Hawthorne Hotel Review: Staying in a Haunted Salem Landmark

Hello, spooky cats!

For our latest haunted hotel adventure, we traveled to Salem, Massachusetts, one of the most famous dark tourism destinations in the United States.

Salem is forever connected to the witch trials of 1692, a tragic period that has shaped the town’s history, identity, and supernatural reputation. Today, visitors come for the museums, historic sites, witch-themed shops, ghost tours, and the possibility that some part of Salem’s troubled past may still linger.

At the center of it all stands the historic Hawthorne Hotel.

Opened in 1925 and named after author Nathaniel Hawthorne, the hotel combines old-fashioned elegance, an excellent downtown location, and plenty of ghost stories. Guests and staff have reported cold spots, disembodied voices, shadowy figures, and the uneasy sensation of being watched.

We stayed for two nights in Room 628 to find out what it was really like to sleep inside one of Salem’s most famous haunted hotels.

Would we encounter a ghost on the sixth floor—or would the elevators provide enough weirdness on their own?

Arriving at the Hawthorne Hotel

We traveled from Boston to Salem and checked into the Hawthorne Hotel, located in the heart of the historic district.

The location is one of the hotel’s greatest strengths.

The Salem Witch Museum was visible directly from our room, and many of the town’s museums, shops, restaurants, tours, and historic attractions were within walking distance.

Once we arrived, we did not need to spend much time driving around. We could leave the hotel and immediately begin exploring Salem.

For anyone visiting without a detailed schedule, this is an excellent place to stay because so much is nearby.

The History and Haunted Reputation

The Hawthorne Hotel opened during the 1920s, when ornate public spaces, formal service, and elegant architecture were central to the hotel experience.

Over the years, it has developed a strong paranormal reputation.

Room 325 is often associated with reports of unexplained voices and strange activity. Guests have also described seeing a woman wandering through the hotel and experiencing cold spots in the hallways.

The sixth floor has its own legends.

According to one popular story, the hotel stands on land once connected to Bridget Bishop, the first person executed during the Salem witch trials. Her spirit is sometimes said to haunt the sixth floor, possibly because an apple orchard linked to her once occupied the area.

Whether that story is historically accurate or has grown through Salem folklore, it adds another unsettling layer to the hotel’s reputation.

We were staying on the sixth floor, which gave us plenty of opportunity to see whether anything unusual happened.

Inside Room 628

We stayed in Room 628, a corner room with windows on two sides.

The room had a king-size bed, which was comfortable but took up most of the available space. I suspect the room may originally have been designed for a smaller bed, because the king made everything feel rather cramped.

The room included:

• A king-size bed
• A television
• A small desk
• A dresser with drawers
• A small closet
• Lamps and outlets on both sides of the bed
• Two exterior windows
• A private bathroom

The corner location gave us more natural light and a direct view of the Salem Witch Museum.

The room was charming and clean, but definitely compact.

A Small Room With a Large Bed

The king bed was a welcome luxury after several trips involving full-size mattresses, but it also created a practical problem.

We travel with too much stuff.

Between our clothes, camera equipment, paranormal devices, chargers, and luggage, we could not open both suitcases at the same time.

One suitcase had to be moved or closed before the other could be accessed.

Guests who travel lightly may not find the room especially difficult. Anyone arriving with large luggage—or enough ghost-hunting equipment to establish a small field laboratory—may feel squeezed.

The closet was also very small. Our large suitcases would never have fit inside it, although smaller bags or a few hanging items would have been fine.

Missing Room Amenities

The room did not contain a refrigerator, microwave, or coffee maker.

That was slightly disappointing.

A refrigerator is useful for drinks, leftovers, and medication, while a coffee maker is a common convenience in many hotels.

The Hawthorne Hotel leans more toward historic charm than modern in-room conveniences, so guests should plan accordingly.

Fortunately, Salem has plenty of cafés and restaurants within walking distance. We were never far from food or coffee.

Electrical Outlets and Lighting

The room had outlets on both sides of the bed, which was helpful.

That may sound like a small detail, but older hotels sometimes provide very few convenient places to charge phones and cameras.

After staying at the Omni Parker House, where outlets were more limited, we appreciated having easier access here.

The room also received good natural light through its two windows. We did not immediately notice the bathroom light switch because the window provided enough daytime light that we had not needed it.

Historic hotels occasionally turn basic tasks into tiny scavenger hunts.

The Bathroom

The bathroom was small but functional.

It included a bathtub and shower combination, a toilet, a sink with a little counter space, toiletries, and a window that could be opened.

The counter space was limited, but it was still more than we had at the Omni Parker House.

The bathroom window created an unusual possibility: taking a bath while letting fresh Salem air into the room.

It seemed bizarre enough that I was tempted to try it simply because I could.

The hotel provided a good selection of toiletries, although I was surprised that the products did not lean more heavily into Salem’s witch-themed identity.

A locally made witchy soap would have felt appropriate.

Instead, the bathroom products were fairly standard.

The Difficult Bathroom Door

The bathroom door in Room 628 was difficult to close.

You had to pull it firmly to make the latch catch properly.

This may have been a problem limited to our room rather than something found throughout the hotel. Still, anyone staying in Room 628 should be prepared to give the door a determined tug.

Old buildings shift and settle over time, which can cause doors to stick or stop lining up perfectly.

It was mildly inconvenient, but not a serious issue.

The Beds and Sleep Quality

The king-size bed was comfortable.

We slept well during our second night and did not experience any major problems with the mattress.

The room remained quiet, and nothing woke us during the night.

There were no unexplained knocks, loud footsteps, voices, or ghosts rattling the bathroom door.

