Experience the Haunted Waterfront Hotel in Massachusetts That Smells of Apples

The Hawthorne Hotel stands proudly in the heart of Salem, Massachusetts, where history and mystery collide in the most enchanting way.

Built on land steeped in witch trial lore, this elegant hotel has earned its reputation as one of New England’s most haunted destinations.

Guests from around the world visit not just for its historic charm, but for the chance to experience the unexplained; from ghostly apparitions to the mysterious scent of fresh apples that fills its hallways.

1. The Apple Orchard Connection

Long before the Hawthorne Hotel welcomed its first guests, the land held a much darker history. Bridget Bishop, the first woman executed during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, once owned an apple orchard on this very spot.

Today, guests and staff regularly report an overpowering scent of fresh apples drifting through the hallways, especially on the sixth floor. Sometimes the apple aroma mixes with old-fashioned perfume, creating an eerie sensory experience.

No air fresheners or orchards exist nearby to explain this phenomenon. Many believe Bridget’s spirit still lingers where her trees once grew, leaving behind the sweet smell of her lost harvest.

2. The Ghostly Woman in White

Room 612 holds a special place in the hotel’s haunted history. A pale woman dressed in flowing white garments has been spotted numerous times on the sixth floor, particularly near this infamous room.

Staff members and brave overnight guests have witnessed her gliding silently through corridors or standing motionless in doorways. Her face appears sorrowful, and she vanishes when approached.

Many paranormal experts believe this spectral lady is none other than Bridget Bishop herself, forever bound to the land where she once lived. Room 612 has become the most requested haunted accommodation, with ghost hunters booking months in advance hoping for an encounter.

3. The Haunting of Room 325

If you’re looking for the hotel’s most actively haunted room, look no further than Room 325. This space has generated countless reports of disturbing paranormal activity that leaves guests sleepless and staff reluctant to enter alone.

The most chilling phenomenon is the unmistakable sound of a baby crying in distress. Guests have frantically searched the room and knocked on neighbors’ doors, only to find no infant anywhere nearby.

The crying often starts in the middle of the night and sounds heartbreakingly real. Nobody knows the tragic story behind this phenomenon, but the baby’s spirit clearly needs comfort that no living person can provide.

4. Spectral Sea Captains

Before the Hawthorne Hotel rose from the ground, the Salem Marine Society held their meetings on this property. When the society sold the land, they made one unusual request: build a replica ship’s cabin on the rooftop.

The hotel honored this agreement, and strange things began happening immediately. Guests report seeing figures in old naval uniforms wandering the halls late at night, their boots making no sound on the carpeted floors.

These ghostly mariners seem drawn to the rooftop cabin, perhaps reliving their days of maritime brotherhood. Staff have heard sea shanties hummed in empty stairwells and smelled pipe tobacco where smoking has been banned for decades.

5. The Turning Ship’s Wheel

Inside the hotel’s cozy Tavern restaurant hangs a beautiful antique ship’s wheel, a nod to Salem’s rich maritime heritage. Most decorations stay perfectly still, but this wheel has a mind of its own.

Diners and bartenders have watched in shock as the wheel suddenly begins spinning without anyone touching it. Sometimes it rotates slowly and deliberately, other times it whips around violently as if caught in a hurricane.

Security cameras have captured these movements during closed hours when the restaurant sits completely empty. Many believe an invisible sea captain’s hands still grip the wheel, steering his phantom ship through eternal waters only he can see.

6. Poltergeist Activity

Staying at the Hawthorne means accepting that everyday objects might not behave normally. Guests in multiple rooms, especially the notorious Room 325, experience small but unsettling disruptions throughout their stay.

Bathroom faucets turn on full blast in the middle of the night. Lamps flick on and off as if someone is playing with the switch. Furniture gets rearranged while guests step out for dinner.

Mysterious knocking sounds echo from inside walls and closed closets with no explanation. These playful yet unnerving activities suggest multiple spirits call the hotel home, each with their own mischievous personality and desire to be noticed by the living.

7. Unseen Physical Sensations

Some ghostly encounters go beyond seeing or hearing; they involve direct physical contact. Guests at the Hawthorne have reported truly bizarre tactile experiences that leave them both frightened and fascinated.

Many describe feeling ice-cold hands touching their arms or faces in the darkness. Others report the distinct sensation of an invisible cat curling up on their legs while they try to sleep.

Perhaps strangest of all are the gentle pokes and nudges that wake people in the middle of the night, as if someone is trying to get their attention. These physical interactions suggest the spirits want more than acknowledgment; they seek genuine connection with the living world.

8. Disembodied Voices and Whispers

Walking alone through the Hawthorne’s corridors can be an eerie experience, especially when you’re supposedly the only person there. Guests and cleaning staff regularly hear voices that have no living source.

Soft whispers drift from around corners, only to reveal empty hallways when investigated. Conversations in old-fashioned language echo through the older sections of the building.

Some visitors have heard their names called out clearly, only to turn and find nobody behind them. These phantom voices seem to increase during late evening hours when the hotel grows quiet. Recording devices have captured these mysterious sounds, providing evidence that something truly unexplainable haunts these historic walls.

9. The Mysterious Apple Scent That Appears Out of Nowhere

Guests wandering the hallways of the Hawthorne Hotel often report catching a whiff of fresh apples when there’s no fruit anywhere nearby. This phantom fragrance appears suddenly, fills the air for a few moments, and then vanishes just as mysteriously as it arrived. Nobody knows exactly why this happens, but some paranormal experts believe certain spirits announce their presence through familiar, comforting smells.

The apple scent has been reported on multiple floors and at different times of day and night. Some visitors describe it as crisp and sweet, like biting into a fresh autumn apple from a New England orchard. Hotel staff have searched for logical explanations but found none that make sense.

This aromatic mystery has become one of the hotel’s most talked-about paranormal features, drawing curious guests who hope to experience it themselves.

10. Eerie Elevator Rides With Invisible Passengers

Picture stepping into an elevator alone, only to feel like someone invisible is standing right beside you. Guests at the Hawthorne Hotel frequently experience this unsettling sensation when riding the elevators between floors. The lift sometimes stops at floors where nobody pushed the button, and the doors open to reveal empty hallways.

Even stranger, some visitors report feeling sudden cold spots inside the elevator cabin or sensing an unexplained presence watching them. Staff members have witnessed the elevator operating on its own, traveling up and down without anyone inside calling it. These incidents happen so regularly that employees have grown accustomed to the building’s quirky behavior.

Could restless spirits be using the elevator to move between floors, still going about their daily routines from decades past?