Tucked away in the peaceful Pocono Mountains sits a place where the past refuses to leave. The Lake House Hotel in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, has earned a reputation as one of the most mysteriously active spots in the state.
Guests report plates clinking in empty dining rooms, the smell of fresh coffee brewing when no one is around, and tables mysteriously set for breakfast while everyone sleeps. Locals whisper that the spirits of former innkeepers still tend to their morning duties, long after the living have gone.
Whether it’s a playful haunting or a lingering echo of hospitality, the eerie charm of the Lake House Hotel keeps curious guests coming back for more.
1. A Historic Building with Deep Roots
Built generations ago, the Lake House Hotel in Saylorsburg stands as a relic of a bygone era, when weary travelers sought rest along Pennsylvania’s mountain roads. Its weathered exterior and antique charm speak to decades of guests who once passed through its doors.
Nestled near serene lakes and forests, the building was a natural stop for families exploring the Pocono region. Local historians believe it has served the community for well over a century, originally offering home-cooked meals and cozy rooms to visitors.
Though it no longer operates as a traditional inn, the spirit of hospitality lives on – now in the form of the Hotel of Horror, a seasonal haunted attraction that draws curious guests from all over. The creaking wooden floors and vintage furnishings still welcome those who appreciate history, mystery, and the thrill of the unknown.
Many come not just for the scares, but to feel a connection to something older, deeper, and perhaps even unexplainable.
2. Phantom Breakfast Preparations
Imagine waking before sunrise and hearing dishes clinking in the dining area below. You head downstairs expecting to find someone preparing breakfast – only to discover the kitchen is completely empty. According to local legend, this is a common occurrence at the Lake House Hotel, where both visitors and caretakers have reported the unmistakable sounds of a morning meal being prepared by unseen hands.
Silverware rattles, cabinet doors softly close, and the rich aroma of coffee sometimes drifts through the halls, even when the machine is unplugged. Some even claim to smell bacon or toast, only to find the stove cold and untouched.
Staff say they’ve arrived to find tables mysteriously set, with no explanation for who arranged them. These moments aren’t frightening, they feel more like echoes of a time when breakfast was a daily ritual, lovingly prepared by someone who may never have stopped showing up for work.
3. The Friendly Presence in Room Seven
Room Seven holds a special place in local lore surrounding the Lake House Hotel. Though the building no longer operates as a traditional inn, stories persist about this particular space and its unusual energy. Visitors to the haunted attraction often speak of feeling watched – not with fear, but with a sense of gentle curiosity.
Some tales describe blankets mysteriously tucked around guests, windows adjusting themselves to the weather, and personal items subtly rearranged for convenience. One widely shared account involves a young girl who spoke with “the nice lady,” a presence no one else could see, yet who seemed to know intimate details about the hotel’s past.
Whether fact or folklore, Room Seven continues to capture imaginations, offering a comforting kind of mystery that guests remember long after they leave.
4. Unexplained Aromas Fill the Air
Your nose might be the first thing to notice something unusual at the Lake House Hotel. Visitors consistently mention smelling delicious breakfast foods throughout the building, especially during early morning hours. These aren’t faint hints of scent but full, rich aromas that make stomachs rumble and mouths water.
Fresh-baked bread, sizzling breakfast meats, and sweet pancakes top the list of phantom smells people report. The fragrances appear suddenly, fill a room or hallway completely, then vanish just as quickly. They happen regardless of whether anyone is actually cooking or if the kitchen has been used recently.
Scientists might explain these experiences as residual hauntings, where strong memories or repeated actions leave an imprint on a location. Whatever the cause, the breakfast smells have become one of the hotel’s most talked-about features.
Guests joke that even the ghosts here know that breakfast is the most important meal, and they’re determined to prove it every single morning.
5. Footsteps on Empty Staircases
Late evening brings its own set of mysteries at the Lake House Hotel, now home to the Hotel of Horror in Saylorsburg. As the building settles into quiet, visitors often report hearing footsteps echoing through the halls and staircases – distinct, deliberate, and far too rhythmic to be dismissed as creaky floorboards or old pipes.
According to local lore, the sounds resemble someone wearing hard-soled shoes, moving from room to room as if performing nightly rounds. Those brave enough to peek out find no one there, yet the footsteps continue, steady and purposeful.
Some believe it’s the lingering spirit of a former caretaker, still tending to the property long after their time. The steps never feel threatening – just a quiet reminder that some routines are too deeply rooted to fade, even with time.
6. The Piano That Plays Itself
An old piano rests quietly in the Lake House Hotel’s common area, its polished wood and antique keys adding to the building’s historic charm. According to local legend, soft melodies sometimes drift from the instrument – simple, nostalgic tunes that sound like someone practicing scales or playing from memory.
The strange part? No one is ever seen at the bench. The music is never grand or showy, just gentle notes that seem to float through the air, stopping the moment someone enters the room. Some believe the sounds come from a spirit who once played for guests in the hotel’s earlier days, still finding comfort in familiar songs.
These ghostly performances have become part of the building’s mystique, offering visitors a moment of unexpected beauty in a place where the past never quite lets go.
7. Cold Spots in Warm Rooms
Temperature oddities rank among the most commonly reported paranormal experiences, and the Lake House Hotel has plenty of them. Guests mention walking through invisible walls of cold air that have no logical source. These chilly spots appear in the middle of rooms, not near windows or doors where drafts might explain them.
The cold feels different from regular air conditioning or winter drafts. People describe it as a focused coldness, almost like stepping into a refrigerator for a moment before emerging back into normal room temperature. The spots move or disappear entirely, showing up in different locations from one day to the next.
Paranormal researchers suggest these temperature drops might indicate spiritual energy manifesting in physical space. Others think they’re simply quirks of an old building with unpredictable air flow. Either way, guests find the cold spots fascinating rather than frightening.
They’ve become another part of the hotel’s charm, one more unusual detail that makes staying here different from any ordinary bed and breakfast experience.
8. Visitors Keep Coming Back
What makes the Lake House Hotel in Saylorsburg truly special isn’t just its unexplained activity, it’s how visitors embrace it. Though no longer a functioning bed and breakfast, the historic building now hosts the Hotel of Horror, a seasonal haunted attraction that draws loyal fans year after year.
Guests report ghostly sounds, phantom coffee aromas, and mysteriously set tables, fueling its reputation as one of Pennsylvania’s most paranormally active sites. Families, thrill-seekers, and paranormal enthusiasts return annually, not for overnight stays, but to experience the theatrical horror and lingering echoes of the past.
Staff members fully lean into the building’s haunted legacy, sharing stories and ensuring guests feel both spooked and safe. The Lake House proves that haunted doesn’t have to mean terrifying – it can mean timeless, mysterious, and deeply memorable.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
