Strangely, the lobby of the Gold Room a large events space was dark and there was no one around. On a Saturday afternoon, he procured his marriage license and purchased a revolver, then retired to his room. Ahhh, the elevators. We all slept through the night peacefully and uneventfully, which is both a relief and a bummer. We all heard it, clear as day. It was a 3-generation girls' getaway. Good news was, The Congress regularly had an overabundance of would-be guests in its lobby, many of whom traveled hundreds or even thousands of miles, only to find the hotel completely sold out. As she handed me my room key, she offered me a sympathetic smile. The place is gorgeous and filled to the brim with history, but also feels like something dark is lingering in the air. destined (Fiiiiiiine. That was probably the most unsettling thing about our entire visit. We briefly checked out the thirteenth floor, which looked exactly like every floor before it (except the third floor with the fancy carpet, the second floor with the ballroom, and the main floor which is super fancy.) My guess is that someone stole the original one, but they couldnt spring for one of those cheap plastic engraved doohickeys? Although the hallway leading up to room 441 was no different than the others, it definitely felt different. Quick service, and he opened a window for us. Well, just me and a few ghosts. The two said they did it for the thrill of it. It was the court case of the century, and reports at the time noted that the Franks family left their home to avoid gawkers, moving to The Drake, where they spent the rest of their days. After an investigation, it was determined that Captain Lou shot himself accidentally, immediately upon waking from a nightmare. We went ~ghost hunting~ using the free app called Ghost Detector and found ghosts named Dora and Mabel. ), Mid-Michigan's Premier True Crime/Paranormal Touring Company. What about Room 441? The FBI has confirmed that right before and right after the massacre, one of Capones associates called him from a house phone in the hotels lobby. WE MADE IT! This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. By what name was Room 441 (2020) officially released in Canada in English? My family stayed here March 31-April 5 and I would definitely say that you get what you pay for. Cue Demented Mitten Tours, who recently spent the night in Room 441 and lived to tell the tale. Two lights in the room. guest copley fairmont plaza rooms caos 2009 hotel international It's said that some of those guests never checked out. People also talk about "Peg Leg Jonny" who is said to have been killed in an alley behind the hotel. So Capones guys keeping prisoners locked up there? Ask wjlusc about The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center, Pretty Decent for a great price and location, Ask ls12343 about The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center, Ask nicolemY9311VL about The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center, Ask aldmarff about The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center, Ask Carrol D about The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center, We compared the lowest prices from 15 websites, LondonHouse Chicago, Curio Collection by Hilton, We compared the lowest prices from 16 websites, theWit Chicago - a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, We compared the lowest prices from 13 websites, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chicago - Magnificent Mile, We compared the lowest prices from 8 websites, We compared the lowest prices from 12 websites. Mrs. Langer and her sons were here on a six month travel visa that was about to expire. (Even though The Chicago Tribune says they died on the thirteenth floor.) So anyway, Im nauseous, my head hurts, and my body feels weighted down as if Im under water. Room 441 is largely considered the most haunted room in the Congress Plaza Hotel. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Thank you for choosing The Congress Plaza Hotel, we appreciate your feedback and look forward to hosting you for a future stay! So is one night at The Congress really enough to decide that all the hype around Room 441 is just that, hype? The Air conditioner did not work, a window had to be opened all the time. There were twists, turns, and even dead-ends. Cute little guys with striped hats and symbols and the like. See production, box office & company info, Scream King Entertainment (United States), 520 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, Illinois, USA. I paid $75 for a glass of winesteak dinner and dessert. Holmes would supposedly meet women in the lobby before taking them to his "murder castle," multiple people have jumped to their deaths from windows, and Al Capone's spirit lingers and those are just a few legends surrounding the Congress. But no matter how scared I got during my time at the Congress Plaza Hotel, at least I was able to check out some don't seem to be so lucky. It could be because I knew that I'd be sleeping in a haunted place, or it could be because Anna decided to tell one of the ghosts to "suck her ass" and still managed to fall asleep later, even though I stayed up the whole night complimenting Mary so she didn't end up murdering us or holding us hostage like John Cusack in 1408. Everyone was very friendly and helpful from check in to check-out! Holmes, weve got a pretty good number of deaths connected to The Congress just by association. Obsessed with travel? This was kind of disappointing, but also not disappointing, because I didn't need any demons attaching themselves to me and my friend. Had to ask for decafe coffee for the room. Mr. Langer was still trapped in Prague, but was supposed to be joining his family in America. Room 441, huh? she asked. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. Us girls are really friggin' brave we stayed in the most haunted hotel in the entire city of Chicago! Between Al Capone and H.H. Oh and don't look behind you. That room more than any other. She told me that when she first started working at the hotel, she had no idea about the rooms reputation, or even that the hotel was rumored to be haunted. Over the years, there have been countless additions, renovations, closings, and re-openings. congressplazahotel, Public Relations Manager at The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center, responded to this review. Immediately we heard a huge BANG in the corner of our room. So. But something, or someone, was definitely up there. Did someone just steal numbers from other doors and nail them to this one??? as well as other partner offers and accept our, Visit Insider's homepage for more stories, that the hotel's nickname is "Home of Presidents", pulled off them in the middle of the night. I didn't know any of this before booking a three-night stay at the Congress Plaza Hotel, but I was to find out more about its spooky past during my visit in the first week of June. because I was delirious and this is the person I am. Reporting on what you care about. White walls, white bedding, standard cheap hotel furniture. The lobby was fairly busy, and it was clear that I was one of a long line of guests shed checked in that day. I was patient for a short while, then pounded on the door between our rooms.

