For those who enjoy a good horror movie, imagine how thrillingly terrifying it would be to stay at — and sleep in — the location used in the filming of a scary movie.
According to travel website Booking.com, people are actually seeking out these scary spots for an overnight stay!
“We surveyed Albertans and we found that one in five are looking to have unique experiences and they would love to have a bit of an experience of paranormal,” said Nuno Guerreiro, Booking.com’s regional manager for Canada. “They aren’t afraid of that!”
READ MORE: Banff Springs Hotel among Canada’s spookiest places on Google Street View
Booking.com says the idea of booking a hotel room connected to a horror film is growing in popularity.
“It wasn’t common in the past but definitely the trends that we see now when we survey the guests, they’re looking now for a new experience. That’s a trend in the future,” Guerreiro said.
The site delved into more than 1.4 million properties in over 120,000 destinations around the world and curated a list of locations where the most iconic and chilling movies were made.
Travellers seeking a spooky thrill could book a room at the Oregon lodge where The Shining was filmed, visit the Toronto hotel made famous by IT or hunker down at the Vancouver cottage that became The Cabin in the Woods.
Here are the eight best horror movie destinations:
The Rocky Horror Picture Show – The Oakley Court – Windsor, UK
This historic Victorian Gothic country house dates back to 1859. It became a popular location to film various terror movies during the 1960s because it was close to a filming studio famous for producing horror films.
The property is recognizable from the cult horror musical directed by Jimmy Sharman.
Now, The Oakley Court is a beautiful hotel, set within large gardens and overlooking the River Thames. The property features an award-winning restaurant, a 9-hole golf course, tennis courts and an indoor pool.
The Shining – Timberline Lodge – Timberline, Oregon, USA
Situated deep within Mt. Hood National Forest, the luxurious Timberline Lodge features rustically inspired rooms with original handcrafted furnishings, a heated outdoor pool and three restaurants.
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The property was used for the exterior shots of one of Stephen King’s most famous films about an author who was planning on using the hotel’s solitude to write, but instead comes face to face with some of the hotel’s darkest secrets.
Based on the bestselling novel, the movie was actually inspired by King’s visit at The Stanley Hotel in 1974, which was used as the filming location for the 1997 television adaptions.
The Haunting – Ettington Park Hotel – Alderminster, UK
Set within 40 acres of lush parkland, this four-star Gothic mansion offers luxurious rooms and an impressive oak room restaurant with an 18th-Century ceiling and other historic features.
With the River Stour running through the property, the exteriors and grounds were used to film a 1963 British psychological horror film about a small group of people invited by a scientist to investigate a haunted mansion known as Hill House.
Twin Peaks – Salish Lodge & Spa – Snoqualmie, Washington, USA
In 1990, the world was introduced to a fictional small town in the pacific northwest and its quirky inhabitants who were rocked by a mysterious murder and the quest to uncover the truth.
Almost overnight, everyone became obsessed with the twisting plot lines and eccentric cast of characters, as well as the dramatic real-life landscapes that provided the brooding backdrop for this spine-tingling soap opera.
Featuring expansive views of the surrounding mountains and set near the top of Snoqualmie Falls, the Salish Lodge & Spa is recognizable from the opening sequence of the show and as one of the most important locations in the series.
The Witches – The Headland Hotel and Spa – Cornwall, UK
Overlooking Fistral Beach, this stylish Victorian hotel features a top-rated spa, surf school, a golf course and a wonderful sea-view terrace.
In 1990, the property was used as the filming location of a fantasy horror-comedy film starring Anjelica Huston.
Inspired by one of Roald Dahl’s novels, the movie is about a young boy who stumbles into the world of real evil witches. After he was turned into a mouse, the little protagonist tries to stop them and save the world.
The Cabin in the Woods – Secret Cove Cottage Suites – Vancouver, B.C.
Hidden away in the woods of Halfmoon Bay, this cozy log cabin is surrounded by trees, near the forest where producer Joss Whedon and director Drew Goddard filmed their horror comedy.
The Secret Cove Cottages has two guest suites made of environmentally sensitive materials that were designed as a delightful escape near smuggler coves and fantastic beaches.
IT – The Ivy at Verity – Toronto, Ont.
While killer clowns walk the streets near a mansion in Riverdale — where the latest adaptation of Stephen King’s killer novel was filmed — visitors can get a good night’s rest in downtown Toronto, with no clowns in sight.
The Ivy at Verity is a restored 1850s chocolate factory.
“It’s a beautiful boutique hotel,” Guerreiro said, “four rooms only. In the mid-1800s it was a chocolate factory. So, the story is amazing.”
The Ivy at Verity offers exemplary service, an award-winning restaurant and uniquely decorated, spacious guest suites.
As It has kept key elements of its past adaptations, the luxury boutique hotel similarly blends old with new, offering an old-fashioned hotel experience.
The Revenant – Mount Engadine Lodge – Kananaskis, Alta.
While The Revenant technically isn’t a horror movie, there’s no doubt it’s suspenseful. It also features a recognizable Alberta location.
READ MORE: Meet Glenn Ennis, a.k.a. the bear from ‘The Revenant’
This lodge is located in Spray Valley Provincial Park. It offers untouched wilderness and beautiful vistas in Kananaskis County where The Revenant starring Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed. Guests can experience the same wilderness (with or without bears!) that Leo explored in his survival thriller.
“Why not? Why not? At this time, it’s really about unique experiences and having something you could not before have,” Guerreiro said.
The Booking.com survey offered more insight into what motivates visitors to choose hotels with spooky movie backstories. Sixteen per cent of Albertans said they’d like to stay at a haunted house because they’d like to see a ghost while 33 per cent are interested because of the folklore.
“If anyone is going there, they’re adventurous enough to experience it,” Guerreiro said. “Even if they’re not spooked, or meet a bear, they will definitely have the opportunity to experience beautiful landscapes and to be immersed in some of culture or other locations that are beautiful in Canada and globally.”
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