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Most Haunted Hotels in Colorado to Visit

There are many famous haunted hotels in Colorado, but the most notorious is the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs. The hotel was built in 1893 and has been the site of numerous deaths over the years.

There are many reasons why hotels might be haunted in Colorado. Some people believe that it’s because of the high levels of energy in the state, while others believe that it’s because of the many tragic events that have taken place there. If you are after paranormal activity, then these hotels have the thrill you need.

Haunted Hotels in Colorado

There are many famous haunted hotels in Colorado here are a few you should know:

Stanley Hotel, Estes Park

Stanley Hotel

The Stanley Hotel, located in Estes Park, Colorado, is one of the most famous haunted hotels in the United States. The hotel was built in 1909 by F.O. and Flora Stanley and is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of the former owner, F.O. Stanley himself. The Stanley Hotel is said to be haunted by several other ghosts as well, including a maid who died in an elevator accident and a young boy who drowned in the hotel pool.

Many guests have reported seeing these ghosts, as well as hearing strange noises coming from the hotel. The Stanley Hotel has been featured on many ghost-hunting television shows and is considered to be one of the most haunted places in the United States. Stephen King is one of the famous guests who has stayed in this hotel in room 217.

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The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs

Broadmoor Hotel Building
image by Kari Sullivan is licensed under CC 2.0

The hotel, located in Colorado Springs, was built in 1918 by Spencer Penrose and is said to be haunted by the ghost of his mistress, Julia Belle Swain. Julia Belle Swain is said to haunt the hotel’s swimming pool, where she often appears as a beautiful woman in a white swimsuit.

Other ghosts that are said to haunt the Broadmoor Hotel include a young girl who died in a fire and a man who was killed in a car accident. Guests of the hotel have reported seeing these ghosts as well as hearing strange noises and feeling cold spots in certain areas of the hotel.

The Victor Hotel

Building of The Victor Hotel
The Victor Hotel / Booking.com

The Victor Hotel in Victor, Colorado is another famous haunted hotel in the state. The hotel was built in 1892 and is said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman named Lola Montez. Lola Montez was a famous courtesan and actress who died in the hotel in 1867.

Guests of the Victor Hotel have reported seeing her ghost as well as hearing strange noises coming from the hotel.

The Brown Palace Hotel in Denver

Brown Palace Hotel and Spa building in Colorado
Brown Palace Hotel and Spa / Booking.com

The Brown Palace Hotel in Denver is another famous haunted hotel in Colorado. The hotel was built in 1892 and is said to be haunted by the ghost of a former employee, who committed suicide in the hotel. Guests of the hotel have reported seeing the ghost of this employee, as well as hearing strange noises coming from the hotel.

The Brown Palace Hotel is also said to be haunted by the ghost of a little girl, who died in a fire at the hotel. Guests have reported seeing her ghost in the hallways and hearing her crying into the night.

The Brown Palace Club is a private club that is located in the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, Colorado. The club is said to be haunted by the ghosts of several former hotel staff, who died in accidents at the hotel.

Hotel Jerome

Hotel Jerome building exterior
image by Daniel Case is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

The Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colorado is another famous haunted hotel in the state. The hotel was built in 1889 and is said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman named Jennie. Jennie was a prostitute who worked in the hotel and was found murdered in her room in 1898.

Guests of the hotel have reported seeing her ghost as well as hearing strange noises coming from the hotel. The Hotel Jerome is also said to be haunted by the ghost of a man named George, who died in the hotel in 1901. Guests have reported seeing his ghost in the hallways and hearing strange noises coming from his room.

Patterson Inn

Patterson Inn building
Patterson Inn / Booking.com

The Patterson Inn in Colorado is another famous hotel in the state. The hotel was built in 1911 and is said to be haunted by the ghosts of the original owners, James, and Jessie Patterson. James and Jessie Patterson were killed in a car accident on the property in 1913 and their ghosts are said to haunt the hotel.

Guests of the hotel have reported seeing the ghosts of James and Jessie Patterson, as well as hearing strange noises coming from the hotel. The Patterson Inn is also said to be haunted by the ghost of a man named John, who died in the hotel in 1915.

Guests have reported seeing his ghost in the hallways and hearing strange noises coming from his room. This hotel has been described as the most haunted house in Colorado.

While all these hotels are haunted, nothing brings the thrill as The Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs. Here is everything you need to know about this spooky hotel.

