Halloween – Purple Travel Official Blog

Purple 10 Haunted Hotels

Oct 07 2013

Like a scare at bedtime? If things that go bump in the night and strange noises are things that you actually enjoy, then read on for our top 10 most haunted hotels. But, be warned, you’ll be staying here at your peril!

Image via @ Nomadic Lass

Karosta Prison Hotel, Latvia: This recreates that delightful experience of staying behind bars. Not only that, but it is said to be haunted by the ghosts of prisoners past whose footsteps echo the hallways at night.

Hotel Burchianti, Florence, Italy: This might be the most haunted on the list. It’s said that a ghost of a child skips down the corridors, while an apparition of a maid still carries out her cleaning duties in the early hours.

The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, India: The late chief engineer of the building is reported to roam the halls of the old wing of the hotel. W A Chambers apparently died of a broken heart, after he found out the palace wasn’t built to his original design.

Castle Leslie, County Monaghan, Ireland: A whole bunch of the Leslie family continue to haunt this 300 year old castle, including young Shane Leslie, who died in a war but returned to watch over the lake. The famous perhaps isn’t a person at all though; it’s a dog called Punch.

Langham Hotel, London, England: This may be a top quality 5 star hotel, but even that can’t stop ghostly carry on. Room 333 is the famous one, with a terrifying reputation. It’s said that zombie type ghosts approach guests with their arms outstretched. No, we don’t fancy that either.

The Stanley Hotel, Colorado, US: Seen The Shining? Did it give you the creeps? Yep, us too. Apparently, the Stanley was the inspiration behind the original Stephen King novel after he stayed there the night before it closed down for the season. The piano in the ballroom plays music, although there’s no one sitting there, while ghosts have appeared in various rooms at night.

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Banff, Canada: Lost your room key? Well it’s not so bad here as the vision of a former bellhop Sam Macauley roams the corridors, even going as far as carrying guests’ luggage for them.

Ostrich Inn, Colnbrook, England: This one might put you off hotels for life. The owners installed a secret trap door under the bed in what they said was the best room in the house. It was right above the kitchen. When guests fell asleep, the door would be opened and the bed tilted, so the guest would slide into a cauldron of boiling water. Many of these unfortunate guests still haunt the corridors today to warn current travellers.

Hotel Provincial, New Orleans, USA: The Provincial is haunted by a former soldier; the site was once a military hospital which burned down in 1874. Recordings made in the hotel revealed ghostly sounds, while one female guest said she was dragged from her bed kicking and screaming when she stayed there.

The Roosevelt Hotel, California, USA: If you like your ghosts high profile, there might not be a better choice than the Roosevelt, said to be haunted by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift.

Worst Hotel in the World

Oct 30 2012

Usually in our series of weird and wonderful hotels from around the world, A Night Less Ordinary, we focus on the good ones. Or at the very least, the quirky ones. This week, we take a look at the hotel that is proud of its reputation as the worst hotel in the world!

Cheap, dirty, cold and poorly lit. Not the words you’d usually associate with somewhere you actually want to stay, but it seems to be working for the self-named ‘worst hotel in the world.’ Amsterdam’s Hans Brinker Budget Hotel has been (proudly) disappointing people for years.

It actually lists itself 15^th on its own places to stay in Amsterdam, well behind a friend’s couch, the back of a burned out car or an abandoned mine shaft. It does admit it offers slightly more comfort though than an unmarked grave (!!)

On its website, it already boasts that it’s been “proudly disappointing travellers,” offering slightly watered down beers, an elevator that almost never breaks down, a rusty bed and awkwardly shaped dormitories. But, with rates starting at just 22.50 it’s easy to see why people do still go through with it. Plus, if expectations are low it means that they’re usually exceeded!

So, we want to know what you think, would you be willing to spend a night in the world’s worst hotel, or does a night in jail sound more appetising? We’d love to know what you think in the comments below.

Just watch out for their terms and conditions… “Those wishing to stay at the Hans Brinker Budget Hotel, Amsterdam, do so at their own risk and will not hold the hotel liable for food poisoning, mental breakdowns, terminal illness, lost limbs, radiation poisoning, certain diseases associated with the 18^thcentury, plague, etcetera.”

