Real Haunts

Le Pavillon Haunted Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana

The Le Pavillon hotel opened in 1907 on the corner of Poydras and Baronne in New Orleans, LA. It’s a a 10-story hotel that was originally called the New Denechaud Hotel. The hotel changed ownership several times and today is known as the Le Pavillon and often referred to as “The Belle of New Orleans.” With such a rich history the hotel has picked up many ghost stories over the years. The Le Pavillon is said to be one of the most haunted hotels in the city of New Orleans. For a city often listed in the top 10 most haunted cities in the United States, that carries some weight.

Ghosts of the Le Pavillon Hotel

The Le Pavillon has been investigated a few times. One of the investigators claimed that there were hundreds of entities leading one group to suggest that the hotel sits upon a portal to the “other side.” The hotel boast a lot of activity, here are a few ghosts that have struck a cord with investigators and hotel goers over the years.

There are many stories of Le Pavillon’s ghosts. Each with a slightly varying tune. We did our best to get the stories straight through interviews with hotel staff and other aficionados.

Ava’s Ghost on the 9th Floor

The tale of a beautiful young woman with long dark hair and dark eyes stayed at the hotel at the turn of the century. Hoping to enjoy the city a little, she tucked her long hair under a stylish cap, donned a long skirt and pulled a shawl over her shoulders to ward off the chill in the air. She made it only a few steps from the hotel before losing her life when an out of control carriage ran over her on the street.

The hotel reports that she was carried to room 930 where she eventually passed away.

Ava is said to frequent the 9th floor and room 930 quite often. She’s also often seen in the lobby and guests have even asked hotel staff to help her. Some guests even felt the woman rush into them as she paced back and forth across the floor. Many locals think that Ava haunts the hotel because she had important business to do on the day she died and that she can’t rest until she completes it.

Ava’s silhouette was caught in a picture on the 9th floor by room 901. Ask the hotel to catch a glimpse of this picture up close.

The Prankster Ghost

A prankster ghost also has a tendency to pop up at Le Pavillon Hotel. Some refer to the man as a hippie because he never wears shoes and has long hair that sweeps across his shoulder. Guests blame him for things that inexplicably go missing in their rooms and when they find things rearranged in their rooms. He is also responsible for pulling blankets off guests in the middle of the night. The hotel said that he died in room 225 and still haunts the room today.

The Ghost Couple

Ghosts of a an older couple are often seen on the first floor lobby, the second floor and especially in room 221. It’s said that they checked into the hotel and decided to spend some time exploring the city. Not long after returning, the man had a heart attack and died. His wife died just a few weeks later. Guests sometimes see them walking around the grounds, holding hands and clearly enjoying their time together.

Ghostly Tips for Your Stay at the Haunted Le Pavillon Hotel

Le Pavillon Hotel ghosts thrill, delight and terrify guests every day. Many hotels around New Orleans are wary to speak of their ghostly history. Le Pavillon is the opposite. Le Pavillon embraces the ghosts that have extended their stay. You can ask for a pamplet of the hotel’s history which includes the results of a paranormal investigation that took place in 1996 by Dr. Larry Montz.

Ask for a Haunted Room

Guests can request to stay in the more haunted rooms of the hotel. It’s reported that the most activity takes place on the 4th and 7th floor, but many guests have paranormal experiences small to large throughout the Le Pavillon.

The 9th floor is one of the more famously haunted floors of the hotel. It’s said that the activity here can be up close and personal. A male guest reported waking up to a woman dresssed in black at the end of his bed. She moved toward him and grabbed his head with both hands and said, “You belong to me, I’ll never let you go.” The man did not stick around much longer.

Haunted Rooms to Stay

• Room 221 is where the ghostly couple like to spend their time.
• Room 225 is where the prankster ghost died and still lives on.
• Room 930 is where Ava’s is rumored to have died after her run in with the carriage. She haunts that floor and the room.
• The lobby is said to have a lot of activity as well. Glimpses of each of these ghosts have been reported.

It should be noted that there is a lot of information about the Le Pavillon’s ghosts and many stories vary slightly. This is likely because of the many different people that are passing this information down. The hotel is quite open with the stories of its ghosts and as more people tell the stories, they differ ever so slightly. We spoke with hotel representatives to confirm these stories as well as possible. And even when our conversation was over, they revealed that there are even more stories to hear when you arrive.

In the 1860’s, the Civil War and Yellow Fever were both killing at epidemic proportions. No state in America had it worse than Louisiana, and no city had as many sick as New Orleans. As the death toll climbed, more and more children were left without family and homes. The ones that didn’t get sick themselves needed somewhere to go.

Founded in 1861 by an order of nuns, the Daughter’s of Charity opened the Saint Vincent Infant Home for Orphans. It didn’t close until the 1970’s where it was home for unwed mothers and children.

After sitting abandoned for several decades, the building was purchased in 1994 and renovated into the beautiful hotel that it is today.

Is the St. Vincent Guest House Haunted?

As you might have guessed, many of the children that passed away from Yellow Fever still occupy the house today. They are said to be playful ghosts, as many guests have heard them laughing and playing all over the house. Some have even awakened to see them sitting on the end of their bed or pulling on their sheets.

The children aren’t the only ones roaming the halls at St. Vincent’s. Some lucky guests, or unlucky, have witnessed a nun ascending the front stairway. Is she looking for her ruler? Maybe those kids weren’t as good as we think?

Take a Paranormal Tour

Join paranormal investigators from French Quarter Phantoms, as you try out EMF meters, Rem Pods and other equipment to see if you can make contact with the children.

Built in the early 20th century, the Mizpah Hotel dates back to the rough and tumble days of the wild west. Local legend says that Wyatt Earp even worked at the hotel before starting his law enforcement career. Though Earp later moved on, it’s clear from the stories that not everyone who spent time there did too.

Those who hear about the Mizpah Hotel often think about the Lady in Red. Described as a woman in an old-fashioned red dress, the woman haunts the sixth floor. The story is so popular that when the crew of Ghost Adventures investigated the hotel, they started on the sixth floor. Some claim that the woman checked into the hotel with her lover when her husband left town. After missing his train, he found her in the hotel and brutally murdered both her and her lover. Others claim that the Lady in Red was also a lady of the night and lost her life when a former lover caught her in the arms of another man.

Regardless of her true back story, many people spotted the woman wandering through the hotel’s halls or hear the sounds of her crying and her footsteps pacing the halls late at night. Though she is the most popular ghost, she isn’t alone. Workers believe that the ghosts of two children also haunt the hotel. They hear the little boy and girl laughing, racing through the halls and playing together. Due to the number of experiences guests and workers had, it’s clear that the Mizpah Hotel really is haunted.