In Canada, there are some places where you stay overnight & weird things happen. And people go looking for them. Yes, in several hotels and hostels, guests swear they’ve heard footsteps or seen ghostly figures, perhaps felt a presence in the dark, which has given these places a rather interesting reputation.
Here are ten haunted Canadian hotels you can stay in. Which one would you like to visit for a night?
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff, Alberta
Walking the marble halls at Fairmont Banff Springs sometimes brings ghosts along. Sam McCauley, a former bellhop, is said to roam the corridors helping guests with luggage, even though he died decades ago.
Another ghost is “The Bride,” who allegedly fell down a staircase in a white gown in the 1920s.
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, British Columbia
There’s also the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, where, on upper levels, people claim to catch glimpses of a “Lady in Red” drifting near the elevators.
She’s connected to stories from the 1940s about a socialite, Jennie Pearl Cox. Her presence apparently still lingers, and the hotel itself lists the tale among its more haunting legends.
Fairmont Empress, Victoria, British Columbia
Over at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, you’ll apparently hear footsteps near the stairwell & spot a gentleman with a cane at night.
Rumour has it that it’s the spirit of Francis Rattenbury, the hotel’s architect. The Empress uses these stories in tours and hotel lore. After all, can you blame them? It’s a great sell.
The Fort Garry Hotel, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Stay in room 202 of the Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg if you dare. Guests over the years have reported seeing spectral figures standing at the foot of their beds.
In fact, some visitors mention blankets tugged at night & a crying woman being spotted around room 202. There are also security logs that include after-hours elevator calls with no one waiting.
The Algonquin Resort, St. Andrews, New Brunswick
The Algonquin Resort is by the bay, and it runs a “Ghost & History” walk every season. Apparently, you can hear a night watchman’s keys jangling in empty halls & a ghost of a bride walking corridors, which makes sense since the hotel dates to 1889.
Guests have also claimed to hear piano notes in the dining room after closing & light taps on doors around midnight.
Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton, Alberta
The Prince of Wales Hotel is a mountaintop hotel that has staff who tell stories of odd smells & lights flickering in unused rooms, along with doors opening on their own.
The hotel was built in 1927 above Upper Waterton Lake. Employees say they can sometimes smell phantom cigar smoke near the lobby on calm days, while window latches seemingly unhook themselves.
HI Ottawa Jail Hostel, Ottawa, Ontario
It used to be Carleton County Gaol, but now, it’s HI Ottawa Jail Hostel. This is where visitors report footsteps & voices, as well as shadowy figures in former death-row areas.
The spirit of Patrick Whelan, hanged in 1869, is supposedly still hanging around. Even in summer, people have said they’ve felt cold drafts, and the top floor gallows area is a booked tour stop.
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, Québec City
As a château-style hotel, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac has many tales to tell of Governor Frontenac returning in period clothing. His apparition is rumored to walk the halls.
The venue opened in 1893 & the property overlooks the St. Lawrence river. Guests on the upper floors have mentioned hearing faint ballroom music past midnight, despite there being no events running.
The Olde Angel Inn, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Rooms above the old pub area of The Olde Angel Inn have many legends about Captain Colin Swayze’s ghost pacing at night. As such, those booking the so-called “Captain’s Room” should expect a spectral guest.
The tale began after the War of 1812, with Swayze hiding in the cellar. And apparently never leaving.
James Bay Inn, Victoria, British Columbia
Built in 1911 & once a priory, some link the James Bay Inn to the artist Emily Carr, who stayed there during difficult times. Guests have smelled turpentine or linseed oil in empty stairwells.
When the site served as St. Mary’s Priory, nurses apparently heard footsteps & whispers in wards that were completely vacant.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
Like our content? Be sure to follow us on MSN.