The Galvez Has Officially Been Named The Most Haunted Hotel In Texas
By Katie Lawrence|Published October 03, 2020
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Katie Lawrence
Author
Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and began writing for OnlyInYourState in 2015.
Today, Katie writes, edits, and performs several other tasks for OnlyInYourState and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on with a hot cup of coffee, practicing yoga, baking, or exploring the beautiful Lone Star State (in particular, the vast and mystical West Texas desert).
As local travel experts, we know what travelers are looking for when it comes to finding the perfect accommodations for their next trip. To compile our lists, we scour the internet to find properties with excellent ratings and reviews, desirable amenities, nearby attractions, and that something special that makes a destination worthy of traveling for.
Texas is no stranger to haunted hotels, but one just might be infested with more ghosts than all the rest. According to Business Insider, Hotel Galvez and Spa in Galveston is the most haunted hotel in the state — and between the island’s tragic history and numerous reports of paranormal activity from guests, we’d have to agree.
Perhaps the most iconic building in Galveston, the Hotel Galvez and Spa has been the island's premier luxury accommodation for over 100 years. Such notable guests as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin have spent the night here, and you can, too.
The hotel even served as a temporary White House for FDR!
The Galvez was built in 1911, not long after the devastating 1900 hurricane that claimed up to 8,000 lives. It was the city's very first beachfront hotel following construction of the seawall.
Supposedly, in the 1950s, a woman engaged to a fisherman hung herself in the bathroom after receiving a letter saying her fiance died at sea. Even more heartbreaking, the message was incorrect -- he returned so they could be married, only to learn of the tragic fate that befell her. Staff members say she still inhabits the room today; they report that she causes electronic keys to malfunction and turns lights and televisions off and on. You'll know it's her if you feel a sudden, unexplained cold draft.
Who knows where else you'll spot a ghost? Perhaps you'll strike up a conversation with someone at the bar, then turn your head in the other direction for just a split second, only to find they've vanished into thin air.
Your senses will be on high alert as you traverse the dimly-lit corridors in search of things that go bump in the night.
Under normal circumstances, the Galvez offers a guided ghost tour that includes a fancy dinner. In lieu of that during the pandemic, guests are welcome to embark on a free, 20-minute audio tour available for download on both Google Play and the Apple Store.
If you're brave enough to stay in Room 501, feel free to call and request it. No guarantee they'll be able to reserve it for you, but it's worth a shot!
Visit the hotel’s website or Facebook page to learn more and/or make reservations.
Have you ever stayed at Hotel Galvez & Spa? If so, did you have any encounters from beyond-the-grave? Let us know all the spine-tingling details, and check out our previous article for more haunted hotels in Texas to spend the night in…if you dare.
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