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A Guide to the Haunted Hotels of New Orleans

The pretty Cornstalk Hotel exudes old-world charm
The pretty Cornstalk Hotel exudes old-world charm | Courtesy of the Cornstalk Hotel / Expedia

New Orleans is said to be among the most haunted destinations in the United States. The Louisiana city has a dark history of voodoo practices, bloody battles and natural disasters stretching back to the founding in 1718 – all leading to plenty of paranormal activity. Intrigued? Book a room in one of the many haunted hotels in New Orleans to get to the bottom of these spooky rumors. We’ve rounded up the best, and they’re all bookable on Culture Trip.

The Cornstalk Hotel

Hotel, Villa

A bed, fireplace, and window with drapes in a hotel room at the Cornstalk Hotel
Courtesy of the Cornstalk Hotel / Expedia
In the French Quarter, away from bustling Bourbon Street, The Cornstalk Hotel was built in 1816. Famous guests have included the Clintons, Elvis Presley and Elizabeth Taylor. Filled with shimmering chandeliers and gilded mirrors, the hotel exudes old-world charm. However, the decorative iron fence, which depicts corn growing around the property, is alleged to have potent paranormal energy, and guests have reported seeing a woman in a black dress and hearing children laughing.

Andrew Jackson Hotel

Hotel

Andrew Jackson Hotel
Courtesy of Andrew Jackson Hotel / Expedia
This townhouse hotel, with wrought-iron balconies and a courtyard, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. But the property history is a tragic one. It first opened in 1792 as a boarding school and orphanage for boys, but burned down two years later with five boys inside during the Great New Orleans Fire. Today, the hotel is known for hauntings: a young boy named Armand wakes up guests by pushing them out of bed or laughing, while others report seeing the orphanage caretaker wandering around.

Le Pavillon Hotel

Hotel

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Courtesy of Le Pavillon Hotel / Expedia
The luxury Le Pavillon Hotel sits on the corner of Poydras and Baronne in the Central Business District. It has a dramatic past dating to the early 1900s, with frequent apparitions reported by guests. These include a couple in evening dress walking around the first floor, a finely dressed woman roaming the lobby, a young woman in room 930 and a ghost who enjoys playing pranks on the cleaning crews and guests on the third floor.

Hotel Monteleone

Boutique Hotel

Hotel Monteleone room with classic decor including chandelier and ornate curtains
Courtesy of Hotel Monteleone / Expedia
Hotel Monteleone, built in 1886, is one of the original French Quarter landmarks. And with so much history, it’s no surprise it’s one of the premier haunted spots in New Orleans. Guests and staff have spotted ghostly children roaming the halls, but the best-known – and friendliest – resident is Maurice Begere, a mischievous young boy who passed away at the hotel in the late 1800s and now haunts the room in which he died.

Bourbon Orleans Hotel

Suite Hotel, Business Hotel, Hotel

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Courtesy of Bourbon Orleans Hotel / Expedia

Once the Orleans Ballroom and Theater, and then a convent in the 1800s, the Bourbon Orleans Hotel lies in the heart of the French Quarter and reportedly has more ghosts than any other place in New Orleans. Guests have reported hearing children’s laughter echoing down the hallways, while others claim to have felt their shirts being abruptly yanked. Other supernatural tales include hearing tortured cries around room 644 (where, supposedly, a nun took her own life), a bloody Confederate soldier limping down the hallways of the sixth and third floors and a ghostly woman dancing under the ballroom chandeliers.

Omni Royal Orleans

Hotel

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Courtesy of Omni Royal Orleans / Expedia

The luxurious Omni Royal Orleans, on fashionable St Louis Street, is thought to be home to around 50 ghosts, but the one that most frequently encounter is that of a maid who is said to tuck guests in as they sleep, flush toilets and turn taps and lights on in the night. A gun-toting Confederate soldier has also been spotted on the seventh floor, and some friendly spirits have been known to follow their favorite guests around the property.

Dauphine Orleans Hotel

Hotel

Dauphine Orleans Hotel
Courtesy of Dauphine Orleans Hotel / Expedia

The stylish Dauphine Orleans Hotel, one block from the hedonistic French Quarter thoroughfare Bourbon Street, comprises three buildings, including a 19th-century sporting house (brothel). Moans of spirits engaged in amorous pursuits drift around rooms and corridors, while beds shake of their own accord and privacy-seeking ghosts (former clients?) lock doors from the inside. Other long-term residents of the Dauphine include a woman with long dark hair – believed to have been a prostitute – who dances alone in the courtyards, and a uniformed general who hangs out in the bar.

Le Richelieu

Hotel

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Courtesy of Le Richelieu / Expedia

Le Richelieu is a smart boutique hotel in the heart of the French Quarter where some guests have had more direct contact with the past than they bargained for. A group of Spanish soldiers believed to have been executed on this site reportedly march through the courtyard and appear in the bar in their uniforms. There have also been bizarre occurrences, such as child-size handprints appearing on mirrors, and the presence of a dark-gray apparition in bedrooms.

Christy Taylor and Mark Nayler contributed additional reporting to this article.

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