The Waitomo Caves Hotel
Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2024
From The Stanley Hotel in Colorado, which inspired one of Stephen King's most popular works, to the infamous Room 333 of The Langham, London, hotels have always been hotspots for hauntings. Something about the knowledge that so many people have passed through these rooms leaves us wondering about the guests who never left, even in death. It should come as no surprise then that New Zealand is home to one such location.
Often considered one of the most active paranormal locations in New Zealand, the historic Waitomo Caves Hotel opened its doors in 1908 as Waitomo House. Even from the outside the building has an undeniable haunting atmosphere, played in part by its unique Victorian architecture and Art Deco influenced extension, which stands in contrast to the surrounding land. There are countless reports from guests and staff alike who claim to have experienced cold spots, orbs, moved objects and even seeing the bathtubs dripping with blood while visiting. Then, of particular note, are the tales of the multiple entities that are said to roam the ground.
Perhaps most famously, is the tragic tale of a Maori woman, usually stated to be the princess of the local tribe. The legend goes that one late night she snuck away to visit her secret lover, a British soldier who planned to meet her on the edge of the fort that once stood at the hotel’s location. Tragically, the fog was thick and as she approached a sentry mistook her for an enemy and shot her. This sentry may have inadvertently killed two people with that bullet as another reported phantom is that of a young male guest of the hotel who witnessed the princess’s ghost and was so afraid he hanged himself in room 14 shortly thereafter.
The staff quarters aka Cat Alley is considered the home of two more ghosts. One is that of the young son of a maid who, sometime in the 1930’s, supposedly passed from injuries after he upturned a pot of boiling water while playing. He is one of the site's more playful ghosts and stories speak of him giggling and skipping in the halls. The other is sometimes called The Matron, a former employee who continues to maintain order at her old place of work with Room 12a being another of her stomping grounds.
While much of the historical basis for these claims is unclear, it’s undeniable that there is something in the bones of The Waitomo Caves Hotel that roots it to stories of the paranormal. A fascinating detail I learned while researching for this blog post is that of Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s stay, which inspired his 2015 film Crimson Peak. That puts him in the ranks of the many who have their own, strange experiences after daring to stay the night in New Zealand’s most haunted hotel.
-from the Blog of EerieNZ
View the full post at [link removed]
Often considered one of the most active paranormal locations in New Zealand, the historic Waitomo Caves Hotel opened its doors in 1908 as Waitomo House. Even from the outside the building has an undeniable haunting atmosphere, played in part by its unique Victorian architecture and Art Deco influenced extension, which stands in contrast to the surrounding land. There are countless reports from guests and staff alike who claim to have experienced cold spots, orbs, moved objects and even seeing the bathtubs dripping with blood while visiting. Then, of particular note, are the tales of the multiple entities that are said to roam the ground.
Perhaps most famously, is the tragic tale of a Maori woman, usually stated to be the princess of the local tribe. The legend goes that one late night she snuck away to visit her secret lover, a British soldier who planned to meet her on the edge of the fort that once stood at the hotel’s location. Tragically, the fog was thick and as she approached a sentry mistook her for an enemy and shot her. This sentry may have inadvertently killed two people with that bullet as another reported phantom is that of a young male guest of the hotel who witnessed the princess’s ghost and was so afraid he hanged himself in room 14 shortly thereafter.
The staff quarters aka Cat Alley is considered the home of two more ghosts. One is that of the young son of a maid who, sometime in the 1930’s, supposedly passed from injuries after he upturned a pot of boiling water while playing. He is one of the site's more playful ghosts and stories speak of him giggling and skipping in the halls. The other is sometimes called The Matron, a former employee who continues to maintain order at her old place of work with Room 12a being another of her stomping grounds.
While much of the historical basis for these claims is unclear, it’s undeniable that there is something in the bones of The Waitomo Caves Hotel that roots it to stories of the paranormal. A fascinating detail I learned while researching for this blog post is that of Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s stay, which inspired his 2015 film Crimson Peak. That puts him in the ranks of the many who have their own, strange experiences after daring to stay the night in New Zealand’s most haunted hotel.
-from the Blog of EerieNZ
View the full post at [link removed]