Haunted Hotels in the UK, Ready to Book for Halloween
A London ghost who only appears in October, a Scottish castle with dinner in the dungeon and a Grey Lady in a 1350 Northumberland castle: five haunted hotels in the UK to book for Halloween 2026.
Every October, a Victorian doctor is said to walk the corridor outside Room 333 at The Langham in London. In 1973 a BBC journalist staying in the room said he woke to see him. For many ghost hunters, that makes The Langham the most haunted hotel in London, and a good place to start a list of haunted hotels in the UK.
Britain has more ghost stories than almost anywhere, and many of them check in at hotels. The five below are spread across England, Scotland and Wales, from a grand London hotel and three haunted castles to a former prison in Oxford. Some of their stories rest on documented history, others are local legend, and this guide says which is which.
Planning a spooky trip outside the UK? Browse our collection of haunted hotels worldwide.
What are the most haunted hotels in the UK?
1. The Langham, London
The Langham opened in 1865 as one of London's first grand hotels, and its most famous guest never checked out. Room 333 is said to be haunted by a Victorian doctor, and he supposedly appears only in October. The story is legend rather than record, but the 1973 account from a BBC journalist keeps it alive, and the room is still the one guests ask for. If you want to meet him, book the week of Halloween and pair your stay with our guide to the best things to do in London during Halloween.
Halloween weekend (Fri 30 Oct to Sun 1 Nov, 2 nights): from £1,139 · Saturday 31 Oct only: from £570
2. Dalhousie Castle, near Edinburgh
Dalhousie Castle is a 13th-century castle in Bonnyrigg, south of Edinburgh, and the top pick if you are looking for haunted hotels in Scotland. Its restaurant is in the old dungeon, and its ghost is Lady Catherine, the "Grey Lady", who is said to have starved in the tower. Stay a night in the castle, then head into the city with our guide to the best things to do in Edinburgh during Halloween.
Halloween weekend: from £719 · Saturday 31 Oct only: from £345
3. Ruthin Castle, Wales
Wales has a Grey Lady of its own at Ruthin Castle, and her story is darker. Legend says she killed her husband's lover with an axe, was executed for the crime and was buried just outside the castle walls, where guests are still shown her grave. It is the most affordable of the haunted castles in the UK on this list, and the cheapest hotel here for Halloween weekend.
Halloween weekend: from £349 · Saturday 31 Oct only: from £195
4. Langley Castle, Northumberland
Sir Thomas de Lucy built Langley Castle in 1350, and today it is one of the few genuine medieval castle hotels in England, about 20 minutes from Hadrian's Wall. Its ghost is a Grey Lady. Legend long named her as Maud de Lucy, who is said to have thrown herself from the castle's highest window, but the hotel now says the family tree points to Agnes de Beaumont, Sir Thomas's second wife. Book a room inside the original walls, where some have four-poster beds and window seats set into the stone.
Halloween weekend: from £490 · Saturday 31 Oct only: from £254
5. Malmaison Oxford
The rooms at Malmaison Oxford are the knocked-through cells of Oxford Prison, which only closed in 1996. The iron landings and the central atrium are still there, so the walk to breakfast feels like walking the wing. It is the only hotel in England on this list where the dark past is documented history rather than legend, and a rare chance to sleep inside prison walls without having done anything wrong.
Halloween weekend: from £551 · Saturday 31 Oct only: from £299
Haunted Hotels in the UK: Halloween Price Comparison
Hotels are sorted from the lowest to the highest Halloween weekend price. Prices are for the cheapest available room for 2 adults, in British pounds: the Halloween weekend price covers 2 nights, from Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November, and the 31 October price is for Saturday night alone. Prices were checked on 7 October 2026 and change daily, so open a hotel for today's rate.
| Hotel | Location | Halloween weekend, 2 nights (from £) | Saturday 31 Oct only (from £) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruthin Castle | Ruthin, Wales | 349 | 195 |
| Langley Castle | Northumberland, England | 490 | 254 |
| Malmaison Oxford | Oxford, England | 551 | 299 |
| Dalhousie Castle | near Edinburgh, Scotland | 719 | 345 |
| The Langham | London, England | 1,139 | 570 |
How to Book a Haunted Hotel in the UK for Halloween
- Book early. Castle hotels have few rooms, and availability tightens as 31 October approaches, so book Dalhousie, Ruthin or Langley as early as you can.