They remain there in the afterlife, it seems, and have been witnessed wandering the hotel, mourning their murdered son. Authorities initially believed that Captain Lou had committed suicide, but his friends, family, and fiance rejected that as a possibility. We then began exploring, and Ren was the bravest, so she started knocking on doors and opening sketchy closets. Is this an inconsistency thats been quietly ignored over years of retelling different variations of the story? Now that weve gotten some haunted history out of the way, let me tell you about our experience at The Congress. First of all, can we please talk about how gorgeous the lobby is? Depending what room you are at, you will walk in a maze to find, there is so many doors to find your room. It is said to be the most haunted building in all of Chicago, and one of the most haunted hotels in America. All rights reserved.Privacy policy | Terms of use | Sitemap. After just a few minutes wandering the halls, I realized I was lost and began to panic. Im not sure, to be honest with you. Seriously, the whole thing. I'm Anna, and I'm obsessed with everything spooky so when I got the chance to stay the night at Chicago's most haunted hotel, the. Every time I entered the hotel, got in the elevator, and walked the hallways to my room, I only spotted one or two other guests. This hotel is NICE, okay? While the movie is set in New York, the haunted hotel featured in the movie definitely resembles The Congress. So this brings us back to Room 441 at about 1 am. We chose to stay here because we read up on haunted hotels and wanted something haunted and scary for our anniversary.. Well it's definitely Old, creepy, outdated, smells, not really sure if it's really haunted or not and we did stay in room 441, I swear I felt the bed get kicked twice the first night but my husband assured me it was in my head since he didn't feel it.. The longer we were out there, the more disoriented and confused we became. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! Hold on, though, Im getting ahead of myself. Have to squeeze by air vent to get to one side of the bed.

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By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Theres also the case of the Woman in Black, who murdered socialite Adele Born Williams in 1944. The Congress has hosted an impressive number of American presidents, politicians, world leaders, celebrities, mobsters, and even the devil himself- Americas first serial killer, H.H. Now, Im going to tell you something, and hopefully you wont think Im a complete kook. So after some research and dusting off my Ouija board, I grabbed my spookiest friend, Ren, to stay a night with me on the hotel's fourth floor, which is said to be the most haunted. Its rumored that Stephen King wrote the short story 1408 (which later became a movie starring John Cusack) after staying in Room 441 at The Congress. In August of 1939, 43 year old Adele Langer checked herself and her two young sons into The Congress following a day at the zoo. I stayed at the Congress Plaza for two nights on my first visit to Chicago. Ever the gentleman, the famously handsome Holmes would invite tourists looking for rooms, usually women traveling alone, to come stay at his hotel instead. The presidents used the hotel as campaign headquarters, as a meeting place for caucuses, and for historic interviews. The room wasunremarkable. Im honestly kind of regretting the whole trip at this point because Im not a ghost hunter, Im just a curious weirdo, and my nerves are too shot for some angry shadow woman to be shaking my bed and flipping the paintings upside down and whispering in my ear. Could it be an angry Mary, because we were disturbing her quiet, peaceful night? Uh, no. What do you want from me? Then you're brave. During my stay, it felt like I was the only guest because public spaces were empty. But I have no desire to stay there for days/weeks/months to figure it out. However, Shakeel Siddiqui, the general manager of the hotel, told me these incidents are only rumors. Hard to tell. I mean, hopefully. Definitely worth the trip if youre into that sort of thing. Remember when I said that The Congress was built for the World Fair? The two of us were also fascinated by just how terrifying the whole hotel felt. From the moment we walked into the lobby, we got a very Tower of Terrorlike vibe. Anna: Staying in a haunted hotel wasn't as terrifying as I thought it would be, but that could be because I wasn't alone. Youve got some googling to do later. In bed in the dark, I couldn't stop thinking about the ghost stories I read when I first arrived at the hotel. None other than my favorite murderer and yours, Mr. H.H. The hotel location is very nice, a little too far from the main stores, but still great location. . The case was big news at the time, but was never solved. There are rumors because of the age of the building.". Not a great night of sleep, but it was not the fault of hotel. I tried to visit the most haunted room in the hotel, but the labyrinth of hallways got me spooked. The lobby especially. Beds were comfortable, but unfortunately, we were awaken just after midnight by very loud shouting from neighbors in the next room. I cant help but think about the unwitting Lollapalooza attendees that will be checking into The Congress over the next couple of days, with no idea that theyre immersing themselves in some of Chicagos most haunted history. Thanks, demons. Im only going to mention the couple that I was able to verify.

