National Trust names two San Antonio hotels among country's 25 most haunted properties

Two downtown San Antonio hotels, the Gunter and the Emily Morgan, were selected as part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of the 25 most haunted properties in the United States. The two buildings stand as the only entries from Texas in this year's national compilation, which honors historic inns with well-documented stories of supernatural occurrences.

The Emily Morgan, a 102-year-old structure originally built for medical use, has a long history with the list. The nonprofit describes the building as one of North America's most active paranormal sites. According to the trust, the carved grotesques on the facade appear to writhe in response to guests' physical ailments. Inside the building, staff and visitors have reported the continued presence of spectral nurses.

Specific reports from the Emily Morgan focus on the fourteenth and twelfth floors. On the fourteenth floor, guests have described a hospital-like smell and, on rare occasions, visions of a hospital scene upon opening their doors. On the twelfth floor, bathroom doors reportedly open and close on their own, lights flash, and apparitions of nurses push gurneys down the corridors before disappearing.

The Gunter Hotel, built in 1909, carries a more specific and grim history tied to Room 636. In 1965, a housekeeper discovered ex-con Walter Emerick beside a blood-soaked bed in that room. Investigators found empty wine bottles, bloody footprints, blonde hair, and women's clothing, but the victim's body was never recovered. Emerick later took his own life in a different room at the St. Anthony's Hotel after requesting to stay in Room 636 again.

Since the 1960s, the Gunter has reported a variety of unsettling phenomena. Guests and staff have noted unexplained cold spots, flickering lights, and faint whispers or footsteps in empty rooms. Some individuals claim to have seen a shadowy figure near doorways or smelled cigar smoke despite the hotel's smoking ban.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation includes the list as part of its Historic Hotels of America program. The organization aims to highlight the preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through these cultural stories. A release from the trust stated that the list invites travelers to discover properties where lore and legends create memorable stays for both believers and skeptics.

The Emily Morgan returned to the list after missing the previous year's designation. The Gunter received a separate honor this year, being named the Best City Center Historic Hotel. That award recognizes the property for celebrating its history within the guest experience while providing exceptional hospitality and service.

Both hotels have integrated their eerie reputations into their public presence. The Emily Morgan explicitly touts its mysterious occurrences on its website. The Gunter acknowledges the history of Room 636 but notes that the room has since been remodeled, glossing over some of the more detailed accounts of the 1965 incident.

The list serves as a marker of the buildings' age and cultural standing. The Emily Morgan's medical past and the Gunter's 1909 construction date place them among the older structures in the downtown area. The national recognition adds to the existing lore surrounding these two specific properties in San Antonio.