Ghostly Tales from Historic Hotels of America

Hotel del Coronado (1888)

San Diego, California

In 1892, the young Kate Morgan checked into the Hotel del Coronado to meet her estranged husband. To her dismay, he never showed. Several days later, Kate's body was found on the hotel steps leading to the ocean. Since her tragic death, witnesses have been puzzled by odd noises and the ghostly figure of a young lady dressed in a black lace dress. Christine Donovan, director of heritage programs and author of Beautiful Stranger: The Ghost of Kate Morgan and the Hotel Del Coronado, sums up the experiences by saying, “If you have to spend eternity somewhere, what better place than The Del.”

The Emily Morgan San Antonio - a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (1924)

San Antonio, Texas

The Emily Morgan San Antonio - a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, in San Antonio, Texas, is known to be one of the most haunted hotels in the state. According to various reports, given by the hotel’s management team, the most haunted floors are the 7th, 9th and 14th floors. The building at one time was used for the “medical arts,” and these floors functioned as the psychiatric ward, the surgery level, and the waiting area and morgue, respectively. This historic hotel's staff encourages guests to visit with an open mind and a sense of curiosity, and to embrace the hotel’s enduring legend.

Beekman Arms and Delamater Inn (1766) Rhinebeck, New York

For over 250 years, the charming Beekman Arms of the historic Beekman Arms and Delamater Inn has been a resting place for weary travelers, so it may be no surprise that a few guests decided to make the hotel their home forever. Guests and staff alike report ghostly footsteps, cold breezes, strange smells, and whispers, especially in Rooms 21 and 22. Paranormal investigators and influencers have documented numerous eerie encounters throughout the inn. During autumn, the inn hosts a Ghost Stories event in the basement, where a storyteller regales guests with tales of unexplained phenomena.

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa (1927)

Sonoma, California 

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in Sonoma, California, welcomes guests past and present, believing that their ghosts haunt where they were happiest. The Inn’s employees will testify that when the evenings are still and the fog rolls in from the San Francisco Bay, a beautiful woman has been seen strolling the hallways of the Inn in period clothing. One of the early European settlers of Sonoma Valley, "Victoria" is said to have celebrated her wedding and many anniversaries at the resort. For decades, guests have even commented on an otherworldly presence at the Inn.