Background: The Arlington has a long and storied history. Originally opened in 1875, it had a three story wooden structure and boasted 120 guest rooms, and had gas lighting. In the late 1880s, some 100 rooms, a new dining room with electric lights, and another parlor were added.
The original building was razed to make way for a new 300-room Spanish Renaissance structure in 1893. The building was destroyed by fire April 5, 1923.
The current Arlington, as its counterparts, was designed with bathers and vacationers in mind and had 560 rooms. The Crystal Ballroom, Venetian Room and lobby were part of the 1924 structure. The Arlington included an in-house bath house with open, bright separate accommodations for men and women, and 50 rooms had thermal mineral waters piped in.
The three guests elevators, in operation since 1969, replaced the original hand-operated elevators installed in 1924. Around from the main elevator is the original bath house elevator lined with beveled glass and shining brass, still manually operated.
The Arlington's luxurious accommodations and location in America's Spa City have attracted many famous guests including U.S. presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, George H.W. Bush, and native son Bill Clinton. Many baseball greats such as Babe Ruth as well as championship boxers have relaxed and enjoyed the thermal baths at the Arlington. Stars such as Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand and Yoko Ono have all luxuriated at the hotel. Al Capone, whose favorite room was 443, had the whole floor for his staff and bodyguards. He could look across the street from his window and see the activities at the Southern Club, now the Wax Museum.
Claims: There are a number of hauntings reported at this hotel, including wine glasses that jump off the shelves without being touched, apparitions wearing old-fashioned style clothing, the ghost of a young girl wearing a pink dress in the lobby, a woman in a wedding gown who stares down into the street at night, a bellman who has been seen wandering around the fourth floor, and a man in a black suit in the laundry area, who often waves to workers. Lights are also known to turn on and off by themselves, taps are known to do the same. There is also said to be an evil presence in Room #824.
...There is a long history of claims of paranormal activity at the Arlington.
UPROAR Investigated: No
Our take: We have stayed at the hotel many times, and can verify that there is an unsettled feeling in many parts of the property. The claims of hauntings are wide and extensive, and there is little doubt that remnants of it's storied past remain.
Is it haunted: Yes
