15 Spookiest Haunted Hotels Across Europe and Beyond

Set amidst an ancient background or hidden inside a state-of-the-art building, some hotels are so creepy in their vibes that they might scare the world out of you! Or won’t it?

Who knows, there may be someone interested in meeting you, as you came all the way to their place excitedly – probably unknowingly ?!

 We’ve curated a selection of the top real, terrifying, Scariest hotels in Europe and beyond!

HISTORY & DESCRIPTION OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY:

Built in the mid-19th century, somewhere between 1863 & 1865, by the Lucas brothers, the Langham Hotel is said to be one of the top haunted hotels in Europe.

Room 333 is known to have a secret lurking in its air. A Victorian-era doctor honeymooning with his wife stayed in this room and murdered his wife and then killed himself. He lingers behind still to haunt the same place. One BBC journalist who stayed back in October 1973 reported seeing a ball of light at an odd hour of the night, which then transformed into a human form wearing a Victorian-style dress, ‘without feet.’ Probably it was the creepy doctor who had murdered his wife. However, his wife’s ghost was not spotted.

A German prince from World War I, who jumped out of the window, killing himself, roams around the hotel, gliding through walls and rooms mysteriously. He is spotted appearing on the fourth floor’s window to scare anyone around, meanwhile lowering the temperature to give goosebumps.

Napoleon III, who lived in the basement of the hotel during his exile, was hanged here, and so his ghost is rumoured to be spotted.

• ADDRESS: 1C Portland Place, Regent Street, Marylebone, London.
• CITY AND STATE: London City, Marylebone District.

​​​​​HISTORY & DESCRIPTION OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY:

Dragsholm Castle, now transformed into a luxurious hotel, was constructed in 1215 by the Bishop of Roskilde. The first of the stories identifies a grey woman, and this is a happy spirit you might like to meet. Well, the lady who worked here had a complaint of a toothache to her master, who formulated a pain-relieving poultice for her. The pain, however, subsided, but later became an infection which proved to be fatal. Her soul still roams around the castle, but is harmless. Another story reports a white lady who was imprisoned by her father behind the castle’s walls in the name of “honor killing” (for loving a man she wasn’t allowed to). Discovering the truth furiously, her father got her chained to a wall in the basement, where she was left to die. People have heard screams and wails of agony while staying at the hotel, which seems disturbing. This story proved true when a skeleton in a white dress was found in the basement walls during the restoration project. The third, most famous ghost spotted here is the Earl of Bothwell. He was imprisoned and kept in poor conditions, chained, until he was left to die. It’s believed that a phantom horse carriage moves through the courtyard as his spirit couldn’t find rest.

• ADDRESS : Dragsholm Alley, 4534 Hørve, Denmark.
• CITY AND STATE: Odsherred (at one hour distance from Copenhagen), Zealand. It’s a peninsula located on an Island.

HISTORY & DESCRIPTION OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY:

A nun reportedly haunts the hotel room 160, who was said to have killed herself as she got pregnant. The hotel, now, was once a girls’ school run by nun teachers. Upon identification of the truth, the nun’s fellow teachers hid her body in the wall and buried her there. People who dared to stay here have heard running faucets and water filling the tub, getting pinned down by some unnatural forces, and the creepy sounds haunting their sleep.

• ADDRES: 470 Bath Road, Arnos Vale,  Bristol
• CITY AND STATE: Bristol, UK.

HISTORY & DESCRIPTION OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY:

Mermaid Inn was built in 1420. However, it can be dated as ancient. It was popular with sailors and Catholic priests who ran away from the continent during the Reformation era in the 16th century and found shelter here. Later, it became the spot for smugglers’ activities. This hotel has also been featured on most haunted TV shows.

If you want to explore European ghost hotels, this one is best for you! The spirits that linger around are said to be of 16th-century people who died mysteriously, smugglers who were captured, and their wives/girlfriends who were murdered. Guests and staff of this hotel have reported numerous strange encounters, such as the rocking chair of room 17, the spooky appearance of a man out of the wall in room 10, flying orbs in room 15, and similar paranormal activities that have occurred inside many places at the Inn.

• ADDRESS : Mermaid Street, TN31, 7EY, Rye.
• CITY AND STATE: Rye, East Sussex, England

HISTORY & DESCRIPTION OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY:

Built in 1625 by James Shaw and his wife, Isabella Shaw, this 400-year-old castle is famously haunted by the castle owner’s wife, who now has a designated ghost room.

People who stayed here have confirmed hearing footsteps that belong to ‘none’ or knocking on their doors at an ungodly hour. The legend says that she was left to die by her son, who locked her up in one of the rooms. However, she tried to escape through the window and fell off, dying.

• ADDRESS: Coast Rd, Ballygally, Co Antrim, BT40 2QZ
• CITY AND STATE: Larne, United Kingdom.

HISTORY & DESCRIPTION OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY:

This centuries-old castle, now turned into a hotel, was transformed in the 19th century. Those who have spotted the ghost, proclaimed the story as mentioned. Castle’s daughter, “Madonna Barbara,” was in love with the captain sent to the area for battle. Her father didn’t approve of this and locked his daughter in a tower. She forced herself hungry to death in his memory and longing. Visitors say they hear wails of longing and sometimes have even seen the apparition of her watching over the lake for her lover to return.

