6 Real Haunted Hotels American Horror Story Needs to Consult

Updated on 8/19/2015 at 2:00 AM

We were overjoyed when one of our theories about American Horror Story season five turned out to be true: the next season will be American Horror Story: Hotel. Lady Gaga is starring, along with an all-star new and returning cast. We're pretty sure she's going to kill it on the show, and we even have a bunch of details about the new season. Now that we have a premiere date, we're even more excited about what will happen on the show. This week, Ryan Murphy announced some new plot details, including the fact that the series will be set in downtown Los Angeles at the fictional Hotel Cortez. We have some ideas for how real haunted hotels could inspire the story, plus one hotel that we're pretty sure this season will be loosely based on. Check them out . . . if you dare.

The Garden of Allah Hotel

Location: Hollywood, CA
The real story: Built in 1919 by actress Alla Nazimova, this was originally a home just for her, but when she needed money, she rented out the villas. The list of residents included Orson Welles, Ernest Hemingway, and Greta Garbo. Sadly, it was paved over in 1959. The Garden of Allah is also the name of a movie starring Marlene Dietrich, an actress from whom Jessica Lange drew inspiration from for Freak Show's Elsa Mars.
What could happen on AHS: A Reddit thread initially pointed out that Stanley mentions this hotel in Freak Show, and the blog Vixen Varsity revealed that a casting call for the season included a character named Carla, who fits Lady Gaga's description. Coincidence?

The Crescent Hotel & Spa

Location: Eureka Springs, AR
The real story: Founded in 1886, The Crescent Hotel was built as a grand escape for those who wanted to take advantage of the "healing waters" at the springs. It was quite successful, until people realized the water wasn't healing at all. It shut down and was vacant for years before a junior college opened there. Shortly after, it was converted into a hospital, but then it was discovered that the man who ran the hospital was a fraud. The building reopened as a hotel in 1967 and has been through lots of owners, but there is one constant: ghosts. People have seen blood spattered on the walls, heard the screams of a young girl who attended the school and fell from the roof to her death, plus sightings of nurses and the fraudulent doctor himself.
What could happen on AHS: It would be interesting to incorporate the hospital aspect of this hotel's history into the Hotel Cortez. But then again, would that be to similar to Asylum?

The Hotel Del Coronado

Location: San Diego, CA
The real story: "The Del," as it's called, opened in 1888. It hosted such luminaries as Charles Lindbergh, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Marilyn Monroe while Some Like It Hot filmed there. The resort is reportedly home to a number of ghosts, the most prominent being Kate Morgan. In 1892, the young woman checked in to wait for a man she loved, and after five days without him, she was found dead of apparent suicide. People still see her, plus other past guests, in her old room and around the gift shop.
What could happen on AHS: I could see Ryan Murphy drawing from The Hotel Del Coronado's past of hosting vintage Hollywood stars.

The Queen Mary Hotel

Location: Long Beach, CA
The real story: Originally a luxury ocean liner that carried the likes of Clark Gable and Greta Garbo, The Queen Mary was transformed into a troopship during WWII. It became known as "The Grey Ghost," and in 1967, the vessel was sold to Long Beach, where it has served as a hotel ever since. Visions are said to haunt the ship, where there have been 49 reported deaths. The most haunted places on the ship are the engine room, the swimming pools, and the beauty salon.
What could happen on AHS: After Murphy's comments at TCA, this possibility is highly unlikely, but how cool would it be to have a season aboard a haunted ship?

The Stanley Hotel

Location: Estes Park, CO
The real story: If The Stanley Hotel sounds familiar, it's because it's the resort that inspired The Shining. (Though The Timberline Lodge is the one you see pictured in the film, and it's called "The Overlook.") According to the hotel, there are no sinister ghosts there, but a maid who broke her ankles in a 1911 explosion is said to tidy up people's things — especially in Room 217. Guests have also said that they've seen the founders' ghosts walk the grounds now and again.
What could happen on AHS: Murphy might not want to tackle a hotel that previously inspired such a famous novel and film, but he could still pull a few threads. Can you imagine Lady Gaga as a turn-of-the-century maid with broken ankles?

The Cecil Hotel

Location: Los Angeles, CA
The real story: You may have heard of the Cecil Hotel a couple years ago, it's where a woman's body was found dead in the rooftop water tank. Chilling footage of the woman in the hotel's elevator was released, causing a panic about how she died. This is just the most recent incident; the hotel has been home to two different serial killers over the years, including the famous Nightstalker (aka Richard Ramirez) of the 1980s.
What could happen on AHS: During the show's TCA panel, Ryan Murphy said that the new season is inspired by some haunting elevator footage. While he didn't explicitly say it's the aforementioned tape from the Cecil Hotel, he did say the hotel in the show, called Hotel Cortez, is in downtown Los Angeles. Sounds like some "found footage" is in our future . . .