Haunted Hotels in Florida
Haunted hotels in Florida. In cities where ghosts and supernatural happenings seem to exist, legends can intertwine with actual history. This is part of the fun, but can also make it challenging to distinguish between the two. I present these eerie tales from haunted hotels in Florida I understand them. I’ll leave it to each of you to determine the extent of your belief in them.
La Concha Hotel in Key West
You could make a whole trip dedicated to exploring haunted places in Key West. The La Concha Hotel is one of those haunted places. It is a popular hotel on Duval Street haunted by a waiter who died there. He backed into an elevator shaft which, unbeknownst to him, was actually open. So instead of walking into the elevator, he fell 5 stories down the elevator shaft to his death. Today, the elevator will supposedly stop on the fifth floor with no one inside. Some guests report seeing an apparition of a boy who disappears through the elevator doors and others report hearing whimpering or crying for help coming from the elevator.
Book the La Concha Hotel in Key West, Florida
Or, if you can check out other places to stay in Key West, Florida
Marrero’s Guest Mansion in Key West
Marrero’s is a boutique hotel in Key West. It’s a beautiful, old Victorian home that Francisco Marrero built it for his wife, Enriqueta, and their 8 children. Enriqueta loved the house. Unfortunately, when Francisco died, she found out he had another wife. She found out because his first wife heard of Francisco’s death and showed up on the doorstep. She had lawyers with her and was able to evict Enriquetta and her children. Enriquetta had no choice to leave but announced that she would always remain in spirit.
Guests report that they can feel Enriqueta’s presence at the Marrero Mansion. Room 18 seems to be where she is the most active. The most common report is that items are moved or misplaced. This seems to happen most often in the bathroom. But guests in rooms 17 and 23 will report the sound of babies crying. If Enriqueta does not like guests (usually guests with poor attitudes), the chandelier will sway back and forth upon check in.
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The Artist House in Key West
The Artist House is where the ever-famous Robert the Doll once lived. Robert is a creepy doll that is believed to be possessed.
Robert Gene Otto received the doll as a gift when he was four years old. He loved it. He actually loved it so much that he gave the doll his name. The doll became Robert and the original Robert started going by Gene.
When something bad would happen in the house, Gene would tell his parents that Robert did it. Gene’s mother would hear two voices when Gene was playing with Robert alone. One of the voices she didn’t recognize. Gene’s mother also claimed to have seen Robert’s expression change. He liked looking outside the upstairs window. Robert could be found looking out the window even when he had been placed somewhere else in the room.
Gene married Anne and they settled in the same house Gene (and Robert) grew up in. Anne did not like Robert. Anne made Gene lock Robert in the attic. Despite being confined to the attic, Robert was mysteriously discovered in the upstairs bedroom. This actually happened several times.
Today, you can visit Robert at the Fort East Martello Museum.
Robert may no longer live at the Artist House but it is still believed to be haunted. Doors open and close by themselves and lights mysteriously flicker. Some have reported seeing apparitions of a young woman, often on the stairs. Others have seen her standing at the foot of their bed. Many believe that this is the spirit of Anne.
Casa Monica Resort and Spa in St Augustine
In St Augustine, you’ll find the Casa Monica Hotel, which has quite a history itself. The Casa Monica Hotel was originally The Cordova when it debuted in 1887. Today, it continues to have guests (spirits) from the 1920s. Visitors have recounted eerie occurrences where, during the late hours, waltz music spontaneously fills the air, and a spectral gathering of individuals donned in elegant Jazz Age attire elegantly waltzes through the lobby.
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Island Hotel in Cedar Key
The Island Hotel in Cedar Key was founded in 1859. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Before the bed and breakfast that it is today, it was a general store and a brothel.
The apparition seen the most is a Southern Army soldier. He stands guard at the end of the hall on the second floor at sunrise. He is not visible for long, only a second or two, but he stands at attention in his Confederate uniform.
Rooms 27 and 28 are believed to be haunted by a friendly spirit. Many report the apparition of a young woman who will sit on the bed and sometimes kiss them on the cheek. It’s believed that she was a prostitute who was murdered in the hotel.
Another entity believed to linger is Simon Feinberg, the former owner of the hotel. Some believe Feinberg was killed by the hotel manager. Feinberg had reprimanded him for operating an illegal still in the attic.
