It’s that time of year…Halloween! People talk about Haunted houses, ghost sightings and things that go bump in the night in fun as the holiday draws near. I have to admit that I was never a believer. That is until I spent the night in the Mount Washington Hotel Room 314 at the Mt Washington Hotel in Breton Woods, NH.
A Stay in a Haunted Hotel Room in NH
Mount Washington Hotel Room 314
It was a beautiful September weekend, and my husband and I decided to drive up to the mountains. When we arrived at the Mt Washington Hotel we were told that our room was not ready but they would give us a free upgrade to a Suite if we wanted it. We very excitedly said YES! They directed us to Room 314. When we got on the beautiful old-fashioned elevator to go to the third floor, we mentioned to the elevator operator that we were going to room 314. He gave us a funny look and said, “Oh, the Haunted Room.” I thought nothing of it and we proceeded to the room.
I wondered if the “ghost thing” was just a story
Room 314 is called the Carolyn Stickney Suite. Carolyn was the wife of the original owner of the Hotel. She and her husband oversaw the construction and development of this amazing Hotel. Suite 314 was her suite. The hand carved bed in the room is her original bed. It is said that whenever she traveled, she had the bed shipped with her to her next destination. She liked this room because she could look out the front windows and see her guests arriving for her grand parties. She wanted to see what the ladies were wearing so that she could be the best dressed at the party. When we entered the suite we were wonderfully surprised at the brightness and spaciousness of the room. The windows give a beautiful view towards the Breton Woods Ski Area and the front entrance of the Hotel. The suite has a dressing room, wet bar and large fireplace with a sitting area. The 4 poster carved bed was a beautiful sight. I wondered if the “ghost thing” was just a story!
Oh my, I was beginning to wonder about the ghost of Carolyn Stickney
On our first night, we settled in, after a nice dinner, for a good nights sleep. At about 1am I was awakened up by a scratching sound on the window sill near the sitting area. I wondered if it might be windy outside. As I was getting ready to get up and look, I heard one loud clank on the pipe near the window. I was frozen in the bed. I listened carefully and could hear no wind and the heat was not on in the Hotel so I knew there was no reason for the pipes to clang. Oh my, I was beginning to wonder about the ghost of Carolyn Stickney. In the morning I googled her story. I found out that Carolyn often appears in room 314. Some guests have felt a nudge from her, other have seen a figure sitting on the bed brushing her hair and others have reported hearing sounds. I was beginning to wonder about the sounds I had heard the night before. My husband had heard the sounds and said he believed they were from Carolyn.
I now was convinced that there was a ghost in the haunted hotel room
That afternoon I had a spa appointment and my husband decided to take a nap in the room while I was out. When I came back to the room he excitedly told me that he had fallen asleep and he felt someone nudge his shoulder. He thought it was me, but he realized he was there alone. OMG!
That evening we went to bed about midnight. At 2am the metal cover on the ice bucket in the room fell off the empty bucket and fell to the floor with a clang. I sat straight up in bed. I could smell a flowery perfume in the air around me. I could not budge from the bed. I do not wear perfume, so where was this smell coming from and why would the lid come off the ice bucket? I now was convinced that there was a ghost in the room. The next morning we told our waitress about what we had experienced. She just nodded with a knowing smile.
So that’s my Haunted Hotel story. I think I may now be a believer.
There are stories of other haunted places in New Hampshire. Have you visited any of them?