Haunting at the Brown Palace Hotel and Spa

On 17th street in Denver, Colorado is a luxury hotel with the moniker of The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa. Built by a former carpenter turned real estate entrepreneur from Ohio named Henry Cordes Brown, the hotel opened on August 12, 1892, with 400 guest rooms renting from between $3.00 and $5.00 per night. Brown had aspirations of The Brown Palace Hotel becoming one of the best hotels in Colorado. With the number of reported hauntings, it seems that those who stayed in the hotel didn’t want to leave.

Within the hotel is The Brown Palace Club. There are reports of a man sporting a dark uniform and cap resembling a railroad conductor. When approached, he silently floats away. It is believed he originates from the Rock Island ticket office which operated in the hotel when it first opened. Other strange happenings within The Brown Palace Club include the familiar flickering of lights and the more terrifying reports of something crawling beneath the rug.

Strange happenings also surrounds room 904 where socialite, Louise Crawford Hill lived from 1940 to 1955. Sadly, she moved to room 904 and became a recluse after the death of her husband and died in the bathroom of that room. It’s said that she died of a broken heart. Later, during renovations, there was a tour and during stories of her life the switchboard lit up with a call from room 904. The problem was that the room was under renovation, so it was unoccupied and there were no phone lines in the room.

Another place within the hotel with reported hauntings is the Ellygton’s Dining room. Originally known as the San Marco Room, it once hosted big bands such as the San Marco Strings. One sighting happened when an employee entered the dining room to find a quartet of musicians in formal attire. When he told them they had to leave, they answered, “We live here. Don’t worry.” The conductor has also been seen within this room.

Another strange occurrence is related to the story of Isabel “Sassy” Patterson, a married woman who kept a room in The Brown Palace Hotel for entertaining. Oddly, the love triangle in this story does not involve her husband, John W. Springer. Instead, it involves her husband’s best friend, Frank Henwood and another alleged lover of Sassy Patterson’s, Sylvester “Tony” Von Phul. During a confrontation, Frank Henwood emptied his .38 revolver into the bar of The Brown Palace Hotel hitting Von Phul and another guest, G.E. Copeland. Both later died in the hospital. This was obviously a scandalous story during the time. Now, if the topic of the killings are discussed, the front desk receives nonstop calls from Sassy’s old room even when it is vacant.

Other ghostly occurrences include the crying of a baby in the boiler room, children laughing and playing in the hallway, the spectre of a bartender and a waiter who is usually seen within the service elevator.

The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa is still open, and they do offer many different types of tours. They do recommend their general history tour for first time guests but those who are familiar with The Brown Palace Hotel can take the Enduring Spirits ghost tour. There are other tours available including Affairs of the Heart and Presidential Visits as well as others. Tours are offered Mondays-Saturdays.

Regardless of the tours and potential ghosts, The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa is known to be attentive to its guests and is a guaranteed good time for those who want to relax or simply have a good time. So, whether searching for ghosts or relaxing this hotel is a good choice to be entertained and pampered.