reported a case of full-on possession that drove him to speak in tongues. That happened in room 412, by the way. As for Stephen King, he had the misfortune of staying in room 217, the site of the grisly death of a hotel maid, on a night when the hotel was almost entirely empty before closing for an extended period of time. In recognition of this unintentional inspiration, the Stanley Hotel now shows the uncut R-rated version of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining on a continuous loop on Channel 42 on guest room televisions.

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