We now present you with our VIP Hotel Reviewer Series in which we hand-pick experts in the travel and media worlds and beyond to tell us what are their favorite hotels and why. Once a week, we'll feature a hotel review from said VIPs about their favorite leisure or business hotels. Pay attention: These VIPs are experts at what they do and they don't mess around when it comes to their hotels.
The next VIP in the series is Deidre Woollard, the founder and head writer at popular luxury blog, Luxist.com. Despite writing about what's hot in the luxury world, Deidre has spent time in a Super 8 Motel. Of course, she would never stay there again. Instead the next time she visits Louisville, Kentucky, she'll probably hit up the Seelbach Hilton. Enjoy.
For a couple of years while getting my MFA through Spalding University's limited residency program I spent a lot of time in Louisville, Kentucky.
Each semester we spent 10 days in a hotel in Louisville. For the inaugural session of the program they put us in a Super 8 hotel. Not just any Super 8 Hotel, but one that happened to be located near what appeared to be a crackhouse.
It was noisy, loud and scary but both the visiting professors and students bonded as we chaperoned each other from elevator to room for security's sake. It was the last semester the program ever stayed there.
For the rest of my time in the program we stayed at the Seelbach Hilton, the grand old hotel downtown which was built in 1905. It was quite an improvement from the Super 8.
We've written numerous times about the haunted Stanley Hotel in Colorado, which prompted Stephen King to write his novel, "The Shining" after a stay here (which was then made into the movie with Jack Nicholson and the Red Rum twins.)
Now, thanks to YouTube we get to see the Sci-Fi Channel's in-depth look at what it's like staying in the most haunted room of them all, Room 401. We actually got a little scared but still think it is suspicious that all the paranormal activity is happening off-camera.
[Ed. Note: Hotel Maven Chrispitality filmed a video of a supposedly haunted room at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver where a Lady in Red is known to skulk about. Enjoy.]
If you are looking for a good old fashioned creepy vacation, you might try checking into room 217 at the Stanley Hotel where Stephen King's "The Shining" was filmed.
Just don't order red-rum at the bar.
If you prefer a more urban setting for a fright filled visit, you could hunt for a spirit in Canada's venerable Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The "Hotel Van" is infamous in the local Vancouver community for being the supposed residence of a fashionable apparition named the "Lady in Red". This ghostly figure is said to glide along the 14th floor of the hotel, and has allegedly been seen by many a hotel guest and employee.
With digital camera in hand, I ventured to the hotel in search of the Lady in Red, and although I gave myself a good dose of the creeps, no Lady was to be found. A conversation with a room attendant confirmed a "common knowledge" that she does in fact exist, although this employee had not seen the Lady herself.
Ghosts aren't really our thing especially when staying at hotels. (Although we do think Patrick Swayze made a hot ghost.)
But if you are curious to know if the dead can talk to us from the other side, hit up the Huntington Hilton on Long Island on June 10.
The hotel is hosting "acclaimed medium" Robert Brown From 7 to 9:30pm, he will be conducting a demonstration of his skills much like the ones you used to see on the old episodes of Donahue and Maury.
However, talking to the dead ain't cheap. Tickets for non-members at the door are $60. And if you don't want to be around a bunch of ghost-whisperer wannabes we suggest you book another hotel.
The SCI FI Channel has announced it will film an episode the reality show "Ghost Hunters" at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO, which served as the inspiration for Stephen King's thriller, "The Shining."
So how did this hotel get so haunted?
Well, it all started when King stayed in room 217 and witnessed a ghostly little boy wandering the halls of the hotel. But room 418 and pretty much the whole fourth floor seems to have the most ghostly activity reported by hotel staffers and employees. Most of the time, the sound of children can be heard even when none are present.
On the more earthly side, one guest complained not just about ghosts but staff too.
Only one front desk clerk was professional and personable, all the others were unattentive and had very bad people skills....I had to get out of bed at 4:00am, left my room to retreat to the lobby. I got down there and the front desk clerk came out after a few long minutes and she was half asleep and dishelved! Must be nice to get some shut eye on the job when I couldn't even get any as a guest in thier rooms!!
The desk clerk ain't afraid of no ghost but you can take an official hotel ghost tour for $10.
The story at the The Heathman Hotel is that all the rooms ending in "03" are visited by some sort of poltergeist.
Room 703 reports the highest level of mysterious activity. Guests have reported finding clean towels used, a full glass of water missing, chairs moved, and desks rearranged.
Sure you could brush off all the "03" room activity on housekeeping, but the alternate theory is that someone jumped to their death from room 1003 and is now haunting every room he or she passed on his or her final jump.
A couple Anchor Town Hotels to add to the haunted hotels list:
Historic Anchorage Hotel
Several guests have reported seeing a young girl walk the second floor hall. Also rooms 215 and 217 the TV's will turn on and off at will also the water in the tub and sink will run by itself. Employees have reported to hear people coming down the stairs when the hotel is empty, and few have seen a man walk past stairs.
Courtyard by Marriott
Room 201 is haunted by a man who died there, and his body was not found for several days according to the staff. Plus there is a ghost by the name of Ken who wanders the parking lot, and courtyard, in and around the gazebo. There is also what appears at times to be a cat walking around the hotel. It's very evident in rooms 103 and 107.
We get girl ghosts walking around Anchorage's oldest hotel, but a Courtyard by Marriott in Anchorage is haunted? Who knew
If Law School, Teach for America, and 9-5's haven't worked out for you, maybe you should stop your moaning and work on the moaning coming out of your hotel floor boards. When it's not a case of the occupants next door reliving their honeymoon, it may just be the ghosts of guests gone bye.
Allstays.com has an entire state by state directory of haunted hotels. So you can either avoid the booking or embrace your calling as a Ghost Buster. Ask Jeanine to research the hottest spot while you round up Slimer and the gang. It is only 27 days to Halloween....
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado is one of America's most infamous haunted hotels. Room 217 is where Stephen King wrote half of "The Shining," and room 418 has the most "ghostly activity."
Is it your mind playing tricks on you? Your memories of the movie? Or FO and Flora Stanley--the former owners who are said to haunt the place?
You know us, this time of year we get obsessed with haunted hotel stories.
So send us your scary hotel stories if you got 'em.
