Langham Hotel

Straying not too far from the Emerald Isle across the Irish Sea is the Langham Hotel in London, England. Originally built in 1865 the hotel was once owned by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The Langham was opened to the public by King Edward VII to great fanfare. It was London’s biggest building at the time, and the city’s first great luxury hotel.

The hotel was bombed during the Battle of Britain in 1940 and remained in ruins until Hilton International purchased it in the 1990s. Hilton has done a wonderful job restoring the hotel to its former grandeur. Public rooms in this hotel display the power and opulence of the British Empire during its heyday. The private rooms are not as luxurious but are well kept and furnished with French provincial furniture and Red Oak trim.



Perhaps owing to the hotel’s former ownership, hauntings here have been well documented. According to one popular tale, a BBC announcer who stayed in room 333 at the Langham awoke to see a brilliant light in his room morph into an Edwardian gentleman. Ghosts have been seen donning Victorian garb, and a German soldier has been seen roaming the hallways. The most fabulous tale is that of Napoleon III who has supposedly selected to spend eternity in the hotel’s basement. It’s a safe bet the casual ghost hunter may find ghosts here if he so desires and the truly brave should stay in room 333. If you like scary hotels, theres a few other things that would scare you to death in London.