AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. Terms Apply to the offers listed on this page. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
Offers for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card are not available through this site. All information has been independently collected by AwardWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. Some offers may have expired. Please see our card marketplace for available offers.
All information about Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has been collected independently by AwardWallet
Halloween is upon us and all the spooky feels are in the air. For those of you who want to embrace the season of the supernatural, what’s better than spending your All Hallow’s Eve at a haunted hotel? Doing it with points, of course! Here's a list of 8 fantastically freaky hotels you can book with points.
Page Contents
1. The Driskill, Austin [Hyatt]
Located in Austin, Texas, The Driskill was designed by Col Jesse Driskill, and his dream hotel was constructed in 1886. It remains one of the most iconic properties in Austin. However, the hotel isn't only rich in elegance and prestige. Rumors of ghostly apparitions and unexplained paranormal activity have been around since the hotel’s beginning.
Tragic stories about accidents on the property have spread over the years. These include the story of a young girl who—while chasing her ball—fell down the hotel’s grand staircase to her death. Another rumor tells of two distraught brides who—on the exact same day but 20 years apart and in the exact same room—took their lives after being left at the altar on their wedding day. The spirits of each are said to still haunt the hotel.
How to Book The Driskill
If you are looking for a truly bone-chilling experience, guests can book the same room as the brides: room 525. Any standard room at the Driskill (including room 525) is bookable with World of Hyatt points.
This category 5 property will cost you 20,000 points per night on standard nights. Or book a suite for 32,000 points per night. Now that Hyatt has implemented peak/off-peak pricing, awards will vary between 17,000 and 23,000 points per night.
How to Earn Hyatt Points
The The World of Hyatt Credit Card credit card is a gruesomely great option for those looking to quickly earn their way to elite Globalist status. You'll earn 2 elite night credits for every $5,000 spent on the card.
The card also comes with an anniversary free night certificate for a category 1-4 property. Cardholders can earn another category 1-4 certificate by spending $15,000 during your cardmember anniversary year.
- Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
- Enjoy complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as your account is open.
- Get 1 free night each year after your Cardmember anniversary at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort
- Receive 5 tier qualifying night credits towards status after account opening, and each year after that for as long as your account is open
- Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year
- Earn 2 qualifying night credits towards tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
- Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays - 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent at Hyatt hotels & 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
- Earn 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- Member FDIC
- Up to 9X points total per $1 spent at Hyatt - 4X points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5X points per $1 you can earn as a World of Hyatt member
- 2X points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airlines tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- 1X point per $1 everywhere else
An all-new World of Hyatt Business Credit Card is also available. The card comes with a generous bonus of up to 75,000 points. Earn 60,000 Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Earn an additional 15,000 Bonus Points after you spend $12,000 within the first 6 months of account opening.
Travelers can also transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Hyatt at a 1:1 transfer ratio.
2. Hilton DoubleTree, Utica
If haunted historical landmarks are your thing, look no further than the Hilton DoubleTree in Utica, New York. Constructed in 1912, the hotel has been visited by some of the most famous celebrities of their time, including Judy Garland and FDR. But these A-lister celebs aren’t the only ones who have frequented this hotel.
Spirits of the dead have been spooking guests for years. Shadowy specters are said to wander the haunted hotel halls and disembodied voices can be heard throughout the floors of this ghostly property.
How to Book the DoubleTree Utica
As a Hilton property, Hilton Honors members can experience all the things that go bump in the night at this ominous inn. Award nights at this haunted hotel cost generally range between 34,000 and 50,000 Hilton Honors points per night for a standard queen bedroom. Hilton Honors members can also book five consecutive nights and get the fifth night free when you use your points to stay.
How to Earn Hilton Points
Hilton-branded credit cards galore are available from American Express. One of our favorite options is the American Express Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, which is currently offering 130,000 Hilton Honors points after you spend $2,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of Card Membership.
That’s enough for plenty of nights to experience some paranormal activity at the Utica haunted hotel. Cardholders also receive complimentary Gold elite status, which includes my favorite perk: free breakfast. Boo-berry muffins, anyone?
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
3. The Shelbourne, Dublin [Marriott]
Located in Dublin’s city center, the 200-year-old Shelbourne Hotel is one of the most prestigious properties in Ireland. But, a building this old is bound to be full of dark secrets.
