Are you brave enough to spend the night in a haunted hotel this Halloween? According to research by Hotels.com, one in five Brits would dare to sleep overnight in a haunted location, while a third would consider it. If you are one of them, these spooky hotels will give a whole new meaning to the term 'fright night'.
From The Mermaid Inn in Rye, East Sussex where a HELLO! staffer stayed, to The Witchery By The Castle, Edinburgh with endless reviews of evil encounters, we've scoured far and wide to compile the eeriest hotels in the UK for a scare-fest staycation.
Whether you're intrigued by reports of paranormal activity or sinister origin stories, we're pretty sure you won't sleep a wink! Book now at your own peril…
How we chose the best spooky staycations
- Reviews: We've searched high and low for the creepiest reviews on TripAdvisor from terrified tourists. Unfortunately we're not able to test out most of the hotels featured, but one HELLO! staffer had the misfortune of booking into one of the hotels.
- Location: These hotels are the best the UK has to offer, across a range of destinations in England, Scotland and beyond.
- Budget: Ranging from very affordable to more luxurious, these venues are perfect for every price point.
Halloween inspiration
Arnos Manor Hotel, Bristol
- 18th century manor house home haunted by nuns
- 'Big and maze-like' according to reviewers
The Arnos Manor Hotel, first built in 1760 by a Bristol merchant, was once a girl's school run by nuns. Legend has it that after one of the nuns fell pregnant and took her own life, her fellow teachers hid her body in a wall.
Paranormal activity reported across the hotel includes bathtubs mysteriously filling on their own and guests claiming to be pinned down by an unknown presence. For those feeling extra brave, the nun's ghost reportedly still haunts Room 160.
One guest struggled to fall asleep at night. They wrote on Tripadvisor: "This place is insanely old and big and maze-like so it's easy to get lost... Apparently there are ghosts in several of the rooms... Things creak. You can hear through the walls.
"The staff was kind and very helpful. The building itself can be kind of creepy if you don't deal well with paranormal activity or are a light sleeper."
The Mermaid Inn in Rye, East Sussex
- Unexplained nighttime visitations and floating orbs
- Featured on Most Haunted TV show
- Loved by A-list punters including Johnny Depp and Pierce Brosnan
The historic Mermaid Inn in Rye, East Sussex is renowned for being haunted, but that hasn't stopped it from playing host to a number of famous guests. Prince Edward, the Queen Mother, Johnny Depp and Pierce Brosnan are among the eclectic former guests at this hotel, which dates back to the 12th century. Would you dare to stay in the Inn's very own 'Ghost Room'?
HELLO!'s Lifestyle Managing Editor Kate Thomas thought it would be fun to book a weekend away at the Mermaid Inn.
Kate says: "As I was checking in, guests were complaining at reception about unusual noises in the night… It didn't bode well. I actually had a wonderful stay; the period features and cosy vibe make it the perfect winter staycation spot, and the food was excellent – you need to book the Sunday roast.
"Sadly I didn't sleep a wink. A booklet in my room informed me that the ghost of a merchant had been known to float through the bathroom wall toward the bed. I spent the night sweating with the covers over my head, paranoid that a ghost would pop out at any moment. Thankfully, he did not. I did see something which could be described as a floating orb, however."
The Jamaica Inn, Cornwall
- Most Haunted branded it seriously spooky
- Sightings of spirits date back to 1911
- Ghost tours are popular here
The Jamaica Inn, the subject of Daphne du Maurier's gothic novel of the same name, was historically used by pirates to hide their smuggled goods onshore.
Regular ghost hunts are available to guests – but book at your own peril! When Most Haunted was filmed here, the production crew declared it the scariest programme they had ever made.
From phantom sounds of horses' hoovers to a man in a hat who walks through walls, there are plenty of reports of ghostly activity.
One Tripadvisor reviewer says: "We booked room number 5, reputedly haunted by a young girl. The room is very old and difficult to book due to its popularity.
"The room has been sensitively modernised with en suite facilities and a 4 poster bed. We, sadly, did not see or hear a ghost. But enjoyed the anticipation! The food at the Inn is very good and there's really no need to go anywhere else."
