This Hotel in New York State Is One of the Most Haunted in America

A nearly 100-year-old building in Upstate New York has been officially named one of the top 25 most haunted hotels in the country.

Halloween may be over, but that doesn't mean all paranormal activity has ceased. In fact, several hotels across the Empire State are filled with ghostly apparitions that like to play tricks or torment unsuspecting victims.

One such location is the super haunted Hotel Utica, which is now owned by DoubleTree.

Read More: Is This Century-Old Building Utica's Most Haunted Location?

There were plenty of scares when WIBX investigated the location, but there is apparently a hotel farther up the state that is far spookier.

Most Haunted Historic Hotels

Historic Hotels of America, part of the national trust for historic preservation, compiled a list of the inns that have a well-documented haunted history and used the local legends to determine the most terrifying.

The article teased, "For believers and skeptics alike, these hotels offer legends of guests who never want to leave and staff who never stop helping."

Making #1 on the list was a hotel in Concord, MA, which is more than three centuries old. The Concord Colonial Inn stood before the Revolutionary War, as it was constructed in 1716, and was once the home of a small medical practice. During the war, room 24 was used as an operating room and, to date, guests staying there say they experience an abundance of activity,

Of course, more than just ghostly soldiers and doctors walk the haunted grounds, which is why that location topped the list.

Said the outlet:

Books and décor fall from shelves without worldly cause, and items go missing without explanation for weeks, only to turn up in odd places. Both guests and employees have heard voices coming from right behind them–only to see nothing when they turn around.

Hotels from across the country made the roundup, including famous digs from Baton Rouge, San Antonio, Jekyll Island and more. In the end, one of New York State's hotels, which is said to be infested with paranormal activity, made the cut.

Third-Most Haunted Hotel in America

According to the roundup, the lovely Hotel Saranac that is located in historic Saranac Lake, is one of the nation's most haunted - and is among just a handful of locations from the upper East Coast to secure a nod.

This hotel has so many ghosts, it was ranked the third-most haunted hotel in America by USA Today's 10 Best Readers’ Choice 2023 Best Haunted Hotel contest.

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As for the view from Historic Hotels of America, the outlet said:

Every floor has a story, from the specter sightings near the ballroom on the second floor of Frances Peroni, who taught there when the hotel was owned by Paul Smith College, to the scratching of a ghost cat on the third floor. Stories abound about guests hearing singing on the sixth floor.

One of the hotel's most famous "permanent guests" is a man called Howard Littell, who is always seen wearing a black suit with tails and a top hat.

Don't confuse him with the Tuxedo Man, a similarly dressed apparition who famously haunts Hotel Utica, because apparently Mr. Littrell is a very nice guy.

The legend goes that before the hotel was constructed in 1927, it was once a high school and Mr. Littrell was the superintendent. He would apparently walk the halls of the building to ensure his students were always on their best behavior.

The school was eventually moved in 1926 and Mr. Littrell moved on with it - but his spirit returned to the old grounds upon his death.

Guests of the hotel claim they have seen him walking the halls "perhaps looking to keep a stray student in line."

Some say they have also seen him in the basement. Why he'd be there is anyone's best guess.

What Reviews Say...

Based off Google Reviews, guests who stayed at Hotel Saranac, which is now owned by Hilton, one person begged future vacationers to stay away from Room 402. Wrote Dominic Davis:

My stay was horrible. Do not allow them to check you into room #402. It is “HAUNTED by a ghost using the bathroom light to wake you up or to play mind tricks with you. Even the front desk lady said yeah it’s probably the ghost. So she knew!!!!

Another reviewer, identified as Anna Silvernail, said she was woken up at 7 in the morning because the shower turned on by itself and that is why she believes the hotel is haunted.

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Over on TripAdvisor, one daredevil stayed on the 6th floor and reported being woken up at 4 in the morning because their hotel phone was flashing.

Startled, we called the front desk who informed us that the phone flashes if there is a message. After checking, the clerk informed us that there was no message...was it a poltergeist? We didn't know.

In all, if you wish to sleep with the spirits in one of America's most haunted hotels, you know where to go.

However, if you don't feel like taking the trip that far upstate, you can always check into Hotel Utica and try your luck with the many spirits who live there.

You can read the full roundup of America's most haunted hotels HERE.

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