One such tragic story takes place in the early 1900s when a 7-year-old child by the name of Mary Masters died at the Shelbourne after contracting cholera. She’s believed to reside at the place of her death and haunt one of the rooms of the Shelbourne. Ghost hunters have even been sent to the haunted hotel to investigate the mysterious activity supposedly instigated by the menacing Mary.
How to Book the Shelbourne
The former category 7 property will run you between 50,000 and 74,000 Bonvoy points. This is a killer of a deal considering cash prices for the same room run a downright scary $500+ a night.
How to Earn Marriott Points
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card card is a great mid-tier card with a screamingly good set of benefits.
- Earn 6X Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- Earn 3 Marriott Bonvoy® points for every $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on gas stations, grocery stores, and dining
- Earn 2X Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases
The card also offers an anniversary free night award valued at up to 35,000 points. You can now top off that free night certificate with up to 15,000 Bonvoy points to book award nights costing up to 50,000 points — including at The Shelbourne.
4. Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans [IHG]
The Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans is a hotel where some guests who check in never check out. Established in 1852, the time when the city of New Orleans earned the name City of the Dead due to an outbreak of yellow fever, this property didn't become a hotel until the 1990s.
There isn't much information on why the hotel is haunted, but it could be due to its proximity to some of New Orleans' most haunted landmarks of the French Quarter. Many guests have made claims that the property is crawling with spirits and specters.
How to Book the Crowne Plaza New Orleans
IHG award nights are dynamically priced, so the redemption rate will depend on the cash price of the room. Some nights are as spookily low as just 19,000 points per night:
How to Earn IHG Rewards Points
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has a top offer of 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's an offer to die for! Complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status, a free Reward Night each anniversary, and a 4th night free on award stays are also available to cardholders.
5. Walworth Castle Hotel, Darlington [Best Western]
Is a castle really a castle if reports of ghostly apparitions and spooky encounters haven't been passed around throughout its history? Walworth Castle Hotel near Darlington, UK is the epitome of a haunted castle. It's full of tales of scandal and murder and is the perfect haunted hotel option for those looking for the fright of their life.
The most notable story tells of a pregnant maid murdered by her lover, a lord. Fearing for his reputation, he fell into a rage after finding out about her pregnancy. The spirit of the maid resides in the library tower of the castle and can be heard screaming and popping out of walls.
How to Book the Walworth Castle
Using Best Western Rewards, a room at Walworth Castle comes out to just 16,000 points for a standard room with a double bed. Larger rooms are also available for slightly more points including a castle room with a queen-size bed for 20,000 points a night.
How to Earn Best Western Points
The Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard® issued by First Bankcard is the perfect credit card to cover a stay at the Walworth Castle. New cardholders can earn 80,000 bonus points with the offer on this card.
6. The Savoy, London [Accor]
Not only is the Savoy in London known as one of the most luxurious hotels in the entire UK, but it is also known for being one of the most haunted. This haunted hotel’s most prominent poltergeist is that of a young girl said to wander the halls of floor five, where she also operates one of the property’s lifts. Guests have reported paranormal activity galore including flickering lights and returning to their belongings in disarray.
How to Book The Savoy
Fairmont’s loyalty program, Accor Live Limitless, offers some great redemption options. The program is revenue-based. So, the number of points used will depend on the price of the hotel night. Accor properties cost a minimum of 2,000 ALL points, which equates to a €40 discount. The Savoy in London comes with a price tag as terrifying as the ghosts who reside there, which is around $740 a night. Using points to book, the property would cost 37,000 ALL points.
You can transfer Capital One miles to Accor, but the transfer rate is a frighteningly low 2:1. So, you'll need 74,000 Capital One miles to book a single night. Booo!
Unfortunately, there are currently no U.S.-issued co-brand Accor cards, but there are other ways to use points to experience the Savoy.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card allows cardholders to use their Ultimate Rewards points to book a room via the Chase Travel Portal. Cardholders can redeem points for 1.25 cents per Ultimate Rewards point. Although transferring your miles to Chase’s travel partners will almost always result in a better value, sometimes it can make sense to use your points via the travel portal.