Purple 10: Worlds creepiest places

Oct 29 2012

Not content with sharing our most haunted hotels, our Halloween theme continues, there are still plenty of places to visit in broad daylight that’ll still give you the chills. Here are some of our top picks.

A Night Less Ordinary: The Stanley Hotel

Oct 26 2012

A Night Less Ordinary: The Stanley Hotel

In this weekly series, we scour the world in search of the most weird and wonderful hotels. From cave hotels to converted prisons, capsule pods to underwater guest rooms you can expect only the unexpected. This week The Stanley Hotel in Colorado.

What’s the gimmick? Have you ever watched or read Steven King’s The Shining? If, so, then you’ll know all about this imposing and mysterious hotel! Well, in case you fancy some Halloween getaway this year just head for The Stanley, as, there, guests can also join the world-famous Shining Ball and the Murder Mystery Dinner for a super spooky experience.

You should read… Top ten most haunted hotels.

Why stay? Guests at this world-charm hotel have the chance to unwind amidst immaculate nature and admire the stunning views of the surrounding Rocky Mountains. What’s more, all rooms exude luxury and style, featuring sumptuous furnishing and fabrics. For more action and “fun”, just make a reservation for a tour on a spooky sojourn through time or get a psychic consultation from Madame Vera.

You should read… A Night Less Ordinary: Boot Bed ‘n’ Breakfast

The Wow Factor: All of the hotel rooms have had paranormal experiences reported, such as items moving from place to place or lights turning on and off. Guests staying on the fourth floor, might get to hear the children of long ago running up and down the halls, laughing and giggling. Sometimes sleeping guests will be tucked-in at night, as that was the duty for the nannies to perform for the young children.

You should read… A Night Less Ordinary: Dog Park Park Inn

While enjoying this historic hotel, keep in mind that you may possibly have an “extra” experience here, as it is not unusual for guests and staff to catch a glimpse of a ghost walking the lobby, or hear Flora Stanley still playing her beloved piano in the Music Room. However, there are never any reports of sinister or evil events happening here, because there are only happy ghosts at the Stanley Hotel!

Prices start from £143 a night. Click here for details.

Get Inspired: A Goths Guide to Gothenburg

Oct 26 2012

Gothenburg, as its name may suggest, is vastly infested with activities for the darkly inclined. While as a goth, you may prefer to explore at night, there are plenty of places where you can seek refuge from direct sunlight in Sweden’s second city.

Gothenburg in winter

Begin your gothic getaway in the defunct, graffitied power station situated beside the giant Älvsborgsbron. Now known as Röda Sten, this is one of Sweden’s coolest art centres. Here you’ll find many of your own kind amongst it four gritty floors, along with a number of modern art exhibitions. Wear head-to-toe black and stand ominously in a corner, shocking unbeknown tourists who will only assume you’re part of some morbid, avant-garde installation.

The building also houses an indie-style cafe with summertime riverside seating (avoid), weekly live music (enjoy) and offbeat one-offs like punk bike races, boxing matches and stand-up comedy (definitely avoid – cracking a smile is not good for your image).

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was based in Sweden

Hungry after a day’s hard gothing about, why not head over to the Salrosen restaurant. Unfortunately, they do not serve fresh blood or bat’s heads, but they do serve up some mean vegetarian cuisine, which is pretty much second best. A 1970s survivor, this laid-back student haunt is a Haga institution (note the photos of passed-on regulars above the counter). Or if that’s not your bag, head along the leafy Vasagatan Boulevard, to Java Kaffebar, a café thick with dreadlocks, dyed hair and nipple rings.

Gothin’ about

Where else would you find a goth than in… a cemetery, of course. The Eastern cemetery in Gothenburg was designed by architect J. H. Strömberg and is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Scandinavia (n.b. we mean this in the way a dead bird is beautiful, not a glorious sunrise – that’s just sick). The huge hill on its west side hosts some magnificent mausoleums, perfect for doing some après-dinner Ouija boards.

