HAUNTED DWELLING: Vendome
Hotel
Location: Located in
Prescott's historic downtown area, about a block from Whisky Row.
Address: 230 South Cortez
Street, Prescott, AZ 86301.
928-776-0900 or 888-468-3583
* Web-Site: VendomeHotel.com
DESCRIPTION:
Built in 1917, this 2
story restored hotel bed and breakfast truly has an old-world atmosphere,
with some modern conveniences as well for the comfort of their guests.
It's 16 rooms are all nicely decorated, with "transom windows,
iron radiators, oak furnishings, original woodworking, period wallpaper,
ceiling fans, handmade patchwork quilts, lace curtains" plus
a choice of modern bathroom show / tub combinations or old-world pull-chain
Toilets and old-fashioned claw tubs. A lovely verandah can be found
on the second floor. A nice sitting room can also be found in the
front of the hotel.
HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS:
The Hotel Vendome has
had many owners throughout the years. A woman, Abby had come to Prescott
in the late teens for treatment for her consumption. She fell in love
and married a Mr. Byr. This couple in 1921 bought the Hotel Vendome
and ran the hotel. Unfortunately, they lost the hotel because of unpaid
taxes. The new owners kindly let the Byrs stay in room 16, located
on the second floor, off the verandah, and hired them to continue
to manage the Vendome. One evening, Mr. Byr went out to get Abby some
medication and never came back, either because he met with foul play
or he deserted her. Abby was so heartbroken that she refused to eat
and died in her room, along with her cat Noble, who had been locked
in the closet and starved to death. (A seance held in 1984 revealed
how Abby and the cat died. )
MANIFESTATIONS:
Abby and her cat Noble
began to make their presences known around WW2, and have continued
to this day. They basically haunt room 16, though she has been known
to venture out to check up on the living. The current owners have
a large binder which holds information, sightings, manifestations
of Abby and Noble. Below are just a sample listed in the notebook.
A) Sample of Occurrences
which have happened inside room 16:
1) The closet hangers
have been heard moving by themselves, and the sound of a cat toy being
played with can be heard as well.
2) Guests have experienced
objects being moved when they are not looking, being touched softly
by unseen presences, hearing or feeling Noble or Abby sitting on the
bed, the smell of a strong perfume and feeling a gentle cool breeze
blow past them in the room.
3) Abby will occasionally
make a visual appearance and has spoken to guests when they're in
a sleep state.
4) Spirit orbs have been
photographed in the dark in room 16 by psychic researchers Dr. Oesten
and Dr. Gill.
1) Footsteps have been
heard in room 16, which traveled down the hall, and descended down
the stairs to the lobby.
2) Maids, while cleaning
up the various rooms, sometimes have the TV on while they work. They
have reported that Abby will turn down the sound on the TV, if she
doesn't like the program being watched, listened to but will turn
the sound back up if the living will switch channels. She hates MTV!
3) Above the entrance
to the Vendome, spirit entities have been seen in various forms.