It is a very small place with a limited menu. Were all freaked out, exhausted, and Im feeling like I might pass out or puke. Let me tell you, of all the ghost stories I took into that hotel with me, this is the one that stuck. Little is known about this spooky hobo ghost, but the Internet tells us that the incorrigible spirit has an urge to turn room lights and electronics on and off, and generally cause havoc for guests. The Congress Plaza Hotel stands on Michigan Avenue in the middle of Chicago's Loop neighborhood. How detectives reached this conclusion is anyones guess, but if it helped Captain Lous family sleep at night, more power to them. Not proof of Capones eternal connection to the haunted hotel by any means, but a cool fact nonetheless. The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center. There was no one in the lobby, there was no one in the restaurant, and there was no one in the halls. There was no noise coming from any of the hotel rooms. It felt like we were in. Are you mother-effing kidding me? If you believe the world wide web, there have been oodles. It seemed the hallways went on forever. I picture someone getting out of the weird, sunken in shower, stepping out on the slippery tile floor, gazing into the giant, steamy bathroom mirror, and seeing the word MURDER written backwards across the glass, as if from the inside. Maybe because it happened, maybe because Ive seen too many movies. Cool, right? The front desk was friendly. I had not done my homework to get a quiet room. I would say its a charming, unassuming building hiding among the skyscrapers, butwelllook at it. Luckily, I fell asleep with the lights on and the rumored ghosts weren't active. "The White House presented this chair to the owners of the Congress Hotel in the early 1900s," a plaque on the chair reads. A great time to visit The Drake is during the Masquerade Ball: A Nightmare on Walton Street. It freaked me out, and I swear I felt my stomach drop out of my ass, but I kept repeating over and over that it was a coincidence the building is old, so it could have been pipes, right?

It's said all of these guests still roam the hallways of the Congress Plaza Hotel. It was early in the evening the front desk said it'd be occupied later in the night so when she knocked and we thought we heard something again, we RAN. Holmes. In fact, there is a fourteen story hotel directly across the street from Grant Park with affordable rooms and a rich history. The hotel was good for the price. CAN YOU FEEL THE CREEPINESS? So here it is. Loud but Convenient but dated and small rooms. Or pass out while puking. But H.H. After we got home, we watched the movie. Dont believe the ghostlyhype around the Congress Plaza? It was easily the largest hotel room I have ever stayed in, but the design choices felt dated to me. We could also ask them questions using the app, and every few minutes it'd freeze and respond with something horrifying, like, "TIME 4 SOME FUN," or "LEAVE THE ROOM." RIGHT????

NO? Holmes still roams The Congress at night, looking for pretty young girls to torture and murder? "We do not consider our hotel haunted," Siddiqui said. Explore Chicago while you're in town! Awesome, I say. The bathroom was mediocre; cold shower, shelf hanging out over the sink, crooked toilet. It was easier said than done. We chose to stay here because we read up on haunted hotels and wanted something haunted and scary for our anniversary.. Well it's definitely Old, creepy, outdated, smells, not really sure if it's really haunted or not and we did stay in room 441, I swear I felt the bed get kicked twice the first night but my husband assured me it was in my head since he didn't feel it.. Between Mr. Langers absence and the threat of being sent back to Prague when their visas expired, Adele went mad with fear. Perhaps the most poignant ghosts, however, are those of the parents of Bobby Franks. Ren wasn't convinced and it scared the shit out of her so much that she didn't sleep all night. It's like The Shining. It sounded like people pushing carts and doing laundry and all of the things you would expect a hotel staff to do. The room was clean but could be updated. Probably not. There were lots of noises coming from the fifteenth floor. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. It is so haunted, apparently, that it is only booked when specifically requested by a thrill-seeking guest. 2022 Choose Chicago. Heres the famed fourth floor. There is an abundance of urban legends and tall tales about The Congress, so Im going to just pick a few that I a.) We trekked up to the 12th floor to find the most famous room that'd been boarded up. At some point during their night at The Congress, she took her boys in her arms, climbed out the window in their room, and jumped- sending all three of them to their deaths. And the hallways? Is it possible that his spirit still haunts the very room where his political career died?

