Nothing says tourist trap quite like flamingos (especially when you’re in Wisconsin), and this oversized sign for the Flamingo Motel and Suites, 910 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy S. (U.S. Route 12), Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, doesn’t disappoint. Wisconsin Dells has been a family vacation destination since the nineteenth century. Many motor inns adopted a “populuxe” style to appeal to travelers on a budget, promising comfortable accommodations at an affordable price.
The former Prince George Hotel anchoring Kingston’s historic Market Square at 200 Ontario Street in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, is home to Haunted Walks Kingston, Canada’s original haunted tour. The former hotel has plenty of ghost stories of its own, but so does the Tir Nan Og Pub occupying a space on the ground floor, where furniture and doors are said to move on their own, silverware and glasses fall to the floor, and patrons are touched by unseen hands. No one seems to mind very much, as it continues to be a very popular watering hole.
With their storied history, famous guests, and romantic atmosphere, hotels attract quite a number of legends and ghostly tales. From the smallest bed & breakfast to luxurious five-star resorts, nearly all of them are believed to have an uninvited guest or two. The following are just a few of the more interesting I have stayed at over the years. Have you ever spent the night in a haunted hotel? Leave your story in the comments below!
Rising above the colorful tapestry of tightly clustered homes and businesses blanketing the Mule Mountains in southeastern Arizona, the Copper Queen Hotel stands as a gilded monument. For over 100 years, it has served as a social anchor for the former mining town of old Bisbee. I first stayed at the Copper Queen Hotel in 2009 while visiting friends from Phoenix. I heard rumors it was haunted, but it wasn’t until I returned a few years later that I discover just how much. In the interim, the hotel had published its logbook of ghostly encounters from 2000 to 2008, and the book contains many interesting gems.
Neon sign for Rodeway Inn & Suites, 741 E Washington Street in Charles Town, West Virginia. This establishment was once known as the “Turf Motel”. I like the dramatic red arrow directing travelers off the road.
The Adirondack Hotel, at 1245 Main Street in Long Lake, New York, is a true mountain lodge in the heart of the fabled Adirondacks. It was originally built in the 1850s, but reconstructed in 1900 after a devastating fire. The Adirondack Mountains have been a vacation destination for over a century. This picturesque region is home to 102 towns and villages and approximately 132,000 people. Seven to ten million tourists flock to this area annually to enjoy hunting, camping, boating, and fishing in the summer, skiing and snowboarding in winter, and to see the beautiful autumn colors in the fall.
Vintage sign for the old Park Way Motel on County Rd 2, east of Morrisburg, Ontario along the St. Lawrence River. Check out that ad for color TV.
M.A. Kleen 
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