Mount Washington Hotel

After Vermont, we moved on to New Hampshire, another state I hadn't been to before! While in New Hampshire, we had the privilege of staying in the historic Mount Washington Hotel. My Dad has always wanted to stay at this gorgeous hotel, so this part of the itinerary was a one of the main reasons for taking this trip! 

The Omni Mount Washington was built in 1902, at the end of the grand hotel era in New Hampshire. During those summers, up to 50 trains a day shuttled wealthy passengers seeking relief from the stifling heat in New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston to the White Mountains. Most of those behemoth hotels have since gone out of business, but the Omni Mount Washington remains, and is thriving. This grand hotel owes its grandeur and majesty to New Hampshire business magnate Joseph Stickney, who spared no expense in its construction. To build this enormous structure, Stickney employed 250 Italian craftsman to complete his vision in just two short years. The latest in heating and plumbing were installed at The Mount Washington Hotel; even today, the hotel uses its own telephone system and personal post office.

Many well known people haves stayed at the Mount Washington Hotel over the years such as, Thomas Edison, Babe Ruth, Joseph P. Kennedy, Princess Margaret, Joan Crawford, Alfred Hitchcock, and John D. Rockefeller.

In 1986, the United States Department of the Interior recognized the historical and architectural significance of The Mount Washington Hotel with a National Historic Landmark designation. The 1896 Bretton Arms Inn, a Victorian inn located on the Hotel grounds, was also awarded National Historic Landmark status as part of the designation given The Mount Washington Hotel.

Making history once again, The Mount Washington Hotel opened for its "First Winter" season ever, beginning Thanksgiving Day, 1999. It is now a 4 season resort

This is the Mount Washington Hotel Conservatory. Originally called the Hemicycle, the half-circle shaped sun parlor is made almost entirely of plate glass with stunning views of the Presidential Range. Its domed ceiling, ringed with Tiffany glass, gives the room natural acoustics that make it an ideal spot for concerts, lectures, and poetry readings. The room is also home to an original 1881 Steinway piano.

Joseph Stickney died only one year after the hotel opened, leaving the resort to his wife, Carolyn Stickney, she stayed every summer at the hotel she now owned. Hopelessly rich (she got Stickney's cash and then fell in love and married a French prince), Carolyn became a fixture at the hotel, marked for her princess-dom and eccentricities. She only ever slept in her bed (a travel set she could take with her back to the south of France, where she spent her winters) and surrounded by her own night furniture. Despite the fact that she reserved a single-person table at the restaurant every evening, she kept a personal dining table in her suite. Her original bedroom furniture remains in her room, number 314; her dining table still sits in the hotel's Gold Room and is set for dinner every night.

Rumors say that the ghost of Carolyn Stickney still resides in the hotel. There are numerous accounts of odd ghost sightings or blurry images in photographs. The womens restroom located right below this portrait of Mrs. Stickney is one of the hot spots of her ghostly activity. We were told if you use that restroom, and are the only one in there, strange things might happen. I of course had to try it out. The only strange thing I can report is the automatic soap dispenser kept going off while I was in my stall. Ghost or technical difficulties...? Ghost Hunters filmed an episode at the hotel based on these rumors, I'll discuss that more at the end of this post along with some photos the hotel keeps at their front desk to show inquiring guests.

In 1944, The Mount Washington hosted the Bretton Woods International Monetary Conference. Delegates from 44 nations convened, establishing the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, setting the gold standard at $35 an ounce and designating the United States dollar as the backbone of international exchange. The signing of the formal documents took place in the Gold Room, located off the Hotel Lobby and now preserved as an historic site.

This is the Princess Room, which was formerly the private dining room of Carolyn Stickney, where important guests were invited to dine with her. This room is home to an original chandelier above the bar, and the Tiffany ribbon window above the entrance frames a handsome view of the Great Hall. Today the Princess Room is a cozy spot to enjoy a cocktail before or after dinner.

Originally the hotel’s squash courts, The Cave was later converted into a bar and grill. The Cave continued to operate as a speakeasy during Prohibition, where guests drank out of tea cups. In the back room were windows where they could watch the front drive to see if any officials were coming up the long drive. Today, The Cave is a popular gathering place offering live entertainment on select evenings and televised sporting events.

This was my cozy room

After taking a tour of the interior with one of the hotel staff, my Dad and I set out to explore some of the grounds.

Ok, so back to the ghost of Carolyn Stickney. Ghost Hunters facilitated a search for Carolyn's Stickney's ghost in 2008, and they deemed the hotel to be haunted based on the evidence they got during their investigation. 

When we asked about the haunting at the front desk, the attendant showed us these pictures and told us some stories from guests that have had strange encounters while at the hotel.

This picture was taken after the staff had closed up the hotel for the winter one year. All the rooms had been cleared out and all the doors had been closed and locked and the employees gathered outside for an end of season photo. You can see a a figure of a woman in a green dress in the outlined window. Below is a close up of that window.

After telling us all the stores and showing us all the photos, the front desk attendant then asked if we would like to go see the infamous room 314, The Princess Room, which was Carolyn's personal room which still has all of her personal furniture in it! Some guests were checking into that room that night, but he said we could go take a quick peek at it if we wanted to. It's apparently the most requested room in the entire hotel. Of course we said yes, so he took us up to the room and showed us around. We did not get to see or hear the princess, but it still felt weird being in her room.

Haunted or not, it makes for fun stories and an interesting stay at this one of a kind hotel!