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| 2510 Washington Blvd, Ogden, UT 84401, USA (Ogden, Utah)
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Hotel Ben Lomond
This historic hotel in Ogden, Utah reportedly has more than a few "permanent" guests for its relatively short history. It was originally built in 1927 and replaced the 1891 Reed Hotel that had formerly stood on its grounds. The idea was to build a new luxury, modern, first-class hotel in the growing city of Ogden. The new design incorporated the Italian Renaissance Revival architectural style and the total costs were said to run over one million dollars. Though it was known as the Bigelow Hotel, new owner Marriner S. Eccles renamed it the Ben Lomond Hotel in 1933 for his fondness for the mountain of the same name in the southern Scottish Highlands. The Hotel Ben Lomond is considered one of Utah's three "grand" hotels, though it is the only one that still operates as a hotel. To date, it is still the tallest building in the city of Ogden.
The story goes that at one time in its history, the facility served as a boarding house and was host to an assorted group of nefarious characters; including prostitutes, Madames and even gangsters. There was even a tunnel constructed underneath the hotel during Prohibition that traveled down 25th Street to various points in Ogden. The tunnel was mainly used to smuggle booze, but also had opium dens and gambling halls. However, the tunnels have since been cemented shut as the city tries to forget its dark past.
The Ghosts of the Ben Lomond
There is a wide variety of stories and legends of ghosts and paranormal encounters that surrounds the Ben Lomond Hotel. In fact, some believe that the hotel has up to at least six different spirits that still wanders its halls and makes their presence known.
One of the more well-known tales that surrounds the haunting of the Ben Lomond is the spirit of a bride who resides in Room 1102. Her story goes back to her wedding night when she came to the hotel on her honeymoon and tragically drowned in the bathtub of the room. Since then, people have reported cold chills and even being shoved by unseen hands. The bathtub has also been known to mysteriously refill itself with water when no one is in the room. Even stranger, guests and staff both report having the phone ring late at night only to have no one on the other line when they answer it. Yet even more odd is that her son, who allegedly came to the hotel and took his own life when he heard of his mother's accident, haunts the adjoining Room 1101. People have reported seeing the imprint of someone lying on the bed in both rooms, despite there being no one there.
Right down the hall is Room 1106, which also has its own story and odd occurrences. The legend behind this room is that a woman came to live at the Ben Lomond Hotel while her son served in World War II to await his return. One version of the story has the woman ultimately dying during her wait, unaware that her son tragically perished. Another version says that she was aware of her son's death and refused to eat and sleep upon hearing the news, ultimately passing away in this room. Even further stories have the woman leaving the hotel after receiving the news, only to return in spirit form after she passed away. Reportedly, staff members at the front desk still receive strange phone calls from this room, despite the room being empty. When they answer, the phone line goes dead.
The elevators also seem to have their fair share of stories too. Some guests report that the elevators inexplicably stop at the fifth floor at times, despite no one pushing the button. The experience is further enhanced by the sudden strong scent of lilacs when the elevator stops there. Other reports focus in on the middle elevator that will sometimes travel from the lobby to the tenth floor and remain there for quite some time in the middle of the night, despite the fact that the button was never pushed.
There is even activity in the tunnel below the hotel, where some people report being shoved in or seeing a pair of disembodied legs walking around. Others experiences include the sensation of being shoved in Room 212, smoky apparitions and cold spots throughout the hotel, and sounds of doors slamming and people moving around upstairs, despite it being empty at the time.
The Hotel Today
The Ben Lomond Hotel is still in operation and plays host to guests from around the world to this day. It even had the honor of being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990, commemorating its history and significance in the growth of Ogden, Utah. For more information, please visit their site below. |
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| Related Sites |
Hotel Ben Lomond
The official Web site of the reportedly haunted Hotel Ben Lomond in Ogden, Utah. |
AllStays: Haunted Hotels, B&Bs, and Inns
A special section of AllStays.com that covers reportedly haunted hotels, bed and breakfasts, and inns around the world. |
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| See Also on TheCabinet.com |
| There are no other pages on this site associated with this location. |
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| Available from Amazon.com |
Ghostly Encounters: True Stories of America's Haunted Inns and Hotels |
A Ghost in My Suitcase: A Guide to Haunted Travel in America |
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