Tag Archives: haunted hotel

Most Haunted Hotels in Hawaii

Advertisements

Even on the sunny beaches and tropical resorts, ghosts still linger. Many of the hotels you’ll find in Hawaii, come with a haunted history. Here are some of the most haunted hotels from the state.

Hawaii, known for its breathtaking landscapes, rich culture, and inviting spirit, is also home to tales of the supernatural that whisper through its lush valleys and along its pristine shores. Among the islands’ scenic beauty lies a hidden realm of ghostly legends and paranormal intrigues, particularly within the walls of its historic hotels that you can stay in today.

Read More: Check out all haunted hotels around the world

From the shadowy figures that roam the corridors to the scents of jasmine and lilies lingering in empty rooms, each haunted hotel offers a unique glimpse into Hawaii’s past and the spirits that have yet to depart. In this article, we will explore some of the most haunted hotels in Hawaii, delving into their eerie histories, the legends they harbor, and the ghostly encounters reported by guests and staff alike.

Ghosts Haunting Hawaii’s Volcano House and the Volcano Goddess

The Island of Hawaii/Big Island

The Volcano House, situated within the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, is steeped in history and myth, believed to be haunted not only by ghosts but by Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes. Originally built in 1846, the hotel has seen a tumultuous past, including a devastating fire in 1940 that left behind lingering spirits. Visitors and staff have reported encounters with a ghostly elderly woman and a mysterious white dog, thought by some to be a manifestation of Pele herself. Pele’s legend is deeply rooted in Hawaiian culture, as she is considered the creator of the Hawaiian Islands and is often depicted in various forms. The Volcano House stands as a bridge between history and the supernatural, highlighting the enduring connection between the land and its mythological heritage.

Read the whole story: Ghosts Haunting Hawaii’s Volcano House and the Volcano Goddess

The Haunting of Coco Palms Resort: Spirits of the Past on Kauaʻi

Kauai

Coco Palms Resort: Exterior of the backside of the Lagoon Terrace Lounge and Heritage Room buildings at the Coco Palms Resort on the island of Kauai. The hotel was destroyed by hurricane Iniki in September 1992.// Wiki

The Coco Palms Resort in Kauai, Hawaii, once a luxurious destination, now stands abandoned and haunted, housing the spirits of its past, including legends of Elvis Presley and a woman named Helen who died under mysterious circumstances. These are just some of the ghost said to still linger. Opened in 1953, the resort faced a devastating decline after Hurricane Iniki in 1992 and has since become a site of eerie stories, with claims of ghostly encounters and haunting sounds of chanting and drumming. The resort’s location is rooted in deep cultural significance, believed to be sacred ground connected to Hawaii’s last reigning queen. Despite ongoing redevelopment efforts, the echoes of lost souls remain at this once-grand escape, capturing the haunting spirit of Kauai’s history.

Read the whole story: The Haunting of Coco Palms Resort: Spirits of the Past on Kauaʻi 

The Lady in Red Haunting of Hilton Hawaiian Village

Oahu

Hilton Hawaiian Village: View from the Tapa Tower. // Source: Joel Solomon/Wikimedia

The Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki, Honolulu, is reputedly haunted by a ghost known as the “Lady in Red,” which some believe to be the spirit of Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes. Guests and staff have reported sightings of this beautiful apparition dressed in red, often seen wandering the resort’s hallways and the beach. The legend suggests that Pele’s spirit lingers in Hawaii after her violent demise, appearing in various forms. Additionally, the hotel is also said to be home to another ghost, a man in white, who has been spotted by staff on the 14th floor. This rich tapestry of ghostly tales adds an intriguing dimension to what is otherwise a luxurious getaway filled with sun, sand, and pools.

Read the whole story: The Lady in Red Haunting of Hilton Hawaiian Village

The Haunting of King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel

The Island of Hawaii/Big Island

King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel. // Source: W Nowicki/Wikimedia

The King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, is steeped in history and rumored to be haunted by the spirit of King Kamehameha the Great, who united the Hawaiian Islands in 1810. Built on land believed to be his burial site, the hotel reflects his legacy and features eerie sightings reported by guests and staff, including a tall figure in traditional Hawaiian attire and sounds of distant battles. Additionally, a haunted portrait of Queen Liliuokalani on display is said to exhibit strange phenomena, leading to speculation about its haunting.

Read the whole story: The Haunting of King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel

The Haunted Prince Waikiki Hotel and its Blue Lights

Oahu

Jeff C/Flickr

The Prince Waikiki Hotel in Hawaii is reputed to be haunted, with guests reporting eerie phenomena such as moving luggage, strange blue lights, and unexplained whispering voices throughout the property. Built in the mid-20th century, the hotel’s history is intertwined with tales of restless spirits believed to be linked to its past and the land it occupies, which once belonged to ancient Hawaiian tribes. Guests have described encounters with ghostly apparitions, including a man in a red and white Hawaiian shirt and a princely figure, contributing to the hotel’s mysterious and chilling reputation.

Read the whole story: The Haunted Prince Waikiki Hotel and its Blue Lights

The Haunted Ihilani Resort: Does the Spirit Remain at Four Seasons Resort Oahu?

Oahu

Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina: Before it became the four seasons, it was the Ihilani Resort. This is when an alledged untimely death of a guest created a ghost story that have lasted through the rebranding as well. // Source: Farragutful/wiki

The Four Seasons Resort Oahu, formerly known as the Ihilani Resort, is intertwined with a haunting tale related to a guest who tragically passed away on its seventeenth floor. Despite the resort’s luxurious reputation and transformation, whispers of paranormal activity persist, with reports of eerie occurrences such as doors opening by themselves, cold drafts, and sightings of an apparition resembling a woman who once occupied that floor. As the hotel’s brand evolved, so did speculation about whether the ghost remained tied to the site of her untimely death, leaving guests to wonder if the spirit still lingers in this now lavish destination.

Read the whole story: The Haunted Ihilani Resort: Does the Spirit Remain at Four Seasons Resort Oahu? 

The Haunted Lodge at Koele: Spirits in Paradise at the Four Seasons Resort

Lanai Island

The haunted resort: Main building of the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele on the island of Lanai, Hawaii. // Terence Faircloth/Flickr

The Four Seasons Resort, formerly known as The Lodge at Koele, is located in the lush highlands of Lanai Island, Hawaii, and is reputed to be one of the most haunted hotels in the area. Despite its tranquil and luxurious atmosphere, the resort is home to numerous ghostly tales, including sightings of a little girl in old-fashioned clothing who appears at night, as well as unexplained phenomena like flickering lights and cold spots. Interestingly, the hotel’s history does not include any documented tragedies to explain these hauntings, leaving the origin of the spirits a mystery. Guests are drawn to the resort not only for its stunning landscapes and elegance but also for the intriguing possibility of encountering the supernatural during their stay.

Read the whole story: The Haunted Lodge at Koele: Spirits in Paradise at the Four Seasons Resort 

The Ghostly Guest of Moana Surfrider: Haunting of a Hawaiian Icon

Oahu

Haunted Hotel: The Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach is believed to be haunted by more than one ghost. // Source: Wiki

The Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort and Spa, is a luxurious and historic hotel in Waikiki, believed to be haunted by the ghost of Jane Stanford, co-founder of Stanford University, who mysteriously died there in 1905 under suspicious circumstances. After surviving a previous poisoning attempt in California, she sought a recuperative escape to Hawaii but met a tragic end shortly after her arrival. Her spirit is said to roam the hotel, often appearing in early 20th-century attire, searching for her former room, which has since been removed. Guests have reported eerie encounters, including flickering lights, cold chills, and the scent of lilies. Additionally, the hotel is purported to host other spirits, including a young girl and a soldier from World War II, adding to its reputation as one of Hawaii’s most haunted locations.

Read the whole story: The Ghostly Guest of Moana Surfrider: Haunting of a Hawaiian Icon

The Haunting History of the Blaisdell Hotel: Spirits Linger in an Old Honolulu Landmark

Oahu

Blaisdell Hotel: Old photograph when the building was still used as a hotel. Although not used as a hotel, most of the haunted ghost stories from the building comes from its time operating.

The Blaisdell Hotel, built in 1912 and now serving as a business building and the Hawai‘i Pacific University Sea Warrior Center, is noted for its haunting tales that stem from its rich history. Once a retreat for sailors during World War II, it is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a Navy man, alongside spectral appearances attributed to a tragic death of a hotel guest in the 1960s and a former owner who took his life in the basement in the 1980s over gambling debts. While many who work and visit the building may not witness these apparitions, local legend and chilling stories persist, ensuring the haunting legacy of the Blaisdell Hotel is remembered.

Read the whole story: The Haunting History of the Blaisdell Hotel: Spirits Linger in an Old Honolulu Landmark 

The Ghostly Tales of Kona Sheraton

The Island of Hawaii/Big Island

The Kona Sheraton Resort, located on the Big Island of Hawaii, has a haunting reputation rooted in its history on an ancient battleground and the destruction of sacred sites during its construction. Many guests and staff have reported eerie experiences, including sightings of ghostly children playing in the hallways and an apparition at the cliffs. Following numerous accidents and a tragic incident involving a child’s death, the hotel closed in 1988, and subsequent hauntings continued even during its abandonment. Despite the land being blessed and efforts to restore the heiau sites, the specter of its haunted past lingers as the resort reopens as OUTRIGGER Kona Resort & Spa, leaving the question of whether paranormal activity will persist unanswered.

