Haunted Hotels: Austin's The Driskill

The Driskill, Austin  

Happy Halloween! While Mr. Harper has yet to make an incognito inspection of the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast in Fall River, Massachusetts, he recommends a number of notably haunted properties, including Aspen's Hotel Jerome (avoid Room 310) and Washington, D.C.'s The Hay-Adams (be careful during first two weeks of December). 

Austin's The Driskill has a number of long-term paranormal residents: the famous "suicide brides" of Room 525, a senator's young daughter who died on the grand staircase chasing a ball, a railroad ticket agent named P.J. Lawless (he  lived in the hotel for many years, and still wears his uniform) and the spirt of Colonel Driskill himself.

From the Harper Collection: "Renovated landmark hotel built in 1886 on Sixth Street in the heart of downtown Austin. The 189 guest rooms are housed in two adjoining buildings, the Historic Wing (dating from 1886) and the Tower (built in 1929). Standard amenities and details include custom beds with plush linens, work desks, and custom vanities, showers and tubs (many rooms in the historic wing retain late 19th-century architectural elements). Signature suites, located on the top floors, afford views of downtown and feature baths with art deco tiling; the Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson Presidential Suite has a balcony overlooking Sixth Street and a 10-foot stained-glass window in the bath. The Driskill Grill receives consistent accolades for its eclectic farm-to-table cuisine."        

Please note, the Driskill is no longer a Harper-recommended hotel. Click here to view all recommended properties in Austin, Texas.