Overview
Haunted US Grant Hotel in San Diego, CA
Opening in 1910, the US Grant Hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is said that the ghost of Fannie Chaffee Grant haunts the US Grant Hotel to this day. Her husband, Ulysses S. Grant, Jr. built the hotel and remarried shortly after his death. Fannie’s ghost is said to be unhappy with her husband’s remarriage so soon after her death.
Built in the early part of the 20th century, the hotel was so famous during its heyday that it welcomed guests like Charles Lindbergh and Albert Einstein. The hotel’s popularity grew after it added a bar and restaurant in the 1950s, which became something of a boys’ club due to its males only policy.
Named for Ulysses S. Grant, the haunted hotel has a local reputation for both Chaffee Grant and other ghosts prowling the property. Many stories of its haunted past date back to shortly after Ulysses S. Grant, Jr and his new wife moved into the hotel.
As the owners of the hotel lacked the funds necessary to update the building, the hotel became known as a cheap place to stay and live, which led to fewer famous guests and more transients and people down on their luck. New owners and massive renovations helped bring the old hotel into the modern era.
Fannie Grant’s Ghost
Fannie Grant was so proud of her husband that she worked with him to find an architect and secure financing for its construction. Less than one year after the hotel opened, she passed away. That might be the end of her story, if not for what happened just a few months later. Grant, Junior not only remarried but decided to move into the hotel and bring his new wife. Fannie almost instantly started haunting the hotel, and guests still see her clad in an old-fashioned white dress walking through the halls. Fannie’s apparition has been seen wandering the halls and things are moved or disappear quickly when you’re not looking. Strange phenomena that everyone attributes to ghostly activity.
Other Ghosts of the Haunted US Grant Hotel
Those with the best stories are often the employees of the hotel. Housekeepers often have issues with items moving on their own. They can lay down cleaning supplies and turn around seconds later to see the items gone or on the opposite side of the room. Some workers also heard footsteps and crashes coming from rooms that were unoccupied.
The ghost of a man has appeared in front of people’s beds. On one occasion, 2 different guests staying in different rooms awoke to a man standing at the foot of each of their beds just before an earthquake struck the San Diego area. They both happened to run into each other the next day and both had the same story. A large stocky man with gray hair wearing a black suite was looming over them. Then in the blink of an eye he was gone.
Flickering lights are common in old buildings, but despite massive renovations, lights in the Grant still mysteriously turn on and off throughout the day with no explanation. Guests hoping to see all the classic elements of a haunting and maybe even see a specter or two should book a room at the Grant Hotel.
Haunted Rooms of the US Grant Hotel
- The 5th Floor has been reported is where people have seen a man’s apparition standing over their bed.
- The ballroom has had many reportings of things moving or disappearing. The staff won’t go in the ballroom alone.
- Hallways have cold spots and the ghost of Fannie Chaffey has been seen roaming the halls.
[…] I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that this crosses my mind every time I stay at the Grant. See this page for the history of the hotel’s haunting, and about how the ghost of Fannie Chaffee Grant is […]
[…] Internet is abound with these and several other stories associated with the hotel. Apparently, it’s the 5th floor that is haunted. All of which I thankfully discovered only […]
[…] Internet is abound with these and several other stories associated with the hotel. Apparently, it’s the 5th floor that is haunted. All of which I thankfully discovered only […]
I didn’t stay on the 5th floor but I felt an eerie presence when I checked in and arrived in my room. I had no idea of the haunting or paranormal activities until I read about it after I returned home –
I recall getting to my room and unpacking a few things. I set my computer cord on the T.V. stand and started walking into the bathroom when I heard the cord drop on the floor – again, I got that eerie feeling but didn’t think anything about it. Nothing else happened during my stay but I did get the sense that something wasn’t right while I was there. Beautiful hotel – exceptional staff.
I stayed on the fifth floor with a few of my family members. We didn’t know the fifth floor was haunted until we searched up the hotel. My little cousin was sleeping and woke up in the middle of the night. He saw a man at the foot of his bed. He told us about it in the morning. We searched up how haunted the hotel was. We were in shock right when we read that the fifth floor is haunted and a man stands at the foot of peoples beds. We stayed in room 507. Keep in mind we had no idea about the fifth floor and the man. He described the man to be in a black suit with white letters on his chest. He didn’t get a good look at his face. I am sure that the fifth floor is 100% haunted.
On the 3rd floor of the Grant Hotel we noticed a wedding ring was missing and then seconds later my kids heard clinking sounds and the wedding ring reappeared out of nowhere. My shoes 👠end up missing and my phone cord was missing. We also felt spirits in there at the check-in. We looked up this historic hotel and couldn’t believe what we read. We are from Long Beach Ca same type of paranormal at the Queen Mary. But beautiful hotel.
Myself and my husband stayed in the Grant some years ago, when we arrived in the room I could distinctly smell cigar smoke, we called down to the reception and said we thought it was a non smoking room, they assured us it was, but both my husband and I could smell it. They kindly changed our room. I was told that Ulysses Grant liked smoking Cigars!!