Read the whole story: The Ghostly Tales of Kona Sheraton: Hauntings on the Big Island on Hawaii  

Newest Posts

  • The Ghostly Guardian of MS Nordstjernen
    The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
  • The Cabin in the Woods where the Forest Watches Back
    The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
  • The Haunted Devonshire Park Theatre: The Phantom Violinist of Eastbourne
    Could one of the musicians on the Titanic be haunting the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne, England? Who is the person behind the ghost said to still be playing the violin?
  • The Lady of Soria Moria Haunting Villa Fridheim
    Soria Moria: The Villa Fridheim is often called the Soria Moria castle, a name from Norwegian folktales about the hidden castle where the hero will find the princess. It has also now turned into an expression for expectations about a great place.
  • Dun Dreach-Fhoula – The Blood-Soaked Castle of the Reeks
    Said to be found deep in the mountain range MacGillycuddy’s Reeks in Kerry, Ireland, the ruins of Dun Dreach-Fhoula castle is said to be the home of bloodthirsty fairies of the Otherworld. Question is if it’s an ancient legend or a modern hoax.
  • The Woman Waiting and Haunting Struten Lighthouse
    After being stranded on their little island at Struten Lighthouse in stormy weather with the waves crashing in, a woman succumbed to her illness and has since then been haunting it, still waiting for the help that never came.
  • The Womanizer of Room 315 Haunting at Sauda Fjordhotel
    The once stately Sauda Fjordhotel is said to be haunted by a remorseful colonel, who took his own life when his womanizing ways lost him the love of his life.
  • The Ghost of the Captain Smith from the Titanic
    After the Titanic sank in 1912, people started talking about seeing the ghost of Captain Smith around the world. Even after all these years, his death and afterlife have an air of mystery surrounding it and he has become one of the most well known ghosts from the Titanic tragedy.
  • The Haunted Legends from Wailua in Hawaii
    How big can a haunted area be? Can the whole of Wailua on Kauai Island be haunted? The place certainly seems steeped in tales of Night Marchers and a procession of the dead, making their way down the river to the afterlife.
  • The Amalanhig: The Undying Hunters of Visayan Folklore
    Rising from their graves, the vampiric Amalanhig from the Philippines are after your flesh and blood. But where did these creatures come from?
  • Doyle’s Pub: The Hangman’s Shadow in Phibsborough
    Said to be haunted by the people from the funeral home that used to be next door, the Doyle’s Pub in Dublin is said to have more than living patrons having a drink.
  • Fredriksten Fortress and the White Lady of Halden
    In the bordertown of Sweden of Norway, Fredriksten Fortress has seen more bloodshed than many places. But who is the White Lady said to be haunting it, soaring around the clock tower in the night?

References:

The Don CeSar Hotel Haunting: The Pink Palace on St. Pete Beach

Advertisements

After building his Pink Palace on St. Pete Beach in Florida, Thomas Rowe still couldn’t get over his true love, the opera singer he met as a student. Staff at the Don CeSar Hotel claim that the two lovers were reunited in the afterlife and are still lingering at the hotel. 

Florida’s Gulf Coast isn’t all sugar-white beaches and turquoise tides. Beneath the sunshine and salt air, its shores cradle legends older than their glitzy resorts and postcard-perfect sunsets. And if there’s one place in St. Pete Beach where the past refuses to stay buried, it’s at the Don CeSar Hotel — better known to locals as The Pink Palace.

Red More: Check out all ghost stories from USA

This towering, rosy-hued monument to 1920s decadence holds more than history within its walls. It holds a love story cut short, a founder lost too soon, and the lingering spirits of those who never truly checked out.

The Pink Palace: The iconic Don CeSar Hotel, known as The Pink Palace, stands majestically on St. Pete Beach, reflecting its 1920s architectural grandeur. It is believed to be haunted by the founder, Thomas Rowe.

A Glamorous Beginning Shrouded in Heartbreak

When estate mogul, Thomas Rowe opened the Don CeSar in 1928 on the beach close to St. Petersburg near Tampa, Florida, it was the epitome of Jazz Age luxury. Nicknamed The Pink Lady because of the color, it quickly became a playground for the rich and famous — from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Al Capone. 

But behind the glittering parties and ocean views lurked a tragic love story that would forever haunt the halls of this seaside palace.

As the legend goes, Rowe fell deeply in love with Lucinda de Guzman, a Spanish opera singer he met while studying architecture in London in the 1890s. She starred in Maritana, an opera where the hero was named Don César de Bazan — a name Rowe would later bestow upon his dream hotel.

Maritana: Cigar box from 1883 showing a scene from the opera Maritana. A story about a gypsy street singer in Madrid and her love affair with Charles II, the young king of Spain

In other versions they met at the opera, or Rowe took her to see it on their first date, it varies. They would meet outside the opera by a fountain, planning their life together. 

But fate was unkind. Lucinda’s family, who was of Spanish nobility, forbade the match, and the lovers were cruelly separated and their plans to marry fell apart. Rowe moved back to the U.S and married someone else, but continued to send her letters, but only one ever returned: a newspaper clipping announcing Lucinda’s death, with a simple, heart-wrenching note attached: “My beloved Don Cesar.”

Death in the Pink Palace

In 1940, just over a decade after realizing his dream, Thomas Rowe suffered a sudden, fatal heart attack in his lobby. He never left a will and the hotel was left in disrepair by his wife until the army bought it to turn it into a hospital during the war. 

Some say it was heartbreak that finally claimed him. The Don CeSar passed from his hands — but Rowe, it seems, never truly left.

By 1969, the hotel was completely abandoned and the pink paint covered with graffiti and the only guests staying were ghosts. At first they wanted to tear down the whole building, but fate would have it otherwise.  In 1973 it opened up again as a hotel after the franchise owner of Holiday Inn bought it. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from haunted hotels around the world

Today, staff and guests alike whisper of ghostly figures seen wandering the hotel’s sun-soaked corridors. A man in an old-fashioned linen suit and a Panama hat is often spotted strolling through the courtyard or pausing on the grand staircase or by the fountain that he built as close he could to their fountain outside the opera house. Some claim he’s seen standing beside a beautiful woman dressed in a flowing, traditional Spanish gown, her hair dark and eyes eternally searching.

Eerie Encounters in the Halls

In addition to Thomas Rowe lingering in the hotel he built, it is also believed that some of the haunting comes from the former patients as its time as a war hospital and convalescent center. 

Countless stories have emerged over the years from guests and employees who’ve had unexplained encounters at the Don CeSar. Lights flicker without reason. Footsteps echo in empty hallways. Doors open and close of their own accord.

More than one housekeeper has reported seeing the dapper man in the hat, only to watch him disappear around a corner. Others say the ghostly couple appears in the garden courtyard under the moonlight, standing hand in hand before dissolving into mist.

The Don’s Eternal Vigil

While some spirits cling to anger or unfinished business, Thomas Rowe’s ghost seems bound by love. It’s said he roams the Pink Palace not in torment, but in eternal search of the woman he lost. 

How true was the love story in the afterlife though? No playbill with Maritana mentions a woman named Lucinda. Did it even play in London in the 1890s? As it was a British opera, it does make sense he did see it when he was a student in England though. 

Although Lucinda was not on the playbill as an opera singer, the House of Guzmán is a real Castilian royal family. 

Source

According to some articles, the story wasn’t even told until its reopening and the tragic love story was a marketing strategy instead of something true. The story was apparently told in “Ghostly Encounters: True Stories of America’s Inns and Hotels,” by Frances Kermeen, and when asked where she had gotten the story from, she answered from her PR contact of the hotel. 

Today, St. Pete Beach thrives as a laid-back, sun-drenched getaway. But as dusk falls and the Gulf sun sinks beneath the horizon, the Pink Palace casts long shadows across the sand. It’s in those moments that guests swear the past comes alive — a timeless echo of love, loss, and unending devotion.

Newest Posts

  • The Ghostly Guardian of MS Nordstjernen
    The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
  • The Cabin in the Woods where the Forest Watches Back
    The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
  • The Haunted Devonshire Park Theatre: The Phantom Violinist of Eastbourne
    Could one of the musicians on the Titanic be haunting the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne, England? Who is the person behind the ghost said to still be playing the violin?
  • The Lady of Soria Moria Haunting Villa Fridheim
    Soria Moria: The Villa Fridheim is often called the Soria Moria castle, a name from Norwegian folktales about the hidden castle where the hero will find the princess. It has also now turned into an expression for expectations about a great place.
  • Dun Dreach-Fhoula – The Blood-Soaked Castle of the Reeks
    Said to be found deep in the mountain range MacGillycuddy’s Reeks in Kerry, Ireland, the ruins of Dun Dreach-Fhoula castle is said to be the home of bloodthirsty fairies of the Otherworld. Question is if it’s an ancient legend or a modern hoax.
  • The Woman Waiting and Haunting Struten Lighthouse
    After being stranded on their little island at Struten Lighthouse in stormy weather with the waves crashing in, a woman succumbed to her illness and has since then been haunting it, still waiting for the help that never came.
  • The Womanizer of Room 315 Haunting at Sauda Fjordhotel
    The once stately Sauda Fjordhotel is said to be haunted by a remorseful colonel, who took his own life when his womanizing ways lost him the love of his life.
  • The Ghost of the Captain Smith from the Titanic
    After the Titanic sank in 1912, people started talking about seeing the ghost of Captain Smith around the world. Even after all these years, his death and afterlife have an air of mystery surrounding it and he has become one of the most well known ghosts from the Titanic tragedy.
  • The Haunted Legends from Wailua in Hawaii
    How big can a haunted area be? Can the whole of Wailua on Kauai Island be haunted? The place certainly seems steeped in tales of Night Marchers and a procession of the dead, making their way down the river to the afterlife.
  • The Amalanhig: The Undying Hunters of Visayan Folklore
    Rising from their graves, the vampiric Amalanhig from the Philippines are after your flesh and blood. But where did these creatures come from?
  • Doyle’s Pub: The Hangman’s Shadow in Phibsborough
    Said to be haunted by the people from the funeral home that used to be next door, the Doyle’s Pub in Dublin is said to have more than living patrons having a drink.
  • Fredriksten Fortress and the White Lady of Halden
    In the bordertown of Sweden of Norway, Fredriksten Fortress has seen more bloodshed than many places. But who is the White Lady said to be haunting it, soaring around the clock tower in the night?

References:

Florida’s Fairy-Tale “Pink Palace” Hides A Chilling Secret

Seeks Ghosts: Haunted Don CeSar Hotel

The Don CeSar – Wikipedia

The Lost Love of Thomas Rowe – The Gabber Newspaper

In The News | Historic Hotels of America 

The Ghostly Tales of Kona Sheraton: Hauntings on the Big Island on Hawaii

Advertisements

Thought to be struck by an ancient curse because they didn’t respect the holy locations around the hotel when building, the Kona Sheraton Resort was believed to be haunted from the start. Strange occurrences and unexplained accidents and injuries plagued the Big Island hotel for years. After making amends, can they now invite guest back?

