2 GA Hotels Named Among America's 'Most Haunted'

Georgia travelers looking for a Halloween getaway with a little more baggage than they packed may find it at one of the country’s most famously haunted historic hotels.

Spanning decades or even centuries, the 25 properties featured on Historic Hotels of America’s Most Haunted Hotels list, released Tuesday, have built quite a collection of supernatural tales.

Both visitors and staff have encountered uncanny phenomena — from unexplainable cold spots and self-moving objects to ghostly sightings and phantom footsteps. To uncover who or what might be lingering in the rooms, a few locations have even hosted paranormal researchers

Selections for the list were determined by the endurance of each hotel’s spooky legends and how eagerly they embrace them through Halloween specials, ghost tours, and themed packages.

In Georgia, hotels that made the list are:

Jekyll Island Club Resort (1887) Jekyll Island, Georgia

Historic Hotels of America says: Jekyll Island Club Resort on Jekyll Island, Georgia, has seen many families come and go since it opened in 1887. Since that time, there have been seven different ghosts that reportedly haunt this resort. One story is about the ghost of a former president, who walks along the veranda at sunset. A woman in a blue party dress has also been seen dreamily dancing around and looking for her lost love, a handsome hotel waiter with whom she had spent a flirty evening dancing. She passed not long after, but perhaps never left the resort. Another ghost is a bellman dressed in a period uniform from the 1920s, with a cap and suit, who is said to regularly deliver freshly pressed suits to bridegrooms. More than one soon-to-be-married groom, who had not ordered this service, has asked the hotel staff about the ghostly bellman. Another such encounter involves industrialist J.P. Morgan, who stayed at the resort's Sans Souci Cottage. Mr. Morgan was a lover of cigars. As the story goes, one could tell where he was by following the trail of smoke. To avoid criticism of his favorite hobby, he would rise early every morning, by 5 a.m., to enjoy a cigar on the porch. While most contemporary guests are not rising at such an early hour for a cigar, those who have stayed in the historic Morgan apartment swear that they have awakened to the faint smell of cigar smoke wafting about when there is absolutely no one else awake. During October, the resort’s Hotel History Tours get a spooky twist, mixing the Club’s history with some of the staff’s favorite ghost stories, while visiting both historic and reportedly haunted areas. Jekyll Island Club Resort was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 1994.

River Street Inn (1817) Savannah, Georgia

Historic Hotels of America says: "I’ve worked here 21 years," a River Street Inn staff member said. "I’ve heard my name called when no one else was around. And I’m not the only one." Built to be a warehouse in 1817, the otherwise charming River Street Inn on Factors Walk in Savannah, Georgia, is home to numerous unexplainable events. The permanent guests at River Street Inn do not give the impression that they are malicious; in fact, the few unexplained experiences of the hotel staff and guests hint at the spirits’ playful natures. Several guests of the hotel have shared over the years the sound and feeling of someone breathing into their ears when no one else is around, drawers opening on their own, items being moved around the room to odd locations, and even their names being called when no one else is around. One frequently reported figure is known as "The Man in the Black Hat,” who is seen entering restricted corridors only to disappear moments later. Lore also surrounds The Bootlegger Speakeasy, where staff describe unexplained activity ranging from moving glassware to unusual sounds and sensations. This October, the inn invites visitors to Breaking Bread with the Dead: A Séance Beyond the Veil, an unforgettable evening of haunted history, communal dining, paranormal storytelling, and specialty drinks at the historic speakeasy. This event is offered Fridays at 7 p.m. year-round. River Street Inn was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 1999."