Haunted hotels · California
Haunted Hotels in California
Historic California hotels with published ghost stories, from the Hotel del Coronado’s Kate Morgan to San Francisco’s grand hotels, the Gold Rush towns and the Queen Mary.
The short answer
There is no official ranking. The best-known story is the Hotel del Coronado’s: Kate Morgan, a guest who died there in 1892, is said never to have left, and Historic Hotels of America has named The Del to its most-haunted lists. In San Francisco, the Fairmont, the Palace and The Westin St. Francis all have published lore, and Historic Hotels of America calls Long Beach’s Queen Mary, a 1936 ocean liner, one of the world’s most legendary haunted destinations.
Where they are
Built 1827–29 · Inn
The Cosmopolitan Hotel
The ghost story The hotel's own history says the ghost of Ysidora Bandini, youngest daughter of Juan Bandini, is thought to visit Room 11, turning lights on and off. It is told as house lore.
Where the story comes from: oldtowncosmopolitan.com
Why stay Juan Bandini's Old Town adobe, a hotel since its wooden second story went up in 1869; ten rooms with period antiques and no TVs or phones.
Built 1850–51 · Inn
The Groveland Hotel
The ghost story The hotel says a guest named Lyle died in his sleep there in 1927, a box of dynamite under his bed, and that guests and ghost hunters have since reported doors opening on their own and lights and faucets turning on and off. It is told as house lore.
Where the story comes from: theserenite.com
Why stay A Gold Rush hotel on the road to Yosemite, next to the Iron Door Saloon, which the hotel calls the oldest operating bar in California.
Built 1862 · Inn
Holbrooke Hotel
The ghost story The hotel's own story says it is 'haunted by rough cowboys and Victorian Madames'. It is told as house lore.
Where the story comes from: holbrooke.com
Why stay Built in 1862 around the 1852 Golden Gate Saloon, which OHP calls the Mother Lode's oldest continuously operating saloon; breakfast included.
Built 1884 · Boutique hotel
Napa River Inn
The ghost story According to hotel staff and past guests, as reported by Historic Hotels of America, Captain Albert Hatt's son Albert Jr. and his wife Margaret still roam the halls of the old mill. The friendly sightings range from a woman in a white dress and doors that move on their own to the sound of footsteps and the swish of a heavy dress.
Where the story comes from: historichotels.org
Why stay Captain Albert Hatt's 1884 brick warehouse on the Napa River, later the Napa Mill; the rooms fill the original warehouse.
Built 1888 · Resort
Hotel del Coronado
The ghost story Guests and staff report that Kate Morgan, a 24-year-old guest who died at the hotel in 1892, never left; her room, 3327, is reported to be the hotel's most requested, and Room 3519 is also the subject of ghost stories. HHA has named The Del to its Most Haunted list every year from 2021 to 2026.
Where the story comes from: historichotels.org
Why stay The Reid Brothers' 1888 Queen Anne resort on Coronado Beach. Only the original building is historic, so ask for a room in The Victorian.
Built 1904–13 · Grand hotel
The Westin St. Francis
The ghost story The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the suite where Al Jolson died during a poker game in 1950 is in high demand because he is said to have never left, and that rumor places the ghosts of John Barrymore, Fatty Arbuckle and a lady in a white dress in the hotel too.
Where the story comes from: sfchronicle.com
Why stay On Union Square since 1904. The 1904 and 1913 wings form the Landmark Building; the 1972 tower is modern, so ask for a Landmark room.
Built 1907 · Grand hotel
Fairmont San Francisco
The ghost story Lore at the hotel says the Fair sisters died in the 1906 earthquake and haunt the hotel they never saw finished, as a gentle presence some guests say they feel at night, though Historic Hotels of America notes the sisters actually sold their interest days before the quake and lived on. HHA placed the Fairmont on its 2025 Most Haunted list.
Where the story comes from: historichotels.org
Why stay Julia Morgan restored the fire-gutted Nob Hill hotel for its 1907 opening; UN Charter delegates met here in 1945.
Built 1909 · Grand hotel
Palace Hotel
The ghost story A KQED profile of a San Francisco City Guides ghost tour of the Palace says hotel workers' stories and a booklet once written for VIP guests describe mostly harmless spirits said to tousle guests' hair, hush loud children, switch off lights and leave brief pleasant scents.
Where the story comes from: kqed.org
Why stay William Ralston's 1875 Palace, gutted in 1906 and reopened in 1909 with the glass-domed Garden Court and Maxfield Parrish's Pied Piper mural.
Built 1915 · Resort
Claremont Resort & Club
The ghost story HHA reports stories of phantom elevators that stop at floors no one requested, cold spots and voices, with the most activity attributed to one fourth-floor room. HHA named it to its Most Haunted lists from 2021 to 2024.
Where the story comes from: historichotels.org
Why stay The 'White Castle on the Hill', a 1915 resort hotel in the Berkeley hills, on Historic Hotels of America's most-haunted lists from 2021 to 2024.
Built 1925–26 · Boutique hotel
Grande Colonial La Jolla
The ghost story The hotel reports that generations of guests and staff describe unexplained happenings, including front-desk calls at 2 a.m. coming from rooms known to be empty. It is told as hotel lore.
