Arctic Club Hotel -Seattle, WA

Step through the doors of Arctic Club Seattle — a historic hotel nestled in the heart of downtown Seattle where luxury, architectural grandeur, and eerie lore converge. Once the grand headquarters of Klondike Gold Rush adventurers, this century-old building now welcomes guests not only for its elegant rooms and iconic Polar Bar, but also for stories of restless spirits and unexplained phenomena. For fans of haunted hotels and paranormal explorers alike, a stay here offers both world-class hospitality and a chance to feel the echoes of the past lingering in its corridors.

Brief  Hotel History

• Built in 1916, the Arctic Club Building was constructed as the downtown Seattle headquarters for the Arctic Club — a social organization formed by veterans of the Klondike Gold Rush.

• Designed in the Beaux-Arts style by architect A. Warren Gould, the structure is known for its striking terra cotta façade and walrus head sculptures, reflecting its Arctic theme.

• After the original club dissolved in 1971, the historic building was restored and repurposed as a luxury hotel, now known as Arctic Club Seattle — part of the DoubleTree by Hilton portfolio, with modern amenities and historic charm.

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👻 Haunted Hot Spots & Paranormal Activity

Arctic Club Seattle’s reputation as a haunted hotel comes from its long history and a tragic event that continues to fuel ghost stories:

Fifth Floor — Marion Zioncheck’s Office

• The most prominent haunting legend revolves around U.S. Congressman Marion Zioncheck, who died by suicide in 1936 by jumping from his fifth-floor office window in the Arctic Building. Some believe his spirit never left.

• Guests and staff report unexplained phenomena on or near the fifth floor:

  • Elevator stops mysteriously open on the fifth floor with no call button pressed, as if inviting visitors to explore the haunted corridor.

  • Cold spots and bone-chilling breezes are frequently felt in hallways associated with Zioncheck’s death.

  • Phantom footsteps and indistinct voices have been heard in otherwise empty halls at night.

General Building Lore

• Some guests describe an eerie sense of being watched in corridors where early explorers once gathered.

• Anecdotal accounts include unexplained sounds or chills deep in the evening or early morning when the hotel is quiet.

While not every stay results in a ghost encounter, these stories have helped cement Arctic Club Seattle’s status among Seattle’s most haunted hotels.

💬 Recent Guest Reviews

Here’s what guests and reviewers have mentioned in relation to the hotel’s haunted reputation:

• On TripAdvisor, some guests describe the Arctic Club as having a “refined ghostly charm,” with moonlight glinting off historic fixtures and a sense of depth to the building’s past that feels almost alive at night. –Tripadvisor

• Paranormal travel discussions highlight cold spots and elevator anomalies on the fifth floor as frequent talking points. Many visitors treat these reports as part of the fun historical aura rather than frightening hazards. –Curbed Seattle

• In ghost tour lore around Pioneer Square and downtown Seattle, the Arctic Club often appears on lists of haunted locations, with tales of footsteps and sudden temperature drops adding to the mystique. –Seattle Terrors

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