09/07/2025
👻 👻 A GHOSTLY TALE 👻 👻
A question we are often asked is whether the Vic Hotel is haunted. Although we don't believe in ghosts, we dare say that at times we can feel a certain presence around, as if someone was uncertain of our intentions here. A while ago I posted this photo and it sparked a lot of discussion about ghosts. While you ponder at the photo, please let me share my own experiences with you. There have been three instances that has left me a little spooked.
🤡 Early in 2024 I had a back packer help me clear out all the rooms in the West Wing. I noticed all the rooms had bibles inside the bed side tables. I made sure to gather them all and stored them in a safe place. I'd often hum to myself if I was walking into a room or working in them on my own. I do so to calm myself, as I always felt someone was watching me or following me as I worked. It was about 2-3 days after I had cleared out RM 49 & 50 which was a double room accessible through the door of RM 49 that was tucked around a little dark corner off the main hallway. I had closed up for the night, and was walking towards RM 31 which was mum's temporary room. I noticed that the light was on in RM 49 & 50, which was slightly opposite to her room. I always kept the doors locked and very certain I turned off the light to that room. The fact it was on and the door was locked defied explanation that sent shivers down my spine. Well, we didn't dare go in to turn the light of that night and left it for at least two days before we worked up the courage to go in and switch off the light. Since that day, before I changed or touched anything I would always make sure to say out loud, that I was trying to clean it up and make it better. Hoping who ever was there understood my purpose here. Nonetheless, we both blamed the other for forgetting to switch off the light. Despite my mum only having the key and insisted she had not opened the room to go and do anything inside. We both had no explanation for it.
🤡 In this instance, two tourists had stopped by for lunch. I ran into them as they were exploring upstairs in the hallway of the West Wing. It was a warm day, and there was no wind. As usual, all the doors were closed and locked and there were no guests staying at the time. So no windows would have been opened in the bedrooms. I met up with them at the end of the hallway and we slowly walked together as I answered their questions about the hotel. We stopped briefly at the door of the Men's bathroom which was almost opposite to RM 38. I was still talking when suddenly we noticed the door rattle about three times and then stopped. The three of us looked at each other clearly surprised and spooked. Initially I dismissed it as perhaps a breeze, and continued to talk. Then it happened again. This time we walked away quickly, as we all knew there was clearly no breeze. I would later discover too that I had accidentally locked the key in the room whilst making up the bed a while back. So nobody could have access to the room. When I finally was able to find someone to help open the door to retrieve the key, I checked the window and it was closed. It still intrigues me to this day.
🤡 In this last instance, I was woken up at around 2am-3am to the sound of creaking floorboards outside my room at RM 8 on the North Wing. It sounded like someone was using the sink to wash their hands in the bathroom just slightly opposite to my room. I remembered thinking that it was odd. And assumed that mum for some reason had come to use this bathroom instead of the one that was actually working and closest to her in the West Wing. I remembered feeling scared as I glanced at the dim light of the hallway that passed beneath my bedroom door. Hoping to see a shadow if there was someone walking by. There was no shadow. A few days would pass before I got the opportunity to ask mum whether it was her that came to use the bathroom early that particular morning. She replied it wasn't her, as she knew that bathroom was not working.
These would be the experiences I've had, and it all happened in the space of time when I was emptying rooms, painting and decorating them. Moving furniture and storing them in different rooms. I clearly felt that someone didn't like things to be changed. Though I must say that I haven't experienced anything since, there is now a sense of warmth that the changes have been embraced and whoever is there has either left or is at peace with all that is happening. I have included the photos of RM 38 and RMS 49 & 50 that I mentioned above, as they look now after renovating.
Does anyone else have any similar experiences at the Vic Hotel or any other old hotels? Please share them with us.
