The Banff Springs Hotel located in the Canadian Rockies was originally built to encourage tourism and sell train tickets. Opening in 1888, the hotel has seen many colourful guests from tourists, to celebrities such as Marylin Monroe to the British Monarchy.
The hotel was originally made of wood and largely stayed that way until a fire broke out in 1926. It wasn't until then that a hidden room was discovered. A contractor had apparently made an error and a room with no windows or doors had been built and then covered up. Even the owner was said not to have know of it's existence.
Given it's location near Banff National Park, it's easy to see why so many choose to stay in this beautifully historic hotel surrounded with picturesque beauty. It also should come as no surprise that in it's 132 years it has also seen tragedy within it's walls. Some spirits are still said to walk the halls or share rooms with guests.
Many staff will either dismiss or outright deny any claims of hauntings but that hasn't stopped a few specific stories from surfacing over the years. Of course, it depends on who you ask.
One room in particular was said to be the site of a particularly gruesome and tragic murder involving a family of three. Room 873 reportedly no longer exists however. Every floor is said to have a room ending in '73' except the eight floor though nobody can say for sure exactly why this room was really sealed off.
Probably the most famous reported haunting of the hotel is 'The Burning Bride' also known as 'The Doomed Bride'. This story is so famous the Canadian Mint even release a stamp and a coin in her honor.
Some say she tripped on her gown, others that something startled her on her way and still others that her dress caught fire, causing her to fall.
The story varies slightly depending on who you ask but seems to be the same at it's heart. A young woman, walking down the curved staircase in her wedding dress, fell down the stairs and died. Tragedy at it's finest.
Some have even claimed to see this spectral figure dancing in the ballroom in death, as she never had the chance to do with her husband that fateful night.
Another popular tale revolves around a bellman who worked at the hotel in the 60s right up until his death in 1976. There is not much information on how or when he died. Sam has apparently been known to help guests with their bags even after death and has often been mistaken for a living staff member albeit one in an older style uniform.
Good one