They quieted for a while, then started up an hour later. Several of his employees lived in the hotel, and were said to sometimes hold rival gang members hostage there. Disappointed lake was so far away--foggy a lot and hardly ever saw it, but looking out onto the street was fun too. It really wasnt a convenient place for anything to be kept. Ask jbenz18 about The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center. "We never experience any paranormal activity in any of our rooms. He was remembered most recently in the bookDevil in the White City, where a retelling of Holmes story reveals thatthe psychopath would lure young women back to his pharmacy and a hidden torture chamber. Did he use Room 441? Back to that rich history. The rates were better, after all.

In less than a week, music lovers from across the country will descend upon Chicagos Grant Park by the thousands for the annual Lollapalooza music festival. The room is small. We shower, pack up our things, and go on one last mini exploration to get some pics before checking out. Hi. Still, it's so spooky to just have, like, middle school locker locks on doors in a famous hotel along Lake Michigan.

One of the earliest verified deaths at The Congress was that of war hero Captain Lou Ostheim. But I could see the uneasiness settle in her eyes.

The Langers were a wealthy family from Prague, who had come to the US seeking asylum during the war. Please see our partners for more details. Room 441. I even imagined a ghost ripping the blankets off me. In 2016, in fact, Leisure + Travelmagazine declared the Congress Plaza Hotel the most haunted place in the State of Illinois, noting that Capone set up his headquarters here, and his ghost is most frequently seen near his old suite on the 8th floor. The last night someone kept knocking on the door and trying to open our door but I'm sure that was just kids.

If youve never heard of him, write that name down. Breakfast not included, and very expensive, better walk and find another place. And the kids want to go exploring. Seating will be available in the Palm Court and Club International rooms on a first-come, first-served basis. The boys ghost, like Peg Leg Johnny, causes mischief, but his shenanigans are largely limited to rearranging furniture and the like. Now, despite my fascination with it, Im fundamentally against the idea of murder. Captain Lou was staying at The Congress in preparation for his wedding, an event he was said to be very much looking forward to. My family couldn't sleep at all the first night (not sure if because of hard beds or just feeling a little creeped out), so we left a day early, but staff was nice enough to refund our last night. Heres the thing, though. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. This was when I really started to think about those Al Capone kept prisoners here stories. The legend goes that the crimson-adorned woman discovered her lover (or, in some reports, her husband) with another woman during a gala attended by the citys elite, prompting her to jump from a window on the 10th floor (some accounts say it was from the roof). Is it really the most haunted hotel room in America? But truth be told, I freaked myself out. Although the hotel was old our room was clean and comfortable. Around 3 a.m., I made two decisions: First, I was going to sleep with the lights on, and second, if anything strange did happen to me, I would check out the next morning and get a new hotel. Room 441. The location is convenient. Can someone please tell me why the room number looks like this? It was around 1 a.m., and we were determined to come in contact with the spirit the Ghost Detector app had located in our room earlier. Thank you for your feedback, we sincerely apologize for any inconveniences encountered during your stay at The Congress Plaza Hotel, we look forward to the opportunity to host you for a future stay! While some rumors would have you believe that he once owned The Congress (he didnt), or had a suite on the eighth floor (also untrue), he was a frequent visitor. After doing some research, I learned that the hotel's nickname is "Home of Presidents" because Presidents Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Franklin Roosevelt all worked and stayed at the Congress Plaza at some point. If two lazy college students captured nothing happening on their iPhone then forgot to edit it and submitted it late in a desperate attempt to pass their film course, it probably would have been more entertaining than this movie. Not a fan. was able to verify as fact. The strongest, most verifiable link between Al Capone and The Congress has to do with the infamous St. Valentines Day Massacre. Imagine the horror. Had to get maintenance to fix it because we couldn't get control box open. Screw it, the hotel staff has cleaned up worse messes, right? Ive been told many times over the years that I absorb paranormal energy. I might've almost pooped my pants. It really felt like I was the only guest at the hotel. We sat in nervous silence until I eventually fell asleep. The staircases are creepy AF.

