Book Review: Haunted Hotels by Tom Ogden

Haunted Hotels: Eerie Inns, Ghoulish Guests, and Creepy Caretakers by Tom Ogden

This survey of American hotels that have experienced hauntings covers all of the country. The stories are divided by regions of the United States and includes hauntings in Hawaii and Alaska, which surprised me. Each hotel has its history described, usually dating back to the 1800s (new hotels haven't been around long enough to accumulate legends or phenomena), along with the sort of paranormal activity that occurs. Ghosts are identified with more or less detail about their lives and why they might be haunting the location (usually dying there under bad circumstances). Some of the stories are fictionalized, describing a person or couple coming to the hotel either in search of ghostly phenomena or accidentally stumbling upon such phenomena. A lot of crime drama and architecture is thrown in as those impact the story. If readers want to visit the hotels, the book provides resources at the end of each chapter and an appendix with videos and other online resources. 

I found this mildly entertaining. With so many different stories told, some are bound to be more interesting and engaging than others. I do not plan on visiting any of the hotels, though maybe I might wind up at one by accident. Hopefully I won't have an accident there and get included in a future book!

Mildly recommended.