I moved to New Orleans almost two years ago. Ever since I moved to the city, people are always asking me for advice on what to do, where to eat, and where to stay. New Orleans has the reputation of being one of, if not THE MOST haunted cities in America. It is no surprise given this town’s tumultuous past. Disease, natural disaster, and war have plagued this city in its over three hundred year old history. I don’t think it’s crazy to assume that maybe some of the victims of these events have come back from the dead to revisit The Crescent City. Below, I’m going to list the top most haunted hotels in New Orleans that you can stay at during your next visit to the Big Easy.
For those seeking an encounter with the paranormal; The top most haunted hotels in New Orleans are: The Andrew Jackson Hotel, The Hotel Monteleone, The Dauphine Orleans, The Columns Hotel and The Hotel St. Vincent. Each of these has their own truly frightening history that has led them to earn this title. Now let’s get into the ghost stories.
The Andrew Jackson Hotel
Location: 919 Royal Street (French Quarter)
Brief History: In the late 1700’s, yellow fever swept through the city of New Orleans killing thousands of people. Childhood mortality rate for yellow fever was relatively low, compared to those between the age of 15-40. The disease left many younger children orphaned. The necessity for a boarding school to both educate and house children who had lost their families was recognized by the Spanish Colonial Government. In 1792, an all boys boarding school was commissioned to be built on the grounds that now are home to the hotel. The school had a very short lived history that would end in tragedy. In 1974, just two years after the school’s construction, fire swept through the city. Almost all the structures of New Orleans were destroyed in this massive fire, including the boarding school. It is said that five of the boys who were students of the school perished in the fire. After the boarding school was burnt down, a Federal Courthouse was built in its place. This federal courthouse would go on to house Andrew Jackson after he was charged with obstruction of justice. The charges came after he refused to be interrogated with questions relating to the battle of New Orleans that he had just narrowly won days prior. The Federal Courthouse was torn down in the early 1900’s and the current structure that now houses the hotel was constructed.
Image Source: www.andrewjacksonhotel.com
The Ghosts: It seems that the majority of the haunts come from the boys who perished in the fires of 1794. Guests have heard young children playing in the courtyard of the hotel. Boys laughing from outside their rooms, and lights and TV’s being turned on and off. While paranormal activity is spotted all over the hotel, an area that has the majority or reports come from Room 208. It is legend that a young boy named Armand haunts this room. While no one is certain of how Armand died, it is theorized that he either committed suicide by jumping from rooms balcony, or that he was actually thrown. Armand makes himself known by laughing and giggling in the room, and messing with people while they are in their bed. He is known to tug and pull at the covers, and even push people out of bed.
Image Source: www.andrewjacksonhotel.com
The Experience: The Andrew Jackson Hotel is a small quaint 21 room hotel. For those interested in staying in the heart of the French Quarter, this could be a good choice for you. It offers stunning decor with a boutique hotel feel that will make you feel right at home with the ghosts who inhabit this ghoulish establishment.
Book Your Stay Here: https://www.andrewjacksonhotel.com
Image Source: hotelmonteleone.com
The Hotel Monteleone
Location: 214 Royal Street (French Quarter)
Brief History: In 1880, Antonio Monteleone sold his show factory in Sicily, Italy with the dream of coming to America. When Antonio got to New Orleans he became a cobbler. In 1886, he noticed a small hotel for sale across from where he worked repairing shoes. He purchased the hotel with plans of expansion. Over the next decade he constantly expanded the hotel, buying up the neighboring locations. In 1908 came the largest expansion when he commissioned two architects Albert Toledano and Victor Wogan who completely changed the exterior of the hotel and added a total of 300 rooms. In 1913 Antonio would die, but the hotel would remain in the family, passing first to his son Fank, then to his grandson Bill. By 1954, the hotel started to show its age and was becoming outdated. This is when the existing structure was torn down and the current structure was erected.
