Ghost Hunt at the San Remo Hotel in San Francisco — $105
Details
Conducting ghost investigations are not my forté, but I found a tour operator who’s willing to take the lead. For those who would be interested in an introduction to ghost hunting, please join us for one at the haunted San Remo Hotel. For a fee of $105 per person, Haunt Ghost Tours takes small groups for a sampling of what goes on during an investigation. Each group is limited to 10 people. To spare BAGH members extra service charges, BAGH will avoid being a middleman and ask members to go directly to the operator for more details and to reserve their spots at:
https://thehauntghosttours.com/tours/paranormal-investigation-san-francisco/
Because we are sparing ourselves from additional service fees, please be aware that this 8 p.m. slot is still open to the general public and can fill up with outsiders. A RSVP here is no guarantee of inclusion in this ghost hunt without payment to Haunt Ghost Tours.
The San Remo Hotel originally opened in December 1906 as the New California Hotel. It was a project put together by A. P. Giannini, founder of Bank of America, for the North Beach district, which was a predominantly Italian neighborhood. After the earthquake, he saw it as refuge for other Italian immigrants who were less fortunate. It would be thought of as a transition home while tenants rebuilt their lives.
The name was changed in 1922 and it stuck. The transition ideal eventually deteriorated with the building as it became a seedy residence hostelry. By 1970, there was talk of demolishing it. The Field brothers, who had spent most of their lives restoring old things, acquired the property. They usually took on cars and apartment buildings, so a hotel was new challenge for them. It was restored and redecorated in a style living up to the Champagne Days of San Francisco.
Among some of the ghost stories taking place at the San Remo is that of a woman, a former madam, who died in her room. Presumably, she was down on her luck at the time and out of the business. The handout staff gives interested guests says "several staff members have seen glimpses of her 'floating' in the hallways and [she] has been known to flick lights on and off."
Another apparition has also been seen in the San Remo. Early in the morning, there have been several sightings of a tall, distinguished looking sailor man walking down the hallway and disappearing near the front desk.
One guest in an upstairs room took a series of 10 photos of his companion when they were alone in their room. When he later reviewed the shots, he noticed the faded image of a little boy standing behind his friend.
Being an older establishment, the San Remo provides shared rest rooms, bathrooms and showers, like quite a few hotels in Europe. The rooms are small with sinks for brushing teeth and shaving. If a modern-day guest will accept these conditions, it is one of the more affordable hotels in San Francisco. Nowadays, it offers a few more rooms with en suite bathrooms. Although my first stay at the San Remo was uneventful, a couple of odd things happened while I was there for the second time. I can't verify they were true phenomena, but I wonder.
I needed to make a pit stop when the hotel had few people in it. The plumbing bay was dark and empty as I entered a toilet booth and locked the door. When I finished, I turned around to watch it flush. We had to hold the cord for a few seconds to ensure the waste cleared. As I was in the process, a loud, single rap hit the door. "It's taken!" I yelled in response. When I turned back to leave, the door was ajar. Thinking it a little bizarre and trying to remember if I had unlocked it myself, I looked outside and no one was there waiting. In fact, the toilet booth across the way was open and unoccupied. When I thought about it, I'm conscientious about locking the door behind me when I use a public restroom. As I walked back to my room, I remembered the place was haunted.
The second occurrence took place after I bought a scented candle. I asked my friend to start burning it while I was taking a bubble bath. When I returned, there was no aroma of strawberries and cream and my companion claimed the candle wouldn't stay lit. There was no draft, so that was not the reason. The wick looked too short, but he said that he shaved the wax around it and it still wouldn't stay lit. At that point, I remembered the hotel had insisted on no smoking and would charge a $200 cleaning deposit if smoking was detected. It wasn't worth taking the chance my candle would be confused for that. However, when I lit it at home, it had no problem burning.
So, bring any equipment, which could be cameras, recorders, EMF readers, pendulums, dousing rods, compasses and—if nothing else—cell phones, to join us for a night of exploring a haunted hotel. We meet in front of the restaurant, Fior d'Italia at 8 p.m. BAGH hosts will be wearing their flashing ghost necklaces.
However, "class" ends late. For anyone who has a long drive afterward, it's worth considering a night's stay at the San Remo or any other nearby hotel. The San Remo has small rooms with no televisions, but it is clean and charming and provides good value. Ghost hunting has a tendency to drain energy, which may make it difficult to drive immediately after the ghost hunt. For those wanting to book a room, please go to the San Remo website:
The San Remo is a couple blocks away from Fisherman's Wharf and close to the end of the cable car line. If taking BART into San Francisco, get off at the Powell Street station, where there is a cable car roundabout and take the route that ends at Mason Street. For those driving in, there is street parking and if that is unavailable, a parking structure by Northpoint Center. If staying at the San Remo, please park in the passenger loading space in front of the hotel and check in at registration, where they will provide the location and a coupon for discounted overnight parking.
Looking forward to this ghost hunt!
Adrienne