Listing

The Haunted Bella Maggiore Inn in Ventura, CA

When most people think of Southern California, they imagine beaches, traffic, and the Hollywood life. However, about an hour or so North of the main hubbub that is Los Angeles, you’ll find the pleasant and scenic city of Ventura.

While the small-town feel of Ventura is quaint, it’s not without its sordid history. As with most historic towns in the US, there are plenty of mysteries that lurk beneath the streets.

One such place of ill repute is the Bella Maggiore Inn. It sits right in downtown Ventura, so it’s close to all that the city has to offer. The surrounding streets are modern and appear normal, however, the Bella Maggiore is anything but.

Book Room #17, If You Dare

When it comes to haunted hotels, there are some rooms that are far more potent than the rest. In this case, room number 17 is where the ghost of Sylvia Michaels resides. Guests who stay in this room report nightmares, significant drops in temperature, and the occasional sounds of a woman crying or screaming. All in all, a rather spooky experience.

Throughout the rest of the hotel, guests have spotted items that moved seemingly on their own, as well as heard piano music despite no one being around. If you are there and you catch a strong whiff of rose-scented perfume, then it means that Sylvia’s ghost is close by. It was her favorite aroma.

The Ghost of Sylvia Michaels

So who is this spirit that haunts the Bella Maggiore? Although some accounts vary, it seems that she was a “lady of the night,” who worked at the Maggiore to earn money. Moving from room to room, helping weary travelers unwind and take a load off. Some say that she was also trying to build a career as a romance novelist. Perhaps her work was some kind of research?

She frequented the hotel quite often during its heyday, but things came to an end in 1947 when she was overcome with sadness and depression and took her own life. She hung herself in room 17 and her spirit is still attached to that ghostly place.

Bella Maggiore Early History

Some of you may be wondering why a lady such as Sylvia would be hanging out at the hotel, but the fact is that the place was rather seedy from its inception until after her demise. Built in 1927, reports indicate that the Bella was known as a brothel during the 30’s and 40’s, as well as being a welcoming place for gangsters and other scum.

During the War, however, many sailors would stay at the hotel while they were on leave, which is when Sylvia made the most out of her living arrangements.

According to some folks, she killed herself after falling in love with one of these sailors and was heartbroken that he never came back for her after the war. Other accounts suggest that she was murdered by either a gangster or a military man, who staged the murder to look like a suicide. In any case, it’s clear that the hotel’s history consumed her.

Tips for Your Haunted Stay at Bella Maggiore

If you want the most haunted experience, then you have to stay in room 17 on the second floor. Sylvia has been said to wander the whole property, so you have a chance to experience her in some way during your visit.

Given her job description, Sylvia seems to prefer men over women. As a result, men have reported pleasant dreams while staying in the room, while females have terrible nightmares. If you are a single man, you may feel her spirit join you in your bed.

Another common occurrence is that men’s wallets will mysteriously move on their own as if Sylvia is taking them to try and purloin some scratch. So, be careful about where you leave your money lying around.

There is a journal of ghostly sightings listed near the hotel’s registration desk. You can peruse it at your leisure and see what other guests have seen and heard during their stay.

Other Ghosts of the Bella Maggiore

Besides Sylvia, there are a few other ghosts that reportedly roam the halls. One is named Mark, who overdosed in the hotel back in the 60s. Other apparitions include a piano player, and Elizabeth, a little girl who was murdered on the site back in the 30s. While none of them are as famous as Sylvia, they have made their mark on certain visitors.

Since the hotel is located in downtown Ventura, you are close by to plenty of bars, restaurants, and other nightlife in the area. Also, since the Bella Maggiore is now a bed and breakfast, be sure to treat yourself to a wonderful early morning meal.

Tucked neatly away overlooking the Pacific Ocean on the easternmost point of Santa Catalina Island is the Banning House Lodge. The construction on this picturesque lodge is unknown, but its earliest origin is that of an actual hunting lodge from which hunters from California coast would visit. Beginning sometime in the early twentieth century the site was used a Coast Guard barracks both pre and post World War II. After the war, the property was converted into a sleep-away camp for teenage girls during the 1950s before finally being sold and converted into a scenic bed and breakfast lodge.