Ballygally Castle, Northern Ireland
- Haunted by the tragic Lady Isabella Shaw for over 400 years
- Popular with Game of Thrones fans due to filming link
For a getaway that will be magical and certainly memorable, Ballygally Castle in Northern Ireland is a must-visit – but it's not for the faint-hearted! There are rumoured to be three ghosts that roam around the turrets, with one particular room said to be haunted by the original owner of the castle's wife, Lady Isabella Shaw.
Guests who have stayed in this part of the castle have reported hearing her knocking on the door at night. Are you brave enough to spend the night?
One TripAdvisor reviewer believes they encountered Lady Isabella herself. They wrote: "We stayed in one of the tower rooms which is said to be haunted. We stayed in a room just two floors down from The Ghost room. which may as well have been right beneath the ghost room.
"I believe we were visited by the ghost of Lady Isabella Shaw because there were footsteps coming from within our room [...] from the bottom of the bed.
"Although I was a little creeped out, as it was definitely close to us, I didn't feel as if I was in danger. So, have no fear. It was a very pleasant vibe and it didn't feel as if it was evil."
The Langham Hotel, London
- England's first "grand hotel" built in 1865
- Chilling tales of Room 333 to sightings of Napoleon III's ghost
The Langham, London's first purpose-built grand hotel is not just famed for its luxury accommodation.
Much like the hotel's modern day guests, some of the ghosts are VIPs too and Napoleon III is believed to haunt the basement of the hotel.
Legend has it that a man wearing Victorian evening dress was said to often appear to guests in Room 333... but guests can sleep in peace since the room no longer exists.
In fact, the only spooky review these days is about a ghostly hoovering. "Don't let them put you in Room 101. At 6.30 EVERY DAY, we were awoken by the hoover. On complaining about this at the desk we were told categorically that no one hoovers at that time of day. On checking out the hoover was in fact parked right outside our room,” a TripAdvisor reviewer wrote.
The Witchery By The Castle, Edinburgh
- Popular ghost tour location
- More likely to bump into a celebrity than a ghost
Edinburgh has been branded Europe's Most Gruesome City by leading paranormal experts, and The Witchery By The Castle is renowned for being one the spookiest abodes around.
Named after the women burned at the stake on Castlehill between the 16th and 18th centuries, the hotel – a stone’s throw away from Edinburgh Castle – is said to be haunted by the spirits of the witches.
These days, the hotel is mostly famous for its opulent décor and good food in the candlelit restaurant.
One spooked Tripadvisor guest claims to have encountered spirits during their stay. They penned: "The ghostly experiences started when I noticed the lights in the bathroom flicker slightly. Then later when I fancied a bath, myself and husband were in the bathroom talking about the lights flickering, it happened again this time continuously flashing on and off […]
"I heard footsteps up and down the hall. The same thing happened to my husband. My husband then was woken by footsteps up and down the hall at 4am."
The Schooner Hotel, Northumberland
- 17th century coaching inn reported to have more than 60 different ghost
- The Poltergeist Society branded it "The Most Haunted Hotel in Great Britain"
The Schooner is set in the picturesque coastal village of Alnmouth, and this Grade II listed 17th century coach house has twice been named by the Poltergeist Society as Britain's most haunted hotel.
It's the ideal ghost hunt getaway with around 60 resident spirits and more than 3,000 reported paranormal sightings. Eerie incidents have increased significantly over the last few years, and the hotel regularly holds ghost-hunting events.
One Tripadvisor reviewer stated: "The only ghostly experience I had was a blowing/draft down my leg, although my boyfriend stated that he had felt the quilt betting tug from the bottom of the quilt.
"We did not go with the attitude of experiencing anything ghostly just for the fact that we had slept in the most haunted hotel."
Most reviewers claim the hotel is in need of updating, however.
The Black Swan Inn, York
- 15th century merchant's mansion popular with ghosthunters
- Ghosts have been given nicknames by staff
The Black Swan Inn dates back to the 15th century, and according to its website, it has a number of ghosts that haunt the property.
The spooky guests include a young woman in a long white dress, who has been spotted at the bar in the back room gazing into the fireplace. Another regular sighting includes a pair of man's legs, which can be seen wandering around the staff quarters.
While we couldn’t find recent evidence of a ghostly sighting, guests have praised the on-site paranormal experiences on offer. "If you would like to experience the Paranormal, their in house team Further On Paranormal will arrange a full evening from 9 PM until the early hours and introduce you to some of the 37 different ghosts that frequent The Black Swan," one happy Tripadvisor customer suggested.