Image Source: hotelmonteleone.com
The Ghosts: The hotel is now over 100 years old and has over 600 guest rooms. It certainly makes sense that after one’s passing they would want to stick around the opulent Hotel Monteleone. All of the ghosts of the Monteleone are said to be friendly in nature and no one has experienced anything negative yet. In 2003, the International Society of Paranormal Research conducted an investigation of the hotel. Investigators believed they made contact with many ex-employees, as well as guests. One spirit they believed to be in contact with was William Wildmere, who died in the hotel. He is said to open and close the doors of the downstairs restaurant, along with a chef and bus-boy who while living had worked in the kitchen. The most famous ghost however, is the spirit of a boy named Maurice Begere. In the late 1800’s, Maurice and his parents Josephine and Jacques were frequenters of the Hotel Monteleone. It was said that one night while Maurice’s parents were out enjoying the Opera at a theater on Bourbon Street, Maurice passed away unexpectedly. While he was left with the nanny, he contracted a high fever and started convulsing. Before his parents could be contacted and made aware of their son’s ailments, he passed away. Apparently, Jacques and Josephine continued to visit the hotel after their son’s death in an attempt to contact his spirit. It is said that Josephine did make contact with him. Josephine awoke in the middle of the night and her son appeared. He told her “Mommy don’t cry, I’m fine.” It is said that Maurice’s apparition can be seen walking around the 14th floor where he passed away. The weirdest part about this is that the 14th floor is actually the 13th floor. It was common for hotels of this era to skip over the 13th floor as the number 13 was deemed unlucky.
Image Source: hotelmonteleone.com
The Experience: Hotel Monteleone is one of the most classic opulent hotels in New Orleans. If you are looking to stay at a place that is filled with local history, look no further. The lobby of the hotel also contains the Carousel Bar: a bar that is fixed onto a carnival carousel that slowly rotates as patrons enjoy their beverages. It is one of the most famous spots in the French Quarter and I highly recommend stopping in for a cocktail even if you don’t stay at the hotel.
Book Your Stay Here: https://hotelmonteleone.com
Image Source: www.dauphineorleans.com
The Dauphine Orleans Hotel
Location: 415 Dauphine Street (French Quarter)
Brief History: Just a few blocks down from the infamous LaLaurie Mansion, lies the Dauphine Orleans Hotel. The hotel is housed inside of what used to be a “sporting house” or the more common term, a brothel. In 1857, May Bailey’s Place was opened to those seeking more than just libations. May Bailey started her brothel out of necessity. Her father had passed away from yellow fever in 1847 and she needed to find a way to support herself. She was granted a license to open her bordello under a law called the “ordinance concerning lewd and abandoned women.” This paved the way for prostitution in New Orleans. This small area of the French Quarter was referred to as “Storyville” and consisted of a 38 block radius in which prostitution was legalized. In 1969, May Baileys was turned into The Dauphine Orleans Hotel. Since then, the hotel has gone on to become a staple in the French Quarter and stands in the memory of the once famous “Storyville.”
Image Source: www.dauphineorleans.com
The Ghosts: There are two main ghosts that are both seen and heard walking around the hotel. The first is the ghost of Millie Bailey, the younger sister of May Bailey. Millie hated and resented the bordello and had hopes of a better life. One day she finally found a way out of her current life. She met a Confederate soldier and they fell in love. The soldier proposed to her and they were set to get married. As she was planning for the wedding and having her dress made, her lover was shot dead in a gambling dispute. It is said that after her soon to be husband died, she still wore her wedding dress around the bordello. Guests have reported seeing Millie’s apparition around the hotel. Frequently people will report seeing a lady in a long white dress walking the halls of the hotel. The second ghost is referred to as “The Rebel Ghost.” Often guests have reported seeing a tall man dressed in Confederate garb in their rooms or out in the courtyard. He is said to pace back and forth as if he is contemplating or worried about something. Guests have been kept awake through the late hours of the night hearing footsteps in the room above them. When they complained to hotel staff, they were told that no one was staying in that room. Could this be the General pacing back and forth worried about the state of the war?
The Experience: The Dauphine Orleans is much like The Andrew Jackson Hotel, in that it is relatively small and quaint. “May Bailey’s” the bar is situated right off the lobby of the hotel and has great cocktails and live music. The Dauphine Orleans is only a block from Bourbon Street and is centrally located within the French Quarter making it a great place to stay if you plan on walking everywhere during your visit to the city.
