En-suite bathroom? Check. Restaurant and bar? Check? Are you hearing strange footsteps, spectral dogs and phantom pianists? Do it.
Welcome to the haunted hotels, inns, and lodging steeped in history.
Are you too nervous to stay the night? Many of these properties offer guided tours to their most chilling spots. Find out where to go to experience the ultimate spooky stay.
The Mermaid Inn Rye East Sussex
According to Judith Blincow, the owner of the Mermaid Inn, a 12th-century Mermaid Inn, it houses’six ghosts.
The Mermaid Inn in the medieval town of Rye has extremely impressive spookiness credentials.
The building dates back to the 12th century and was once the stronghold of the infamous Hawkhurst smuggling gang. It’s now a haunted house, with a appearance in the first series Most Haunted confirming its reputation as a ghost hunter’s paradise.
‘We think there are six ghosts here at The Mermaid,’ says inn owner Judith Blincow. ‘One thing that sometimes happens is guests’ clothes being mysteriously moved from one chair to another in the night.’
Book a room in Room 1 and watch out for a lady dressed in white or gray sitting by the fireplace. You won’t be the only one to discover your clothes soaked wet if you leave them draped over a chair.
The ghost of Hawkhurst’s founder is believed to lurk in Room 17. Past guests described waking up in the morning to see the chair rocking, and feeling an icy chill over them. The chair was so disruptive to many patrons that it was finally removed.
Brook Red Lion Hotel, Colchester, Essex
Three ghosts are believed to roam the corridors and rooms at the Grade I-listed Red Lion Hotel.
The Grade 1-listed Red Lion Hotel is immersed in history and looks the part, with bountiful ancient wooden beams inside and out.
It’s located in the centre of Colchester – which claims to be Britain’s oldest recorded town, designated the capital city of Britain by the Romans over 2,000 years ago – and, dating back to 1485, is the oldest building within it.
According to hauntings, there are three ghosts who roam the corridors and rooms.
Alice Catherine Millar is the most well-known, a woman who was raped in the inn in 1638. Both staff and guests reported seeing her in rooms 5, 6, and 10, as well in the kitchens and halls.
Apparitions of a young boy and a hooded monk have also been seen, while recent eerie guest experiences include hair being pulled and a woman’s voice mysteriously appearing on a video taken in one of the rooms.
Littlecote House, Berkshire
Littlecote House Hotel, above, has the goosebump-inducing accolade of being England’s third-most-haunted building
Littlecote House Hotel in Berkshire was built in the early 1500s and has hosted many notable figures, including Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, and George VI and Prince Philip.
The hotel is also well-known for numerous hauntings that have earned it the title of England’s third-most haunted building.
The hotel’s spectral guest list includes a black-colored dog that appears on its Jerusalem staircase, and a ghostly woman who is seen rocking a baby in one of the bedrooms during a séance.
If you’re not brave enough to spend the night there, but still want to soak up the mysterious atmosphere, you can book a place on to one of the hotel’s popular ghost tours.
Chillingham Castle in Northumberland
Chillingham Castle reputedly has some of the highest levels of paranormal activity in the country
Guided evening ghost tours are offered by Chillingham, featuring highlights such as the old torture chamber or banquet hall. “Are You Brave Enough?” The castle asks
Chillingham Castle is a Grade I-listed, 13th-century stronghold in Northumberland that is famed for its history and hauntings.
According to the castle’s website it is said to have some the highest levels paranormal activity in the country.
One resident wraith is the white pantry ghost – a frail figure who sometimes appears in the castle’s inner pantry.
A pair of voices can also be heard in the chapel talking, according to our sources. It is impossible to follow their conversations and they seem to stop talking if you try to trace them.
Chillingham offers guided evening ghost tours, with highlights including the old torture chamber and banquet hall. “Are your brave enough?” The castle asks.
