Ghouls, goblins, and ghosts: oh my! October means it’s Halloween season, particularly in North America. Besides trick-or-treaters at your hotel’s door, you might just find a few travelers looking for a frightfully good time. If your property or neighborhood boasts a ghost story, you’re in luck. Check out these savvy partners who capitalize on their haunted pasts to lure guests seeking otherworldly thrills.
Spooked in San Diego
The Keating Hotel in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter has a secret spooky side. Constructed as an office building in 1890, it was later reimagined as a boutique hotel and welcomed its first guests in 2007. Since then it’s become a hotspot known for Italian design, Soho style, and personalized service.
It was built in 1890 in honor of the late George J. Keating. Legend has it that Keating’s wife Fannie mixed a lock of his hair into the concrete foundation as it was being poured. Perhaps that accounts for his ghostly presence, which is said to roam the property making sure everything is just right. He shuts doors and windows and prefers the basement, the hotel staff says. So, their website asks guests, why not stay in an “actual haunted hotel” at Halloween time? As the holiday approaches, the Keating runs a Haunted Hotel Package that includes overnight accommodations and two tickets to San Diego’s world-renowned Haunted Hotel event.
Ghost Tours in Baltimore
The Admiral Fell Inn is considered one of the Top Ten Haunted Places in Baltimore, and they make use of that! Located in historic Fell’s Point and founded in 1730, the inn was renovated in 1985 and then expanded again in 1996. It retains many original details and 18th-century styling alongside its modern amenities. This combination plus its intimate elegance have made it quite popular with guests.
One of Inn’s signature events is the Admiral’s Ghost Tour & Reception, which leads participants through the seven historic buildings that make up the Inn. The guide offers up lively legends and popular ghost tales. After the tour, guests can partake of a different sort of spirit with complimentary wine, beer, and treats. Guests can opt for this spooky experience at any time of year, but around Halloween, it’s a special event the hotel can market even more for its seasonal appeal.
Midnight Tales on Miscauno Island
The Four Seasons Island Resort, located on a picturesque island in Wisconsin’s Menominee River, has welcomed guests for a century. In 1923 it burned to the ground, but was shortly rebuilt to add a chic clubhouse and golf course rumored to be popular with Al Capone. It remains a gorgeous getaway in the woods, and an easy trek from metro Chicago.
Like other historic properties, the resort has earned its fair share of ghost stories over the years. To thrill guests with these hair-raising tales, the property offers a unique kind of nightlife: a midnight ghost tour. Melda, their nighttime housekeeper, takes interested guests to the upper floors to meet Laura and other resident ghosts. As their website promises, who knows what might happen? Just like at the Admiral, these tours are available year-round, but they’re especially marketable at Halloween.
Takeaway
Even if your property doesn’t have a ghost story of its own, there are plenty of haunted happenings you can tap into. The holiday has only grown in popularity over the years; in the U.S., it represents a whopping 6 billion dollar business! (That’s a lot of costumes.) Accordingly, many towns, neighborhoods and local organizations throw Halloween-themed events, from parades to pop-up theme parks. They draw visitors; you could offer related specials, or simply lots of spooky decorations to get into the spirit. You might find that instead of running scared, your guests come back for more.
