You won’t find traditional ghost towns in Hawaii, but you can spend the night in haunted hotels where the past refuses to rest. The Moana Surfrider holds the spirit of its poisoned founder, while Sheraton Princess Kaiulani echoes with midnight screams. Volcano House sits on Pele’s volcanic domain, and the Lodge at Koele hosts a wandering child who rearranges toys. Most chilling is the cursed Kona Lagoon, built on sacred ground where ancestral spirits still guard their disturbed resting place.
Key Takeaways
- Moana Surfrider Hotel, Hawaii’s oldest luxury hotel since 1901, offers guests the chance to book haunted room 120.
- Sheraton Princess Kaiulani features overnight stays with reported paranormal activity including shadowy figures and unexplained whispers after midnight.
- Volcano House Hotel on Kīlauea’s rim provides accommodations where guests experience spectral woman sightings and ancient volcanic spirits.
- Lodge at Koele in Lāna’i allows overnight guests who report encounters with a ghostly girl and mysterious nursery activity.
- These hotels blend historic Hawaiian culture with supernatural experiences, offering unique overnight stays in allegedly haunted locations.
Moana Surfrider Hotel: Where Stanford’s Founder Never Left
When the Moana Hotel opened its doors on March 11, 1901, it transformed Waikiki from a sleepy beachfront into Hawaii’s first luxury destination. You’ll find its Victorian elegance still intact, but there’s something darker beneath the surface.
Jane Stanford, co-founder of Stanford University, died here in room 120 on February 28, 1905—strychnine poisoning that remains unsolved. Her spirit allegedly lingers, drifting through hallways in Victorian dress before vanishing near the massive banyan tree planted just before her death.
The meditation gardens offer tranquility by day, but at night, you might experience the chills and unseen presences that security logs have documented for decades. Guests have also reported encountering a man in military uniform, possibly a WWII soldier, near the bar or veranda. The hotel’s original design featured Hawaii’s first electric elevator, adding modern luxury to its Victorian grandeur. This spooky folklore makes the Moana Surfrider Hawaii’s most haunted hotel—where you can actually book the room where she died.
Sheraton Princess Kaiulani: Echoes From the Balconies
You’ll hear them after midnight—piercing screams echoing from the balconies where Princess Kaʻiulani once walked through her peacock gardens.
Guests report shadowy figures drifting across their lanais, accompanied by whispers in a language that predates the hotel’s 1955 opening.
The most chilling incidents cluster around the upper floors, where at least one fatal balcony fall has left an indelible mark on this stretch of former royal land. The 29-story Ainahau Tower, added a decade after the Kaiulani Wing opened, rises high above the original structures where many of these disturbances are reported.
Inside the hotel lobby, Princess Kaʻiulani’s portrait watches over guests alongside royal artifacts that preserve her memory, though some say her presence extends far beyond these carefully curated displays.
Late Night Screaming Reports
As darkness settles over Waikiki, the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani transforms into something far less welcoming than its daytime persona suggests. You’ll hear them first from your balcony—piercing screams that slice through the tropical night air.
Guests on every floor report identical disturbances: relentless yelling that shatters sleep from midnight until dawn. The tenth floor‘s particularly notorious, where screams echo nightly without explanation.
Street revelers, parking lot chaos, and unexplained shrieks blend into an acoustic nightmare that penetrates even closed doors. Your balcony becomes a sound amplifier, channeling every shriek directly into your room. The walls offer little sanctuary—guests hear neighbors talking at normal volume, phone rings piercing through, and every disturbance from adjacent rooms as if barriers don’t exist.
While some dismiss these as mere urban noise, others swear they’ve witnessed something darker—fleeting shadows accompanying the screams, chills that accompany each wail, and an overwhelming sense you’re not alone when the screaming starts. The Princess Wing rooms stand silent during these events, their absence of balconies offering no outdoor vantage point to witness whatever haunts the night air.
Balcony Fall Incidents History
The balconies of the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani have witnessed tragedies that guests still whisper about in hushed tones. You’ll hear accounts of a fatal fall linked to Princess Ka’iulani’s restless spirit, an incident that’s woven itself into the hotel’s haunted hotel stories.
During the 2008 film production about the princess, a production manager died in a tragic accident here, deepening the property’s dark mystique. A separate room fire from a cigarette added another layer to the unexplained events. While balcony safety concerns remain practical matters, visitors can’t ignore the pattern of misfortune.
Filmmakers reported shadows and voices at nearby ‘Iolani Palace, suggesting something beyond coincidence. More recently, a railing crashed onto the beach below from one of the balconies, though thankfully no fatalities occurred. The incident at the neighboring Moana Surfrider occurred around 1:18 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon, when witnesses saw the balcony structure begin to rock before collapsing. These balconies hold memories that refuse to fade, challenging you to distinguish between structural failure and supernatural intervention.