On the coastline of the Big Island in Hawaii, Keauhou Bay sits glittering. It is here we find the Kona Sheraton, a luxurious resort that offers stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and a relaxing tropical escape. However, behind its serene facade, the Kona Sheraton hides a darker, more mysterious side. 

Read More: check out all ghost stories from USA

For years, guests and staff alike have shared eerie stories of paranormal encounters, making this hotel one of the most haunted locations on the Big Island. Some even go as far to say that the hotel holds a curse from more ancient times.

Kailua Kona

A Haunted History for the Kona Sheraton

The Kona Sheraton or the Kona Surf hotel, as it was once known as, has undergone multiple transformations and renovations throughout its history. It opened in 1974 and has ever since been deemed haunted.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from haunted hotels

Despite its changing exterior and updated amenities, one thing has remained constant—the ghostly tales that have haunted the hotel for decades. The resort stands on an ancient Hawaiian battleground, a site where many warriors are said to have lost their lives in brutal conflicts and that the very land is cursed because of it. 

The Keawehala Pond

When constructing the hotel, the developers destroyed the Keawehala Pond where people believed two twin sisters with powers lived close to the Mākole‘ā Heiau. This was a women’s heiau named after ali‘i wahine Mākole‘ā at Keauhou.

According to the lore, the twins protected the pond and kept the water clear and fresh. They were also said to be able to change into 30-foot lizards people called mo’o wahine or “beings from deified fetuses”. 

The Mo’o: Mele Murals in Waimea depicting the moʻowahine of Kohākohau stream. //Source

Most of the Mo’o were female and amphibious creatures living in ponds around the Hawaiian islands and were often said to have power of water as well as weather. It was said that when a mo’o died, the body of the lizard, gecko or even human shaped creatures became petrified and one with the landscape.

According to lore, the Mo’o Twins were also said to reside in the nearby Punawai Spring.

The Haunted Remains of the Heiaus

As well as destroying the pond, the nearby heiaus temples were filled with concrete, glass and disturbed by the construction, thought to anger the spirits. For a long time, it looked like a pile of rocks without meaning, but this has luckily changed as there have been restoration done to the holy site in the last decades. 

At the site there is a temple known as luakini, a place for human sacrifices according to the stories. The structure was built of volcanic rocks and stood 7-feet high. The luakini was called Ke’eku Heiau and is thought to date back to the early 1400s after carbon dating it.

Ke’eku Heiau

This was where the Maui chief, Kamalalawalu was sacrificed to the war God Ku around the 16th century after he invaded the place and lost. He was the first-born son of Kiha-a-Pi‘ilani, Kamalalawalu succeeded his father as mo‘i (king) of Maui. Some say that he was impaled on the heiau and eleven days went by before he died, and then taken to a nearby flat rock and butchered. Some say that the body was then towed to sea behind a canoe as shark food. It is said that his spirit as well as many others are still lingering in the place. 

As well as the king himself, it is said that his two big dogs died and were buried under the heiau luakini platform as well, howling and roaming around, searching for the underworld as well as their master. 

This blood-soaked history may explain the strange, supernatural occurrences reported by those who stay and work at the hotel.

Paranormal Activity Rooted in History

Given the hotel’s location on an ancient battleground, it is not surprising that the Kona Sheraton is a hotspot for paranormal activity. The restless spirits of warriors who perished in fierce battles, their souls still wandering in search of peace, are said to roam the grounds. 

The tragic history of the land seems to seep into every corner of the resort, with visitors and staff experiencing unexplained phenomena, from flickering lights to sudden drops in temperature and even a sense of being watched.

Ghostly Children in the Hallways

One of the most common complaints from guests involves the sound of little girls playing noisily in the hallways late at night. Frustrated by the sounds of laughter, giggles, and tiny footsteps echoing through the halls, guests frequently call down to security, demanding that the children be quieted. However, the hotel guards can only offer an apology and an explanation that chills guests to the bone—the children are ghosts.

These spectral children are said to be seen fleetingly, dressed in old-fashioned clothing, their faces partially obscured by the dim lighting of the hallway. They vanish around corners and dissolve into thin air when approached. Despite numerous sightings, their origins remain a mystery, but many believe they could be spirits of children from a bygone era who met a tragic fate on the grounds long before the hotel was built.

The Cliffside Specter

Another ghostly presence frequently spotted at the Kona Sheraton is the apparition of a figure standing at the edge of the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Staff members report seeing a shadowy silhouette lingering near the edge, as if contemplating the deep blue waters below. The figure disappears the moment one looks away or tries to approach, leaving no trace behind. Some believe this could be the spirit of a warrior or a former guest, eternally bound to the cliffs where they may have met their end.

Lava Rocks in Kailua Kona

The cliffs themselves, with their dramatic drop-offs and sweeping views, hold a deep spiritual significance in Hawaiian culture. Some speculate that the spirit could be one of the many who lost their lives on these cliffs in ancient times or perhaps a ghost still drawn to the natural beauty and solemnity of the place.

The Accidents at the Kona Sheraton

Throughout its time as a hotel, the spirits are said to have been behind more than one accident. Construction workers experienced strange things and accidents that gave them concussions, fractured bones and hurt them. People started to blame spirits. 

The hotel staff were attacked by trays and dishes shattering towards them by an unseen force and the doors kept slamming behind them, almost like a warning. According to former employees, most of them left because of the hauntings. 

The worst thing that happened was when an 8-foot wooden ki’i fell over and killed a 4 year old child in August 1986 according to the ghost tours that had this as one of their stops. 

All of this contributed to the hotel’s reputation and the hotel closed in 1988. But even though the hotel closed down and was abandoned, there were still things happening according to the security staff. 

The Following Haunting

For years it was abandoned and boarded up, the former resort now covered in graffiti. In 2002 when people started to think the only way to deal with it was to demolish it.

Security guards hired to watch the property when the 462-room hotel closed in 1988 were frightened at night, said Joe Castelli, who lives at the neighboring Keauhou Kona Tennis and Racquet Club.

“They told me that they would see lights up there and hear Hawaiians singing and talking,” Castelli said. “…But when they got there, they didn’t find anything. So they said they just didn’t go anymore.”
Source

In addition, the haunting seemed to move as well to the Keauhou Beach Hotel next door. The former hotels are both demolished now, first the Kona Lagoon Hotel in 2004, then the Keauhou Beach Hotel in 2019. But what happened to the haunting then?

Today the area has been reclaimed and the site is now called Kahalu’u Ma Kai. Kahuna priests have blessed the land and the heiaus have been restored and recreated back in 2007. Only teachers and students can see the place today, and if these measures have had any effect is still to be seen.  

A Chilling Invitation

The Kona Sheraton on the Big Island may have offered luxury and relaxation, and perhaps it will do so again. After it reopened as OUTRIGGER Kona Resort & Spa, it remains to see if the land is now content after the blessings or if the haunting will continue as a new business takes over the land yet again. 

Newest Posts

  • The Ghostly Guardian of MS Nordstjernen
    The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
  • The Cabin in the Woods where the Forest Watches Back
    The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
  • The Haunted Devonshire Park Theatre: The Phantom Violinist of Eastbourne
    Could one of the musicians on the Titanic be haunting the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne, England? Who is the person behind the ghost said to still be playing the violin?
  • The Lady of Soria Moria Haunting Villa Fridheim
    Soria Moria: The Villa Fridheim is often called the Soria Moria castle, a name from Norwegian folktales about the hidden castle where the hero will find the princess. It has also now turned into an expression for expectations about a great place.
  • Dun Dreach-Fhoula – The Blood-Soaked Castle of the Reeks
    Said to be found deep in the mountain range MacGillycuddy’s Reeks in Kerry, Ireland, the ruins of Dun Dreach-Fhoula castle is said to be the home of bloodthirsty fairies of the Otherworld. Question is if it’s an ancient legend or a modern hoax.
  • The Woman Waiting and Haunting Struten Lighthouse
    After being stranded on their little island at Struten Lighthouse in stormy weather with the waves crashing in, a woman succumbed to her illness and has since then been haunting it, still waiting for the help that never came.
  • The Womanizer of Room 315 Haunting at Sauda Fjordhotel
    The once stately Sauda Fjordhotel is said to be haunted by a remorseful colonel, who took his own life when his womanizing ways lost him the love of his life.
  • The Ghost of the Captain Smith from the Titanic
    After the Titanic sank in 1912, people started talking about seeing the ghost of Captain Smith around the world. Even after all these years, his death and afterlife have an air of mystery surrounding it and he has become one of the most well known ghosts from the Titanic tragedy.
  • The Haunted Legends from Wailua in Hawaii
    How big can a haunted area be? Can the whole of Wailua on Kauai Island be haunted? The place certainly seems steeped in tales of Night Marchers and a procession of the dead, making their way down the river to the afterlife.
  • The Amalanhig: The Undying Hunters of Visayan Folklore
    Rising from their graves, the vampiric Amalanhig from the Philippines are after your flesh and blood. But where did these creatures come from?
  • Doyle’s Pub: The Hangman’s Shadow in Phibsborough
    Said to be haunted by the people from the funeral home that used to be next door, the Doyle’s Pub in Dublin is said to have more than living patrons having a drink.
  • Fredriksten Fortress and the White Lady of Halden
    In the bordertown of Sweden of Norway, Fredriksten Fortress has seen more bloodshed than many places. But who is the White Lady said to be haunting it, soaring around the clock tower in the night?

References:

The Most Haunted Hotels in Hawaii | Haunted Rooms America

The Cursed Kona Lagoon Hotel 

Kona Lagoon Hotel may be torn down | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii’s Newspaper

Haunted Hawaii-Ghosts, Spirits, Night Marchers and more – 365 Kona 

Moʻo – Wikipedia

Ka Po‘e Mo‘o Akua: Hawaiian Reptilian Water Deities 9780824891091 – DOKUMEN.PUB

Hapaiali’i and Ke’eku Heiau, Big Island

King Kamalalawalu | Lovingthebigisland’s Weblog 

The Haunting History of the Blaisdell Hotel: Spirits Linger in an Old Honolulu Landmark

Advertisements

In the former hotel, now turned into a business building, the old Blaisdell Hotel is said to be haunted by more than one ghost. From former guests who died staying at the hotel to navy ghosts and another residing in the basement. 