Fisherman’s Cot, Tiverton, Devon
Fisherman’s Cot is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young woman who has been heard giggling in the bar. Image courtesy Creative Commons licensing
Fisherman’s Cot, perched quaintly on the banks of the River Exe in the tranquil Devon countryside, is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young woman, who makes her presence known by giggling in the bar.
She has also been seen wandering around the halls.
Others have reported seeing a headless horseman riding across the nearby 14-century Bickleigh bridge. It’s believed he was a parliamentary soldier who lost his head as he joined the siege to capture Bickleigh Castle.
Hartford Hall Hotel, Northwich (Chery)
Hartford Hall is home to a variety historical buildings, a bar, and beautiful landscaped gardens.
According to some reports, the ghost of a nun who was murdered at a nearby monastery haunts the site.
A figure carrying a Bible was seen roaming the halls and corridors of the former nunnery.
Hartford Hall, a 17th-century nunnery and old manor house, is located in the picturesque market town of Northwich in Cheshire.
The hotel has a variety historic buildings, a restaurant and a bar, beautiful landscaped grounds, and 20 en-suite rooms.
A ghost is also reported to be a nun who was bricked into the wall of an abbey nearby.
Both staff and guests reported seeing her. They believe she is responsible in all manner of spooky activity. Additionally, a figure holding a Bible and looking smokey has been seen wandering the halls.
The Blue Pig and The Angel, Lymington, Hampshire
The Angel and Blue Pig dates back to the 13th century and is haunted by enough ghosts to give it the reputation of being one of the most haunted pubs in Britain.
One is a former coachman who was spotted in the kitchen, his face up against the windows.
Guests have also heard the sound of a piano being played on other occasions. There is not a piano.
Another sighting was a man wearing a navy uniform in the pub area, and a figure of a woman on second floor.
The Bell Hotel in Thetford, Norfolk
The picturesque Bell Hotel in Thetford, dating back to 15th century, is a great spot for ghost hunters
One of The Bell’s 46 rooms is reportedly haunted by a hooded monk
Other strange activity reported in The Bell Hotel includes a time-honoured classic – mysterious footsteps
The Bell guests claim they have seen Elizabeth Radcliffe, former landlady (pictured)
The charming Bell Hotel in Thetford, a market town, is full character and history. It’s a great spot for ghost hunters.
One of The Bell’s 46 rooms is reportedly haunted by a hooded monk, while the drawing room on the ground floor is where some say they have seen the ghost of Elizabeth Radcliffe, who was once the landlady of the inn.
Other strange phenomena include unexplainable smells and sudden appearances of what seems like icy breath.
The Prince Rupert Hotel in Shrewsbury (Shropshire).
Medieval Shrewsbury is known for its haunted buildings and chocolate-box black-and white timbered buildings.
The Prince Rupert Hotel is another paranormal hotspot.
It dates back to 1150, and was once home of Prince Rupert (grandson of King James I).
This four-star hotel has several ghosts. One is a nightshirt-wearing man who has been seen in the corridors. Another is a sleeping soldier who has been seen drifting aimlessly around.
The hotel’s Prince Philip Suite is said to be haunted by a jilted bride, while the ghost of a maid called Martha has been witnessed wandering the stairs nearby.
The Swan, Lavenham and Suffolk
The Swan in Lavenham, pictured above, is said to be haunted allegedly by a housekeeper who lived there during the time when it was a coaching hotel
The Swan, which dates all the way back to the 1400s, boasts 45 charming bedrooms and suites
Many guests have reported seeing a ghost in their rooms in the middle of the night.
One guest at The Swan claimed that they felt a ghost tickling them on their feet when they woke up.
According to hauntedrooms.co.uk the ghost of the Swan at Lavenham, which dates back 15 centuries, is believed to be haunted by a former housekeeper who lived there in the 19th-century when it was a coaching hotel.
The woman, who fell pregnant out of wedlock, was due to marry the baby’s father. She was not allowed to stand at the altar and she was later found hanging in her housekeeping quarters, or what is now room 15.
Several people have reported seeing her in the room at night. One person said that they felt the ghost touch their feet and woke up.