Mount Washington Hotel

In 1900, Pennsylvania coal magnate and New Hampshire native Joseph Stickney commissioned architect Charles Alling Gifford to construct an opulent luxury resort that would rival the finest grand hotels in Europe. Hiring 250 Italian artisans and craftsmen, Stickney spared no expense, spending $1.7 million (equivalent to tens of millions today) to erect the magnificent grand resort at the northern foot of Crawford Notch in Bretton Woods. The hotel opened in July 1902, featuring state-of-the-art electric power plants, private plumbing, and lavish furnishings.

Tragically, Joseph Stickney died just one year after the hotel opened, in December 1903. He left his immense fortune and the hotel to his young wife, Carolyn Foster Stickney. Carolyn took immense pride in the property, spending every summer at the resort for decades until her death in 1936. She constructed a private two-story apartment, now known as Suite 314 or the 'Princess Room,' furnished with a custom-carved four-poster mahogany bed.

In July 1944, the hotel achieved global historic significance when representatives from 44 nations gathered in its Gold Room for the Bretton Woods Conference, creating the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Today operated as the Omni Mount Washington Resort, it remains one of New England's last surviving Gilded Age grand resort hotels.

The ghost folklore of the Mount Washington Hotel revolves around Carolyn Stickney, often referred to as 'The Princess' due to her second marriage to a French nobleman, Prince Aymon de Faucigny-Lucinge. Legend tells that Carolyn was so deeply attached to her mountain retreat that her spirit refused to depart after her death in 1936. Her primary sanctuary was Room 314, where she spent countless hours preparing for evening galas in front of her ornate vanity mirror.

Guests staying in Room 314 often report waking in the middle of the night to discover the ghostly figure of Carolyn sitting quietly at the edge of the four-poster bed, slowly brushing her long hair while gazing into the darkness. Other legends describe her apparitional form sweeping gracefully down the grand curving staircase clad in an elegant Victorian formal gown, heading toward the main dining room just as she did in life during the resort's golden summer seasons.

Staff legends also speak of mysterious bellhops dressed in early 20th-century uniforms who appear out of nowhere in the upper hallways, assisting weary guests with heavy luggage before evaporating through solid walls or into locked service elevators. Electrical anomalies, such as lights switching on and off in the Octagon tower suites and the sudden scent of Victorian floral perfume, add to the hotel's rich, enduring paranormal tradition.

A wide variety of paranormal occurrences have been documented by resort guests, hotel employees, and professional investigators over many decades. In Suite 314, visitors consistently report seeing the translucent figure of a woman sitting on the edge of the mahogany bed. Paranormal television crews investigating the room famously captured electronic voice phenomena (EVP) of a woman's voice responding directly to queries spoken by investigators.

Throughout the third floor and tower corridors, guests report hearing soft disembodied footsteps on carpeted hallways late at night, light switches turning on and off independently, and hotel bathtub faucets filling with water without human intervention. In the main dining room and conservatory, staff report seeing a woman in white observing diners from mezzanine balconies before vanishing into thin air.

Night-shift workers and security staff have recorded strange elevators operating on their own without calls, sudden drops in room temperature, and the distinctive aroma of sweet lavender perfume floating down empty hallways.

Designed by Charles Alling Gifford in the Spanish Renaissance Revival style, the Mount Washington Hotel features an impressive white stucco facade anchored by two distinctive octagonal towers topped with red tile roofs. The sweeping Y-shaped structure spans over 900 feet in length and boasts a magnificent 900-foot wrap-around veranda providing panoramic views of the Presidential Range and Mount Washington.

Inside, the resort displays breathtaking Gilded Age craftsmanship, including soaring coffered ceilings, hand-carved woodwork, marble fireplaces, and crystal chandeliers. Notable interior spaces include the Great Hall, the Gold Room where the 1944 Bretton Woods agreement was signed, the Princess Room (Suite 314) with its historic hand-carved four-poster bed, and the underground Cave, a Prohibition-era speakeasy featuring original stone walls.

The Omni Mount Washington Resort is located at 310 Mount Washington Hotel Road in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, directly off U.S. Route 302. The hotel is open year-round for overnight lodging, fine dining, spa services, and outdoor mountain recreation including skiing, golf, and canopy tours.

Day visitors are welcome to explore the public common areas, verandas, and dining venues. The hotel offers daily historical tours for guests and visitors that delve into the Gilded Age construction, the 1944 Bretton Woods monetary conference, and the famous ghost legends associated with Carolyn Stickney and Room 314. Reservations for dining and overnight stays are recommended well in advance.

The Mount Washington Hotel earned its iconic haunted status through decades of consistent, detailed ghost encounters reported by hotel guests, staff, and media investigators in Suite 314. The combination of its Gilded Age grandeur, high-profile televised paranormal investigations by programs like Ghost Hunters, and the romantic tragedy of Carolyn Stickney makes it one of America's premier haunted historic grand resort properties.