The Most Haunted Hotels in Key West

Posted: 04.16.2025 | Updated: 04.16.2025

Key West, Florida, is a bucket-list must for those seeking a taste of tropical paradise. There’s a chillier side to this island, however. One filled with tragedy and stories of the macabre that make its hospitality scene as spooky as it is alluring. Join us as we explore the history and chilling hauntings of Key West’s most haunted hotels. 

Curious to see what ghosts hide in the shadows of Key West? Pack your sandals, bathing suit, and get ready for a ghost tour you’ll never forget. Visit our site today and join Southernmost Ghosts for a ghost tour through some of Key West’s most haunted spots. 

What are the Most Haunted Hotels in Key West?

Key West’s hospitality scene is filled with all things that go bump in the night. Some of which have settled into the island’s most haunted hotels around: 

• La Concha Hotel: A towering presence with a tragic past.
• Marrero’s Guest Mansion: A former home filled with the perfect blend of sadness, betrayal, and vengeance. 
• The Artist House: Former home to an infamous doll whose presence can still be felt. 

The La Concha Hotel

The La Concha Hotel arguably owes its birth to railroad magnate and hotelier, Henry Flagler. He saw potential in Key West’s beauty and got to work building the Florida East Coast Railway extension. 

Among the many people to flock to the island was Carl Aubuchon. He had an idea to build a grand luxury hotel –The La Concha Hotel. It was the biggest attraction in the heart of downtown Key West when it opened in 1926, but there was a setback. 

The onset of the Great Depression and a devastating hurricane dwindled Key West’s tourism industry. Patience paid off after World War II, however. Visitors returned in droves, including Ernest Hemingway and President Harry S. Truman, who often visited the hotel for cocktails. 

The seven-story La Concha Hotel still stands today as one of Key West’s most sought after vacation spots. For some guests, it’s a chance to find themselves in the midst of their own ghostly encounter.

Hotel Hauntings 

As many as 13 people have committed suicide off the roof where the bar is located. Staff now believe their restless spirits have stayed behind. 

One among them is referred to as Fred, a corrupt lawyer who leapt from the balcony in a failed, desperate insurance fraud attempt. Guests have since reported seeing a man on the balcony pacing frantically, looking over as if he were considering jumping. Security has been called at times to help him, but upon arriving there, he would be gone. 

The La Concha Hotel was also the site of a waiter’s accidental death in the 1980s. He was hurriedly finishing up on New Year’s Eve, carting dishes from the 5th floor to the kitchen via the hotel’s elevator. The elevator doors opened, and he backed in, not seeing that the elevator shaft was empty.

Much of the staff feels like they’re being watched on the fifth floor now. Someone will tap on their shoulder, and they’ll turn, only to stare down an empty hallway. Others have even seen a shadowy phantom of the waiter himself pushing his cart in the back section of the kitchen after hours. 

Marrero’s Guest Mansion

Marrero’s Guest Mansion looks like a dream home. Interestingly enough, that’s exactly what it was meant to be when the Victorian-style structure was built in 1890-1891. 

A prominent local cigar maker, Francisco Marrero, promised a newly built mansion to his love, Enriquetta. Together, they would turn it into their forever home to raise a family. Indeed, they did, as just a few years later, their house was blessed with eight children. 

However, their perfect dream was shattered. Francisco died on what was supposed to be a routine business trip to Cuba. Enriquetta was devastated to say the least, but things were about to get more hellish.

Enriquetta found out she had no legal claim to any of Francisco’s property; their marriage wasn’t legitimate. Francisco was previously married to a woman in Cuba, Maria, whom he never legally divorced.

Maria took everything, including the estate, publicly kicking Enriquetta and her children out into the street. Enriquetta made a vow, however. She proclaimed to any onlookers that she “would always remain at the home she loved, even in spirit.” 

Marrero’s Guest House was passed down over time until it became repurposed as the hotel it is today. Some say Enriquetta still lives here.

