Historic Griffin Hotel - Griffin, GA

A Renovated Georgia Hotel With a Haunted Past

Built around 1910 and designed by noted Atlanta architect Haralson Bleckley, the Historic Griffin Hotel was once a fashionable stop for travelers and a lively gathering place for Griffin’s business and social community. Its dining rooms and ballroom hosted local events, while early guests could reportedly rent a room for only a few dollars a night.

After closing as a traditional hotel in the 1969, the building entered an unusual chapter of its history when it later became Sinister Suites, a haunted attraction that used the old hotel’s real corridors and rooms to create its scares. Today, the landmark has come full circle—beautifully restored and once again welcoming overnight guests.

But more than a century of history may have left something behind. Stories persist of childlike figures and mysterious footsteps on the fourth floor, along with unexplained music, laughter and the sound of glasses around the ballroom. Whether these experiences are ghosts or simply part of the building’s enduring folklore, they add another fascinating layer to one of downtown Griffin’s most distinctive historic stays.

Today, after an extensive restoration, the Historic Griffin Hotel has returned to its original purpose, once again welcoming overnight guests while preserving features such as original hardwood floors, high ceilings and historic wood trim.

👻 Is the Historic Griffin Hotel Haunted?

Yes, the hotel itself acknowledges that ghost stories have become part of the building’s identity.

Reported paranormal experiences include:

👻 Childlike figures on the fourth floor
👣 Small or unexplained footsteps
👀 The sensation of being watched
🎶 Faint music from the ballroom
🥂 Sounds resembling glasses clinking
🗣️ Distant laughter when no event is underway

The hotel’s history page says staff and visitors have occasionally reported children or childlike movement on the fourth floor, while the former ballroom is associated with stories of unexplained music, laughter and the sound of glasses.

History vs. Paranormal Lore

Documented: The hotel dates to around 1910, was designed by Haralson Bleckley, closed in the 1970s and later housed the Sinister Suites haunted attraction.

Reported paranormal experiences: Childlike figures, footsteps and unexplained ballroom sounds.

Not established: The identities of any supposed spirits or a specific historical death explaining the activity.

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The Children of the Fourth Floor

Visitors and staff have reportedly encountered what appear to be young children on the fourth floor, even when children weren’t known to be present.

Accounts described by the hotel include small footsteps, fleeting movement at the end of hallways and the sensation of being watched.

Who are they?

Nobody knows.

There’s currently insufficient evidence to connect the figures to particular historical children or a documented tragedy.

Best Place to Stay: Fourth Floor

The best booking strategy is unusually straightforward.

👻 #1 — Fourth-Floor Suite

If you’re visiting specifically for the paranormal reputation, request the fourth floor.

The hotel’s current accommodation information says its fourth- and fifth-floor suites provide a quieter, more private stay with historic character. These upper-floor accommodations are walk-ups, so guests need to be comfortable using stairs.

Because the hotel’s own ghost history specifically associates childlike figures with the fourth floor, that’s my first choice.

👻 #2 — Fifth-Floor Suite

The fifth floor is another atmospheric option, particularly for guests wanting one of the hotel’s more secluded upper-level accommodations.

👻 For the strongest haunted-history experience, ask whether a fourth-floor suite is available.

The Ballroom That May Never Go Quiet

The hotel’s Grand Ballroom provides another intriguing paranormal story.

In its early years, the hotel was an important downtown social center where civic organizations met and formal gatherings were held. The hotel’s history says a local Tuesday Luncheon Club regularly gathered in its dining room and ballroom.

Modern paranormal lore describes something different.

When no function is taking place, people have reportedly heard sounds resembling:

Music • Laughter • Conversation • Glasses clinking

The hotel describes these as claims rather than established supernatural events, which is exactly how BestHauntedHotels.com should present them.

From Grand Hotel to Sinister Suites

This is arguably the property’s most unusual chapter.

The Griffin Hotel was once considered a premier local lodging establishment and a natural stopping point for travelers passing through town. It also served as a civic gathering place, with the Chamber of Commerce maintaining offices there for a period.

The hotel eventually declined and closed during the 1970s.

Years later, the abandoned historic building became home to Sinister Suites, a haunted-house attraction.

Instead of constructing artificial haunted rooms, operators had the advantage of using an actual old hotel.

Sinister Suites eventually disappeared, but the building’s reputation survived.

Today the cycle has come full circle:

1910 Hotel → Abandoned Historic Building → Haunted Attraction → Hotel Again.

That’s an excellent hook for your page.

Genuine Historic Architecture

The paranormal stories shouldn’t overshadow the hotel’s legitimate architectural importance.

The hotel credits its design to prominent Atlanta architect Haralson Bleckley, who also designed Griffin City Hall. The U-shaped brick hotel forms part of the Griffin Commercial Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Historic preservation and restoration have allowed the building to function once again as lodging rather than simply survive as an artifact.

What the Hotel Is Like Today

The restored Historic Griffin Hotel currently offers 52 guestrooms plus two penthouse suites, along with a beer and wine bar, fitness center, business center and Grand Ballroom.

The upper fourth- and fifth-floor suites offer a particularly distinctive stay, although they’re accessed by stairs.

Its downtown location also puts guests within walking distance of restaurants, shops and local attractions.

So this isn’t an abandoned ghost-hunting location anymore.

It’s an updated functioning hotel again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Historic Griffin Hotel haunted?

Yes, the hotel has an established paranormal tradition involving reported childlike figures, footsteps and unexplained ballroom sounds. These are reported experiences and folklore—not verified supernatural events.

What is the most haunted floor?

Based on the hotel’s published paranormal history, the fourth floor is the strongest choice because that’s where reports of mysterious children and small footsteps have occurred.

What is the most haunted room?

There isn’t enough credible evidence to identify one specific room number. I recommend a fourth-floor suite instead.

Was it really a haunted attraction?

Yes. After its original hotel era ended, the building eventually became home to Sinister Suites, a haunted attraction.

Can you stay overnight today?

Yes. The restored property currently operates with 52 guestrooms and two suites.

When was the hotel built?

Approximately 1910.

👻 BestHauntedHotels.com Ghost Rating

9 / 10 — Highly Intriguing Haunted Historic Hotel

Why We Recommend 9/10

The Historic Griffin Hotel has several unusual advantages: an authentic circa-1910 hotel, more than a century of local history, fourth-floor apparition reports, ballroom phenomena, a period of abandonment and an extraordinary second life as an actual haunted attraction.

That actually makes the property more intriguing: The story is still developing.

Why Ghost Enthusiasts Should Stay Here

Few haunted hotels have traveled such a strange circle.

It began as a grand hotel.

Then it closed.

The empty building became a haunted attraction.

And now—more than a century after its original opening—people are sleeping here again.

Book a fourth-floor suite. Visit the Grand Ballroom.

Walk the upper hallway after the building becomes quiet.

If you hear quick little footsteps behind you, don’t immediately assume you’ve found the hotel’s mysterious children.

But you may want to look back.

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