The Blaisdell Hotel, built in 1912, is one of the oldest hotels in Hawai‘i, a relic from an era when Honolulu was a bustling hub for sailors, travelers, and adventurers. While it no longer serves as a hotel, the building now houses businesses and serves as the Hawai‘i Pacific University Sea Warrior Center.

Read More: check out all ghost stories from USA

Despite its modern-day use, the Blaisdell Hotel is steeped in history—and ghostly legends that continue to haunt its hallways.

Blaisdell Hotel: Old photograph when the building was still used as a hotel. Although not used as a hotel, most of the haunted ghost stories from the building comes from its time operating.

Echoes of the Past: A Haunted Navy Man

During World War II, the Blaisdell Hotel was a popular spot for sailors seeking rest and relaxation. But some say that not all who checked in ever left. The third floor of the building is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a Navy man. Visitors and workers in the building have reported feeling a strange presence, a cold draft in otherwise warm hallways, and the inexplicable sensation of being watched. Some claim to have seen the ghostly figure of the sailor, clad in a crisp Navy uniform, wandering the halls as if still searching for something—or someone—long gone.

The Tragic Leap at the Blaisdell Hotel

The hotel’s dark history doesn’t end there. Javier Fombellida, a former elevator operator at the Blaisdell, recounts an unsettling tale he’s heard from tenants over the years. As he himself said in an interview:

“Sometimes I see … things, but I don’t believe in ghosts,” he says. “I always say it’s a shadow, or the light, or somebody’s probably there. Sometimes I want to see something, to make me a believer, you know?”
Source

According to local legend, a hotel guest once jumped out of a window on one of the upper floors, plummeting to her death. According to some sources, it is said this happened in the 1960s.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from haunted hotels

While Fombellida himself hasn’t seen anything, the tenants tell stories of a little girl or a Hawaiian man appearing in the hallways, their figures fleeting and ghostly. Whether these apparitions are connected to the tragic jumper or other spirits that haunt the building remains a mystery.

The Haunted Building: Javier Fombellida operated the elevator at Blaisdell for years and has plenty of stories to tell. // Source: Images by John Hook/Fluxhawaii

Perhaps the most chilling story associated with the Blaisdell Hotel is the tale of a former owner in the 1980s who, stricken by despair, hanged himself in the building’s basement. According to the stories, he had a huge gambling debt. Fombellida has ventured into the basement and the legend is that the rope used in the tragic event remains intact. 

A Place Where Spirits Roam

Today, the Blaisdell Hotel stands as a piece of Honolulu’s history, a building that has seen countless lives pass through its doors. Yet, it seems that some of those lives never truly left. The ghosts of the past continue to make their presence known, haunting the building’s hallways, stairwells, and basement. Whether it’s the Navy man on the third floor, the tragic figure of the jumper, or the specter of the former owner, the Blaisdell Hotel is a place where the line between the living and the dead is blurred.

For those who work or visit the Blaisdell Hotel today, the stories serve as a chilling reminder that history is never truly in the past. The spirits of those who once walked its halls still linger, their stories woven into the very fabric of the building. And while not everyone may see or hear these ghosts, the eerie tales continue to be passed down, ensuring that the haunting history of the Blaisdell Hotel is never forgotten.

Newest Posts

  • The Ghostly Guardian of MS Nordstjernen
    The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
  • The Cabin in the Woods where the Forest Watches Back
    The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
  • The Haunted Devonshire Park Theatre: The Phantom Violinist of Eastbourne
    Could one of the musicians on the Titanic be haunting the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne, England? Who is the person behind the ghost said to still be playing the violin?
  • The Lady of Soria Moria Haunting Villa Fridheim
    Soria Moria: The Villa Fridheim is often called the Soria Moria castle, a name from Norwegian folktales about the hidden castle where the hero will find the princess. It has also now turned into an expression for expectations about a great place.
  • Dun Dreach-Fhoula – The Blood-Soaked Castle of the Reeks
    Said to be found deep in the mountain range MacGillycuddy’s Reeks in Kerry, Ireland, the ruins of Dun Dreach-Fhoula castle is said to be the home of bloodthirsty fairies of the Otherworld. Question is if it’s an ancient legend or a modern hoax.
  • The Woman Waiting and Haunting Struten Lighthouse
    After being stranded on their little island at Struten Lighthouse in stormy weather with the waves crashing in, a woman succumbed to her illness and has since then been haunting it, still waiting for the help that never came.
  • The Womanizer of Room 315 Haunting at Sauda Fjordhotel
    The once stately Sauda Fjordhotel is said to be haunted by a remorseful colonel, who took his own life when his womanizing ways lost him the love of his life.
  • The Ghost of the Captain Smith from the Titanic
    After the Titanic sank in 1912, people started talking about seeing the ghost of Captain Smith around the world. Even after all these years, his death and afterlife have an air of mystery surrounding it and he has become one of the most well known ghosts from the Titanic tragedy.
  • The Haunted Legends from Wailua in Hawaii
    How big can a haunted area be? Can the whole of Wailua on Kauai Island be haunted? The place certainly seems steeped in tales of Night Marchers and a procession of the dead, making their way down the river to the afterlife.
  • The Amalanhig: The Undying Hunters of Visayan Folklore
    Rising from their graves, the vampiric Amalanhig from the Philippines are after your flesh and blood. But where did these creatures come from?
  • Doyle’s Pub: The Hangman’s Shadow in Phibsborough
    Said to be haunted by the people from the funeral home that used to be next door, the Doyle’s Pub in Dublin is said to have more than living patrons having a drink.
  • Fredriksten Fortress and the White Lady of Halden
    In the bordertown of Sweden of Norway, Fredriksten Fortress has seen more bloodshed than many places. But who is the White Lady said to be haunting it, soaring around the clock tower in the night?

References:

Haunted history | Honolulu Star-Advertiser 

5 Haunted Downtown Honolulu Hotspots

The Gray Man of Pawleys Island: The Phantom Who Warns of Storms

Advertisements

Right before horrible hurricanes, there is supposedly the ghost appearing to warn people to leave the island. Nicknamed The Gray Man of Pawleys Island, many attribute sightings of him to that their homes were spared from the destructive winds. 

Beneath the swaying Spanish moss and salt-laden winds of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, a ghostly figure walks the shore — a silent sentinel wrapped in gray. Locals call him The Gray Man of Pawleys Island, a spectral presence who appears in the dead calm before a storm, his arrival as ominous as the thunderheads gathering on the horizon.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from USA

A tiny, unassuming barrier island with a history as old and restless as the tides themselves, Pawleys Island is no stranger to storms. But when this ghostly figure emerges from the mist, wise islanders know to gather their families, pack their belongings, and head inland — for when the Gray Man appears, disaster is sure to follow.

Ghost Lore at Pawleys Islands: A serene beach scene at Pawleys Island, South Carolina, where the legendary The Gray Man of Pawleys Island is said to appear before storms to warn the locals.

The Legend Behind the Phantom

The tale of The Gray Man of Pawleys Island stretches back centuries, winding through the tangled history of colonial plantations, shipwrecks, and violent coastal tempests. Like all good ghost stories, there are several versions of his origin, though each ends in tragedy.

The most popular telling speaks of a young sailor, racing home to his beloved on horseback after a long voyage at sea. It is said that it was around 1822 and that he was coming from Charleston. Impatient to reach her side, he took a shortcut through the marshes of Pawleys Island, where both horse and rider became hopelessly mired in quicksand. Neither survived the night. 

The Marches of Pawleys Island: A tranquil pier stretches over the marshes of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, under an ominous sky. Is this where the ghost of the Gray Man comes from?

In some versions, he was a young master travelling with his manservant. His servant had to watch in horror as both his master and horse disappeared into the quicksand and had to be the one relaying the news to his girlfriend. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories on haunted islands

Ever since, his mournful spirit has wandered the shore, doomed to walk the beaches he longed to see in life.

Some say that his girlfriend mourned for ages after his passing. She used to take long walks on the beach they used to stroll on together before he died. It is said that one day while she was walking he appeared for the first time, warning her about an oncoming storm. Since then, he has repeated it for others walking the beach. 

The Ghost of George Pawley

Some locals, however, insist the Gray Man is none other than George Pawley, the island’s namesake, whose own stormy fate was lost to history. He was a prominent rice planter and original owner of the, although records show that he would have been a child when the first sighting occurred. Born in 1819, Charles Jeannerette Weston, was the original owner of the house on Pawleys Island now known as the Pelican Inn. 

He died of tuberculosis during the civil war and warns people about the weather as he once warned his neighbors about the risks of the oncoming war they would go through. 

Others claim he was a victim of one of the island’s devastating hurricanes in the early 19th century, one of many souls claimed by the Atlantic’s fury.

The Pelican Inn Ghost

Still another version of The Gray Man of Pawleys Island legend exists. Mrs. Eileen Weaver, owner of Pelican Inn, has encountered the Grey Man multiple times, whom she believes is someone from a nineteenth-century photograph. Her first sighting was during bread-making in the kitchen. She saw a woman with French features, dressed in a grey-and-white checkered dress with pearl buttons, observing them.

The Pelican Inn: a historic site in Pawleys Island, known for its ghostly encounters and connections to The Gray Man of Pawleys Island legend.

This spirit became a regular presence at Pelican Inn, with guests occasionally mistaking her for a living person. Mrs. Weaver also had an encounter with the Grey Man, dressed in period attire.

Mrs. Weaver’s daughter recounted a story about her sister-in-law, Gayle, who, while cleaning, felt tugs at her shirt tail. After realizing it couldn’t be anyone else, she suspected a spirit was present.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from haunted hotels you can stay at around the world

Mrs. Weaver shared these experiences with historian Julian Stevenson Bolick, identifying photographs of a woman and a man resembling the spirits in her home. The pictures were of Mr. and Mrs. Mazyck, relatives of the original owners, the Westons, who inherited and operated the inn. Mrs. Weaver believes Mr. Mazyck’s spirit is the Grey Man.

