The Sagamore Resort is one of several haunted hotels in New York state. Photo Credit: The Sagamore Resort
For meeting planners who enjoy the macabre, consider booking your next event at one of the following spooky estates in the Empire State. The properties date back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. Over the years, they've allegedly come to house a handful of ghosts. Some have even been featured on the Syfy channel’s hit series “Ghost Hunters.”
110 Sagamore Rd., Bolton Landing, N.Y.
Meeting space: 52,000 square feet
Built: 1883
Ghosts have been spotted wreaking havoc on golfers at the Sagamore Resort. Photo Credit: The Sagamore Resort
The Sagamore is a luxury resort located on a private, 70-acre island in Lake George. It includes an extensive spa with 14 treatment rooms, eight dining options and an 18-hole golf course. In addition to being named one of the top golf resorts in North America, the Sagamore has been listed by USA Today as one of the most haunted hotels in the U.S.
A number of paranormal sightings have occurred over the years, including that of ghostly children who have been spotted out on the golf course and giggling in hallways. One boy in particular has been said to steal golf balls and throw them at people. Some guests have claimed that an eerie woman in white has entered their hotel rooms and frightened them while they're sleeping. Another spirit supposedly spoke to a hotel chef before walking right through him, causing him to quit. The venue has 32,000 square feet of indoor meetings space, as well as 20,000 square feet of outdoor event space.
59 West 44th St., New York, N.Y.
Meeting space: 4,372 square feet
Built: 1902
Members of the Algonquin Round Table are said to still wander the hotel halls. Photo Credit: The Algonquin Hotel
This historic hotel is located near the heart of Times Square. Since it opened in the early 1900s, the Algonquin has hosted literary and cultural icons such as Dorothy Parker, Robert Sherwood and Alexander Woollcott — a group that became known as the Algonquin Round Table. In fact, Harold Ross is said to have created The New Yorker after winning a large amount of money in a poker game against other Round Table members.
The literary icons left their mark on their world, but their spirits may not have left the building. Hotel guests and staff have reported seeing Round Table members roaming the lobby and dining room, according to the Travel Channel.
60 Lake St., Cooperstown, N.Y.
Meeting space: 30,000 square feet
Built: 1909
"Ghost Hunters" confirmed that friendly spirits can be found at the Otesaga. Photo Credit: The Otesaga Resort Hotel
The Otesaga Resort Hotel promises first-class accommodations in a picturesque, lakeside setting. The seasonal resort, which includes a high-end spa, a heated outdoor pool, an 18-hole golf course and 14 meeting rooms, is open from mid-April through Thanksgiving. Large groups who book at least 50 rooms a night can also stay during the off-season.
Many guests, however, may not know that the property formerly served as a private school for girls. According to Today, their spirits are said to still wander the halls. Voices have been reported in the Glimmerglass dining room, and the sound of children laughing has been noted on the third floor. Staff members have also reported hearing their names called out from nowhere. In 2010, “Ghost Hunters” paid the Otesaga a visit and confirmed that it is haunted by “friendly spirits.”
100 Main St., Saranac Lake, N.Y.
Meeting space: 3,817 square feet
Built: 1927
Various ghosts are said to haunt the historic Hotel Saranac, including a high school superintendent. Photo Credit: Hotel SaranacNestled in the Adirondacks is Hotel Saranac. The historic hotel, which dates back to the roaring twenties, recently underwent an extensive four-year renovation. It reopened its doors in early 2018, but tales of paranormal activity persist.
According to Historic Hotels of America, Lake Saranac’s local high school once stood on the property grounds. The high school was moved to another location in 1926 and the hotel was built the following year. Nevertheless, the spirit of the school's superintendent, Howard Littell, is said to have stayed behind and now roams the basement. In fact, nearly every floor is believed to house a different ghost. The scratching of a former guest’s cat can be heard on the third floor, a ghostly girl supposedly wanders the fourth floor and singing has been heard on the sixth floor.
102 Lafayette St., Utica, N.Y.
Meeting space: 7,895 square feet
Built: 1912
Mysterious phone calls and moving objects are just some of the strange activity noted at this DoubleTree property. Photo Credit: Doubletree by Hilton
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Utica has hosted notable guests over the course of its more than 100 years, including President William Howard Taft, then-governor Franklin Roosevelt and the New York Yankees teams of the '50s and '60s. The hotel has also seen its fair share of spirits.
According to Historic Hotels of America, the hotel's front desk has received multiple calls of static noise from rooms that were unoccupied at the time. When staff members tried calling the rooms back, the line would pick up but there would only be static on the other end. In the kitchen, plates as well as salt and pepper shakers have reportedly moved around on their own. There have also been sightings of an elderly housekeeper wandering the hotel halls at 2 a.m., although housekeeping is not around at this time. Kris Williams from "Ghost Hunters" and Chris DiCesare of "School Spirits" came to investigate the property in 2015. Their footage revealed strange noises and a mysterious face, the latter of which was spotted on the 13th floor.