Right now, the Sapphire Preferred comes with an other-worldly sign-up bonus of 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
- Member FDIC
- 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2025
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
7. Bran Castle, Romania [Airbnb]
Home of the infamous Vlad the Impaler, Bran Castle is said to be the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s book, Dracula. The castle is plagued by a dark history where murder and evil doings were the norms. It also just so happens to be the most visited attraction in Romania, by both the living and the dead.
How to Book the Bran Castle
Spoiler alert: you can’t actually book a night at Dracula’s castle. However, a few years ago, Airbnb offered the opportunity for two lucky winners to stay a night at the property. Which night? Halloween night, of course! Guests slept in coffins and were hosted by Vlad’s great great great grandson.
Although the castle is off-limits for night stays, you can book tours to visit and see where the notorious count resided. Other haunted Airbnb properties are also available to fill all your darkest nightmares and deepest fears. Airbnb isn’t affiliated with any credit cards, so you can’t earn points specifically redeemable for Airbnbs. But, there are still ways to use rewards to pay next to nothing for your Airbnb stay.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is currently offering a 75,000-mile sign-up bonus offer. Although transferring your miles to one of Capital One's transfer partners generally results in the best use of your miles, you can also use the miles to cover travel expenses via their “purchase eraser” option. That includes home-share services like Airbnb and tours of Dracula's castle.
8. The Clown Motel
Although not as luxurious as the other properties mentioned, the Clown Motel will nevertheless send chills down your spine. Located in the middle of nowhere (Tonopah, Nevada) and perched right outside a cemetery, the clown motel promises to creep out even the most adamant unbelievers.
Rooms have themes such as the Friday the 13th room, the Halloween room, and the Exorcist room. Not only are they macabre in nature, but guests have reported signs of strange activity of doors opening and closing and whispers in the night. The only plausible explanation being the spectral spirits of the dead.
How to Book the Clown Motel
The Clown Motel is not a part of any hotel chain, and therefore, has no loyalty program that allows you to use brand-specific points to book. But here at AwardWallet, we always find ways to not pay for travel expenses.
A card like the Citi Premier® Card for an obscure property like the Clown Motel can be a great option. First off, the card comes with a $100 hotel credit on bookings of $500 or more when you book through Citi's Thank You travel portal.
Like most flexible points currencies, the best value generally lies in the ability to transfer to airline and hotel partners, but there are times it can make sense to book through the Travel Center. The Citi Premier currently lets cardholders redeem points for a statement credit at a rate of 1¢ per dollar.
Currently, the Citi Premier offers 60,000 Thank You Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024. Where the card really shines is in its bonus spending categories, which includes 3X ThankYou points on supermarkets, gas stations, hotel stays, air travel, and restaurants. That's everything you need to have a spooktacular adventure at the Clown Motel.
- 60,000 point signup bonus worth $800 towards airfare through the ThankYou Travel Center, or potentially much more when transferred to airline partners
- 3X points per $1 on airfare and hotels and at gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets
- Annual Hotel Benefit: Save $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when you book through ThankYou.com
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- 3X points per $1 spent on airfare, hotels, and at gas stations
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants, including cafes, bars and lounges
- 3X points per $1 spent at supermarkets
- 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Final Thoughts
Nothing screams Halloween quite like staying an evening at a haunted hotel. Using points to book your stay makes the experience that much more freakishly fantastic without terrorizing your wallet.
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
A hotel that is not on the list above and has a reputation for being very haunted is the Amber Court in Koala Lampur. Some rooms are even locked and railings are placed in front of the doors, along with Buddhist prayers not to be used to accommodate guests, due to high paranormal activity within some rooms. To make matters worse, the hotel is wrapped in a mysterious fog that makes the place much more sinister than it already is.
The Stanley Hotel in Colorado would be a fine addition to this list, as some rooms and areas of the Hotel are allegedly haunted. It is said that the hotel’s founder sometimes “pays a visit” to the exclusive Whiskey bar, place he most loved and his wife, the grand piano lobby.
Fun article. My wife would probably love to stay in the Shelbourne or at Walworth Castle next year. They both look great, but I’m not sure hearing screaming while I’m trying to sleep would make for a relaxing vacation.
Awesome article! I’ve stayed at two of these properties (Driskill and Savoy) and never knew the haunted background.