Next hot foot it to Barbarella, which opened in 1991 as a store for fetish clothes and shoes. After frequent requests from customers and some appearances on MTV, Barbarella decided to stop selling clothes and became a full-time piercing studio. The studio is now located at Lilla Drottningatan in the city center of Gothenburg, offering our customers the largest and widest collection of piercing jewellery in the whole of Scandinavia. Get yourself sufficiently perforated with as much metal as you can fit in your face, then take your transformed image on a Gothed-up night out.

Home to Swedish death metal bands such as Nihilist and Carnage, Gothenburg offers an excellent after-dark scene for the goth crowd. The street Andra Långgatan has become a hub for the alternative and creative occupation of Gothenburg, with new bars, cafes and unusual shops popping-up all the time. Truckstop Alaska is an underground rock bar in the heart of the former industrial districts of Hisingen. Although you have to be a member to get in, the hassle of joining will only add to the feeling that you’ve stepped into some dark enclave of the occult, where all kinds of sordid affairs take place…

Enjoyed our goths guide to Gothenburg? Check out a posh girls guide to Paris.

Purple 10: Weirdest streets in the world

Oct 24 2012

The shortest, the narrowest, the biggest, the widest….Each of the 10 streets included in this list with the weirdest streets in the world has its own long story, which is good to know if you ever find yourself there.

1.World’s Shortest street -Ebenezer Place – Scotland
Easy to walk, without being tired, either in high heels or wearing trainers! “The shortest” street in the world is a mere 2.06 meters and stretches in front of the door to No 1 Bistro of Mackays Hotel. The hotel cobbled it together in 1883 and decided to “street” it 4 years later. So, after your “long” walk you can have a refreshing drink there!

2.World’s narrowest street (Spreuerhofstraße – Germany)
Only gangly figures can walk down this street, whose narrowest section is 12 cm and the widest is 50 cm. What’s more, in case you find yourself there, you’d better forget tender embraces with your beloved one. You’ll meet again at the exit!

3.Most Complicated Interchange in US (Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange – Los Angeles)
The most complicated interchange is Judge Harry Pregerson interchange. Since 1993, it is known as one LA traffic solution. It composes layers of bridges stacked orderly and four level interchanges. If you find yourself on this interchange you’d better act as Tom Thumb and throw crumbs to find your way out.

4.US`s Most Crooked Road (Lombard St – San Francisco)
There are two crooked roads in the USA. The first road is at Russian Hill between Hyde and Leavenworth streets, San Francisco, and the other one is at Vermont Street between 20th St & 22nd St in Portrero Hill. In Russian Hill, the road is leaning 27 degrees and here, drivers cannot drive their car over 5 mph. Just in case, when driving in this street make sure you have your sea sickness tablets with you!

5. The World’s Steepest Street (Baldwin Street – New Zealand)
Drivers usually put stones under the car wheels to avoid losing them, while at the same time they use ice skates to walk down the street! The steepest street in the world is also found in the steepest residential area of the planet, where in winter, as you can imagine, things are even more dangerous.

6. Widest Street in the world (9 de Julio – Buenos Aires, Argentina)
This street is 300m wide and has a whopping 12 lanes of. However, traffic jams are common place too. When it comes to pedestrians though, it’s good to have their lunch with them when deciding to go this way, or just use their roller skates as the locals do!

7. Longest Street in the world (Yonge St – Ontario, Canada)
The 2nd longest street according to Guinness world of record is Yonge street (1,178 miles/1,896km), linking Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe. In this street, you’d better avoid shopping dilemmas!

8. Largest Roundabout in the world (Putrajaya – Malaysia)
This 3.4km-long street is in southern Kuala Lumpur, around a lush green hill. It’s one of the most impressive streets in the world, as long as you don’t drive it all around, or you’ll get lost. However, another option would be to have a walk in the park in the centre.

9. World’s Most Confusing Roundabout (Magic Roundabout – Swindon, UK)
The magic roundabout is more like a black magic for most drivers than a weirdest street. It composes five mini roundabouts and they are circled un-orderly. It was built in 1972 and is now known as one of the scariest junction in UK.

10. Longest National Highway in the world (Highway 1 – Australia)
The longest highway in the world is Australia’s Highway 1. It stretches from Canberra 9,000 miles/14,500 km outside the city. It’s also one of the most easy to drive highways, where travelling is a really unique experience.

Tag - Halloween

A Night Less Ordinary: The Stanley Hotel