I stayed in one of Colorado's most haunted hotels and its ghost stories kept me up all night

Last spring, as I arrived in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, via train, a staff member pointed across a river to Hotel Colorado — my hotel for the night.

Read more: I took a $1,500 luxury train from Colorado to Utah. Here are 5 of the best parts about the trip and 6 things I thought were disappointing.

What the train staff didn't mention was that the hotel is said to be one of the most haunted hotels in the entire state, according to Uncover Colorado.

Source: Uncover Colorado

According to the hotel's website, guests and staff have reported creepy encounters that range from instances with a ghostly woman in a floral dress to the hotel founder's spirit lurking in the hallways. As I anxiously planned to spend a night in the historic hotel, I hoped to add my own ghost sighting to the list.

Source: Uncover Colorado

Built in 1893, the Hotel Colorado attracted wealthy travelers to the mining town, according to the hotel's website. Some of its most famous guests include the unsinkable Molly Brown, who survived the Titanic, and former presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft, the same source states.

Source: Hotel Colorado, Hotel Colorado

Today, the hotel has 130 historic rooms, which start at $135 during the off-season, according to the hotel website. I stayed in the hotel's standard offering, a classic single queen room.

Source: Hotel Colorado

As I walked through the hotel's front door, I felt like I was taking a step back in time. The lobby was filled with bits of history. Old images and paintings were framed on the walls, decorative rugs hung from the ceiling, and vintage candelabras sat on ornate fireplaces.

In one hallway, a bust of the founder was placed on a marble pillar, a piano was stationed against a wall, and antique cash registers sat on a shelf.

From the decor and relics, I could see that it was clearly a historic hotel. And in this case, all that history comes with plenty of ghost stories.

The hotel has two tower suites, and according to the hotel, one is haunted. The story goes that in 1993, a couple was staying at the hotel, the same source states. When the husband got sick, a mysterious woman continuously came into their room to close an open window, per the hotel's website.

Source: Hotel Colorado

Since then, other guests have shared sightings of a woman in a floral dress standing over their bed in the tower suite, the Hotel Colorado's website states.

Source: Hotel Colorado

 

In the basement of the hotel are more haunted tales. During WWII, the hotel was converted into a Navy hospital, the hotel's website says, and the building's basement served as a makeshift morgue where the bodies of dead soldiers were stored. According to Legends of America, staff members have experienced locked doors unlocking and flickering lights in the old morgue.

Source: Hotel Colorado, Legends of America

But one of the most popular sightings happens on the hotel's main floor, according to the hotel's website. Bobbie was a nurse who was killed by an officer stationed at the hotel, and since her death, guests and staff will sometimes notice her floral perfume wafting through the hotel's dining room, the same source wrote.

Source: Hotel Colorado

As I explored the lobby and dining room, I had no encounters with perfumes and climbed to the second floor to room 213, my room for the night.

On the way to 213, I passed the Roosevelt Suite. According to the hotel's website, this is where the former president spent three weeks on a bear-hunting expedition in 1905, staying in a suite with a living room, balcony, and wet bar.

Source: Hotel Colorado, Hotel Colorado

I then turned down a long hallway, which is the best place to search for Walter Devereaux, the hotel's founder, according to the hotel's website. Hotel guests and staff report they know he's present when the smoke-free hotel starts to smell like cigar smoke.

Source: Hotel Colorado

Again, my nose didn't spot any peculiar smells, and I reached my hotel room and opened the door.

I thought the simple room had all the necessities I needed for the night.

Against one wall was a bed with nightstands and lamps.

Next to another wall, my room had a dresser and TV.

Two chairs and a table sat against a wall and a window overlooked an adjacent building.

I thought the bathroom was similarly simple with plenty of towels, a sink, toilet, and shower.

Likely due to the hotel's historic nature, I thought that parts of the room felt dated. I haven't seen a popcorn ceiling in years, and in the bathroom, the complimentary toiletries featured a Bath and BodyWorks scent that was discontinued years ago, according to Smell This. According to the hotel, the building has ongoing renovations, and I wondered if my room was awaiting a remodel. The Hotel Colorado did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Source: Smell This

I left the hotel close to sunset to explore Glenwood Springs. Outside, the hotel had fire pits, twinkling lights, and lush greenery for guests to enjoy.

Glenwood Springs is a town known for its historic hot springs. Its pool dates back to 1888 according to the spring's website, and they were about a 5-minute walk from Hotel Colorado. After taking a dip, I headed back to my spooky room.

Source: Glenwood Hot Springs Resort

Once I returned, I explored the hotel at night. I hoped the late hours might lure ghosts out of hiding. I didn't spot a single soul or spirit, but the eerily empty hallways left me thoroughly spooked as I jumped at the sounds of creaking doors and pings of pipes.

I retreated into my bed and imagined the stories that fill the hotel. But after reading and recollecting the hotel's haunted history, falling asleep was a tough task.

 

 

I woke up the next morning after a few hours of sleep. As I left the Hotel Colorado, I was thankful that I didn't have any of my own ghost stories to share. Although, I haven't had a solid night's rest since.