Where the story comes from: thegrandecolonial.com
Why stay Frank Stevenson's 1925–26 Prospect Street hotel, where La Jolla Playhouse actors such as Groucho Marx stayed; valet is included in every stay.
Built 1927 · Resort
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn
The ghost story Tenured employees report a woman in period dress named Victoria, said to have celebrated her wedding and anniversaries here, walking the halls on foggy nights; a room in the original inn building is said to be haunted by an elderly man, and the Round Room is called one of the most haunted. HHA has listed the inn as Most Haunted every year from 2021 to 2026.
Where the story comes from: historichotels.org
Why stay A 1927 replica California mission on the Boyes hot springs, on HHA's most-haunted list every year from 2021 to 2026. Ask for the original inn.
Built 1936 · Grand hotel
The Queen Mary
The ghost story HHA calls the ship one of the world's most legendary haunted destinations, with stories centered on Watertight Door 13, Stateroom B340, a Lady in White in the grand public rooms and an alleged 'vortex' at the former first-class pool; the front desk has received reports about B340 such as flickering lights and running faucets. All of this is reported lore.
Where the story comes from: historichotels.org
Why stay A ship, not a building: Cunard's 1936 Art Deco liner, the 'Grey Ghost' troopship of World War II, moored for good in Long Beach as a hotel.
Our rules
How we report ghost stories
We list a ghost story only when it has been published, by the hotel, a historic-hotel organization, a tour company or the press, and we link to where it comes from. We report what guests, staff and storytellers say; we don’t claim any building is haunted. The history is checked separately, the same way as every inn on this site: the year it was built, its historic credential, and that it takes bookings today.
After dark
Ghost tours in California
Tours are sold by GetYourGuide and run by local operators. If you book one through these links, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Ratings and prices are GetYourGuide’s.
Questions travelers ask
Is the Hotel del Coronado haunted?
That’s its reputation. Guests and staff report that Kate Morgan, a 24-year-old guest who died at the hotel in 1892, never left; her room, 3327, is reported to be the hotel’s most requested. We report this as lore.
What are the haunted historic hotels in San Francisco?
The Fairmont, where lore says the Fair sisters haunt the hotel; the Palace, whose staff stories a city ghost tour retells; and The Westin St. Francis, where the San Francisco Chronicle reports Al Jolson is said to linger in the suite where he died in 1950.
Is the Queen Mary haunted?
Historic Hotels of America calls the ship one of the world’s most legendary haunted destinations, with stories centered on Watertight Door 13, Stateroom B340 and a Lady in White in the grand public rooms. These are reported stories.
Do California’s Gold Rush hotels have ghost stories?
Yes: the Holbrooke in Grass Valley says it is haunted by ‘rough cowboys and Victorian Madames’, and the Groveland Hotel tells of Lyle, a guest who died in his sleep there in 1927.
Keep exploring
How we chose these inns
Every place on this page is at least 50 years old, holds a credential we can check (National Register listing, a listed historic district, landmark status, or Historic Hotels of America membership), and takes bookings today. We verify each one against primary sources before it goes on the list, and last checked this list in October 2026. Read our criteria.
Sources (36)
- The Cosmopolitan Hotel: ohp.parks.ca.gov
- The Cosmopolitan Hotel: oldtowncosmopolitan.com
- The Cosmopolitan Hotel: oldtowncosmopolitan.com
- The Groveland Hotel: npgallery.nps.gov
- The Groveland Hotel: www.theserenite.com
- Holbrooke Hotel: ohp.parks.ca.gov
- Holbrooke Hotel: holbrooke.com
- Napa River Inn: npgallery.nps.gov
- Napa River Inn: www.historichotels.org
- Napa River Inn: www.historichotels.org
- Hotel del Coronado: www.hoteldel.com
- Hotel del Coronado: ohp.parks.ca.gov
- The Queen Mary: www.historichotels.org
- Hotel del Coronado: www.historichotels.org
- Hotel del Coronado: www.hoteldel.com
- The Westin St. Francis: en.wikipedia.org
- The Westin St. Francis: data.sf.gov
- The Westin St. Francis: www.sfchronicle.com
- Fairmont San Francisco: npgallery.nps.gov
- Fairmont San Francisco: www.historichotels.org
- Fairmont San Francisco: www.historichotels.org
- Palace Hotel: www.historichotels.org
- Palace Hotel: data.sfgov.org
- Palace Hotel: www.kqed.org
- Palace Hotel: www.historichotels.org
- Claremont Resort & Club: www.historichotels.org
- Claremont Resort & Club: www.historichotels.org
- Claremont Resort & Club: www.historichotels.org
- Grande Colonial La Jolla: thegrandecolonial.com
- Grande Colonial La Jolla: www.sandiego.gov
- Grande Colonial La Jolla: thegrandecolonial.com
- Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn: www.historichotels.org
- Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn: www.historichotels.org
- The Queen Mary: npgallery.nps.gov
- The Queen Mary: www.historichotels.org
- The Queen Mary: www.historichotels.org
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