Book Your Stay Here: https://www.dauphineorleans.com/
The Columns Hotel
Location: 3811 St. Charles Avenue
Brief History: This large Garden District mansion was one a private residence. In 1883, Simon Hernsheim commissioned the architect Thomas Sully to design the home in the Italianate-Style. Shortly after moving his family into the home, tragedy struck. Simon’s wife and sister both died of unspecified causes in the year 1895. Simon fell into a deep depression and by 1998 he decided to end his life by swallowing potassium cyanide. After the Hernsheims, the home would become a boarding house. By 1953, the house was transformed into a hotel, but not quite the hotel it has become today. The previous owners let the hotel fall into complete disrepair. In the 1960’s and 70’s, it is said that local politicians would hide away their prostitutes in the hotel. It is also said that many women used the upstairs rooms as their own personal boudoir. The hotel was just recently purchased in 2019 and has seen many nice restorations bringing the hotel back to its former glory.
Ghosts: There are many spirits that are seen walking the halls. Guests report seeing the apparition of a sickly looking girl on the third floor balcony. No one quite knows who she is, but judging by her appearance people assume she was the victim of some sort of disease. Another ghost is referred to as The White Lady. She is seen appearing out of thin air and gliding across the ballroom floor, just to disappear suddenly. Encounters with her are often frightening, but she is said to be relatively benign. Room 10 is said to be the most haunted room. Guests report waking up in the middle of the night to see a middle aged woman standing over them watching them sleep. In one instance, a woman came into her room and saw the apparition of two middle aged women standing by the sink in the bathroom. Unexplained cold spots also appear in this room. I personally had an experience while at the hotel that could not be explained. It was around August and my mother and sister were visiting me. I decided to take them to The Columns because it’s one of my favorite places on St. Charles Ave. We were sitting around a table enjoying a cocktail, when I thought I saw a man dressed in a dark gray suit and a top hat standing at the bottom of the main staircase. When I looked back he was no longer there. When our server came back and asked us for another drink, I asked if she had any ghost stories from working at the hotel. She told me she had not experienced anything yet, but a couple of her coworkers reported seeing a man in a dark suit and a top hat standing at the bottom of the main staircase. Could this be Simon Hernsheim coming back to visit his grandiose mansion?
The Experience: The Columns is one of my favorite places in New Orleans. It’s located right in the heart of The Garden District and is easily accessible by street car. They have a great bar with amazing cocktails with one of the best Sazeracs in the city. If you’re looking to stay in The Garden District this could be the hotel for you.
Book Your Stay Here: https://thecolumns.com/about
The Hotel St. Vincent
Location: 1507 Magazine Street (Lower Garden District)
Brief History: The Hotel St. Vincent started off as an orphanage. In 1860, Margaret Haughery and Thomas Mulligan, two Irish born immigrants, created the St. Vincent Orphanage. It was constructed in the Italianate Victorian style, and consisted of red brick, iron railings, and a flat room. There was a spike in orphaned children in the late 1800’s due to the yellow fever outbreak. This resulted in the need for the orphanage. The building was constructed to be able to hold over two-hundred children. St. Vincent’s Orphanage operated up until 1970 at which point the building was abandoned and sat empty until its new owner transformed the beautiful hotel it is today.
Image Source: www.hnoc.org
The Ghosts: While the new owners of the St. Vincent have not come out and advertised their hotel as “haunted,” New Orleans locals know that this is one of the most haunted buildings in the city. Many paranormal investigation teams have investigated the building before it was a hotel. They reported seeing strange apparitions of children playing on the second floor, and a ghost nun who walks through the courtyard. Before the building was renovated, many tour guides offered guided paranormal investigations of the building.
The Experience: The St. Vincent Hotel has to be one of the coolest hotels in New Orleans. Its location is amazing, the decor is unique, and the service is excellent. Not to mention their restaurant has great food. Even if you don’t choose to stay at the hotel, you for sure need to make your way over to see this beautiful unique building. And maybe encounter a ghost nun.
Book Your Stay Here: https://saintvincentnola.com
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