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Two windows are surrounded by ornate terra cotta ornamentation, including three walruses, one in the center and one on either side. The wall is gray, with light blue and red accents.
The Arctic Club Hotel.
Carol Highsmith/Library of Congress

Seattle’s most haunted hotels for ghostly vacations

Check in, but never check out

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The Arctic Club Hotel.
| Carol Highsmith/Library of Congress

Seattle is a city that loves its ghosts. But with Halloween coming up, there’s a special amount of interest in Seattle’s spooky past.

A city as old and diverse as Seattle is bound to have some skeletons. Luckily for you, you don't have to go digging for them. All you need to do is rent a hotel room for the night. It seems as though Seattle's past remains “alive” and well within the walls of some of Seattle's oldest and most-haunted hotels.

The oldest of these hotels dates all the way back to 1890, just after the Great Seattle Fire, and the stories behind their eternal guests are steeped in Seattle history, from Alice B. Toklas to the Gold Rush to the tragic end of a government official.

Looking for a less-spooky Halloween activity? Try our map of the best pumpkin patches near Seattle.

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Hotel Ändra

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Hotel: Hotel Ändra
Year Built: 1926
Eternal Guests: Flappers from the 1920s and a past hotel employee

The supernatural guests at Belltown's Ändra may be more than 90 years old, but they still know how to party.

Guests report jazz blasting from the ninth floor accompanied by noises of breaking glass. The noise is immediately silenced when anyone ventures the floor to investigate.

Another frequent occurrence is the sighting of a woman wearing 1930s-era clothing. She commonly appears when guests are laying in bed, and once spotted she fades away. She is believed to be a former hotel employee who jumped to her death from a hotel window in the 1960s.

Mayflower Park Hotel Seattle

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Hotel: Mayflower Park Hotel
Year Opened: 1927
Eternal Guest: An older gentlemen who once lived on the sixth floor

Mayflower Park Hotel staff aren’t the only ones welcoming guests to the luxury hotel in the middle of downtown Seattle. Throughout the years, sightings of a supernatural “greeter” have been reported. In multiple unrelated incidents, guests have reported disturbances while staying in room 1120. The culprit is believed to be an older man who used to live on the sixth floor. According to the Seattle Times, one guest staying in room 1120 said, “I feel as if someone is in there with me.” Other guests have insisted on another room. Although the man has been spotted on multiple occasions, the hotel claims that he is friendly and does not really bother people.

Hotel Sorrento

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Hotel: Hotel Sorrento
Year Built: 1909
Eternal Guest: Alice B. Toklas

Even back in the 1900's, Seattleites were cannabis supporters. Alice B. Toklas was credited with the invention of pot brownies back in 1954. Today, she’s credited with roaming the halls of the Sorrento, specifically the fourth floor, and even more specifically in and around room 408. When Northwest Meetings and Events asked about the ghost, a hotel employee responded, “our ghost is very hip.”

With the Sorrento being one of Seattle's oldest hotels, complete with classically elegant attire, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Toklas chose it to be her place of eternal residency.

“Be on the lookout for a female apparition who reveals her presence on the fourth floor or by moving glasses on the bar," the travel publication Coastal Living advised. "One local claims she saw an odd-looking woman walking past the hotel one evening. The woman was wearing dark-colored vintage clothing and carrying a parasol. Not until later did she learn about Alice B. Toklas, who at the turn of the century lived on the block where the Sorrento stands and is now rumored to wander its halls at night.”

The Arctic Club Seattle

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Hotel: The Arctic Club Hotel
Year Built: 1916
Eternal Guest: U.S. Representative Marion Zioncheck

The Arctic Club, now a Double Tree by Hilton, was once a place where the foremost men of Seattle conducted business and arranged political deals. The building was known for offerings such as a billiard room, barber shop, and bowling alley.

But after 1936, The Arctic Club Hotel would always be known as the place where two-term U.S. Congressional Representative Marion Zioncheck leaped to his death from his fifth-story office window. It is believed his leap of death was a direct result of his increasingly unstable mental state, although some conspiracy theorists believe that Zioncheck was thrown out of the window against his will by political enemies.