Shadowy Figures and Whispers
Beyond the physical tragedies, something unseen moves through these corridors. You’ll catch fleeting shadows darting through empty hallways where phantom footsteps echo against your solitude.
When darkness settles, whispers in Native Hawaiian slip beneath locked doors, calling from corners you can’t quite see. The 2008 Princess Ka’iulani film crew witnessed these mysterious apparitions firsthand—shadows materializing during production, voices cutting through silence.
Late-night balcony screams pierce the tropical air while unexplainable chills crawl across your skin. You’ll feel watched in these unfamiliar corridors, disoriented by wretched tappings that remind you you’re never truly alone.
Blue orbs drift post-1991 reconstruction, illuminating the heavy atmosphere on certain floors. Witnesses report sightings of a woman in 19th-century dress, her royal figure materializing as a stark reminder of the last Hawaiian heir who still walks these halls. The hotel stands where the estate’s driveway and graveyard once lay, built atop burial grounds disturbed during 1916 exhumations. The whispers sneak closer, threading into your consciousness, carrying secrets from spirits who refuse to leave this cursed ground where ‘Āinahau once stood.
Outrigger Kona Resort: Among Ancient Warriors and Sacred Cliffs
Perched on razor-sharp lava cliffs where ancient Hawaiian royalty once gathered, Outrigger Kona Resort stands as both a modern luxury retreat and a keeper of sacred stories. You’ll walk grounds where King Kamehameha III was born, where ali’i performed sacred rituals in sheltered waters below.
The sacred cliffs echo with whispers of ancient warfare—warriors once launched from the massive Hōlua Slide above, testing courage on sleds hurtling down volcanic rock.
At night, the basalt formations and blowholes release primordial groans as Pacific swells crash against stone. Manta rays glide through plankton-rich waters where chiefs once fished, their silent dance timeless as the lava itself.
Between your modern suite and the cultural center’s hula demonstrations, you’ll sense generations watching from these volcanic shores.
Volcano House Hotel: The Woman Who Still Walks the Halls
Since 1846, Volcano House has clung to Kīlauea’s caldera rim, where sulfur-tinged mists curl through hallways and floorboards creak with footsteps that aren’t your own. You’ll sleep where Mark Twain and King Kalākaua once did, in Hawaii’s only lodging inside an active volcanic park.
The mysterious woman wandering these haunted corridors has walked through five iterations of this inn—surviving the 1940 fire that consumed the Victorian structure, lingering through architect Charles W. Dickey’s 1941 rebuild.
Her presence intertwines with Pele’s volcanic domain, making spectral apparitions feel less like intrusions and more like ancient residents reclaiming their territory.
At night, when lava glows orange against your window and unexplained shadows drift past, you’ll understand why 170 years of guests have documented encounters they can’t rationally explain.
Lodge at Koele: The Little Girl Who Visits Guests
Deep in Lāna’i’s misty uplands, where Norfolk pines tower over manicured grounds that now house Sensei Lāna’i, guests have reported midnight visits from a child who shouldn’t exist.
At Sensei Lāna’i, beneath towering pines, guests encounter a phantom child who walks the midnight halls uninvited.
The former Lodge at Koele sits on land steeped in Hawaiian legend—territory once ruled by Pahulu, god of nightmares.
You’ll find yourself lying awake as footsteps pad down empty corridors. Some claim to hear a child’s lullaby drifting through the building’s shadows, though no families occupy nearby rooms.
Staff whisper about the haunted nursery on the upper floor, where toys rearrange themselves and small handprints appear on freshly cleaned windows.
Whether you believe in wandering spirits or attribute these encounters to Lāna’i’s supernatural reputation, the island’s isolation amplifies every unexplained sound.
The Cursed Kona Lagoon Hotel: Built on Forbidden Ground
You’ll find the ruins of the Kona Lagoon Hotel sinking into Keauhou Bay like a stone dropped where it shouldn’t be—and locals will tell you it deserved exactly that fate.
The 462-room resort opened in 1973 on the sacred dwelling place of twin supernatural sisters who took the form of lizards, guardian spirits who didn’t take kindly to concrete towers rising over their home.
Guests reported something wrong from day one: entire floors emptied as visitors demanded room changes.
Whispers spread about the royal burial ground hidden beneath the saltwater lagoon, and the hotel bled money until it stood vacant for sixteen years before demolition finally returned the land to silence.
Twin Lizard Guardian Spirits
When Hawaiian Pacific Management Resorts and Mitsubishi of Japan broke ground on the Kona Lagoon Hotel in the early 1970s, they didn’t realize they’d disturbed something far older than business plans and blueprints.