A Harbinger of Hurricanes

While his backstory might vary, his purpose is chillingly consistent: to warn the living of approaching storms. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. The Gray Man’s appearances have become a spectral tradition in Pawleys Island folklore. One fisherman spotted the Grey Man in Murrells Inlet, a coastal town about 10 miles north of Pawleys Island.

Those who claim to have seen him describe a figure clothed entirely in gray, with an otherworldly stillness. He appears suddenly along the dunes or walking the tideline, sometimes speaking in a voice muffled by the wind — other times, offering only a solemn gaze before vanishing like mist.

The Ghost of the Gray Man: A year after the 200th anniversary of the Gray Man legend, he was spotted on Litchfield Beach during Idalia on August 30, 2023. The picture was taken during the early hours of Tropical Storm Idalia’s impacts. The photo was captured at 7:12 p.m. and appears to show a shadowy gray figure walking along the surf and dunes

His appearances are always followed by disaster.

In 1954, residents reported seeing The Gray Man of Pawleys Island mere hours before Hurricane Hazel unleashed its fury on the Carolina coast, leveling homes and taking lives.

In 1989, just days before the catastrophic arrival of Hurricane Hugo, witnesses claimed to have encountered the Gray Man, prompting some to evacuate while the skies were still deceptively calm. Residents Jim and Clara Moore were interviewed about these sightings on Unsolved Mysteries that aired in 1990. They told in their interview:

“You see so many people walking on the beach at that time of day. That particular afternoon we only saw the one, and he was coming directly toward us. When I got within speaking distance, I raised my hand to say ‘hi’ or ‘beautiful evening’ and he disappeared.”

As recently as September 2018, his shadow was spotted once again ahead of Hurricane Florence, sending seasoned locals scrambling to higher ground. The latest reports of him was in 2022 when Hurricane Ian closed in. 

The Gray Man of Pawleys Island With a Kind Streak

Oddly enough, the Gray Man’s warnings come with a peculiar side effect. In nearly every account, homes whose occupants have heeded his warning are spared the worst of the storm’s wrath. In a region battered by hurricanes for generations, this chilling coincidence has only deepened the legend.

One family recounted in local lore claims their home was left untouched by Hugo’s catastrophic winds and storm surge after a man in gray appeared at their door and urged them to flee. When they returned days later, their neighbors’ homes lay in splinters, while theirs stood unscathed — not a single window shattered.

The Lingering Spirit of the Lowcountry

To this day, Pawleys Island remains a place where the line between the living and the dead is paper-thin. It’s a land of antebellum ruins, restless marshes, and whispers carried on the tide. The Gray Man of Pawleys Island is perhaps its most famous specter, a reminder of the sea’s merciless power and the thin veil between this world and the next.

Ken Lane/Flickr

Visitors and locals alike know to keep a wary eye on the shoreline when the weather turns heavy. Because should you glimpse a figure cloaked in gray where no one should be — silent, watchful, and impossibly still — it might be time to pack up and run.

After all, when The Gray Man of Pawleys Island walks, the storm is never far behind.

Newest Posts

  • The Ghostly Guardian of MS Nordstjernen
    The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
  • The Cabin in the Woods where the Forest Watches Back
    The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
  • The Haunted Devonshire Park Theatre: The Phantom Violinist of Eastbourne
    Could one of the musicians on the Titanic be haunting the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne, England? Who is the person behind the ghost said to still be playing the violin?
  • The Lady of Soria Moria Haunting Villa Fridheim
    Soria Moria: The Villa Fridheim is often called the Soria Moria castle, a name from Norwegian folktales about the hidden castle where the hero will find the princess. It has also now turned into an expression for expectations about a great place.
  • Dun Dreach-Fhoula – The Blood-Soaked Castle of the Reeks
    Said to be found deep in the mountain range MacGillycuddy’s Reeks in Kerry, Ireland, the ruins of Dun Dreach-Fhoula castle is said to be the home of bloodthirsty fairies of the Otherworld. Question is if it’s an ancient legend or a modern hoax.
  • The Woman Waiting and Haunting Struten Lighthouse
    After being stranded on their little island at Struten Lighthouse in stormy weather with the waves crashing in, a woman succumbed to her illness and has since then been haunting it, still waiting for the help that never came.
  • The Womanizer of Room 315 Haunting at Sauda Fjordhotel
    The once stately Sauda Fjordhotel is said to be haunted by a remorseful colonel, who took his own life when his womanizing ways lost him the love of his life.
  • The Ghost of the Captain Smith from the Titanic
    After the Titanic sank in 1912, people started talking about seeing the ghost of Captain Smith around the world. Even after all these years, his death and afterlife have an air of mystery surrounding it and he has become one of the most well known ghosts from the Titanic tragedy.
  • The Haunted Legends from Wailua in Hawaii
    How big can a haunted area be? Can the whole of Wailua on Kauai Island be haunted? The place certainly seems steeped in tales of Night Marchers and a procession of the dead, making their way down the river to the afterlife.
  • The Amalanhig: The Undying Hunters of Visayan Folklore
    Rising from their graves, the vampiric Amalanhig from the Philippines are after your flesh and blood. But where did these creatures come from?
  • Doyle’s Pub: The Hangman’s Shadow in Phibsborough
    Said to be haunted by the people from the funeral home that used to be next door, the Doyle’s Pub in Dublin is said to have more than living patrons having a drink.
  • Fredriksten Fortress and the White Lady of Halden
    In the bordertown of Sweden of Norway, Fredriksten Fortress has seen more bloodshed than many places. But who is the White Lady said to be haunting it, soaring around the clock tower in the night?

References:

The Gray Man (ghost) – Wikipedia

The Grey Man – Legendary Ghost of Pawleys Island

Hurricanes, history and hauntings – USC News & Events | University of South Carolina

Tales of The Grey Man – James W. Smith Vacation Rentals

The Ghostly Guest of Moana Surfrider: Haunting of a Hawaiian Icon

Advertisements

After the mysterious death of a wealthy guest, it is believed that the old Moana Surfrider is haunted by her ghost. What happened to Jane Stanford? Was she really killed or was it something else? And is she still haunting the hotel she died in, forever searching for her room?

The Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort and Spa, is one of Waikiki’s most luxurious and historic hotels. The Italian Renaissance style hotel was built in 1901, the grand Victorian-style hotel has stood the test of time, offering stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and an ambiance steeped in elegance. It was the first luxury property along Waikiki Beach, now filled to the brim with big hotels and often called The First Lady of Waikiki

Read More: check out all ghost stories from USA

However, behind the hotel’s pristine facade and charming atmosphere on the sunny beach, lies a chilling secret: the ghost of a famous guest who never truly checked out and is said to be haunting the hotel.

Haunted Hotel: The Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach is believed to be haunted by more than one ghost. // Source: Wiki

The Mysterious Death of Jane Stanford

On February 28, 1905, Jane Stanford, the co-founder of Stanford University, met a tragic end at the Moana Surfrider, back then called Moana Hotel. Stanford was staying at the hotel to recover from a murder attempt on her life—a strychnine poisoning back in California. She hoped the Hawaiian air would be a healing escape from her troubles and her apparent enemies wanting her dead. However, fate had other plans.

Jane Elizabeth Lathrop Stanford: (1828–1905) was an American philanthropist and co-founder of Stanford University in 1885 with her husband, in memory of their only child who died of typhoid fever. After her husband’s death in 1893, she funded and operated the university almost single-handedly until her unsolved murder by strychnine poisoning in 1905.

That night, Stanford complained of feeling ill and soon succumbed to a mysterious second poisoning of some sort. Her death shocked the nation, and while some ruled it a natural heart attack, others whispered of foul play and lingering intrigue. 

As mentioned, it was not the first time she was poisoned. January the 14th the same year she was poisoned after drinking mineral water when she stayed at her mansion in Nob Hill in San Francisco. She managed to vomit the poison out. Her maid Bertha Berner was a suspect and fired, but never charged as there was seemingly no evidence, motive or leads. She was a trusted person who had served Stanford for twenty years, but she was also the only person present when the poisoning happened.

Sad and tired of it all, Stanford sailed to Hawaii to recuperate in the tropical air, thinking of continuing to Japan, but as circumstances would have it, she never left Hawaii. 

What really happened is still uncertain and the circumstances surrounding her death remain unsolved. Was it someone else that finally succeeded in taking her life, and what motive did they have? Or was she as many claimed, simply weakened from the last poisoning and died of an illness? 

The Lady in Search of Her Room

Many believe that Stanford’s spirit was left restless, forever tied to the place where her life was cut short. Over the years, guests and staff at the Moana Surfrider have reported eerie encounters with a spectral figure believed to be Jane Stanford herself. Dressed in early 20th-century clothing, her apparition is seen gliding through the hotel’s hallways, especially at night, searching as if trying to find her room. Some guests have spotted her walking through the hotel’s grand lobby or standing by the balcony, gazing out to the sea.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from haunted hotels

Those who have seen her claim to feel a cold, inexplicable chill as she passes, her presence accompanied by the faint scent of lilies—the flower said to be Jane Stanford’s favorite. Others report hearing the sounds of a woman’s faint sobs or catching glimpses of her reflection in the windows and mirrors, only to turn and find no one there.

Unexplained Phenomena and Encounters

The mysterious sightings are not limited to Jane Stanford’s ghostly wanderings. Several guests have awakened in the middle of the night to find the room’s lights flickering or an odd sensation of someone sitting on the edge of their bed. Some hear light footsteps in the corridors outside their rooms, accompanied by an eerie whispering voice that seems to call out from nowhere.

Hotel staff often find doors that were securely closed left wide open, and objects have been reported to move on their own. One night guard swore he saw a woman matching Jane Stanford’s description walking toward the ocean. When he called out to her, she vanished before his eyes.

Other Ghosts Haunting the Moana Surfrider

But it is not the only ghost said to haunt the hotel. According to staff, there is also the ghost of a young girl, also wearing old fashioned clothes. It is said that the young ghost is often playing close to the staircase or wandering in the hallways at night. 

