The Stories Behind Utah’s Most Haunted Hotel Will Give You Nightmares
By Catherine Armstrong|Published March 11, 2016
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Catherine Armstrong
Author
Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
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.
Utah’s most haunted hotel must certainly be Ben Lomond Suites in Ogden. The hotel was built on the corner of Washington and 25th Street in 1927, and is considered one of the three “Grand” hotels in Utah—the only one still in operation . The hotel is beautiful, but its rich history includes many ghost stories.
The hotel sits on the site of a previous hotel—The Reed. It was built in 1891. Only three days after the hotel opened, the first death occurred there. Mr. William Steele, the brother-in-law of one of the owners, was found dead in his bed, due to tuberculosis. Mr. Steele’s presence may be one of many felt at the hotel.
In September, 1921, a cook, Asuki Nakano, fell to his death in the elevator shaft. It’s believed that he called the elevator, and when the doors opened, stepped in without looking. Unfortunately, the elevator car hadn’t arrived and he fell three floors. The Reed was demolished in 1926, but the elevator at the Ben Lomond has long been considered haunted. It’s said to operate on its own, moving from floor to floor without any human intervention.
In 1939, two men arrived at the hotel and asked to be taken to the top floor. The walked down the south hallway, opened the window and leaped to their deaths.
Two other deaths may have occurred on the 11th floor, though they’re not substantiated. It’s said that a woman drowned in the bathtub of room 1102 on her honeymoon night. Guests have reported the tub faucet turning on by itself, and feel a scary presence in the room. Soon after the woman’s death, her adult son came to the hotel to collect his mother’s things. He stayed in the adjoining room, 1101. It’s rumored that he was so distraught be her death that he committed suicide there. Visitors report hearing voices, feeling cold spots and some report seeing the ghost himself.
In 1976, Henry Topping, Jr, the hotel clerk, was found dead on the floor of the lobby, in a pool of blood. He had been brutally attacked and stabbed 44 times.
While most of the reported encounters with ghost occur on the 11th floor, guest also report seeing apparitions, hearing voices and feeling cold spots or things brushing against them throughout the hotel. The hotel’s Facebook page doesn’t mention its historical ghosts, but it does provide this actual photo of a real ghost, taken in October, 2010. Thus far, it's the only proof of the Ben Lomond hauntings.
I’m not sure I believe in ghosts. Do you think the Ben Lomond is really haunted? Whether it is or not, the hotel is a beautiful piece of local history— a real gem in the historic district of Ogden.
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