Hotels are places full of stories. They can be fancy spots with top-notch service or rundown places barely holding on. Then there are those motels you find along the road that make you think twice before spending the night. But what really grabs our attention are the eerie hotels that seem to step right out of a horror movie. Here we are exploring 5 such hotels that have both stunned us on the big screen and sent shivers down our spines in real life.
1. The Cecil Hotel: A Real-Life Horror
Also known as the “Hotel of Death,” the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles is a place where reality often seems more terrifying than fiction, throughout the years being a magnetic spot for murders, suicides and suspicious individuals. Featured in a gripping Netflix documentary, the hotel gained recent notoriety for the unsettling disappearance and death of Elisa Lam. It makes you wonder if the creepy stuff in the movie “The Shining” could actually happen. The hotel is so infamous that it has been the subject of more than one documentary. Richard Ramirez, a notorious criminal, also stayed here.
The hotel doesn’t just pop up in documentaries; it’s also in books and movies. Hollywood Starlet Elizabeth Short, also known as the Black Dahlia, was brutally killed nearby and became a sensation across the country, featuring in James Ellroy’s detective novel and later adapted into a neo-noir film by Brian De Palma in 2006. Ever seen “American Horror Story: Hotel“? Yep, the Cecil inspired it. And it makes you think, could this place be the real “Hotel California” from The Eagles’ famous song?
2. The Jefferson Hotel: Where Evil Odyssey Starts
The Jefferson Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona, isn’t just any hotel. It’s the place where Marion Crane, the doomed star of Alfred Hitchcock‘s classic “Psycho”, starts her unsettling journey. This hotel is more than just a quick stop; it’s the springboard for all the twists and turns that unfold in the movie. Marion’s trip takes her from one hotel room to another, leading her eventually to the infamous Bates Motel.
As for the Jefferson Hotel itself, it’s seen a lot of changes over the years. It’s been revamped and even changed its name. For a while, it was a police museum back in the 1990s. Since 2014, it’s been privately owned, but it still stands in its original spot on Jefferson Street. So it’s a lasting piece of both movie magic and real-world history.
3. Bates Motel: Where Time Stands Still
The Bates Motel is the ultimate spot for movie-based scares. Featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” the motel is notorious mostly because of its creepy owner, Norman Bates. He’s got some dark secrets that are key to the horror that unfolds. The motel room itself is a weird mix. On one side, it feels like a cozy spot where you could let your guard down, even in the bathroom. But Hitchcock flips this comfy idea upside down, making you realize this place is far from a safe haven, rather being a hellish trap.
If you’re daring enough to get up close and personal, you can actually visit replicas of the Bates Motel and the spooky mansion next to it at Universal Studios in Hollywood. Even though these copies have changed over time, they’re still must-see spots for any horror fan. The creepy vibe of the original Bates Motel is captured so well that it’s a regular feature on Universal Studio tours, making sure no one forgets the horror that started it all.
4. The Overlook Hotel: An Enigma Wrapped in a Riddle
The Overlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” is not just a backdrop—it’s almost like another character in the movie, full of twists and hidden meanings. While the film takes a different route than Stephen King‘s original book, both portray the hotel as an overpowering, creepy force, some place quite similar to the fictional town of Twin Peaks. People have all kinds of ideas about what the hotel represents, from dark moments in American history to wild theories like faked moon landings.
When it comes to real life, the exterior shots of the hotel in the movie are actually of the Timberline Lodge in Oregon. This place has its own interesting backstory; it was built during the Great Depression and gave a lot of people jobs. Now, it’s a national historic landmark. If you’re thinking about staying, it’s not cheap — expect to pay around $337 per night. And who knows? You might bump into more movie buffs than ski fans during your stay.
5. The Dolphin Hotel & Roosevelt Hotel: A Haunting Doppelgänger
Finally, the Dolphin Hotel, featured in the movie “1408” and based on another Stephen King novel, is no ordinary lodging. It showcases a room that’s like a portal to a real-life nightmare. Director Mikael Håfström adds terrifying details, such as a radio that won’t turn off, broken doorknobs, windows that shut on their own, eerie television static, a demonic voice calling you over a hotel service phone, a Bible in the bedside table, and a moving painting of a ship in the eye of a storm.
All these elements, usually seen as everyday comforts of any American hotel, turn into a frightening experience that brings the main character to the edge and doesn’t let him ever go. And just to keep you too on the edge of your seat, the movie offers two different endings — but no spoilers here.
On the flip side, we have the Roosevelt Hotel in New York, which is dealing with its own set of real-world troubles. Currently owned by Pakistan International Airlines, the hotel is closed and racking up debt. But it’s not just a financial story; the Roosevelt has made its mark on the New York skyline and in Hollywood. It’s been a filming location for movies like “Wall Street,” “The Irishman,” and even romantic comedies like “Maid in Manhattan.” So, in a way, it’s got its own dual identity, much like its fictional counterpart.
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