The Most Haunted Hotels in San Antonio

Posted: 11.21.2024 | Updated: 05.27.2025

San Antonio is full of history—and it’s got a spooky side, too. From old landmarks to historic hotels, plenty of places around town are said to be haunted by restless spirits who just won’t leave. Whether it’s mysterious footsteps down quiet hallways or shadows that show up when no one’s around, these ghost stories add a whole other layer to the city’s charm. If you’re curious about creepy encounters and chilling legends, checking out San Antonio’s most haunted hotels is a great way to dive into its darker past—and maybe even catch a ghost or two.

If you want to take your curiosity to the next level, book San Antonio ghost tours with River City Ghosts for a night of unforgettable stories!

What is the most haunted place in San Antonio?

The Alamo isn’t just a historic landmark—it’s one of the most haunted spots in San Antonio. People say you can still hear whispers from the 1836 battle, see ghostly soldiers, and even spot a little boy’s spirit wandering around.

There are even old stories about glowing figures with flaming swords guarding the place. If you’re into creepy history, San Antonio ghost tours often stop here and at nearby haunted hotels in San Antonio, giving you a spine-tingling peek into the city’s haunted side.

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 tragic history could be the foundation behind the now-hotel’s mysterious sightings, making it one of the most talked-about haunted hotels in San Antonio.

Is the Emily Morgan Hotel Haunted?

The Emily Morgan Hotel proudly leans into its spectral reputation, even featuring a page on its website dedicated to the eerie happenings reported within its walls. With its dark history and countless ghost stories, it’s no surprise the hotel is considered one of the most haunted places in San Antonio.

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. 

Is the Alamo Haunted?

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 

The St. Anthony Hotel, a luxurious landmark in downtown San Antonio, has more than just charm and history—it has ghosts. Over the years, guests and staff have reported encounters with several regular spirits, each with their own distinct traits and habits.

From a woman in a long black dress seen wandering the hallways to unexplained footsteps echoing through empty corridors, the hotel has become a magnet for ghost stories. These recurring encounters have helped cement the St. Anthony as not just a historic gem, but also one of the most haunted places in San Antonio, adding a chilling layer to its storied past.

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, it was the nicest place in town—elegant, grand, and even the largest building in all of San Antonio at the time. Despite its impressive beginnings, the hotel’s dark history has earned it a place among the most haunted places in San Antonio, with one room in particular becoming the focus of chilling and mysterious stories that continue to haunt guests to this day.

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 

Now that you’ve uncovered the haunted hotels in San Antonio—from executed soldiers at the Alamo to restless spirits in old hospitals and ghost-filled hotels—you’ve seen just how deeply tragedy clings to this city.

Between murder victims, war casualties, and patients who never checked out, San Antonio is a crossroads for the unsettled dead. Some scream through the walls of historic buildings, others wander hotel hallways late at night. And if you’re brave enough, you can meet them face to face.

Want to dive deeper into San Antonio ghost stories? Our blog is full of chilling tales, and our San Antonio Ghosts tours bring them to life. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok—and stay haunted.

Sources:

• https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2024/08/21/the-sometimes-haunted-stories-behind-local-historic-hotels-ksat-explains/
• https://www.emilymorganhotel.com/about/building-history/
• https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/march-06#:~:text=Everyone%20on%20the%20official%20list,%5BSan%20Antonio%2C%20Texas%5D.
• https://www.sacurrent.com/movies-tv/local-radio-personality-russell-rushs-new-doc-investigates-gunter-hotel-haunting-2480988

https://mix961.iheart.com/alternate/amp/2017-09-27-the-gunter-hotel