The Grand Staircase: This staircase at Moana Surfrider hotel is said to have ghosts lingering around it and. // Source: Wiki

A man in military uniform is also said to walk around the hotel. During world war two, the hotel was used as a recuperating place for soldiers coming and going to war. It is believed he was one of them and is often seen around the bar of the hotel or wandering the veranda, disappearing before other guests eyes. 

The Mysterious Banyan Tree

As well as ghosts of former guests, there are also spooky tales about the Banyan tree planted in 1904 at the hotel premises. There are many stories about Banyan trees and it is said to draw supernatural energy and spirits to it. According to some, the banyan tree will make them feel a certain way, perhaps peaceful, perhaps an unexplained sadness. There are also those claiming to have heard voices and something sounding like laughter coming from the tree itself. 

Beach Front Hotel: The Moana Surfrider overlooking Waikiki Beach. // Source: Wiki

The Moana Surfriders haunted history has become part of its allure, attracting paranormal enthusiasts and curious visitors eager to catch a glimpse of the infamous ghost of Jane Stanford searching for her room. A thing she never will though as it is no longer there as it was removed to make the lobby bigger.

Newest Posts

  • The Ghostly Guardian of MS Nordstjernen
    The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
  • The Cabin in the Woods where the Forest Watches Back
    The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
  • The Haunted Devonshire Park Theatre: The Phantom Violinist of Eastbourne
    Could one of the musicians on the Titanic be haunting the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne, England? Who is the person behind the ghost said to still be playing the violin?
  • The Lady of Soria Moria Haunting Villa Fridheim
    Soria Moria: The Villa Fridheim is often called the Soria Moria castle, a name from Norwegian folktales about the hidden castle where the hero will find the princess. It has also now turned into an expression for expectations about a great place.
  • Dun Dreach-Fhoula – The Blood-Soaked Castle of the Reeks
    Said to be found deep in the mountain range MacGillycuddy’s Reeks in Kerry, Ireland, the ruins of Dun Dreach-Fhoula castle is said to be the home of bloodthirsty fairies of the Otherworld. Question is if it’s an ancient legend or a modern hoax.
  • The Woman Waiting and Haunting Struten Lighthouse
    After being stranded on their little island at Struten Lighthouse in stormy weather with the waves crashing in, a woman succumbed to her illness and has since then been haunting it, still waiting for the help that never came.
  • The Womanizer of Room 315 Haunting at Sauda Fjordhotel
    The once stately Sauda Fjordhotel is said to be haunted by a remorseful colonel, who took his own life when his womanizing ways lost him the love of his life.
  • The Ghost of the Captain Smith from the Titanic
    After the Titanic sank in 1912, people started talking about seeing the ghost of Captain Smith around the world. Even after all these years, his death and afterlife have an air of mystery surrounding it and he has become one of the most well known ghosts from the Titanic tragedy.
  • The Haunted Legends from Wailua in Hawaii
    How big can a haunted area be? Can the whole of Wailua on Kauai Island be haunted? The place certainly seems steeped in tales of Night Marchers and a procession of the dead, making their way down the river to the afterlife.
  • The Amalanhig: The Undying Hunters of Visayan Folklore
    Rising from their graves, the vampiric Amalanhig from the Philippines are after your flesh and blood. But where did these creatures come from?
  • Doyle’s Pub: The Hangman’s Shadow in Phibsborough
    Said to be haunted by the people from the funeral home that used to be next door, the Doyle’s Pub in Dublin is said to have more than living patrons having a drink.
  • Fredriksten Fortress and the White Lady of Halden
    In the bordertown of Sweden of Norway, Fredriksten Fortress has seen more bloodshed than many places. But who is the White Lady said to be haunting it, soaring around the clock tower in the night?

References:

The Oldest Hotel In Hawaii Is Also One Of The Most Haunted Places You’ll Ever Sleep 

Haunted Hospitality: 10 Haunted Historic Hotels of America 

Hotel History in Honolulu, Hawaii | Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa

The Haunted Moana Surfrider 

The Haunted Lodge at Koele: Spirits in Paradise at the Four Seasons Resort

Advertisements

The Four Seasons has now taken over what was once the Lodge at Koele. This hotel is believed to be haunted by multiple ghosts. Did something happen at the resort a long time ago, or has it something to do with Lanai Island being the place of nightmare?

In the lush highlands of Lanai Island in Hawaii, the Sensei Lanai A Four Seasons Resort, stands as a beacon of luxury and tranquility, offering visitors a unique retreat far removed from the typical Hawaiian beachfront resorts. Lanai is the 6th biggest island in Hawaii and often known as the Pineapple Island. Surrounded by towering Cook pines and immaculate gardens, this stunning Four Seasons resort is an idyllic escape for those seeking serenity and elegance. 

Read More: check out all ghost stories from USA

The Sensei Lanai: A Four Seasons Resort was formerly called The Lodge at Koele and is still mentioned as such when talking about the legends surrounding the location. Because beneath its peaceful facade, The Lodge at Koele harbors a chilling secret—it is considered one of the most haunted hotels in all of Hawaii.

View from Lanai: Four Seasons Resort Lanai is a Four Seasons resort hotel located in Lanai City on the island of Lānaʻi, the smallest and least inhabited of Hawaii’s six major islands that once was recognized for its pineapple plantation. The island of Lānaʻi hosts two other hotels, Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort (previously known as “The Lodge at Koele”), and Hotel Lanai, a 3-star boutique hotel. // Flickr

The Lodge at Koele and its History Shrouded in Mystery

The Four Season Resort, or The Lodge at Koele, is built in the style of an English manor house and opened its doors to guests seeking refuge in Lanai’s cool uplands. The property was designed to exude charm and sophistication, and its location amidst the island’s rolling hills and verdant landscape only enhances its appeal. However, despite the Lodge’s refined atmosphere, it has become the center of numerous ghostly tales that have unnerved even the most seasoned travelers.

The haunted resort: Main building of the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele on the island of Lanai, Hawaii. // Terence Faircloth/Flickr

The hotel’s history is largely free of tragic events or grisly tales that might typically account for its haunted reputation. Unlike other haunted locations tied to specific incidents or individuals, The Lodge at Koele’s hauntings are steeped in mystery, with no clear explanation as to why so many spirits have chosen to linger in this otherwise peaceful place.

The Ghostly Girl in the Guests’ Rooms

One of the most frequently reported apparitions at The Lodge is that of a little girl, who has been seen by numerous guests over the years. Descriptions of her vary, but most accounts describe her as having long dark hair, dressed in old-fashioned clothing, and appearing suddenly in the middle of the night. Often, she is seen standing silently at the foot of the bed or in a corner of the room, watching the occupants with a solemn expression. She never speaks, and after a few moments, she vanishes as quickly as she appeared.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from haunted hotels

Some have even recounted feeling the sensation of small hands gently tugging at their sheets or hearing the faint sound of a child’s laughter echoing through the corridors, only to find no one there.

Spirits with No Known Origin

The Lodge at Koele is said to be home to multiple spirits, though none have been definitively identified. Besides the little girl, guests and staff have reported other inexplicable occurrences—flickering lights, sudden drops in temperature, and the feeling of being watched, particularly in the hotel’s older wings. Some claim to have seen shadowy figures moving through the hallways or glimpsed a spectral presence in the mirrors, only for it to disappear when they turned around.

What makes the hauntings at The Lodge particularly unsettling is the absence of any known backstory to explain them. There are no documented tragedies, no historic battles fought on the land, and no records of individuals who might have left a lingering presence. The spirits seem to have gathered here without reason, making their presence all the more inexplicable and eerie.

It is said that Lanai was shunned by the early Hawaiians thought and believed that the island was so haunted by the god of nightmares, Pahulu. This god was so vicious and powerful that no human could ever live there. 

The thing is that, people have, at least for the past 1000 years. 

A Paranormal Paradox in Paradise

The Lodge at Koele offers guests a paradoxical experience—an escape into the serene beauty of Lanai, juxtaposed with the unsettling presence of the unknown. It is a place where luxury and the supernatural coexist, where the quiet elegance of the resort is occasionally interrupted by the unexplained.

For those who seek a vacation with a touch of the otherworldly, The Lodge at Koele offers a unique opportunity. It is a place where the spirits of the past seem content to stay, adding a layer of intrigue and mystery to an already enchanting destination. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, a stay at The Lodge at Koele might just leave you with more questions than answers—and perhaps a story to tell about the little girl who visited you in the night.

Newest Posts

  • The Ghostly Guardian of MS Nordstjernen
    The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
  • The Cabin in the Woods where the Forest Watches Back
    The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
  • The Haunted Devonshire Park Theatre: The Phantom Violinist of Eastbourne
    Could one of the musicians on the Titanic be haunting the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne, England? Who is the person behind the ghost said to still be playing the violin?
  • The Lady of Soria Moria Haunting Villa Fridheim
    Soria Moria: The Villa Fridheim is often called the Soria Moria castle, a name from Norwegian folktales about the hidden castle where the hero will find the princess. It has also now turned into an expression for expectations about a great place.
  • Dun Dreach-Fhoula – The Blood-Soaked Castle of the Reeks
    Said to be found deep in the mountain range MacGillycuddy’s Reeks in Kerry, Ireland, the ruins of Dun Dreach-Fhoula castle is said to be the home of bloodthirsty fairies of the Otherworld. Question is if it’s an ancient legend or a modern hoax.
  • The Woman Waiting and Haunting Struten Lighthouse
    After being stranded on their little island at Struten Lighthouse in stormy weather with the waves crashing in, a woman succumbed to her illness and has since then been haunting it, still waiting for the help that never came.
  • The Womanizer of Room 315 Haunting at Sauda Fjordhotel
    The once stately Sauda Fjordhotel is said to be haunted by a remorseful colonel, who took his own life when his womanizing ways lost him the love of his life.
  • The Ghost of the Captain Smith from the Titanic
    After the Titanic sank in 1912, people started talking about seeing the ghost of Captain Smith around the world. Even after all these years, his death and afterlife have an air of mystery surrounding it and he has become one of the most well known ghosts from the Titanic tragedy.
  • The Haunted Legends from Wailua in Hawaii
    How big can a haunted area be? Can the whole of Wailua on Kauai Island be haunted? The place certainly seems steeped in tales of Night Marchers and a procession of the dead, making their way down the river to the afterlife.
  • The Amalanhig: The Undying Hunters of Visayan Folklore
    Rising from their graves, the vampiric Amalanhig from the Philippines are after your flesh and blood. But where did these creatures come from?
  • Doyle’s Pub: The Hangman’s Shadow in Phibsborough
    Said to be haunted by the people from the funeral home that used to be next door, the Doyle’s Pub in Dublin is said to have more than living patrons having a drink.
  • Fredriksten Fortress and the White Lady of Halden
    In the bordertown of Sweden of Norway, Fredriksten Fortress has seen more bloodshed than many places. But who is the White Lady said to be haunting it, soaring around the clock tower in the night?