According to guardian legends, twin lizard sisters—’aumakua spirits—had protected this sacred ground for centuries, watching over ancient temples and burial sites where thousands once perished in human sacrifice.
These twin spirits manifested as lizards, dwelling exactly where the 462-room resort would rise along Alii Drive.
Locals knew better than to build here. The ‘aumakua weren’t mere folklore—they were ancestral guardians bound by Hawaiian burial laws and cultural reverence.
When the hotel opened on April 6, 1973, complete with its saltwater lagoon and convention center, the spirits’ domain had been violated.
The consequences would prove devastating.
Cursed Room Mass Relocations
The 462-room Kona Lagoon Hotel stood as a monument to hubris—concrete and steel rising where Keawehala Pond once shimmered, its waters home to the twin lizard spirits who’d guarded this sacred ground for generations. You’d have watched construction crews bulldoze through heiaus and a luakini temple where ancient sacrifices once sanctified forbidden earth.
Within months of opening, spectral sightings erupted throughout the property. Shadowy figures stalked hallways while disembodied screams pierced Hawaiian nights. Flying trays battered terrified staff, doors locked inexplicably behind fleeing employees.
The paranormal energy crescendoed in August 1986 when an 8-foot ki’i toppled, crushing a 4-year-old girl to death. Four years after opening, the property shuttered—officially from financial troubles, though midnight security guards quit repeatedly after encountering ghostly Hawaiian voices echoing through empty corridors.
Royal Burial Ground Beneath
Beyond the visible desecration of temples and sacred ponds, construction crews unwittingly violated something far more kapu—the iwi kupuna (ancestral bones) resting beneath Keawehala’s black volcanic soil.
This ancient burial ground held generations of ali’i who’d once ruled these shores, their remains interred where lava met sea. You’re standing where Chief ʻUmi-a-Liloa’s people laid their dead, where the supernatural twin sisters guarded more than just sacred grounds—they protected the bones of royalty itself.
When bulldozers carved through volcanic rock for that saltwater lagoon, they disturbed what no Hawaiian would dare touch.
Security guards later reported Hawaiian chanting drifting through empty corridors, perhaps the voices of ancestors reclaiming what developers had stolen, reminding intruders that some boundaries transcend property rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Do if I Encounter Night Marchers During My Stay?
According to legend, looking directly at night marchers meant certain death. You’ll guarantee nighttime safety through cultural respect: immediately lie face-down, cover your head, close your eyes, and remain motionless until the ancient warriors’ torchlit procession passes completely.
Are There Specific Times When Paranormal Activity Is Most Commonly Reported?
You’ll find statistical patterns show paranormal activity peaks dramatically after dark, particularly between 10 PM and 3 AM. Historical explanations tie these encounters to ancient Hawaiian night marcher processions, when warrior spirits traditionally traverse their sacred pathways toward the sea.
Do Hotels Offer Ghost Tours or Paranormal Investigation Equipment to Guests?
Stepping through Hawaii’s spectral veil, you’ll find hotels offering ghost tour packages as unique hotel amenities. Waikiki’s Moana Surfrider welcomes paranormal explorers, though you’ll bring your own cameras—the spirits provide everything else you need.
Are Certain Room Numbers Avoided Due to Higher Reports of Supernatural Activity?
You won’t find official haunted room etiquette or supernatural room selection guides—hotels keep specific numbers quiet to avoid scaring guests away. Instead, entire floors and wings carry whispered reputations, drawing thrill-seekers while deterring the superstitious.
What Hawaiian Cultural Protocols Should Visitors Follow in Spiritually Significant Hotel Areas?
You’ll honor Hawaiian spiritual customs by moving quietly through sacred spaces, asking permission before entering, and avoiding touch with ancient stones. Respectful accommodation practices mean removing shoes, speaking softly, and leaving no offerings—letting ancestral mana flow undisturbed around you.
References
- https://www.mysteries-of-hawaii.com/blog/top-5-most-haunted-hotels-waikiki
- https://hauntedhotelstays.com/usa/hawaii
- https://www.365kona.com/keauhou/haunted-hawaii-ghosts-spirits-night-marchers-and-more/
- https://www.resorticahawaii.com/spooky-haunted-places-in-hawaii/
- https://nvtami.com/2023/04/26/big-island-hawaii-ghost-towns/
- https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60643-d248354-r36100689-West_Molokai_Resort-Maunaloa_Molokai_Hawaii.html
- https://usghostadventures.com/waikiki-ghost-tour/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmBu_7RnF6w
- https://honoluluhaunts.com/the-haunted-moana-surfrider/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moana_Hotel
