It makes sense that the most haunted hotels in San Diego are also among our most historic. Reports of paranormal activity stem from the decades of guest (or ghost) stories in each place.
Some are well-documented by the hotels themselves, while others are retold legends. Here, I’ll list the five most famous spooky places to check-in.
The most iconic hotel in San Diego is beloved by U.S. presidents and Hollywood stars and home to San Diego’s most famous hotel haunting and resident ghost.
On Thanksgiving Day back in 1892, a 24-year-old young woman named Kate Morgan checked in alone, saying that she was waiting for a gentleman to join her. Tragically, the mystery man never arrived. Five days later, she was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Cosmopolitan Hotel is located in Old Town San Diego, considered the birthplace of California. The original structure dates back to 1827.
Fittingly, given its age, the hotel reportedly has multiple hauntings, including the Lady in Red, a mysterious woman said to be there waiting for a “gentleman” in room 4/5. (Sound familiar?)
For generations, the word around La Jolla was that the Grande Colonial, originally built in 1913 and then completely re-built in 1925, was haunted.