For a haunted hotel, it was surprisingly peaceful.

The room may have been small, but the bed itself was one of the stronger parts of the stay.

The Haunted Elevators

The most unusual experience happened near the elevators.

We watched a group of people enter one of the elevators. Almost immediately afterward, we walked over and pressed the button, expecting to wait for the elevator to return.

Instead, the doors opened almost at once.

The elevator was empty.

The people who had just entered were gone.

The elevators were already slow, noisy, and prone to rattling, which made the experience feel even stranger. It did not seem as though enough time had passed for the elevator to travel to another floor, unload the passengers, and return.

Both of us saw the same thing.

Could there have been another elevator involved? Did the doors reopen on a different car than the one we saw them enter? Did we misjudge how much time had passed?

Those are all possible explanations.

Still, it was one of those moments that felt genuinely odd.

Perhaps the Hawthorne Hotel elevators do not transport people between floors.

Perhaps they briefly transport them into another dimension.

That would at least explain the rattling.

A Mysterious Unserviceable Area

Near our room, we noticed an area with doors marked as not serviceable or unavailable.

There appeared to be a room, followed by another restricted or non-serviceable section.

Naturally, this made us curious.

Historic hotels often have utility spaces, storage rooms, mechanical areas, or guest rooms undergoing repairs. There was probably a perfectly ordinary explanation.

Still, a sealed-off room on the sixth floor of a haunted hotel is exactly the sort of thing that attracts attention.

Perhaps that is where the elevators store the missing guests.

Was Room 628 Haunted?

We did not experience any obvious paranormal activity inside the room.

Nothing moved on its own. No voices came from the empty corners. We did not wake to find a mysterious woman standing beside the bed.

The room remained quiet both nights.

Our strange elevator experience was the most memorable unexplained event during the stay.

That does not prove the room or hotel is haunted. It simply means we did not personally encounter anything in Room 628 that required a supernatural explanation.

The ghosts may have been staying in Room 325.

Visiting Salem in May

We visited Salem in May rather than during the Halloween season.

That turned out to be a very good decision.

The town was busy enough to feel alive, but we could still wander around, join tours, enter museums, and make plans without discovering that everything was sold out.

We did not need a strict schedule. We could decide what we wanted to do as the day unfolded.

That freedom made the trip much more relaxing.

Salem in October is famously crowded. Hotels, tours, restaurants, and attractions can sell out far in advance.

During our stay, we overheard someone at the front desk attempting to book a room for the Halloween season. Even though it was only May, the hotel was already sold out for that period.

Anyone hoping to stay at the Hawthorne Hotel near Halloween may need to book more than a year ahead.

Is Halloween the Best Time to Stay?

The Hawthorne Hotel would be an amazing base for a Halloween trip to Salem.

You would be staying directly in the center of the celebrations, surrounded by historic sites, witch museums, tours, costumes, decorations, and thousands of fellow spooky travelers.

However, that atmosphere comes with crowds, higher prices, long waits, and limited availability.

Visiting during May gave us a quieter and more flexible experience.

Travelers who want the full Halloween spectacle should plan far ahead. Those who prefer easier access to attractions may enjoy spring or another off-season period more.

The Hotel’s Location

The location may be the strongest reason to stay at the Hawthorne Hotel.

The Salem Witch Museum sits nearby, and many popular destinations are only a short walk away.

The hotel works especially well for visitors interested in:

• Salem witch trial history
• Haunted tours
• Museums
• Historic architecture
• Witch-themed shopping
• Dark tourism
• Restaurants and cafés
• Walking through downtown Salem

You can use the Hawthorne as a central base and return to the room whenever you need a break.

The lack of in-room coffee matters less when the town is waiting outside your door.

Who Will Enjoy the Hawthorne Hotel?

The Hawthorne Hotel is a good choice for travelers who appreciate:

• Historic hotels
• Haunted locations
• Central downtown accommodations
• Salem history
• Traditional decor
• Comfortable king beds
• Walkable attractions
• Dark tourism destinations

It is particularly appealing to people who want their hotel to feel connected to Salem rather than staying in a generic property outside town.

Even if you do not believe in ghosts, the building offers atmosphere and history.

Potential Drawbacks

The main drawback was the limited space.

Our room was compact, the closet was tiny, and our luggage quickly overwhelmed the available floor area.

The room also lacked a refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker.

The elevators were slow and rattled enough to make every ride feel slightly adventurous. The bathroom door required extra effort to close, and the bathroom itself was small.

These were mostly minor inconveniences rather than serious problems.

Historic hotels often require guests to exchange space and modern convenience for character.

Final Hawthorne Hotel Review

We enjoyed our stay at the Hawthorne Hotel.

Room 628 was small, but it was clean, comfortable, and charming. The king-size bed was pleasant, the corner windows provided a great view, and the hotel’s location made exploring Salem extremely easy.

We slept well and were not disturbed by any unexplained noises or ghostly visitors.

The elevators, however, may have eaten several people.

We are still investigating.

Would I recommend the Hawthorne Hotel?

Yes.

It is an excellent choice for travelers who want to stay in the heart of Salem, especially those interested in haunted history, witch trial tourism, and unusual historic hotels.

Just remember that Halloween rooms can sell out extremely early. Book far ahead or visit during the off-season when Salem is quieter and easier to explore.

Whether Bridget Bishop wanders the sixth floor or not, the Hawthorne Hotel offers something a normal modern hotel cannot: history, atmosphere, mystery, and the possibility that the elevator doors may open onto an empty car far sooner than they should.

Stay spooky, cats!