In our room, we met one named Mary. The L train ran just yards from our room and construction equipment work woke us each morning. Panic inducing. I ran out of the hallway and back toward my room without even stepping foot in front of the supposedly haunted room. Seriously.

Rooms very old, bathroom needs some upgrade. The hotel was nice. As you can imagine, its a frequently requested reservation. Holmes (a.k.a. At that point, I couldn't put my finger on what felt odd about the hotel, but I remember feeling strange while walking through the lobby and during check-in. Get out of here!!! Heres where I have a bit of trouble with this story. Two of Chicagos most historic hotels are also its most haunted. The last night someone kept knocking on the door and trying to open our door but I'm sure that was just kids. The elevator only goes up to floor 14, but there is another staircase, behind a door, that goes up to another floor. The tale, obviously. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. LOOK AT THAT ELEVATOR!!! Like murder castles. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. All of the ghost stories about Adele Langer and her children talk about their spirits lingering on the 12thfloor. A question- is any name more synonymous with Chicago than Al Capone? Thats not to say that our night at The Congress was without incident, though. In fact, Travel + Leisure once named the Congress Plaza Hotel the most haunted place in Illinois and, as I would learn, for good reason. Past guests of room 441 said objects moved without being touched and the lights flickered on and off throughout the night. In all honesty, youd be hard pressed to find a building in Chicago that was around in the 1920s that Capone didnt set foot in. Unbeknownst to Adele, a letter had arrived at their Chicago apartment that very day granting the family permanent asylum in Canada. In our house, we can go months with no activity at all, living a perfectly calm, quiet existence just like everyone else on the block. Anytime we have a paranormal investigation at our house, I get violently ill the next day. Because were nosy, we opened the door. For starters, the building is rumored to have been mobster Al Capone's headquarters. It was an experience, thats for sure. Get a daily selection of our top stories based on your reading preferences. Really? Exploring we go. Holmes was also Jack the Ripper? Weirdest thing ever. She never saw the letter though, because shed left the house with the children early in the morning on what would be their last day. It was only upon telling her coworkers about the incident the following day that the manager began to learn about the hotels sordid history. She was polite, but definitely on autopilot. That happened. My heart dropped and WE JUST RAN. I started to feel nauseous. But Im a trooper, so I turn out (most of) the lights and make like Im going to sleep, not expecting it to happen. The ghost of the famed Lady in Red still creeps around the hotel, nearly 100 years after her tragic death on New Years Eve. I wrote MURDER backwards on the glass after my shower. Who? The rates were amazing, actually, considering that once a guest checked into Holmes hotel, they were there for life. At one point in the night, I turned on the lights in the room because I kept imagining a ghost in the far, dark corner whispering. Ghosts arent circus monkeys. According to her nametag, I was checked in by the hotels manager. Cut to 8:30am, which of course feels like 4am because were in the place where time stands still, and the sun is blocked by a concrete wall, room darkening curtains, and possibly the ghost of Al Capone. Not a fan at all. New & Upcoming Superhero Movies and Series. I dont know, she said. There were two heavy doors at either end of the hallway, making me feel trapped. Its about as inconspicuous as Buckingham Fountain, which is conveniently within walking distance of the hotel. I personally didnt run into a translucent version of The Bull Moose, but maybe he had more important things to do. Up on the fourth floor, overlooking Grant Park and Michigan Avenue? Luckily for attendees, there is no shortage of hotels in Chicago, a city made for grand events and mass tourism. Its pretty creepy, but would be a lot creepier if it had that fancy carpet like on the third floor. Yes, patrons of the 122-year-old, 871-room hotel have reported seeing the ghost of old Scarface roam the halls. And then without warning, weve got lightbulbs exploding, kids snarling like rabid dogs in their sleep, toddlers talking to little ghost boys, and sticky ectoplasm footprints on our bedroom floor. Is the room really that bad? I asked, sure she was just messing with me. Arrived early and our lake view room was ready. From the sleepless nights to the eerie feeling that I was the only one in the hotel, my stay at the Congress Plaza will definitely haunt me for some time. While not necessarily haunted, that room was the place where time stood still. Guests at The Congress who see Captain Lous ghost wandering the halls of the hotel, looking for his long lost love.



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