See Related: Fun & Best Things to Do in Breckenridge, Colorado

Hotel Colorado, Glenwood Springs

Hotel Colorado, Glenwood Springs In A christmas appearance
Credit: James Blatter

The Hotel Colorado Glenwood Springs is the most haunted hotel in Colorado. The hotel was built in 1893 and has been the site of numerous deaths over the years.

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Hotel Colorado Deaths

This hotel is one of the most haunted hotels in Colorado and is a popular destination for ghost hunters. If you’re interested in staying in a haunted hotel, the Hotel Colorado is worth a visit.

Many people are shocked to see the snarling bobcat that is mounted over the elevator at the Hotel Colorado, but that might be the tamest surprise of them all. The ovens in the basement of the hotel were reportedly used as a crematorium for the military personnel that died in Glenwood Springs during World War II.

The Navy used it as a sort of hospital/recovery area for injured sailors. The story is that there was so many bones left over from the incomplete crematory process that the hotel’s walls and foundation are lined with skeletons.

The most famous death at the hotel was that of the owner, William Bell. He was killed in his hotel in 1898 after being shot in the head. There have been numerous other deaths at the hotel, including a young girl who drowned in the pool, and a man who fell to his death from the roof.

It’s not only the spirits of fallen sailors that line the halls with hauntings and supernatural phenomena. The Ute Indians were chased out of the area by the initial settlers, and the Hotel Colorado, built-in 1893 for $850,000 and completed in just a couple of years. People believe the Ute want people to leave the area so that their descendants can come back and claim the land.

So what are the typical hauntings one can experience at the hotel? Drinks will spill over by themselves, toilets flush by themselves without automation features installed, chandeliers will spin, and screams can be heard in the hotel’s radiators. Sometimes, late at night when it is very quiet, you can also hear footsteps coming out of the basement, heading up the Grand Staircase of the hotel.

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There Are Apparitions At the Hotel

Hotel Colorado
image by Avrand6 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Though hauntings at the Hotel can happen at any time, the most common time to experience them is between 2 am-4 am. At these times, it is not uncommon to see a female apparition leaning over the sleeping bodies of male guests.

On the third floor, a young girl dressed in Victorian-era clothing can also be seen playing with a ball and there is a male apparition that frequently appears on the fifth floor. The two suites in the bell towers of the hotel are also said to be frequently haunted.

Because the elevators move on their own from floor to floor sometimes without guests in them, it is also thought that there may be other hauntings that happen throughout the hotel as well. Make your way down to the lobby at this time and you’ll likely smell cigar smoke, even though no one has been there. The Devereaux Dining Room will likely have perfume coming from it and the dishes will likely be rattling… just for you.

The room with the highest levels of activity, however, is from World War II days. As the story goes, a chambermaid at the hotel was caught in a love triangle and brutally murdered in one of the rooms. It was turned into a storage room because her screams were heard by guests staying in that room all night long.

See Related: Best Restaurants in Breckenridge, Colorado

Notable History of the Hotel

Because it was one of the most opulent hotels of its time, anyone traveling to the Western Slope of Colorado would often spend at least one night there. The Unsinkable Molly Brown led the early list of celebrities, while some even called the hotel the “Little White House of the West” because of the extended Presidential stays of Teddy Roosevelt and William Howard Taft.

The legend of the teddy bear was even born at the Hotel Colorado, as the hotel’s maids reportedly gave Roosevelt a gift of a bear they had made themselves.

At the height of gangster activity in the 1920s, several notorious gangsters stayed at the Hotel Colorado as well, most notably Al Capone. With prices starting at around $110 per night, it’s easy for you to become part of the history of the hotel.

See Related: Best Places To Stay In Aspen, Colorado

How Do You Get To the Hotel?

The Hotel is located just off I-70, the main arterial highway between Denver, CO, and I-15. If you are flying into Colorado, it is about a 90-minute drive from the Grand Junction airport or about a 3-hour drive from the Denver airport, depending on traffic. Suites may run as high as $675 per night, but as a bonus, you’ve got a better chance of being haunted by a ghost during the night!

The hotel offers a spa, a restaurant, a lounge, and a coffee and gift shop for your convenience. Activities in the area include whitewater rafting on the Colorado River, tours of Aspen, and wine tours in the Palisade valley near Grand Junction.

The hot springs are separate from the hotel and are operated as a separate lodge, though an athletic facility, miniature golf, and other luxuries are available on an admission basis without a required stay.

If you’ve ever wanted to be haunted, the Hotel Colorado is the place to stay. The next time you’re headed to the Western Slope of Colorado, explore the hotel for yourself. You never know who… or what you might meet!

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