Life at No.22, New Zealand, Road Trips

Have you stayed in a Haunted Hotel?

Suzanne

Recently, we had the experience of staying in a place that was once a grand 19th-century hotel. It sits proudly on a hilltop overlooking the Waitomo Caves. It does sound very posh, doesn’t it? As it so happens, the Queen’s head once lay on a fluffed-up pillow on the first floor in late 1953. Of course, that pillow and surrounding linen have hopefully done their dash at this hotel.

Now, it is a shadow of its former self, though it still labels itself as “Grandeur and Elegant.” With such a description and nothing to dispute when little googling has been done, it pulls in the unsuspecting tour bus loaded with tourists and one-nighter locals like us.

Driving towards the hotel, for a moment, it looked pretty promising. My next thought was that I should have completed more research before booking, as we surveyed the worn-out carpet and wallpaper repaired with sellotape. By the end of our stay, that was to be the least interesting of our findings.
It would’ve made an ideal setting for “The Faulty Towers” series. Really, it did feel like we had stepped into a casting role for “The Faulty Towers.” As soon as we were booked in, the cheerful receptionist informed us that the hotel was supposedly the “most haunted hotel” in New Zealand. The Squire commented that the expressions on my face were priceless! I might add, so were my thoughts.
The fact that we lay in a room where the Queen was given way back in 1954 was some consolation, depending on which way you view that little gem of information.
Even though she needs a spruce up, she does have a lovely feel about herself, and the hotel is not necessarily the Queen.

Our Room with a View

Room 14

What a gem. On a 30-degree afternoon, the sun was pouring into the room, which had no workable fan and a dripping toilet. As it was daylight, ghosts weren’t added to the list of undesirable room additions.
Back down to reception, I trot, hoping that there was a spare room for us, two weary travellers.
Luckily, there was. Right next door at No12.
I think we went from the frying pan into the fire on the ghost front. That’s if you believe in such things, we don’t. So, indeed, for us, there would be no ghostly encounters?
Haunted stories or someone’s fertile imagination?

You decide.

Once upon a time, a Maori princess was the daughter of a high-ranking Maori chief. Who became enamoured with a British soldier. One evening, on her way up to the fort for a romantic rendezvous with a soldier. She was mistaken for a warrior by one of the British sentries and was shot dead. Her spirit is said to haunt the Victorian wing of the hotel, which houses the Honeymoon Suite. She has also been reputed to reside in the Waitomo Caves Hotel attic, and her moaning can be heard from this area.
The story of the Ghost of Room 14 relates to the tale of the Maori Princess. A young male guest at the hotel felt what is reputed to be her spirit passing through him, and after telling the story to several guests staying at the time, he retired to his room and committed suicide. He is said now to wander the corridors as well.
The adjacent Room 12 is also said to be frequented by the princess, with moving lights reported in the en-suite bathroom and guests having bed sheets pulled away and toes tickled during the night.
So, to answer my previous question, did we experience anything unearthly? Thankfully, we did not. There were no encounters, not one problem at all, no tickling of feet or dark shadows catching our eye. In fact, we had a good sleep. Undoubtedly, it helped by finding a local restaurant in the countryside, dishing up good food, and an evening walk to prepare us for sleep and no time to think of spooky stories.
There are, of course, two sides to all ghostly tales.
Believers
If you are interested in the paranormal or have a fondness for ghostly touches in the middle of the night, do feel free to book into this hotel or visit the following sites if you are in the area.
Alberton – Auckland
Highwick – Auckland
Sceptics
If, like me, referring to ghosts just makes you want to laugh out loud after the initial discomfort of all this talk? You’re not alone. There are a few Skeptics Societies to join who are committed to finding the scientific facts behind claims of paranormal activity.
We may have to find somewhere else to experience the pure elegance of travel from a bygone era. We are sure of one thing, we won’t be back ghosts or no ghosts.

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Published by Suzanne

I'm a lover of creativity and movement, expressed through photography, words, travel and sports. . . . . . .

30 thoughts on “Have you stayed in a Haunted Hotel?”

  2. Hi, Suzanne – When it comes to ghosts, I’m kinda half-way between being a sceptic and being a believer. I stand firmly in the middlle believing that they are so many things that we simply don’t understand. But when it comes to ghost stories – I’m all in. I absoluely love them!

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    1. Hi Donna, nope I am definitely not a ghost story loving girl. I think I have a very vivid imagination that can’t cope with too much especially horror and ghost stories.

      What I do believe in there is a higher level than us, what it is I have no idea. Many put a label on it, though I think we are all guessing. Who knows?

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  3. You had me going there! I thought you were going to relate all kinds of strange goings-on that happened to you. But thankfully you didn’t have any disturbance. I don’t think I could stay in this hotel!

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    1. Tracey, if I had taken the time to research the hotel we wouldn’t have either. Though at the end of the day it was an experience that had us laughing on more than one occasion. All good fun 🙂

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  8. I love ghost stories and don’t believe them at all. I certainly wouldn’t want to sleep with one, though!

    I wouldn’t care if a hotel billed itself as haunted, as long as it was up to snuff in decor, service, and properly functioning amenities. Dripping faucets and non-working fans are absolutely unacceptable!!

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  10. It still sounds and looks like an interesting and unique experience to stay in a hotel like this. I’m surprised at the good reviews, or lack of reviews, before you booked into the place for the night. Like you, I’m a sceptic and until challenged otherwise by ghosts, I will always be. 🙂

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    1. It was interesting in a very quirky sort of way. We needed to break up the trip and there wasn’t that much option. So, throwing all caution to the wind we booked it 🙂 I am with you, Liesbet, until otherwise challenged I am a non-believer.

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    1. Working in one would’ve had it’s funny moments 🙂
      The tattoos [moko] on their faces I am sure means more about their ancestry than to intimidate.
      Thanks for commenting Aislynn 🙂

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