The horror season is upon us and with it the trick-or-treaters. For those of you who wouldn’t mind escaping the pranks and keeping your candy reserves to yourself, there is an easy way out: Take a trip! In spirit of this frightening holiday we have compiled a list of scary places to stay. But beware – spending a night at these establishments is not for the faint-hearted.
A look at the stylishly modernized interior of this Urban Resort, admittedly, does not immediately make your bones shiver. However, the story behind the hotel could not be any more daunting. From its construction up until the 1980s, this beautiful castle-like complex served as an insane asylum for thousands of mentally ill patients in the state of New York. During your stay, you will get the chance to spend the night in former treatment and patient rooms. Instead of decaying medical equipment and hospital beds you will find a hotel with all amenities you’d expect from a modern upscale hotel. It’s the perfect place to spend Halloween and discover the ghosts of the past in style.
Just learning about where this hotel is located will have many clock out. In fact this simple, soviet style hotel is the only one open to guests in Chernobyl and it is the closest you can possibly stay to the abandoned city of Pripyat. More than thirty years after the horrible accident, this once industrious part of the former Soviet Union attracts more and more tourists seeking to explore the eerie surroundings of the abandoned city. While the hotel itself has nothing spectacular to offer, it is the awareness of the Chernobyl reactor, where tons of radioactive material are still trapped under in huge metal casket, located just a few kilometers away that makefor a real test of your bravery - and an unforgettable Halloween trip.
Not many will voluntarily lock themselves into a prison cell for a night. At “Het Arresthuis” this is exactly what you will do. But don’t worry, the renovations saw locks added on the inside of the rooms as well. Unlike other former jails that were converted into hotels, this Dutch gem preserved the spirit of its past as well as possible. Case in point are the beautifully restored cell doors made of metal that shut with the loud clank you hopefully only know from Hollywood productions. Walking through the prison hallway turned modern lounge will have you travel back in time. I am sure you will quickly find yourself imagining what this place must have looked and sounded like when it was filled with prisoners going about their business only a few decades ago – Sweet dreams!
This beautiful 13thcentury building in England’s deep north is said to be the country’s most haunted historic castle. Guests often describe apparitions and there is a good reason why. This place was used as an execution site for traitors and criminals back in the old days. Many found their death here by hanging, quartering or brutal torture. The torture chamber can still be visited today and it provides a cruel look into this castle’s dark past. The equipment including thumb screws, gauntlets and ancient torture gadgets are sure to make you shudder. Spend your Halloween exploring the old walls by yourself and chances are you will hear plenty of ghosts whimpering and muttering. For those not willing to take on the undead alone, the hotel also offers ghost tours – although I am sure the white pantry ghost would prefer to speak to you in private…