The Notorious Barclay Hotel Hauntings

Have you heard of the notorious Barclay Hotel hauntings? It's not surprising if you haven't, she is often overshadowed by her nearby more publicized and exploited twin sister the Cecil Hotel. But the Barclay is just as sinister and mysterious as that other Skid Row hotel. She has just as many confirmed deaths and serial killer encounters as the Cecil Hotel. So how has she been able to fly under the radar when it comes to creepy hotels? Let's find out!

Hotel Barclay
Hotel Barclay
photo by Downtowngal / CC 3.0

Barclay Hotel History

The Barclay Hotel was originally known as the Van Nuys Hotel when it was built in 1897. The Beaux-Arts style hotel was considered very shee shee at the time and the first in LA to offer electricity and a telephone in each room. The construction costs for the six-story hotel in Downtown Los Angeles amounted to $275,000 at the time. You can't even build a house for that now!

Despite various renovations over the years, the lobby still retains its original design. Beautiful whimsical stained glass panes with sea creatures frame the large lobby windows. The lovely originally small white tiles accented with black diamond tiles still invite you to enter the hotel. You can explore the lobby and basement tunnels from the comfort of your couch with Craig Sauer's 3D Scans on Esotouric's site.

From the time of its opening until the start of the Great Depression, the Barclay Hotel enjoyed popularity and prosperity. But that changed on Black Tuesday in 1929 when the stock market crashed. Downtown LA has always been a little wild and unrefined. The stars and Hollywood people moved to more refined parts of LA leaving hotels like the Barclay and Cecil empty and destitute. The only people who would stay are those who could scrape together a little money to get off the street for the night. Since then the hotel hasn't been able to regain its initial shine, but it does serve a worthy purpose today as low-income housing in a city that is bursting at the seams.

From the time of its construction to the present day, the Barclay has had just as many confirmed deaths as the Cecil Hotel and two serial killers stayed at the Barcley as well. The sensationalized portrayals of the Cecil deaths have skyrocketed the Cecil to infamy over all other hotels in the United States. Not that any hotel wants to be known as a murder hotel.

Tragic Deaths

Since this isn't a true crime blog I won't go through each death. You can read Wikipedia for that. I want to visit the more unusual incidents that may contribute to the hauntings. Any death regardless of circumstances can be traumatic and add bad energy to an already chaotic place. But murders or highly charged emotional deaths can release a lot of frantic energy.

Virgie Lee Griffin met an ex-sailor named Otto Stephen Wilson in 1944 at a local bar. They headed back to the Barclay. Virgie's mutilated body was later discovered stuffed in a hotel room closet. That same man murdered Lillian Johnson three days later at another downtown LA hotel only three blocks away. He was executed at San Quentin Prison in September 1946.

A fire broke out on the top floor of the Barclay Hotel while 132 guests were staying at the hotel in March 1972. Three people were killed in the blaze and seven others were injured. The circumstances of the fire remain suspicious. This event would heighten bad energy that could cause anxiety or paranoia at the least.

Skid Row Slasher Sentenced
Skid Row Slasher Sentenced

The second serial killer to strike at the Barcley was Vaughn Orin Greenwood aka the Skid Row Slasher. In January 1975, he killed Samuel Suarez in room 528 before moving to the Hollywood area. He targeted unhoused and transient men mostly on Skid Row and was later convicted on nine counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Hotel Hauntings

There are several reported hauntings at the Hotel Barclay but none are tied to a specific person or room just like the Hotel Normandie. People have reported seeing shadow figures in various locations. Could these be the fire victims looking for answers? Doors open and close on their own without any known explanation. Lights flicker throughout the dimly lit halls adding to the spooky vibes. There is supposedly a headless bellhop that hangs out on the second and third floors near the elevator.

I think the doors moving on their own and lights flickering could have a nonsupernatural explanation, but shadow figures and headless bellhops are hard to dispute. I don't know how many people saw these figures and can vouch for their appearance.

Visiting the Barclay

The Hotel Barclay was turned into low incoming housing in 2021. While you can't spend the night at the haunted hotel, you can visit the lobby on an Esotouric tour. If you saw the Netflix series Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, Kim Cooper and Richard Schave of Esotouric were interviewed as experts in LA history. The opulent Millennium Biltmore is just down the street if you need a nearby hotel. The haunted Hotel Figueroa is only a few blocks away and offers a coffin-shaped pool to cool off.

Barclay Hotel
photo by Difference engine / CC 4.0

In the Downtown Area

The food options are endless but if you are looking for a spooky-themed restaurant check out Beetle House and try the Edward Burger Hands with scissors stabbed through the top! The Veil is another option with traditional bar food and drinks but after all, you are there for the atmosphere.

Angels Flight
photo by Difference engine / CC 4.0

Angels Flight is just a short walk away and a unique LA experience. The LA Conservancy also offers tours of Downtown LA. If you are feeling bookish take a stroll through The Last Bookstore housed in an old bank building.

The Barclay Hotel may not be as well known as the Cecil Hotel but its history is just as notorious. The tragic and emotional events within the walls have released energy that could cause more hauntings to manifest over time. As the building is now used for low-income housing, do the residents see and hear what others have reported? Or can the spirits of those who have suffered finally rest now that the energy has shifted into a less transient nature?

Have you visited the Barclay Hotel or another haunted LA location? I would love to hear your story. Drop me a message! And don't forget to subscribe to the Spooky Traveling newsletter to keep up to date on the latest dark adventure. And always stay weird, Spooky friend!

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