Whatever happened that day, Zioncheck has decided to stick around. It is said that sometimes the elevator rises to the fifth floor for no reason. Guests report unexplained cool breezes and hear phantom footsteps.

Cadillac Hotel

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Hotel: Cadillac Hotel
Year Built: 1890
Eternal Guest: A crying woman and child, among other random lingerers

This historic hotel, known as the Elliot House until 1906, was one of the first hotels built atop the ashes of the Great Seattle Fire of 1889. The hotel served predominantly as a working man's hotel, attracting fishermen, loggers, railroad, and shipyard workers with its inexpensive rates.

In 1970, due to the hotel’s lack of funds to oblige to the newly enforced Ozark Ordinance, an ordinance that required hotels to install sprinkler systems to their upper floors due to the burning of the Ozark Hotel, the Cadillac Hotel was forced to close its doors. Only the main floor remained open to allow small businesses to continue.

For 31 years the upper rooms were abandoned, leaving furniture, and personal belongings as they were. It wasn't until 2001 when the Cadillac Hotel was purchased for restoration by Historic Seattle, a preservation organization, and became the permanent home for the National Park Service's Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.

Although restored, the long-term guests of the once-deserted Cadillac Hotel remain. Some claim they've seen apparitions wandering in the hotel’s upper offices. Others have reported strange feelings of a ghostly presence in elevator and occasional strange noises.

But even more haunting are the reports of hearing a woman and child crying way into all hours of the night. Rumor has it that she was a single mother who took her and her child's life after being evicted during financially difficult times.

The Cadillac is, unfortunately, no longer a hotel—so there’s no overnight visits with the ghosts. But the Gold Rush National Park is open for day trips.

Thornewood Castle Bed and Breakfast

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Hotel: Thornewood Castle Inn
Year Built: 1911
Eternal Guest: Chester Thorne, wife Anna, and grandchildren

For those feeling a bit adventurous, look no further than the Thornewood Castle Inn. The Castle is about an hour south of Seattle and rife with a collection of spirits. Most prevalent of the spirits is the Castle's original owner, Chester Thorne. Along with his many appearances, light bulbs are commonly found unscrewed in his former room.

Thorne's wife, Anna, has been seen sitting in the window seat of her room, admiring the garden below. Her room, now the bridal suite, contains a mirror in which guests claim to have seen her reflection. Other guests have seen young child standing alone by the lake, where legend has it that one of Thorne's grandchildren drowned.

Even horror legend Stephen King was intrigued by the castle's supernatural occurrences. His mini-series, “Rose Red,” was filmed at the castle in 2002.

A post shared by Mark Monlux (@markmonlux) on

Hotel Ändra

Hotel: Hotel Ändra
Year Built: 1926
Eternal Guests: Flappers from the 1920s and a past hotel employee

The supernatural guests at Belltown's Ändra may be more than 90 years old, but they still know how to party.

Guests report jazz blasting from the ninth floor accompanied by noises of breaking glass. The noise is immediately silenced when anyone ventures the floor to investigate.

Another frequent occurrence is the sighting of a woman wearing 1930s-era clothing. She commonly appears when guests are laying in bed, and once spotted she fades away. She is believed to be a former hotel employee who jumped to her death from a hotel window in the 1960s.

Mayflower Park Hotel Seattle

Hotel: Mayflower Park Hotel
Year Opened: 1927
Eternal Guest: An older gentlemen who once lived on the sixth floor

Mayflower Park Hotel staff aren’t the only ones welcoming guests to the luxury hotel in the middle of downtown Seattle. Throughout the years, sightings of a supernatural “greeter” have been reported. In multiple unrelated incidents, guests have reported disturbances while staying in room 1120. The culprit is believed to be an older man who used to live on the sixth floor. According to the Seattle Times, one guest staying in room 1120 said, “I feel as if someone is in there with me.” Other guests have insisted on another room. Although the man has been spotted on multiple occasions, the hotel claims that he is friendly and does not really bother people.