The Haunted Banning House Lodge

Three separate ghostly spirits are said to be haunting the property today. The most prominent entity is believed to be the ghost of a fisherman who perished nearby at sea. His formidable presence is felt with an overwhelming smell of freshly caught fish, as well as tobacco smoke that emanates from somewhere completely unseen.

Albeit the fisherman’s presence is just as harmless as another spirit dubbed, “The White Lady”. Her origin is an absolute mystery and she has been known to appear in any one of the lodge’s eleven guest rooms, as she quietly stares out the window waiting patiently until she fades away.

The third spirit is not directly on the Banning’s property, but on the nearby beach shore, visitors have reportedly seen the ghost of drowned actress Natalie Wood as her spirit wonders aimlessly. The romantic vineyards and scenery of this picture perfect lodging combined with the subtle feeling of the supernatural create for guests quite the sensory experience.

The Haunted Chateau Marmont

Hollywood is full of celebrities, glitz and glamour, but with all of that comes scandal, tragedy and shock. Chateau Marmont has been called “the place to go to misbehave.” Henry Cohn, head of Columbia, told two young stars, “If you must get in trouble, do it at Chateau Marmont.”

With its star-studded history and a touch of infamy, the Sunset Strip Chateau Marmont hotel is haunted. It has always catered to celebrities and the elite, and to this day, the chateau is not open to the public. You must have a room booked there in order to enter the premises.

If you do book a room as an overnight guest at the chateau, don’t be surprised if you experience paranormal events. Guests and hotel employees have reported windows opening on their own, furniture moving, the sounds of voices when no one’s there, strange noises in the night, feelings of being watched, even apparitions of floating heads and the sensation of ghosts getting into bed with you.

Celebrity ghosts in Chateau Marmont?

Some claim that the ghosts of famous celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Howard Hughes, Boris Karloff and Jim Morrison have made an appearance at the chateau. There are those who will insist that the Chateau is cursed since some people who have stayed there have went on to encounter terrible deaths afterwards.

Scandals and Deaths at Chateau Marmont

The history of the chateau is long and varied. Sharon Tate reportedly spent time in the building as a newlywed to Roman Polanski, but shortly after leaving the chateau and while pregnant, she was stabbed to death by one of the Manson family members. Natalie Wood was rumored to have carried on an affair with her director, Nicholas Ray, at the chateau.

Where did John Belushi Die?

On March 5, 1982, John Belushi was found dead at the age of 33 in Bungalow 3 of Chateau Marmont. He was pronounced dead, having overdosed on massive amounts of liquor and cocaine. His last roles on films were Continental Divide and Neighbors with longtime friend Dan Aykroyd.

Does the ghost of John Belushi reside in Bungalow 3?

Since Belushi’s death, strange happenings and paranormal activity have increased in Bungalow 3. A family staying in Bungalow 3 in 1999, reported that their 2-year old boy was laughing and talking to himself several times. When the parents asked him who he was talking with he would say, “the funny man.” Later, when the boy’s mom held up a photo of Belushi to the boy, he replied “The Funny Man!”

World Famous Chateau Marmont Room 64

• Room 64 is one of the most famous rooms in the world with A-list history and is also where Howard Hughes holed up for several months spying from his balcony on the pool. Some theories have Evan Peters American Horror Story: Hotel character loosely tied to this room.
• Bungalow 3 is said to be haunted by the ghost of John Belushi. Guests have reported children talking to an imaginary “funny man” which is presumed to be the ghost of John Belushi.
• Room 79 is said to be the most haunted room of them all. Staff try to avoid this haunted place. Ghostly sightings and activities of moving furniture, visions of ghosts knocking on the door, even a floating head outside the window have been reported.

Ghost Stories from the Chateau Marmont

Angela Bassett, of American Horror Story, asked the front desk if someone had cleaned her room in the middle of the night. The front desk begrudgingly responded “no.” Bassett told the story that she had left her clothes and jewelry out of sorts before going to bed, but once she awoke everything had been put away neatly and things were tidy. No explanation was available other than she had a “tidy ghost.”

