Find Haunted Hotels Across California
Unearth California’s creepiest stays, where restless spirits roam and history refuses to rest. Explore verified haunted hotels and ghostly getaways for a chilling Golden State adventure you’ll never forget.
80+ Haunted Hotels
60+ City Covered
500+ Ghost Stories
Real Haunted Hotels, Real Ghost Stories, Real California Paranormal Signs.
When you search for haunted hotels in California, you’ll see thousands of spooky listings, but not all are the real deal. We’ve dug through decades of ghost tales, historic archives, and local legends to build the most authentic collection of truly haunted hotels you can actually visit in the Golden State.
Our California Haunted Hotels Directory showcases verified paranormal locations across the state, from eerie coastal inns shrouded in fog to desert lodges where guests still hear footsteps at midnight. Each property features real ghost stories, tragic backstories, and chilling reports of supernatural encounters.
Whether you’re a serious ghost hunter chasing EVP evidence and shadow figures, or just a brave traveler curious about California’s most haunted stays, our hand-picked list connects you with places where history lingers and the spirits never check out.
Real Haunted Experiences From Hotel Guests
Stefan Johannsson at Santa Maria Inn
Even the waiters in the breakfast restaurant mentioned that our room was haunted…by a chainsmoking, alcoholic, masochistic ghost with bad taste of music and interior decoration, I guess.
chubbynoah at Santa Maria Inn
Great service, clean quiet rooms, oddly enough I had an unexpected experience, had a visit from the resident ghost and had my first supernatural experience getting kissed while sleeping alone,lol,
Tim Durnin at Santa Maria Inn
For a throwback experience of the 1920’s – 1950’s it’s hard to beat a room in the original wing of the Santa Maria Inn. And for you ghost hunters the Santa Maria Inn definitely won’t disappoint
SwimmingWithTheRainat Santa Maria Inn
We stayed at the Santa Maria Inn last weekend and what a wonderful time! The rooms were roomy and the beds quite comfortable. There is a ghost tour at midnight full of information about the history of the Inn and all the famous people that have stayed there.
Find other Haunted Hotels in California
Find other Haunted Hotels in California
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most haunted hotel in California?
The Queen Mary Hotel in Long Beach is often called the most haunted hotel in California. The retired ocean liner turned hotel is said to host numerous spirits, with guests and staff reporting mysterious footsteps, ghostly voices, and sudden cold spots.
Is the Cecil Hotel in California still open?
As of recent reports, the Cecil Hotel (now called Stay on Main) in downtown Los Angeles is not open to the public for regular hotel stays. It has been under renovation and is partly used as affordable housing.
What is the haunted story of Hotel Cecil?
The Cecil Hotel has a dark history of suicides, mysterious deaths, and ties to infamous figures like serial killers Richard Ramirez and Jack Unterweger. It’s most infamously linked to the 2013 death of Elisa Lam, whose body was found in the hotel’s rooftop water tank under mysterious circumstances.
What hotel is haunted in Los Angeles featured in American Horror Story?
The Hotel Cortez from American Horror Story: Hotel is a fictional hotel, but it was inspired by the real-life Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles due to its eerie past and tragic events.
What is the most haunted place in California?
Besides the Queen Mary, other contenders include Alcatraz Island, Preston Castle, and Whaley House in San Diego, all rumored to be home to restless spirits and paranormal activity.
What happened in room 441 of the Congress Hotel?
At Chicago’s Congress Plaza Hotel, Room 441 is said to be one of the most haunted. Guests have reported seeing a shadowy female figure, objects moving on their own, and waking up to someone standing at the end of the bed.
How much is a night at the Cecil Hotel?
When it was open to travelers (as Stay on Main), rooms ranged from $80 to $150 per night. However, the hotel is currently closed to the public, and no booking rates are available.
What hotel was the girl found in the water tank?
The tragic incident involving Elisa Lam occurred at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles in 2013. Her disappearance and the discovery of her body in a rooftop water tank sparked worldwide attention and numerous conspiracy theories.
What is the scariest haunted hotel in the world?
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, which inspired Stephen King’s The Shining, is often called the scariest haunted hotel in the world, known for ghostly piano music, phantom children, and mysterious laughter.
What happened in room 428 in the Stanley Hotel?
Guests staying in Room 428 at the Stanley Hotel have reported hearing footsteps, furniture moving, and seeing a cowboy apparition standing at the foot of the bed, though staff insist no cowboy rooms exist.