The Haunted Hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona
For unexplained voices, apparitions and mysterious activities get checked-in to The Hotel Monte Vista.
It’s located at the corners of Aspen and San Francisco streets, with ghosts lurking in the corridors and rooms while having a history that precedes the Great Depression.
History of Hotel Monte Vista
During the mid-1920s with an increasing number of visitors to Flagstaff, the local people needed top-tier accommodation. Since the existing hotels in Flagstaff were old and obsolescent, the locals decided to raise funds for constructing a top-tier accommodation.
From April 26 the fundraising began and in one month an amount of $200,000 was collected, donated by the prominent residents and novelist Zane Grey. They began constructing a 73 room Hotel and by New Years Day 1927, it was open for accommodation.
The Hotel was named Community Hotel, but later it was changed to Monte Vista, a name selected by a 12-year-old contest winner. Until the early 1960s Hotel Monte Vista was the longest-held commercial property which was later sold to a private investor in the same year.
In the 1900s a major fire damaged many buildings in Flagstaff, which was blamed on the Chinese immigrant’s cooking and cleaning practices. It was rumored that the Chinese immigrants constructed underground tunnels to escape from the harassment of the local residents. It is now discovered that the tunnels are home to suspicious activities like opium dens and gambling machines.
The neon lights on top of the hotel acted as an emergency signal for Flagstaff in the 1930s. It was for the purpose of alerting about catastrophes and hazards in the town.
This Hotel was the first choice for famous celebrities like Bob Hope, Michael Strip, Zane Gray, Bing Crosby, and many more.
Ghosts of Hotel Monte Vista
Some of the rooms and halls are haunted by ghosts who seem to be permanent residents of the Hotel. The housekeeping people have a lot of stories to share.
- Room 220 — The Meat Man
The person who lived in room 220 was a peculiar long-term guest, who had a strange habit of hanging raw meat from the chandeliers. In the early 1980s, he died and was found only three days after his death. After his death, the hotel staff needed to clean the room and do some repairs. The maintenance worker who was sent to the room, while working on repairs, needed to buy some materials from the store. Before leaving the room he had switched off the lights and locked the room. When he returned to the room, he found the TV on full volume and the bedsheets on the made bed shredded to pieces and scattered on the floor. The occupants of the room have reported the TV acts up on its own and while they are sleeping they have felt cold hands touching them
2. Room 305 — The Rocking Chair
An old woman who was residing for a long time in the room always used to sit in her rocking chair by the window, looking out at something or for someone. Guests and the housekeeping people have reported seeing a woman by the window sitting in the rocking chair and the rocking chair move on its own. They have even reported kncks coming from the inside of the closet.
3. Room 306 — The woman of the night
Just two blocks down the road there was Red Light district. In the late 1940s two prostitutes were brought to Hotel Monte Vista. During their visit, they were killed and thrown from the third floor window to the streets below. The guests have reported being restless and unable to sleep due to the feeling of being watched. The guests have even woken up breathless, due to the feeling of hands on their mouth and throat.
4. The Phantom Bellboy
Housekeeping people report seeing a young male in old fashioned red coat with brass buttons walking up and down the halls. The guests have reported hearing knocks on the door and faint voice saying ‘room service’, but when the door is opened it would be empty. Some guests have spotted the boy standing in front of room 210.
5. Baby in the basement
Maintenance and laundry persons have reported hearing crying sounds of a baby from the basement. The sound seems so real that they have to escape from the sounds by running upstairs. This seems to have been the most disturbing one.
6. The Dancing Couple
Lounge staff and patrons have noticed a transparent couple dancing in the cocktail lounge wearing formal dress and laughing.
7. The Bank Robber
In 1970, three men robbed a bank near the Hotel. The security guard of the bank shot one of the men. To celebrate the success they dropped by the cocktail lounge of the hotel to drink. . While drinking the man who was shot bled to death. The staff and patron have reported to hear a voice greet them ‘good morning’ when no one was around. They have also seen barstools being pushed around and glasses moving on its own.
8. The Elevator attendant
Guests have often heard a faint voice asking ‘which floor?’ and the staff have also noticed a phantom hand closing the elevator doors. The chilling part is that while walking out of the elevator they have noticed a figure standing in the mirror of the elevator.
If you are a fan of ghosts then this place is the right one to visit. But still its wise to be careful in haunted places.
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