A man researching a book on the rock band The Doors was in his suite in a room that the band had stayed in back in the 60’s. He awoke to the sounds of a party. Once he opened the window to see where the noises were coming from, he quickly realized the noises were in his room and all around him. He was quite disturbed and left the hotel in the middle of the night.

One woman reported that someone opened her window and got into bed with her. She was freaking out, but stayed still in bed hoping that she was unseen. Nothing happened and after awhile she looked up to see that she had bars on her window. She then noticed nobody was in bed with her, however the window had definitely been opened.

Is the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Haunted?

Even if you never heard of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, you might recognize it. This legendary hotel made appearances in films and television shows like Chinatown, Entourage, Fight Club and Columbo. Built in the 1920s and opened in 1923, the hotel is a cultural landmark in Los Angeles and one of the city’s most haunted places as well.

Ghosts of the Biltmore Hotel

One of the more common stories involves a ghostly troop of soldiers passing through the lobby. It isn’t surprising that some guests see the men walking through the hotel or hanging out in the lobby. The hotel served as a temporary boarding house for sailors arriving in Los Angeles prior to entering World War II. Guests may also catch a glimpse of the Black Dahlia herself. Elizabeth Short, the infamous unsolved murder victim, allegedly visited the hotel just before her death.

The second and ninth floors are among the most haunted. Guests staying on the ninth floor sometimes hear the sounds of a little girl giggling and her footsteps racing down the hallway. Others even spotted her watching them from the corner of their eyes, but when they turned, the little girl was gone. Those staying on the second floor may also encounter the spirit of a former nurse.

Guests of the hotel also claimed that they saw a woman in black in the lobby, and workers recall hearing the sounds of a party taking place on the first floor. At least one person encountered a ghostly little boy as well. No one who visits the Millennium Biltmore Hotel knows what they might see or experience.

The Black Dahlia last seen at the Biltmore Hotel

In 1947, Elizabeth Short was last seen alive at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. Short went missing on January 9th and was found on the 15th of January, 1947. Her tortured and naked body was sheared in half at her midsection and left in Leimert Park, Los Angeles. Her body was found completely drained of blood and posed intricately, which sounds like something out of an episode of Dexter. Elizabeth Short was nicknamed “The Black Dahlia” by the media who made every effort to sensationalize the story beyond its already morbid details. Short’s murder is still one of the oldest unsolved mysteries in Los Angeles.

Haunted Places at the Millenium Biltmore Hotel

• The 2nd and 9th floors are rumored to have the most paranormal activity in the hotel.
• The lobby is said to have some ghostly activity.
• The first floor has had reports of noises from a ghoulish party with no one around.

The Hotel Alexandria opened in 1906 in Los Angeles to much fanfare. Celebrities and regular people alike turned out for its grand opening, but as times change, the hotel lost many of its fans. Despite becoming a cultural landmark, the hotel suffered a number of problems and eventually become an extended stay hotel. New owners turned the old hotel into a condo development, but those changes only added to its haunted reputation.

Many stories surround a formerly sealed off portion of the old hotel. When the new developers bought the hotel, they found a sealed off room still filled with a man’s personal belongings and clothing. No one knows who stayed in that room or who closed it off. The hotel also had an entire wing sealed off from the public. A local man owned the land the wing stood on and eventually sealed the wing off from the hotel himself.

The Palm Court, which sits on the second floor and was once a ballroom, is quite haunted too. Visitors report seeing the ghosts of female dancers on stage or clustered near the stage, a man in an old-fashioned black suit roaming through the space and a young woman who fades into the shadows. There are also reports of someone haunting the room once occupied by Rudolph Valentino. Former residents of the hotel often felt cold chills, suffered from headaches and experienced an eerie feeling that they couldn’t explain while living there. Though the hotel now houses expensive condominiums inside, residents still experience some unsettling things at the Hotel Alexandria.