Are you looking for a unique romantic getaway this autumn? If you want to go on a different kind of fall vacation, there are many cities that offer the perfect blend of luxury accommodation and spooky vibes. Here are the top US cities that offer both luxury and legends.
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg offers a variety of luxurious experiences for upscale travelers. As the oldest British settlement on the continent, Williamsburg is soaked in history – and blood.
Featuring five-star properties like the Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg is the perfect destination for travelers who want to pamper themselves. The Williamsburg Inn features marble bathrooms and silk curtains and offers an overall top-notch experience. Other luxury accommodation options include the Williamsburg Lodge and Kingsmill Resort, both four-star hotels.
Fine dining options include La Yaca, which serves French cuisine, and La Tienda, which has a gourmet Spanish market and a Tapas Bar, Spanish-style. If you’re a seafood lover, Waypoint Seafood and Grill is the place to go.
While in Williamsburg, make sure to go on a Williamsburg ghost tour to explore the eerie side of Williamsburg’s colonial past. Historic haunted sites include the Bruton Parish Church, the Peyton Randolph House, and the Wythe House.
Salem
Salem offers a number of boutique hotels, such as The Merchant Hotel. The Merchant features luxurious rooms with modern amenities such as heated bathroom floors and gas fireplaces while retaining its original woodwork, taking you back in time. The Coach Hotel, built by a sea captain in the 1800s, is also a good choice.
Dine at the Pellana Prime Steakhouse or Turner’s Seafood. Sea Level Oyster Bar and Petrillo’s Italian Kitchen are two more of my favorite restaurants to stop in when in Salem. Mercy Tavern is also an excellent place if you enjoy exquisite cuisine and beautiful music on a night out.
Of course, a visit to Salem would be incomplete without exploring one of the most infamous periods of America’s past – the Salem witch trials. During these trials, 19 innocent people, accused of being witches during a period of mass hysteria and religious frenzy, were executed and hanged.
The Salem Witch Museum is the first stop you should make if you’re interested in learning more about the trials. Next, stop by the Salem Witch House, also known as the Jonathan Corwin House. This was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin, the judge who sentenced innocent people accused of witchcraft to their deaths.
Rumor has it that the house is haunted by his soul, unable to find repentance, crying in regret over the impact of his decisions. Another haunt to visit in Salem is Ropes Mansion, which was featured in the movie Hocus Pocus.
New Orleans
When in New Orleans, I recommend staying in the French Quarter, the oldest neighborhood in the city. Founded by the French in 1718, the French Quarter features ancient, colorful buildings blended in with modern jazz taverns and clubs. A walk around the French Quarter will eventually lead you to the French Market and Jackson Square, where you can enjoy street music after eating at one of the local Cajun eateries in the area.
The Hotel Monteleone is my preferred accommodation while in New Orleans. Located in the heart of the French Quarter, it offers luxury suites with antique furniture, blending the old and the new. On the premises is New Orleans’ only rotating bar, where the Hotel Monteleone offers cocktails and live music.
New Orleans has a rich history of voodoo and magic, leading to its haunted reputation. Originally brought to New Orleans by enslaved West Africans, the New Orleans flavor of voodoo is known as Voodoo-Catholicism, a religion closely tied to the celestial spirits.
The city features historically haunted sites such as the LaLaurie Mansion. This mansion is named after the serial killer Madame LaLaurie, who sadistically murdered her victims in the mansion in the most gruesome manner, using the rooms as torture chambers.
Key West
In Key West, you have your pick of luxury accommodation. Sunset Key Cottages is my go-to recommendation. It is a private island resort off Key West, offering 40 guest cottages, a five-star restaurant with award-winning dining, and a luxury spa.
If you’re looking for something at a lower price point or a bit more central, you can’t go wrong with the Ocean Key Resort and Spa at 0 Duval Street (yes, that’s right – zero, not one). This waterfront hotel overlooks the Gulf of Mexico, and it’s right next to Mallory Square in the historic old town of Key West.
Key West offers amazing eateries, such as Louie’s Backyard and Kaya Island Eats. For a true Key West experience, sit down at Blue Heaven, which features a beautiful outdoor setting and mouthwatering options such as Jamaican jerk chicken.
For a spooky thrill, visit the La Concha Hotel. It was supposed to be the first luxury hotel in the historic old town, but around a dozen murders, suicides, and freak deaths made it famous for a different reason.
Just down the road from the Ocean Key Resort and Spa is “The Oldest House,” a little blue home at 322 Duval Street that is the oldest house in the city. It’s now a museum and rumored to be haunted by all of Key West’s old-timers.
St. Augustine
St. Augustine’s claim to fame is being the oldest city in the US. You can lose yourself in the stunning Spanish colonial architecture of its historic areas or laze around on one of its beaches, gazing into the crystal-clear waters of the Atlantic.
The Casa Monica Resort and Spa in the downtown area is my top place to stay. It has beautiful chandeliers and fountains and a dazzling lobby that greets you when you first enter. It is the only hotel in the city that has been rated as a Four-Diamond hotel by the AAA.
St. Augustine has some of the most delicious and freshest seafood in the country. Whether you opt for Crabby’s Beachside, Cap’s on the Water, or another of St. Augustine’s top dining venues, prepare to have your palette experience new and delightful flavors.
There are plenty of spooky St. Augustine sites to explore. The Spanish Military Hospital, where infamous treatments masqueraded as healthcare were carried out, should be one of your first stops. You should also check out the haunted Casablanca Inn, whose former owner harbored illegal rum-runners during the Prohibition era.
Other haunted cities in the USA include Boston, Nashville, San Francisco, and Gettysburg. Gettysburg, for example, is haunted by the souls of the dead soldiers of the civil war. Regardless of where you go this Halloween, there is likely a spooky story hidden in your destination city’s past.