References:

https://www.riseupparanormal.com/hawaii.htm

In Depth in Lanai

The Haunted Prince Waikiki Hotel and its Blue Lights

Advertisements

The Prince Waikiki Hotel in Hawaii is believed to be haunted. Not only does the luggage of its guests seem to move, but a strange blue light is wandering the halls accompanied by voices from beyond. 

Located on Waikiki, Oahu in Hawaii, the Prince Waikiki Hotel appears at first glance to be an unassuming, cozy retreat for travelers seeking the sun, surf, and sand of Hawaii. Waikiki is a popular neighborhood by the beach in Honolulu and there are many high rise hotels on the mostly man made beach.

Read More: check out all ghost stories from USA

But beyond its warm and glittering facade, this hotel is said to be the site of numerous eerie happenings that have left guests and staff alike chilled to the bone. Stories of strange occurrences, ghostly apparitions, and otherworldly sounds have earned the Waikiki Prince Hotel a reputation as one of Oahu’s most haunted locales.

Jeff C/Flickr

A Mysterious History of Prince Waikiki Hotel

Built in the mid-20th century when the hotel building in the area took off on Ala Wai harbor, the Prince Waikiki Hotel has stood through decades of change. The hotel is named after Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole who was a prince of the Kingdom of Hawaii who after being dethroned, went to represent Hawaii in Congress. 

What was once a quiet stretch of beach has evolved into a bustling hub of activity in the 1950s, but the hotel’s history is marked by its own share of mystery. Over the years, it has witnessed a series of unexplained events that many believe are connected to its past. 

Some claim that the land the hotel was built on once belonged to ancient Hawaiian tribes, and that the spirits of those who lived and died here still roam the property. It did use to be the first capital of the united Hawaii and was a place for the royalty to retreat. 

Others suggest that tragic incidents within the hotel walls have left behind restless souls who linger, unable or unwilling to move on.

Strange Lights and Whispers

Guests who stay at the Prince Waikiki Hotel often report seeing strange lights moving throughout the hotel, particularly in the hallways and stairwells. These blue orb looking lights are not the flicker of faulty bulbs or the reflection of passing cars but appear to move with an eerie purpose, sometimes trailing along behind guests or darting quickly around corners. Those who have tried to follow these glowing orbs often find themselves led to deserted parts of the hotel, only to have the lights vanish without a trace or disappear through the walls.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from haunted hotels

But it’s not just the mysterious lights that make the Prince Waikiki Hotel a hotbed of paranormal activity. Unexplained whispering voices are frequently heard, echoing through empty corridors or seeming to come from right behind guests when no one is there. These whispers are unintelligible, a faint murmur that sends shivers down the spine. Some guests have reported feeling a cold breath on their necks or a light tap on their shoulders, only to turn around and find themselves completely alone.

Daniel Ramirez/Flickr

The Case of Moving Luggage

One of the most unsettling phenomena at the Prince Waikiki Hotel involves the inexplicable movement of luggage. Guests have reported leaving their bags neatly packed and positioned in their rooms, only to return and find them shifted across the floor or even rearranged entirely. In some cases, suitcases have been found unzipped with their contents spread across the room, as if a curious invisible hand had rummaged through them.

Some also claim that their luggage has disappeared from the bellhops and rooms and ended up in unexplainable places like in the kitchen or the ballroom. 

The Ghosts of the Prince Waikiki Hotel

But who is it that haunts the hotel today? Could there be some of the guests who passed away? Although, there are not many, if any, noted deaths in the hotel. Even still, people claim to see ghostly tourists of a man in a red and white Hawaiian shirt, hanging by the pool. 

Perhaps it is the prince himself who has returned to the place named after him in his afterlife? Some claim to have seen a stately Hawaiian man with a mustache standing in the lobby, wearing expensive clothes and a hat that looks not of this time. It is also said that guests have encountered a man like this in the elevators, although no one ever saw the man get out of the elevator, even when they have reached the top floor.  

A Haunting Legacy of Prince Waikiki Hotel

Theories abound as to who—or what—haunts the Prince Waikiki Hotel. Some believe that the spirits of former guests, perhaps those who met untimely or tragic ends, remain tethered to the place they last knew. Others think the land itself holds a spiritual energy, disturbed by the construction and modernization of Waikiki. Whatever the cause, the paranormal activity at the hotel shows no sign of slowing.

Those who stay at the Prince Waikiki Hotel are advised to keep an eye on their belongings, to listen carefully to the whispers in the dark, and to be aware of the strange lights that might just be trying to guide them somewhere unknown. Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, one thing is certain: a night at this haunted hotel is an experience you won’t soon forget.

So, if you’re feeling brave and looking for a unique thrill, check in to the Prince Waikiki Hotel—just don’t be surprised if you leave with more than just a souvenir or two.

Newest Posts

  • The Ghostly Guardian of MS Nordstjernen
    The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
  • The Cabin in the Woods where the Forest Watches Back
    The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
  • The Haunted Devonshire Park Theatre: The Phantom Violinist of Eastbourne
    Could one of the musicians on the Titanic be haunting the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne, England? Who is the person behind the ghost said to still be playing the violin?
  • The Lady of Soria Moria Haunting Villa Fridheim
    Soria Moria: The Villa Fridheim is often called the Soria Moria castle, a name from Norwegian folktales about the hidden castle where the hero will find the princess. It has also now turned into an expression for expectations about a great place.
  • Dun Dreach-Fhoula – The Blood-Soaked Castle of the Reeks
    Said to be found deep in the mountain range MacGillycuddy’s Reeks in Kerry, Ireland, the ruins of Dun Dreach-Fhoula castle is said to be the home of bloodthirsty fairies of the Otherworld. Question is if it’s an ancient legend or a modern hoax.
  • The Woman Waiting and Haunting Struten Lighthouse
    After being stranded on their little island at Struten Lighthouse in stormy weather with the waves crashing in, a woman succumbed to her illness and has since then been haunting it, still waiting for the help that never came.
  • The Womanizer of Room 315 Haunting at Sauda Fjordhotel
    The once stately Sauda Fjordhotel is said to be haunted by a remorseful colonel, who took his own life when his womanizing ways lost him the love of his life.
  • The Ghost of the Captain Smith from the Titanic
    After the Titanic sank in 1912, people started talking about seeing the ghost of Captain Smith around the world. Even after all these years, his death and afterlife have an air of mystery surrounding it and he has become one of the most well known ghosts from the Titanic tragedy.
  • The Haunted Legends from Wailua in Hawaii
    How big can a haunted area be? Can the whole of Wailua on Kauai Island be haunted? The place certainly seems steeped in tales of Night Marchers and a procession of the dead, making their way down the river to the afterlife.
  • The Amalanhig: The Undying Hunters of Visayan Folklore
    Rising from their graves, the vampiric Amalanhig from the Philippines are after your flesh and blood. But where did these creatures come from?
  • Doyle’s Pub: The Hangman’s Shadow in Phibsborough
    Said to be haunted by the people from the funeral home that used to be next door, the Doyle’s Pub in Dublin is said to have more than living patrons having a drink.
  • Fredriksten Fortress and the White Lady of Halden
    In the bordertown of Sweden of Norway, Fredriksten Fortress has seen more bloodshed than many places. But who is the White Lady said to be haunting it, soaring around the clock tower in the night?

References:

The Most Haunted Hotels in Hawaii | Haunted Rooms America 

Haunted Waikiki Prince Hotel 

The Haunting of King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel

Advertisements

The iconic resort, King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel in Hawaii is named after the one ruler uniting the Hawaiian islands. All these years after, he is believed to haunt the hotel, thought to be built on the ground of where he was buried. 

On the sacred shores of Kailua-Kona on Hawaiʻi Big Island, the King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel is more than just a place to rest and relax—it’s a site steeped in history and allegedly haunted by the spirit of one of Hawaii’s greatest monarchs. 

Read More: check out all ghost stories from USA

This iconic hotel in downtown Kona, located on the very grounds where King Kamehameha the Great once ruled, is said to be home to more than just its guests. Many believe that the spirit of the king himself lingers within the walls of this grand establishment and that this is where he is buried, watching over the land he once commanded.

King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel. // Source: W Nowicki/Wikimedia

A Legacy of Royalty Haunting King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel

The King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel stands on a site rich in historical significance. This area was once the heart of King Kamehameha’s kingdom, where the great ruler established his royal compound. King Kamehameha I, also known as Kamehameha the Great, is revered for uniting the Hawaiian Islands into one kingdom in 1810. His leadership, strategic prowess, and sheer force of will forever changed the course of Hawaiian history. The land on which the hotel now stands was part of his legacy, a place where he lived, ruled, and ultimately shaped the future of his people.

King Kamehameha I: His full name was Kalani Paiʻea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiʻikui Kamehameha o ʻIolani i Kaiwikapu kauʻi Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea; c. 1736 – c. 1761 to May 8 or 14, 1819). Portrait of Kamehameha I based on the original life depiction by Louis Choris. The painting was done by James Gay Sawkins in 1850 and is apparently the only historical one that depicts the king in the ʻahu ʻula. It hangs in the Grand Hall of Iolani Palace.

In honor of the king’s profound impact on Hawaii, the hotel was named after him, and many elements within the property pay homage to his memory. However, as much as the hotel celebrates King Kamehameha’s legacy, it also seems to be the site where his spirit continues to reside.

