Researching London’s Most Haunted Hotel Room

A search of the Internet for haunted hotels in London quickly revealed a consensus no one seemed to dispute: London’s most haunted room is 333 at the Langham Hotel.

Why am I searching specifically for haunted London hotels?

Well, after years of dreaming about haunt jaunting to England, Ireland, and Scotland, it appears my dreams are about to become a reality. (If my husband’s job doesn’t interfere. A project could come up that waylays our plans, but fingers are firmly crossed this is one vacation we don’t have to cancel!)

We’ve got everything booked.

Well, almost everything. Cruise? Check! Flights? Check! Travel insurance? Check! Check! (That last one is always very important for us.)

Making the Most of One Night in London: Finding a Haunted Hotel Room

The last piece of the puzzle is a hotel room for the one night we’re in London.

Yes, sadly just one. We’ve got mere hours really to jaunt about the city. I was hoping for at least one more day, but…

The cruise is 12 days itself. That’s a chunk out of Wayne’s vacation time. He has more vacation than that banked, but to take even that much all at once? Pushing our luck. So one night in London it is. I get what I get and I can’t pitch a fit. (Wouldn’t do me any good anyway.)

So…naturally I’m trying to make the most of our limited time in London, which includes spending the night in a haunted hotel if at all feasible.

Which is why I’m researching them and how I quickly noticed all posts about them shared one thing in common: all touted the Langham Hotel’s Room 333 as the most haunted in London.

The Ghosts of the Langham

Depending on which account of the haunted Langham you read, the hotel boasts more than one ghost. Some speculate at least five.

Ellen Ladowsky cited seven ghosts in a Huffington Post article about the hotel, including:

1. A doctor who murdered his wife then killed himself while on their honeymoon. (Manifests as a silver-haired Victorian gentleman with cloak and cravat….)

2. A German prince who jumped out of a fourth-floor window. (Described by BBC announcer, the late Ray Moore, as “beefy, with cropped hair, sporting a military-style jacket that buttoned up to the neck.” Frequently observed in the early morning hours walking through doors. Rated most active ghost at the Langham, with a particular penchant for Room 333.)

3. A man with a gaping wound on his face. (Tends to stick to the hallways.)

4. Emperor Napoleon III, who lived at the Langham during his last days in exile. (Now prefers the basement.)

5. A ghost who has a thing for tipping guests out of bed while they’re sleeping. (Once shook the bed in Room 333 with such enthusiasm that the occupant fled the hotel in the middle of the night.)

6. A butler seen wandering the corridors in his holey socks.

7. A footman in pale blue livery and powdered wig.

The Telegraph noted the three most popular that seem to be referenced in any article about the hotel’s ghosts:

1. The man (who may have been the doctor who killed his wife before killing himself) who appears in Victorian evening wear (and is associated with Room 333, but allegedly only manifests during October).
2. The German prince who committed suicide by jumping from a 4th floor window.
3. The suspected ghost of Napolean III (who most articles like to claim has a penchant for the basement, but whether they’re all just copying that claim, who knows?)

 

London Paranormal weighed in with one of the best posts about London’s haunted hotels. Not only did they give specifics about the ghosts at the hotels, but they rated each hotel by its spookiness. The Langham ranked the highest (7/10), unless “the murderous doctor is residence [in 333, then they] would say 10/10 – run far far away! He seems to be one seriously ticked off medic!”

How Much Does a Night in Room 333 Cost?

The Langham sounds like the spooky stay to choose. At least to me.

But my financially-minded husband doesn’t care a lick about its wealth of spirits and potential paranormal activity. He’s focused on the cold hard cash value. And the location.

Which means I’m SOL on both counts.

The Langham is located in the West End, near Regent, Bond and Oxford Streets and the British Museum. (It’s exact address is 1c Portland Place, Regent Street, London, England, for any who may read this and want that.)

Wayne wants us to stay as close as possible to the train station we’ll use to get to the port. Which is across the river in a different part of London. Drat.

But the biggest deal breaker is the price. A night at the Langham starts at £280. (Or, as of today’s conversion, $307.83.) That’s not going to happen.

So my search for a haunted London hotel continues. Except with the added requirement: “affordable.”