Hotel Sorrento

Hotel: Hotel Sorrento
Year Built: 1909
Eternal Guest: Alice B. Toklas

Even back in the 1900's, Seattleites were cannabis supporters. Alice B. Toklas was credited with the invention of pot brownies back in 1954. Today, she’s credited with roaming the halls of the Sorrento, specifically the fourth floor, and even more specifically in and around room 408. When Northwest Meetings and Events asked about the ghost, a hotel employee responded, “our ghost is very hip.”

With the Sorrento being one of Seattle's oldest hotels, complete with classically elegant attire, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Toklas chose it to be her place of eternal residency.

“Be on the lookout for a female apparition who reveals her presence on the fourth floor or by moving glasses on the bar," the travel publication Coastal Living advised. "One local claims she saw an odd-looking woman walking past the hotel one evening. The woman was wearing dark-colored vintage clothing and carrying a parasol. Not until later did she learn about Alice B. Toklas, who at the turn of the century lived on the block where the Sorrento stands and is now rumored to wander its halls at night.”

The Arctic Club Seattle

Hotel: The Arctic Club Hotel
Year Built: 1916
Eternal Guest: U.S. Representative Marion Zioncheck

The Arctic Club, now a Double Tree by Hilton, was once a place where the foremost men of Seattle conducted business and arranged political deals. The building was known for offerings such as a billiard room, barber shop, and bowling alley.

But after 1936, The Arctic Club Hotel would always be known as the place where two-term U.S. Congressional Representative Marion Zioncheck leaped to his death from his fifth-story office window. It is believed his leap of death was a direct result of his increasingly unstable mental state, although some conspiracy theorists believe that Zioncheck was thrown out of the window against his will by political enemies.

Whatever happened that day, Zioncheck has decided to stick around. It is said that sometimes the elevator rises to the fifth floor for no reason. Guests report unexplained cool breezes and hear phantom footsteps.

Cadillac Hotel

Hotel: Cadillac Hotel
Year Built: 1890
Eternal Guest: A crying woman and child, among other random lingerers

This historic hotel, known as the Elliot House until 1906, was one of the first hotels built atop the ashes of the Great Seattle Fire of 1889. The hotel served predominantly as a working man's hotel, attracting fishermen, loggers, railroad, and shipyard workers with its inexpensive rates.

In 1970, due to the hotel’s lack of funds to oblige to the newly enforced Ozark Ordinance, an ordinance that required hotels to install sprinkler systems to their upper floors due to the burning of the Ozark Hotel, the Cadillac Hotel was forced to close its doors. Only the main floor remained open to allow small businesses to continue.

For 31 years the upper rooms were abandoned, leaving furniture, and personal belongings as they were. It wasn't until 2001 when the Cadillac Hotel was purchased for restoration by Historic Seattle, a preservation organization, and became the permanent home for the National Park Service's Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.

Although restored, the long-term guests of the once-deserted Cadillac Hotel remain. Some claim they've seen apparitions wandering in the hotel’s upper offices. Others have reported strange feelings of a ghostly presence in elevator and occasional strange noises.

But even more haunting are the reports of hearing a woman and child crying way into all hours of the night. Rumor has it that she was a single mother who took her and her child's life after being evicted during financially difficult times.

The Cadillac is, unfortunately, no longer a hotel—so there’s no overnight visits with the ghosts. But the Gold Rush National Park is open for day trips.

Thornewood Castle Bed and Breakfast

Hotel: Thornewood Castle Inn
Year Built: 1911
Eternal Guest: Chester Thorne, wife Anna, and grandchildren

For those feeling a bit adventurous, look no further than the Thornewood Castle Inn. The Castle is about an hour south of Seattle and rife with a collection of spirits. Most prevalent of the spirits is the Castle's original owner, Chester Thorne. Along with his many appearances, light bulbs are commonly found unscrewed in his former room.

Thorne's wife, Anna, has been seen sitting in the window seat of her room, admiring the garden below. Her room, now the bridal suite, contains a mirror in which guests claim to have seen her reflection. Other guests have seen young child standing alone by the lake, where legend has it that one of Thorne's grandchildren drowned.

Even horror legend Stephen King was intrigued by the castle's supernatural occurrences. His mini-series, “Rose Red,” was filmed at the castle in 2002.

A post shared by Mark Monlux (@markmonlux) on