Ghostly Encounters with the King

Guests and staff at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel have long reported eerie encounters that suggest the king has never truly left his beloved Kona. The most common sightings are of an apparition of a tall, regal figure, often described as a man dressed in traditional Hawaiian garb, walking solemnly through the hotel’s halls. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from haunted hotels

There are also stories about how the sounds of a distant battle and apparitions of warriors can be heard throughout the hotel hallways. 

The Haunted Portrait in King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel

It’s not only the king himself said to be haunting the hotel. Could it also be that a queen is also lingering? On the ground floor of the hotel there is a royal portrait of a woman hanging on the wall. The portrait is of Queen Liliuokalani and the painting is believed to be haunted as strange things keep happening around it. 

According to staff and some of the guests as well, this particular portrait is said to be haunted. If you believe the stories, the portrait is said to glare intently at you as well as inhale and exhale, almost as if a living soul is still residing in it. Could it be that the Queen herself is the one haunting it? Or could it be the spirit of someone else?

Kona Beach

For those who are drawn to the paranormal, a visit to King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel may offer more than just a night’s rest. It could be a chance to walk in the footsteps of a king and, perhaps, feel his presence as he continues to watch over the land he once ruled with such strength and wisdom.

Newest Posts

  • The Ghostly Guardian of MS Nordstjernen
    The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
  • The Cabin in the Woods where the Forest Watches Back
    The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
  • The Haunted Devonshire Park Theatre: The Phantom Violinist of Eastbourne
    Could one of the musicians on the Titanic be haunting the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne, England? Who is the person behind the ghost said to still be playing the violin?
  • The Lady of Soria Moria Haunting Villa Fridheim
    Soria Moria: The Villa Fridheim is often called the Soria Moria castle, a name from Norwegian folktales about the hidden castle where the hero will find the princess. It has also now turned into an expression for expectations about a great place.
  • Dun Dreach-Fhoula – The Blood-Soaked Castle of the Reeks
    Said to be found deep in the mountain range MacGillycuddy’s Reeks in Kerry, Ireland, the ruins of Dun Dreach-Fhoula castle is said to be the home of bloodthirsty fairies of the Otherworld. Question is if it’s an ancient legend or a modern hoax.
  • The Woman Waiting and Haunting Struten Lighthouse
    After being stranded on their little island at Struten Lighthouse in stormy weather with the waves crashing in, a woman succumbed to her illness and has since then been haunting it, still waiting for the help that never came.
  • The Womanizer of Room 315 Haunting at Sauda Fjordhotel
    The once stately Sauda Fjordhotel is said to be haunted by a remorseful colonel, who took his own life when his womanizing ways lost him the love of his life.
  • The Ghost of the Captain Smith from the Titanic
    After the Titanic sank in 1912, people started talking about seeing the ghost of Captain Smith around the world. Even after all these years, his death and afterlife have an air of mystery surrounding it and he has become one of the most well known ghosts from the Titanic tragedy.
  • The Haunted Legends from Wailua in Hawaii
    How big can a haunted area be? Can the whole of Wailua on Kauai Island be haunted? The place certainly seems steeped in tales of Night Marchers and a procession of the dead, making their way down the river to the afterlife.
  • The Amalanhig: The Undying Hunters of Visayan Folklore
    Rising from their graves, the vampiric Amalanhig from the Philippines are after your flesh and blood. But where did these creatures come from?
  • Doyle’s Pub: The Hangman’s Shadow in Phibsborough
    Said to be haunted by the people from the funeral home that used to be next door, the Doyle’s Pub in Dublin is said to have more than living patrons having a drink.
  • Fredriksten Fortress and the White Lady of Halden
    In the bordertown of Sweden of Norway, Fredriksten Fortress has seen more bloodshed than many places. But who is the White Lady said to be haunting it, soaring around the clock tower in the night?

References:

The Lady in Red Haunting of Hilton Hawaiian Village

Advertisements

For a long time now, the Hilton Hawaiian Village hotel has been said to be haunted by a lady in red. Some think that she might have been a guest staying at the resort, but many also claim that the spirit must be Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes.

Looking for a nice getaway where you can enjoy sun, sand, poolside service, and perhaps an encounter with a volcano goddess? That’s just what you might get when you visit the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki in Honolulu, the 17th largest hotel in the world. 

Read More: check out all ghost stories from USA

Not only does the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Oahu, Hawaii boast a restaurant for each of its 22 acres and Waikiki’s largest pool, a botanical garden and view of the beach, but it also offers an unexpected attraction for the brave: ghost hunting.

Hilton Hawaiian Village: Dukes Lagoon on Waikiki Beach facing North. // Source: Wiki

The Woman in Red Haunting the Hilton

But who is haunting this luxury place at night? According to guests that have stayed at the hotel as well as staff working there, the rumor is that a woman in red is wandering the halls. The ghost of this lady in red is often said to be beautiful with a flowing red dress. 

The ghost of the Hilton Hawaiian Village is often spotted in the hallways inside of the resort. Some have also claimed to have seen her on the beach by the hotel. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from haunted hotels

The ghost has appeared many times at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, perhaps most well known sightseeing was in 1959 when a staff member of the hotel claimed to have seen her disappear right before his eyes. This led him to quit his job the next day and opened a poi factory, although neither of those statements have been confirmed. 

Hilton Hawaiian Village: View from the Tapa Tower. // Source: Joel Solomon/Wikimedia

The Ghost of Hilton Hawaiian Village

But who could this alleged ghost be? And why is she lingering at the resort? Many believe that the ghost haunting the halls and beach of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel is none other than Pele, the revered “Volcano Goddess.” 

Pele the Goddess of Volcanoes

According to legend, Pele was the daughter of Kane Milohai and Haumea, creators of the sky, earth, and upper heavens. Born in Tahiti, Pele was exiled to Hawaii due to her fiery temper. Her older sister Namakaokahai, upon discovering Pele’s location, journeyed to Hawaii to confront her. The battle ended disastrously for Pele, who was torn apart by her sister, with her remains scattered on a hill in Maui called Ka-iwi-o-Pele—a grim testament to sibling rivalry.

Read More: The Mythology of Madame Pele Haunting Hawai’i 

Despite her violent end, Pele’s spirit is said to linger in Hawaii, making her presence known to locals and visitors alike on several places. She reportedly appears in various forms: a hitchhiker, an elderly woman, or a mysterious stranger knocking on doors. However, most sightings describe her as a young woman in a striking red dress, wandering the halls or strolling along the beach.

While the legend of Pele is the most famous, some speculate that the ghost haunting the Hilton Hawaiian Village might be another tragic figure—a woman who was murdered years ago in the tower room. 

The Man in White at the Hilton Hawaiian Village

But according to some, this is not the only ghost said to haunt the Hilton Hawaiian Village. According to stories, there was once a housekeeper cleaning a suit on the 14th floor when she saw someone on the balcony. It was a man, something she thought odd, as the last who had stayed at the room was a mother and her daughter. 

Hilton Hawaiian Village: Source:  “Hilton Hawaiian Village Panorama Oahu Hawaii Photo D Ramey Logan.JPG from Wikimedia Commons by Don Ramey Logan, CC-BY-SA 3.0

In addition to this, there have been several of sightseeing of this ghost on the 14th floor, said to roam the hallways wearing white. Whether you believe in the legend of Pele or the ghost of a tragic victim, one thing is certain: the Hilton Hawaiian Village offers more than just a tropical paradise. 

Newest Posts

  • The Ghostly Guardian of MS Nordstjernen
    The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
  • The Cabin in the Woods where the Forest Watches Back
    The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
  • The Haunted Devonshire Park Theatre: The Phantom Violinist of Eastbourne
    Could one of the musicians on the Titanic be haunting the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne, England? Who is the person behind the ghost said to still be playing the violin?
  • The Lady of Soria Moria Haunting Villa Fridheim
    Soria Moria: The Villa Fridheim is often called the Soria Moria castle, a name from Norwegian folktales about the hidden castle where the hero will find the princess. It has also now turned into an expression for expectations about a great place.
  • Dun Dreach-Fhoula – The Blood-Soaked Castle of the Reeks
    Said to be found deep in the mountain range MacGillycuddy’s Reeks in Kerry, Ireland, the ruins of Dun Dreach-Fhoula castle is said to be the home of bloodthirsty fairies of the Otherworld. Question is if it’s an ancient legend or a modern hoax.
  • The Woman Waiting and Haunting Struten Lighthouse
    After being stranded on their little island at Struten Lighthouse in stormy weather with the waves crashing in, a woman succumbed to her illness and has since then been haunting it, still waiting for the help that never came.
  • The Womanizer of Room 315 Haunting at Sauda Fjordhotel
    The once stately Sauda Fjordhotel is said to be haunted by a remorseful colonel, who took his own life when his womanizing ways lost him the love of his life.
  • The Ghost of the Captain Smith from the Titanic
    After the Titanic sank in 1912, people started talking about seeing the ghost of Captain Smith around the world. Even after all these years, his death and afterlife have an air of mystery surrounding it and he has become one of the most well known ghosts from the Titanic tragedy.
  • The Haunted Legends from Wailua in Hawaii
    How big can a haunted area be? Can the whole of Wailua on Kauai Island be haunted? The place certainly seems steeped in tales of Night Marchers and a procession of the dead, making their way down the river to the afterlife.
  • The Amalanhig: The Undying Hunters of Visayan Folklore
    Rising from their graves, the vampiric Amalanhig from the Philippines are after your flesh and blood. But where did these creatures come from?
  • Doyle’s Pub: The Hangman’s Shadow in Phibsborough
    Said to be haunted by the people from the funeral home that used to be next door, the Doyle’s Pub in Dublin is said to have more than living patrons having a drink.
  • Fredriksten Fortress and the White Lady of Halden
    In the bordertown of Sweden of Norway, Fredriksten Fortress has seen more bloodshed than many places. But who is the White Lady said to be haunting it, soaring around the clock tower in the night?

References:

https://www.hilton.com/en/travel/articles/spooktacular-stays-to-celebrate-halloween