Hotel Hauntings 

Enriquetta still makes sure Marrero’s Guest Mansion has a warm atmosphere to raise a family in. However, there are some things inexplicable here that will give you goosebumps nonetheless. 

Those who have stayed in suite seven (formerly 18) have experienced objects being relocated and Enriquetta’s signature fragrance of lavender. The door to the children’s playroom is also known to lock and unlock on its own, even after it was replaced multiple times. 

Additionally, Enriquetta’s apparition, as well as shadow figures, have been seen in the hallway. Children’s giggles and the sound of a baby crying have also been heard. It’s pretty easy to write off as normal. There’s one problem, however. Marrero’s Guest Mansion is 21+ only. 

The Artist House

Located at 534 Eaton St., The Artist House is an eye-catching gem for historic Key West. Its Colonial-Queen-Anne-style architecture and signature turret are complimented by its vibrant light purple and white exterior. Built in the 1890s, it belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Otto, parents of celebrated Key West artist Robert Eugene (Gene) Otto. 

Gene and his wife, Anne, moved into the house upon his parents’ deaths, living there for the next 40 years, along with a peculiar tenant. One that had a special, and some might say unusual, relationship with the accomplished artist since childhood: Robert, as in Robert the Doll. 

Today, The Artist House provides a cozy, unique lens into the island’s rich history. There’s something more that hangs around the halls of this majestic home other than Gene’s original paintings, however. A lingering presence that circulates around his beloved childhood toy, arguably as famous as the house itself.

Hotel Hauntings 

The Artist House is more famous in the ghost enthusiast community for what it was once home to: Gene’s childhood doll, infamously known as Robert the Doll. Believed to be one of the most haunted objects in the world, it was given to him by a servant believed to be heavily involved in Voodoo. 

One night, when Gene was 10, he awoke to find Robert the Doll sitting at the foot of his bed, staring at him. His parents jolted up moments later, hearing furniture being overturned mixed with petrified pleas for help. They managed to barge open the locked door to find their son, Gene, curled up in fright, his room in complete disorder, and Robert sitting at the foot of his bed, staring at him. 

Gene let the doll stay in the house even when he later moved in with his wife. At her behest, he locked it in the attic, but visitors would consistently hear child-like footsteps pacing back and forth upstairs, along with malicious giggling. Neighborhood children also saw Robert watching them from the window of the upstairs bedroom as they walked to school, mocking them. 

The demon doll now sits confined in the Fort East Martello Museum. That hasn’t stopped the hauntings at The Artist House, however. Guests staying in the Turret Suite have often seen the figure of a woman dressed in an immaculate bridal gown, descending from the suite’s winding staircase. The apparition of a little girl on the staircase has also been seen. 

Experience Haunted Key West

One of Florida’s most popular vacation destinations, Key West is paradise on earth. Which is why one might be surprised to find it’s filled with some of the most haunted hotels around. Do you dare stay the night? 

Curious to check out the darker side of Key West? Perhaps, even run into a ghost experience of your own? Visit our site today! Join Southernmost Ghosts for a chilling ghost tour through some of the island’s most blood-curdling sites, and see why Key West is as haunted as it is beautiful. In the meantime, stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for hauntingly exciting updates. Keep reading our blog for more real Florida hauntings.

Sources:

• https://www.laconchakeywest.com/
• https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/la-concha-hotel-and-spa/history.php
• https://www.hauntedrooms.com/florida/key-west/haunted-places/haunted-hotels
• https://www.hauntedkeywest.com/hotels
• https://psiresearcher.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/the-la-concha-hotel-beautiful-relaxingand-haunted/
• https://www.marreros.com/post/meet-enriquetta-the-spirit-of-marrero-s-guest-mansion
• https://www.artisthousekeywest.com/key-west-inn#history
• https://robertthedoll.org/story/
• https://southernmostghosts.com/robert-the-doll-and-the-uncanny-valley/