Bessie Gibbs also haunts The Island Hotel. She has a reputation of being the most active ghost at the Island Hotel. Bessie rearranges furniture and slams doors. Bessie had a jokester reputation when she was alive and it appears she has carried this on in the afterlife. She is blamed for playing pranks on the guests by locking them out of their rooms. The second floor was her favorite spot to relax on the porch swing and some claim to still see her there.
Another spirit believed to be haunting this hotel is a child who did odd jobs for the manager when it was a general store. The manager saw the boy putting something in his pocket and thought he was stealing, so he chased him out the door. The young boy then went missing. They found his body over a year later. He had hidden from the manager in a large cistern located in the basement, where he ultimately died.
The Vinoy Resort and Golf Club in St. Petersburg
There is a lot of history at the Vinoy Resort. It was built as a luxurious hotel in 1925. The wealthy and celebrities often stayed at the Vinoy.
The Vinoy has had a reputation for paranormal activities since the 50’s. Faucets have turned on and off, lamps flicker, music has been heard, and footsteps have been heard in the middle of the night. Guests have also reported sightings of a man wearing a suit walking in the hallways until he vanishes into thin air.
The 5th floor is supposedly the most haunted. Supposedly, a woman was “accidentally” murdered by her husband. He pushed her down the stairs and she died from a concussion. She is now known as the Lady in White because her apparition is seen wearing a white dress.
Book the Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St Petersburg, Florida
The Don CeSar in St Pete Beach
If you’ve ever researched hotels in St Pete Beach, you’ve probably come across the Don Cesar. It’s definitely one of Florida’s most iconic hotels, known as the Pink Palace.
During World War II, the Don Cesar served as a VA hospital. Legend has it that the spirits of those who perished in the war continue to haunt the grounds. But the most notable ghost is Thomas Rowe. He owned and loved the the Don Cesar. And many think that Thomas is still there. He has been seen wandering the Don Cesar with Lucinda, his lover.
Book the Don Cesar in St Pete Beach, Florida
Historic Peninsula Inn in Gulfport
The Peninsula Inn might a little less known than some of the other haunted Florida hotels. It served as a hospital during WWI and WWII and later became a nursing home. With such a long history, and one involving so much death, some believe some spirits remained.
The paranormal experiences here are not visual but rather auditory. Guests and staff have reportedly heard knocking, footsteps in the hallway, and items falling.
Hotel Cassadaga
Dating back to the 1920s, there is a lot of history at Hotel Cassadaga. Just northeast of Orlando, the town of Cassadaga, dubbed the Psychic Capital of the World (where you’ll naturally find Hotel Cassadaga) is allegedly full of spirits. The lobby itself brings you back in time and sets the stage with its vintage furnishings and antiques.
They originally built the hotel in 1901. It was first used as a boarding house and hotel for the Cassadaga’s Spiritualist camp but burned down in 1925. They rebuilt the hotel in 1927. Guests have reported hearing kids’ voices even though kids aren’t allowed in the hotel.
Seven Sisters Inn in Ocala
Seven Sisters Inn is known as the most haunted bed and breakfast in Florida. Several spirits reside there today. Among those spirits are the original owners and their children as well as a flirtatious man named George.
Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables
The Biltmore Hotel was built in 1926. From WWII until the 60s, the hotel was a hospital for wounded Veterans. It reopened in 1987 and was a popular hotel among celebrities.
Lights turn on or off for no reason, doors open and close when no one is close by, elevators take people to the wrong floors, and unexplainable sounds have been heard. Guests have reported sightings of an apparition of a woman in white wandering the guest rooms. Others believe that Fatty Walsh (a notorious gangster) is still haunting the hotel as well. A fight over gambling in 1929 resulted in his death.
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Coombs House Inn in Apalachicola
The Coombs House is rightfully named that after its former owners, Mr. and Mrs. Coombs. The house was built as a single family home in 1905. A fire damaged the house in 1911. Both Mr. and Mrs. Coombs died less than a month after the fire. Many believe they died of broken hearts from losing their home. They have since restored the house. It is now an inn.
People have reported seeing apparitions and have heard unexplained footsteps and noises. Doors have opened and closed by themselves. Guests even report bad dreams about fires. Many think the Coombs’ are still wandering around. Could it be that Mr. and Mrs. Coombs never really left?
The haunted hotels of Florida remind us there is more to the Sunshine State than what meets the eye. From the restless spirits of the Vinoy to the spooky encounters at the Biltmore Hotel, these hotels give you a glimpse into Florida’s haunted history. Whether you’re a believer in the supernatural or just curious, these haunted hotels invite you to explore a whole new side of Florida.