This was a fun post and a good idea for future Halloweens. I spent my Halloween day Hiking the Oregon Desert trail and on my drive back to my boring hotel and civilization I had to drive through thick fog in the waning daylight. I was just waiting for someone to come out of the bushes and flag me down. That was spooky enough for me. Going back to a haunted hotel would have been almost too much.
Wow, even the Savoy is “haunted.” That’s amazing.
Fun time hotels with haunted escapades!!!
Thanks for the scary places.
Unintentionally, I’ve already stayed at a few of these
I think one fine addition to the list of haunted hotels you can Book with points would be the Borgvattnet vicarage in Sweden, which is considered to be the most haunted place in Sweden and it frequently makes its way onto lists of some of the most haunted places in the world. This once fragile wooden Cabin with creaking floors have, for over 100 years, been the scene of tragic events and paranormal activity. In present days, it has been restored to a cozy Cottage where guests can book in advance and spend the night for creapy experiences. It is said that waiting line for booking a room is over six mounths at least.
Timely post. Happy Halloween to all. 🎃👻
There is a haunted Best Western Plus in Americus, Georgia. It is called the Best Western Plus Windsor Hotel, is a renovated (2020) Historic Victorian Hotel with updated amenities, located in the heart of downtown Americus. It looks gorgeous, especially at night time when it’s all lit up. It has an on-site American restaurant called Rosemary and Thyme. We’ve dined there and the food was excellent and the dining room is lovely, with original floors. There is also a pub on the premises that has the oldest indoor atrium lobby in the Nation. As the legend goes, in the early 1900s a housekeeper and her daughter were murdered by a vengeful lover after being pushed down an empty elevator shaft. The hotel staff apparently do 45 minute tour highlighting the historical and ghostly aspects of the hotel for about $12 per person, if you ask upon check-in. There are other ghost stories tied to this hotel and ghost hunters were at the hotel when we went there for dinner. We said we’d love to go back and stay for a night as the rooms are all different and several look really interesting. If you go – check out the sign at the entrance to the pub that is named in honor of a longtime, friendly former employee.
I absolutely would love to win the Airbnb contest to spend a night at Vlad´s “the Impaller” Castle. Surely the property must be loaded with dark energy and countless hauntings of those who died violently in that place. History tells that, although considered a hero for defending his borders, Vlad used unorthodox methods to keep his enemies out of the borders, and if captured, only God to help them…
In addition to this frightening experience, spending some time in Romania would be fantastic, as it is said to be a country of exuberant beauty .
Looks like some interesting places to stay. Has anyone visited or stayed at any of these hotels?
I’ve actually visited the Driskill and spent a few hours there for a meeting. No weird things happened for me, but my friends staying there said that the radios all randomly turned on at one point!
What a cool list to get into the Halloween spirit. For those looking for more, there are several haunted hotels in New Orleans, which could probably be paid for with points as well.
I’d venture to say almost every large city has at least one haunted hotel that could be added to this list.. which is indeed a great idea for such a themed grouping. Scary drives tourism.
Interesting way to celebrate Halloween. Thanks for the info. Hopefully, maybe we can use it in the future.
This was a fun read. Thanks for compiling these. The fact these are bookable with points makes it all the more fun.
Now this is fun! I could have booked the Driskill in Austin this year and didn’t. I did hear about the ghost stories and thought my youngest might be too scared if someone said something. Something to bookmark for other Halloweens. Once my kids are older, an annual trip on Halloween to a haunted hotel might be a fun getaway!
Less famous than Bran Castle (and in ruins), but more closely linked to Vlad the Impaler is Poenari Castle which can also be visited.
Oh, what a fun article celebrating Halloween! Bran Castle is on my bucket list, so seeing it here with suggestions on how to use your rewards to get tours (even if you can’t spend the night) is exciting!
Ha, fun article. Bran Castle looks great.
Very interesting article! Thank you for the information.
I entered the AirBnB Bran hotel contest. The Antarctica one was more exciting to me though.
This is a great way to spend halloween !
I had been excited to spend a night at Bran Castle… Who would have been the lucky two? What envy!
Would love to book Dracula’s castle or some of those similar Airbnb contests like a night in the Paris catacombs