Château de Brissac, France

The Château de Brissac has a long and often violent history. It was built sometime in the 10th century by the Dukes of Anjou. Over the centuries, it was captured and ransacked time and again. Eventually, the Dukes of Brissac gained ownership over the castle in the 19th century; the family still owns it today.

The château is open for visits by the public, and it serves as a bed and breakfast - if you can put up with the Green Lady.

The Green Lady (La Dame Verte, in French) is said to be the daughter of King Charles VII and his mistress, Agnès Sorel. This made the Lady, Charlotte de Brézé, the half-sister of King Louis XI. However, being illegitimate, she was not "true" royalty. She married nobleman Jacques de Brézé - not of her own choosing. The marriage was made for political reasons, and the two had virtually nothing in common.

It wasn't long, of course, before Charlotte began to look elsewhere for companionship. This was made easier by the fact that Charlotte and Jacques didn't share a bedroom, let alone a bed. Charlotte started up an affair with a man named Pierre de Lavergne. Jacques was, at first, unaware, but the servants definitely knew.

On May 31, 1477, Jacques returned from one of his many hunting trips and, after dining with Charlotte, retired for the night. He was awakened by a servant, who informed him of the affair between Charlotte and Pierre. Enraged, Jacques hurried to Charlotte's room and murdered the two lovers.

It wasn't long before the ghosts made their appearance known by frequent moaning. Jacques was driven out of the castle by the noise.

Now, it appears that only Charlotte haunts the castle. Sounds of moaning are heard in the castle very early in the morning. She has also frequently been seen in the chapel, wearing a green dress (which is the source of her name). Worse, she appears with holes in her face where her eyes and nose should be.

NOTE: The link above leads to Booking.com. As of this writing, the website isn't taking bookings for the château. However, since this appears to be the only way to book, I've used the link for the time when it goes live again.

Mason House Inn, Bentonsport, Iowa, USA

Built in 1846, the Mason House Inn (then known as Ashland House) was originally an inn designated for serving passengers on steamboats traveling the Des Moines River. In the course of its existence, it was a stop on the Underground Railroad, a holding area for wounded Civil War soldiers awaiting transport to the hospital in Keokuk, and a sanitarium for tuberculosis patients.

The main building contains six rooms. A seventh is not exactly a room, but a converted train caboose near the main house. The caboose has its own kitchen.

Stories of the house are fascinating. According to legend, Room 7 was the site of a murder, and the ghost of the victim (a man named Knapp) still haunts it. The ghost of an elderly woman has appeared in more than one room. A little boy haunts Room 5, where he tugs on the clothing of whoever is staying there.

Room 8 is for the more intrepid. This one is haunted by a floating head.

The owners are open to ghost hunts, with very strict rules (no alcohol, no seances, no Ouija boards, etc.). Happy haunting!

Fort Garry Hotel, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

The Fort Garry Hotel is an impressive building dating from the early 20th century.

For those who want an added experience, Room 202 is said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman who hanged herself in the closet. Guests have reported sounds of (wet) footsteps coming from the bathroom, hangers moving in the infamous closet, the lights and TV turning on, footsteps around the bed at night, sounds of sobbing, and a cloaked figure hovering above the foot of the bed.

Canadian Liberal MP Brenda Chamberlain stayed in the room once, and claimed that the ghost actually got into her bed. "I actually felt the bed move," she claimed.

More disturbing is that some guests in 202 have reported seeing blood trickling down the walls. The unfortunate woman's ghost has been seen crying in a corner of the hotel lounge, as well as walking the corridors.

It seems that all the employees at the hotel know about the ghost - and that she may have no intention of ever leaving.

Lindsey Hotel, Rockland, Maine, USA

It appears that Captain Lindsey loves his house so much, he's still there.

The 1835 Lindsey Hotel in Rockland, Maine is near the waterfront and has a number of attractive amenities. The website doesn't mention the ghosts, however. According to various sources, the Captain Lindsey who built the house - and for whom the house is named - is one of the spirits haunting his former home. Doors slam, beds are rumpled (but only when unoccupied by the living), and voices are heard.

See for yourself what sort of vibe this place has!

Dr. Holms Hotel, Geilo, Norway

Hotels (and motels and other lodging places) seem to be a magnet for suicides. A person who decides to end his/her life will often leave home, check into a hotel, and do the deed. This ensures that the body will be found relatively quickly, and that the suicide's loved ones won't have to clean up the mess (though they'll be stuck with the hotel bill and cleanup costs).

Dr. Holms Hotel in Geilo, Norway, has a tale to tell that is found in other hotels, in other countries. A married couple came to the hotel to spend their honeymoon, and all seemed well - until the bride found her new husband in bed with another woman. Distraught, the bride disappeared. When she was found three days later, she had hanged herself in the attic.

She is still in the hotel, particularly in Room 320.

Hotel Chelsea, New York City, New York, USA

The Hotel Chelsea is virtually a Who's Who of artists. Past guests include Allan Ginsberg, Brendan Behan, William S. Burroughs, Mark Twain, Dennis Hopper, Stanley Kubrick, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Tennessee Williams, and Andy Warhol.

Two infamous guests were Sid Vicious, of Sex Pistols fame, and his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen. Their violent relationship culminated in murder, when Sid allegedly stabbed Nancy to death. She was all of 20 years old when she died. (There are theories that Nancy was killed by a drug dealer while Sid was zonked out on drugs.) Vicious is believed to haunt the Chelsea; evidently, Sid (who died of a drug overdose in 1979, just a few months after Nancy) makes his presence known in the elevator, as well as in Room 100, where Nancy died. Oddly enough, for someone who in life was so self-destructive, Sid is very helpful in the elevator, pushing buttons and opening and closing the doors. Room 100 is a different story; guests have reported sounds of a couple arguing in there.

On November 4, 1953, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas walked into the Chelsea and announced, "I've had 18 straight whiskies. I think that's the record!" Five days later, he was dead of bronchial disease. His presence is particularly eerie; he is said to haunt Room 206, where he stayed before his fatal illness, and his disembodied head has been seen at the ends of guests' beds.

Eugene O'Neill has appeared at the Chelsea, as has Thomas Wolfe. Both of them have been seen in the hallways.

A less-famous ghost is that of a woman named Mary, who survived the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Her husband was among those who went down with the ship. Overwhelmed with grief over her loss, Mary hanged herself in her fifth-floor room at the Chelsea. She is seen gazing at her reflection in the mirror.

Hotel Bela Vista, Portimão, Portugal

Now a luxury hotel and spa overlooking the ocean, Hotel Bela Vista was once a private home. Evidently, the daughter of the former owner died in the house, and remains there. Screams and moans have been reported, and Room 108 is supposed to be the room where the unfortunate girl died.