- Request the haunted room by number. Room 333 at The Langham is in demand in October. Add your request to the booking notes or contact the hotel directly.
- Consider the Friday or Sunday. Halloween night costs more than an average night over the weekend at most of these hotels. At Ruthin Castle, Saturday alone is from £195, while the two-night weekend is from £349, about £175 a night.
- Check your entry rules. Many visitors now need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before they travel.
Book Your Haunted Halloween Stay in the UK
Choosing the right haunted hotel comes down to the kind of scare you want. For a ghost story, The Langham and the three castles, Dalhousie, Ruthin and Langley, are the strongest picks, and Langley lets you sleep inside walls that have stood since 1350. For a dark past that is documented history, choose Malmaison Oxford.
Wherever you spend Halloween, you can compare live rates, choose your dates and pay with crypto at checkout on trip1. Not set on a haunted stay? Find hotels in the United Kingdom
Haunted Hotels in the UK, Ready to Book for Halloween - FAQ
The Langham in London is the UK's most famous haunted hotel. Room 333 is said to be haunted by a Victorian doctor who appears only in October, a story kept alive by a BBC journalist's account in 1973. Dalhousie Castle near Edinburgh and Ruthin Castle in Wales, each with its own Grey Lady, are its closest rivals.
The Langham is London's best-known haunted hotel, though its ghost is legend rather than record. Guests say a Victorian doctor walks the corridor outside Room 333 every October, and a BBC journalist said he saw him there in 1973. Room 333 is still the room ghost hunters ask for, so add your request when you book.
Dalhousie Castle in Bonnyrigg, about 8 miles south of Edinburgh, is the top pick. The 13th-century castle's ghost is Lady Catherine, the "Grey Lady", who is said to have starved in the tower, and its restaurant is in the old dungeon. A two-night Halloween weekend starts from £719 for 2 adults, as checked on 7 October 2026.
Ruthin Castle in north Wales has a Grey Lady of its own. Legend says she killed her husband's lover with an axe, was executed and was buried just outside the castle walls, where guests are still shown her grave. It is also the cheapest haunted castle hotel in this guide, from £195 for Saturday 31 October 2026.
Yes. Oxford Prison closed in 1996 and is now Malmaison Oxford, a hotel whose rooms are knocked-through cells off the original iron landings and central atrium. Unlike most haunted hotels, its dark past is documented history. Halloween weekend starts from £551 for 2 nights, or £299 for Saturday 31 October alone, as checked on 7 October 2026.
Langley Castle in Northumberland is said to be haunted by a Grey Lady. Legend long named her as Maud de Lucy, who is said to have thrown herself from the castle's highest window, but the hotel now says genealogy points to Agnes de Beaumont, second wife of Sir Thomas de Lucy, who built the castle in 1350. Halloween weekend starts from £490 for 2 adults, as checked on 7 October 2026.
Ruthin Castle in Wales is the cheapest, from £349 for the two-night Halloween weekend or £195 for Saturday 31 October alone. Langley Castle in Northumberland is next, from £490, or £254 for Saturday alone, followed by Malmaison Oxford from £551. Prices are for 2 adults and were checked on 7 October 2026.
The hotels are real; the ghosts are unproven. Some stories rest on documented history, such as the prison cells at Malmaison Oxford, while the Langham's Room 333 doctor and the Grey Ladies of Dalhousie and Ruthin are local legend. That is part of the appeal: you can test the stories yourself on Halloween night.
