One of the crown jewels of the French Quarter, the Hotel Monteleone has been a Royal Street landmark since it opened back in 1886. The family-owned and operated hotel boasts nearly 600 guest rooms, a heated rooftop swimming pool, multiple meeting rooms, and so much more. A member of the Historic Hotels of America, the Hotel Monteleone is the personification of luxury, but it also has a paranormal past that’s undeniable.

Sicilian immigrant Antonio Monteleone came to New Orleans around 1880.

A cobbler by trade, Monteleone started a humble little shop on Royal Street and got to work. In 1886, he purchased a small hotel on the corner of Royal and Iberville Street and it quickly became one of the most popular hotels in the city.

After Monteleone died in 1913, the business passed to his son, Frank, who continued to make expansions and additions to the hotel.

In 1954, the original building was demolished to lay the foundation for the hotel we know today.

Still owned and operated by the same family, it’s one of the few long-standing, family-owned hotels left in the nation.

Today, the hotel is known for being the home of the famous Carousel Bar.

The 25-seat carousel is the only one of its kind in the city where you’ll need to be over 21 to ride.

But like so many historic places in New Orleans, the hotel also has become known for its paranormal activity.

For decades, hotel guests and staff have regularly reported strange events… haunted events that just cannot be explained, leading many to believe that the hotel is haunted.

One of the strangest occurrences is in the hotel's restaurant.

There's a door within the restaurant that opens and closes by itself almost every night, despite being locked.

If you aren't spooked by the door, you may be if you have one of the common elevator experiences so many guests have had.

It's been reported that guests riding the elevator are taken to the wrong floor, and when the elevator doors open, you're met with the ghostly images of children playing.

One of the most common sightings is that of Maurice Begere, a toddler who died in one of the rooms of the hotel after succumbing to a high fever.

His mother was so distraught that she continued to return to the hotel every year, hoping that her son would visit her. He did, and his mother was finally given some closure. To this day, many guests staying on the 14th floor (where he died) have reported seeing little Maurice.

Do you think you could sleep soundly through the night? Have you ever had a paranormal experience at the Hotel Monteleone? Let us know in the comments!