The Most Haunted Hotels in San Antonio
Posted: 11.21.2024 | Updated: 12.07.2024
San Antonio is home to a piece of U.S. history: the Alamo. Yet, the tale of the Alamo wasn’t a heartwarming one. Hundreds of people perished at the site — and their spirits may not have moved on to the afterlife all those centuries ago. In fact, it appears they may have moved downtown to a few hotels and other ghosts have followed their lead in sticking around.
What Are the Most Haunted Hotels in San Antonio?
San Antonio haunted hotels are sprinkled around the city, with several boasting otherworldly phenomena. However, there are three that stick out from the rest: the Emily Morgan Hotel, the St. Anthony Hotel, and the Gunter Hotel.
To experience the ghost stories of the Alamo and some of the scariest hotels in San Antonio, book a ghost tour with River City Ghosts.
The Emily Morgan Hotel
The Emily Morgan Hotel looks like it could have been the home of Dracula himself (if the vampire lived in a thirteen-story tower in Texas). The architecture, gargoyles, and narrow points of the building give it an incredibly Gothic look.
But the building wasn’t always a hotel. When it was unveiled in 1924, the towering structure had one purpose: to offer medical care. This is why the gargoyles mentioned above all portray a different medical ailment.
For 50 years, the building was known as the Medical Arts Building. During that time, while countless lives were saved, many were also lost. This could be the foundation behind the now-hotel’s mysterious sightings.
Is the Emily Morgan Hotel Haunted?
The Emily Morgan Hotel proudly leans into its spectral reputation, even having a page on its website dedicated to the happenings observed within its walls.
There are several epicenters of activity within the building, with several related to its medical past. However, its proximity to an American landmark could also be the source of some of the eerie affairs.
The Hotel Across from the Alamo
The Alamo served as the key location for the 1835 Battle of the Alamo, which came to represent the sacrifice of the 189 Texan men who died within the fort. Their deaths spurred the push for Texas’ independence from Mexico, and their spirits may have felt like they had more to do. The Alamo is known for its ghost stories, and the staff at the Emily Morgan admit that those unexplainable experiences likely spill onto their property.
A Plethora of Paranormal Activity
No matter what floor your room is on in the Emily Morgan Hotel, you may find yourself stopping at floor seven — without hitting the button. Despite the floor being inaccessible to guests, the elevators often stop at this particular stop. Guests who experience this special pitstop often mention that a chill fills the small space, and they can’t wait until it resumes its path.
Chills are found throughout the hotel, with some guests feeling a cold, invisible hand touch their shoulder in the lobby. Other times, guests will spot shadows moving across their room or down the hallway, sometimes appearing to be a fine mist.
The most famous ghost is that of a 1920s nurse, who always appears in a hurry to return to her duties.
The St. Anthony Hotel
Complete with sprawling hallways and decadent rooms, the St. Anthony was the epitome of class and luxury when it opened in 1909. In the 1930s, the hotel offered its prestigious members a place to sip on alcohol during the Prohibition era. The hotel installed a massive air conditioning unit around this time, making it the first hotel with central A/C in the world.
The St. Anthony Hotel has picked up its fair share of notable guests in its century of operations, from celebrities like Buddy Rodgers and Lucille Ball to dignitaries like Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. The hotel also boasts some less lively, but perhaps even more interesting, guests today.
The Hauntings of St. Anthony Hotel
There are several regular spirits that hang around the St. Anthony Hotel — all recognizable in their own way.
The Lady in Red
This spirit is often reported to staff because she is so striking to see. Dressed in a red sheath dress, the woman is seen running into the women’s bathroom — where she disappears without a trace.
The Toupee-Wearing Man
The next ghost isn’t particularly regarded for his fashion sense. Tall and dressed in a drab black suit, this spirit often snaps his belt on guests’ doors, particularly on the 10th floor. His signature, however, is his hairpiece, which is always slightly askew.
The Fondling Couple
Guests sometimes return to the front desk, reporting that another couple has already checked into their room. The staff will then release a sigh and go to investigate — knowing they won’t find anyone there. This is the canoodling spirit couple who often are seen sipping on drinks without a care in the world.
The Unsettling Case of Walter Emerick
While they may not know exactly who their resident ghosts are, the St. Anthony staff do know exactly what transpired in 1965 with a guest by the name of Walter Emerick in room 536.
Emerick initially requested room 636, which was already occupied. Upset, he begrudgingly agreed to the room on the floor below.
So why was Emerick so insistent on 636? Because he had just killed a woman in room 636 in the Gunter Hotel down the street, and he apparently wanted to continue the connection to that number. The staff, alarmed by this man’s behavior, called the police. Before they could question Emerick, he shot himself in the head in his hotel room.
Room 536 has since been split into two rooms, though many still describe a chilling feeling being experienced in both rooms.
The Gunter Hotel
As we learned, there’s another hotel in San Antonio with a particularly gruesome past: the Gunter Hotel. But when it first opened in 1909, the hotel was the nicest place in town. It was actually the largest building in all of San Antonio when it first started taking in guests.
Like the St. Anthony, the Gunter Hotel hosted its fair share of well-known guests, including John Wayne and Harry Truman.
Yet, the hotel is often most associated with the horrific 1965 incident.
The Nameless Victim Murdered in the Gunter Hotel
In early February, a man who called himself Albert Knox booked room 636 at the Gunter. He was seen around the hotel with a tall, elegant woman.
A few days later, a maid accidentally entered the room while Knox was inside, and she discovered a heinous sight: blood was everywhere, including all over Knox.
Knox fled the room while the shocked maid alerted the other staff. When police arrived to examine the room, they found pieces of the victim in the plumbing. They concluded that Knox — whose real name we know was Walter Emerick — had butchered the woman, perhaps even trying to use a meat grinder to dispose of her body down the pipes.
Others believe he dumped her body in wet cement at one of several nearby construction sites.
When Emerick shot himself in the St. Anthony hotel, he also took the poor woman’s name with him. Her identity has never been discovered.
The Hauntings of the Sixth Floor
Today, the room has been re-numbered and split into multiple rooms. However, that hasn’t erased the horrific past of what took place there. The apparition of a woman is often seen outside the rooms on the sixth floor. She has her arms outstretched — perhaps in a desperate plea for help.
A blonde woman inexplicably seems to show in photographs taken on-site, and the sounds of hammering are often heard throughout the floor. Housekeeping staff often refuse to clean that section of the building because of its cold, unsettling energy.
Haunted San Antonio
Between killers, murder victims, hospital patients, and executed soldiers, there are plenty of tragic spirits who have lost their lives on San Antonio soil. If you want to experience the chills and hear their long-lost screams for yourself, book a ghost tour with River City Ghosts today.
For Texas ghost stories, to read about other haunted San Antonio hotels, or to learn about the most haunted hotels across the United States, follow our blog, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.
Sources:
https://mix961.iheart.com/alternate/amp/2017-09-27-the-gunter-hotel
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