There are certain requirements we seek in a good venue. Amenities, a certain standard of service, fire exits, wheelchair access. Suppose you added to this list the need for a certain level of mystical dread or eldritch horror. We’ve got you covered with these fine choices we feel will be up to your discerning taste.
Dinner at The Buma Inn, Beijing China
Beijing is an old city with a lot of stories and even more spirits to become acquainted with. Fancy a bite to eat, perhaps you could consider stopping in at the Buma Inn. This fine establishment comes replete with a nightly special on the menu: revenge recommended best served cold. Legend has it that many years ago the chef of the Buma Inn decided to poison a guest. There is no record of the motive for him doing so.
Some sources state it was just a whim. Maybe he just didn’t like the look of the guy, or perhaps the chef was having a particularly stressful shift and turn to murder as an outlet for his frayed nerves. The plot thickens like a fine soup, however, as the chef apparently committed suicide right after poising the unsuspecting customer. Most nights the ghostly shade of the unlucky diner can be seen patrolling the restaurant in search of his culinary assassin, endlessly seeking revenge.
Games at The Casino di Venezia, Venice Italy
This one deserves special inclusion on the list for being situated in one of the most haunted cities in the world, Venice. The Casino di Venezia, which opened its doors in 1638, is the oldest casino in the world and dates from the high renaissance. It was during this period that Venice developed a name for itself as the home black magic, due to the part it played in printing and propagating heretical books of magic and demonology called grimoires throughout Europe.
Consider the psychic experience that has soaked into the walls of a 400 year old casino. The thrills, the wonder! Unfortunately the Casino has moved to a presumably less haunted location in Venice, but you can still swing by and try and soak up the vibe from the street or in a passing gondola.
Accommodation at The Stanley Hotel, Colorado USA
“Heeere’s Johnny!” – that’s right, The Stanley Hotel just on the edge of the Rock Mountain National Park in the states is the hotel from The Shining. Well, to be exact, the inspiration for that hotel. The one you see in the film is the officially less haunted Timberline Lodge in Oregon. It’s got all you want in an intensely occult vacation resort. It has been extensively staked out by paranormal investigators and is considered among the most haunted buildings in the world.
The former owners, the Stanleys, can be seen roaming the halls. The sound of giggling and running children can be heard throughout the building, as well as the mournful keys of a phantom piano player. There’s even a ghost concierge that can help you unpack and pick you out a suit for dinner. This is a hotel that’s so spooky it scared Stephen King enough to write a book about it, that’s no minor feat.
Drinks at The Golden Fleece Pub, York UK
The Golden Fleece Pub is a supremely spooky place to put your feet up and have a drink at the end of a day. Founded in 1503, the pub is said to be home to a plethora of wandering spirits. Among the regulars, you can find the former mayor’s wife Lady Anne Peckett and a red coated man carrying a pistol affectionately nicknamed One Eyed Jack. Add in a good dose of poltergeist activity for good measure and you’re knee deep in ghouls.
What’s more, The Golden Fleece is in York, which is considered by some to be among the most haunted cities in the world. The city is said to have half a million bodies buried within the square mile of its walls, and has been in continuous occupation since the Roman period. One of the more striking ghost sightings in the city’s lore occurred when local Harry Martindale witnessed an entire ghostly Roman legion march through the basement of York’s treasurer’s house. The city is inundated with wandering and lost souls, and some ghosts to boot!
