Are some hotel rooms made secret because they’re haunted?

IF YOU’RE ever told about an unlisted room in a hotel that you’re staying in, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

According to The New York Times, Union Station Hotel in Nashville, the US, has a Room 711 that nobody knows about.

It’s believed that the room is where a ghost named Abigail is said to linger.

“The property was once a train station, and according to one legend, Abigail threw herself in front of a train there after losing her lover in World War II. While the rest of the hotel has a modern, chic design, this room comes with antique furnishings like a four-poster bed and artwork inspired by her tale,” The New York Times wrote.

“Only guests who know about this legend request to stay in her room.”

First World Hotel in Genting Highlands, Pahang, is one of the largest hotels in the world. Source: Shutterstock.

Closer to home in Asia, for years, there has been a long-standing rumor about the unassumingly bright-colored three-star First World Hotel in Genting Highlands in Pahang, Malaysia.

Word has it that one of its two towers is missing not just a room, but an entire floor (the 21st floor in tower one, just in case anyone’s wondering) altogether.

The floor is unlisted entirely and even the number 21 has been taken out of the elevator buttons.

The general assumption is that it’s reserved for the paranormal but that theory hasn’t been proven.

Source: Shutterstock.

That having said, not all unlisted hotel rooms (or floors, for that matter) is immediately linked to wandering ghosts, spirits, or ghouls.

So why do hotels do it?

Privacy

Some hotels, especially ultra luxurious ones, keep a few rooms unlisted like hidden gems because they’re reserved for just in case a valued VIP decides to stay on a whim.

Guests will also be unlikely to find the listing on the hotel’s website or any other hotel booking platforms.

This means the hotel will always have the suite of Beyonce’s choice ready should she need to stay a night or two. And no one will ever know that she was there, because if the room doesn’t exist, then it must not be real.

Source: Blue Lagoon.

The 63-suite luxury Blue Lagoon retreat in Iceland even offers a private entrance and nearby helipad for guests who require 100 percent privacy and well, invisibility, almost.

Just in case anyone’s wondering, the lavish suite costs US$10,500 per night, with a two-night minimum.

Protection

By that, we mean against unruly guests and frat parties.

Luxury hotels go the extra mile to ensure their suites are well decked out with exquisite furnishing to make the room cozy, plush, and inviting. This requires a lot of investment.

“Let’s say you have a top suite that costs US$2,000. You don’t want 10 people coming together and each throwing in US$200 so they can have a big party,” Bloomberg quoted Journal Hotels hospitality vet Stephen Brandman as saying.

Source: Shutterstock.

There goes the rare Van Gogh Starry Night reproduction, goodbye to the Steinway baby grand, sob while picking up what’s left of the 400 thread count Egyptian cotton bed linen.

Sometimes, hotels just need to protect the most valuable assets.

Insurance

Not everyone who books a presidential suite will turn up to check in and hotels prefer not to take the risk of the last minute, fee-free cancellation.

Hence, in some parts of the world, JW Marriott and St. Regis require their penthouse suites to be booked via e-mail.

This gives said hotel’s managers ample time to vet the customer before approving the reservation.

Perhaps someday, one day, hotels will lift the veil off their unlisted rooms. A guest can dream.

After all, best-kept secrets don’t stay secrets for long.

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Source: travelwireasia.com