• ADDRESS : Via Visconti, 8, 28040 Oleggio Castello NO, Italy.
• CITY AND STATE: Province of Novara, Piedmont Region

HISTORY & DESCRIPTION OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY:

The castle was built first in the 11th Century by the Counts of Anjou. Château De Brissac ‘s story says that its owner killed his wife for having an affair with her lover. The lady in green, as seen by some visitors, was Charlotte, the owner’s wife. Her screams of pain are heard as if trying to remove the sword from her chest.

• ADDRESS : 1 RUE JEANNE SAY, 49320 Brissac Loire Aubance, France
• CITY AND STATE: Brissac, Quincé, France.

HISTORY & DESCRIPTION OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY:

Hotel Stefanie, the oldest hotel in Vienna, is known for its rich cultural and historical significance. Among the stories surrounding it is the tale of a "White Lady" said to peacefully haunt the property. Some legends mention that the color of her gloves foretells either a joyful or tragic event. She is believed to have been a noblewoman who met a tragic end, though the full story behind her fate remains a mystery, adding an air of intrigue to this historic hotel.

• ADDRESS: Taborstraße 12, 1020 Wien, Austria
• CITY AND STATE: Vienna, Schwechat, Austria.

HISTORY & DESCRIPTION OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY:

Karosta Prison was used in the Nazi era for Nazi and Soviet military prisoners. This prison background hotel is terrifyingly known to be haunted, as its story has several prisoners dying here.

Accommodation here is generally giving vibes of prisoners, and if that’s not enough, you might expect light bulbs unscrewing, chains rattling, doors that open and shut themselves and ghosts of some cruel Nazis might haunt you too! Assuming it’s a past tragic story, one can claim it to be one most haunted hotels in Europe.

• ADDRESS : Invalīdu iela 4, Liepāja, LV-3402, Latvia
• CITY AND STATE: Liepāja, Western Latvia.

HISTORY & DESCRIPTION OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY:

Hotel Burchianti was opened in 1919 and was previously a castle owned by the Castiglioni family. Guests living here have reported spine-chilling incidents of ghostly encounters. Such as children who are playing in the hall, a woman sitting on the chair busy knitting, and even a maid who’s seen cleaning in the early morning. The Fresco room has a creepy atmosphere, where icy breaths can be experienced by guests.

• ADDRESS: Via Del Giglio 8, Florence, FI, 50123, Italy
• CITY AND STATE: Florence, Italy.

​​​​ISTORY & DESCRIPTION OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY:

Located in Cardona, this haunted castle dates back to the 11th century and carries a truly eerie presence. Its ancient, fortress-like appearance alone feels straight out of a horror story, but the tales attached to it are even more chilling. The most persistent ghost is said to linger in Room 712, where guests often report the sounds of furniture mysteriously moving. According to legend, the spirit belongs to the Duke’s daughter, who suffered a tragic fate. After her forbidden love was rejected, her father imprisoned her in the castle’s tower, where she eventually died, leaving her restless spirit behind.

• • ADDRESS: Castell de Cardona, s/n, 08261 Cardona, Barcelona, Spain
• • CITY AND STATE: Barcelona, Spain

HISTORY & DESCRIPTION OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY:

Dating back to the 16th Century, Ballyseede Castle was owned by the Fitzgerald family. Gerald Fitzgerald, the head of the family, was said to be decapitated, and his headless ghost is rumoured to haunt the castle-turned-hotel. It’s also said that he lingers around just to keep a check that everything is working well in his castle. Another spirit of Hilda, unknown and mysterious, is also a legend for haunting this hotel. However, she only visits on the 24th of March every year, and is probably a silent ghost residing here. Although a deadly night was reported to have terrorized many guests in 1998 due to her scary presence.

• ADDRESS: Ballyseede, Tralee, Co. Kerry, V92 VW30
• CITY AND STATE: Tralee, County Kerry,  Ireland.

HISTORY & DESCRIPTION OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY:

One of the finest hotels overlooking St. Stephen's Green, the Shelbourne Hotel was founded in 1824. Known for its historic charm, the hotel is also famous for its reported paranormal activity. Actress Lily Collins, during her stay in 2013, shared her eerie experience, which added to the hotel's ghostly reputation. The most commonly mentioned apparition is the spirit of a mischievous little girl named Mary Masters, who is said to haunt the hotel’s sixth floor. Mary, who tragically died of cholera in 1846, is believed to play pranks on guests, with strange occurrences such as doors mysteriously slamming, taps turning on by themselves, and an unsettling atmosphere throughout the hotel. The basement and other floors have also been the site of unexplained phenomena, continuing to fuel the hotel's ghostly lore.

• ADDRESS: 27 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin, Ireland
• CITY AND STATE: Dublin, Ireland

HISTORY & DESCRIPTION OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY:

One of the famous haunted castles of Britain, Chillingham Castle, allows visitors to stay in self-catered apartments. The radiant boy is famous as seen with a pink halo, with scary cries at midnight. The ghost of a pale woman appears in the pantry. Visitors have reported an eerie atmosphere, strange voices, and a sense of unseen hands.

• ADDRESS: Chillingham Castle, Chillingham, Alnwick NE66 5NJ, UK
• CITY AND STATE: Northumberland, England

HISTORY & DESCRIPTION OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY:

A 14th-century castle once allowed visitors to stay in its hotel. However, the haunted sightings, such as a dog nipping at ankles, children running around while playing in rooms 3, 9, and 23, and spirits of a nanny and two children who died in a fire outbreak, still send shivers down the spine! Although it’s now termed permanently closed.

• ADDRESS: Airth, Stirlingshire FK2 8JF, United Kingdom
• CITY AND STATE: Stirlingshire, Scotland