If you like your holidays with a side-order of spectral occurrences, eschew the usual hotels and bed and breakfasts in favour of a stay with a little more paranormal pedigree.
With Halloween just around the corner, Airbnb has added the house from movie franchise Scream to their site. Promising a night of horror films, and perhaps a phone call from Ghostface himself, the house isn’t the only spooky movie location that has become a haven for film fans hoping to hear something go bump in the night.
Holidaymakers have long flocked to Colorado’s Stanley Hotel, which doubled as the Overlook Hotel in horror film The Shining. And in 2016, the house that inspired the film The Amityville Horror, hit the market for $850,000.
But while there’s a clear line between Hollywood and horror, there are hotels you can check into where some of the guests have been staying for a really long time. Centuries, in fact.
Along with the Scream house, here are 10 hotels, guesthouses and bed and breakfasts that serve up something a little ghostly as part of the guest experience…
‘Scream’ House, California, USA
Do you like scary movies? As the horror-comedy franchise gears up for its fifth outing, fans of the films can now stay in the house where Sidney gave teenage psychos Billy and Stu their comeuppance. The house, which was the setting for the party where Tatum got squashed by Ghostface in the garage door, is available to rent on Airbnb, and fans of the films will be pleased to hear it’s leaning hard into its spooky roots.
Sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette) is on hand to virtually meet guests, and there’s no need to venture out – there might be a curfew in Woodsboro after all – as you can binge-watch all four Scream films. Finally, if you’re looking to get a good night’s sleep, be aware that Ghostface might call at any hour.
www.airbnb.com/halloween
Parador de Jaen, Andalucia, Spain
If you’re looking for a spooky stay in this 13th-century Arab fortress, room 22 is the one to book. According to the hotel’s website, that’s the room in which a guest was awoken one night to the sounds of banging on the door and a woman crying. A team of paranormal investigators concluded that the space was haunted by the spirit of a young woman who had died of heartbreak there many centuries ago.
That’s not the only spiritual guest at the monastic-style retreat on top of Santa Catalina Hill. It’s also home to the Lagarto Terrible (Terrible Lizard), a former prisoner of the fortress who died of hunger and is known to walk the hallways.
www.parador.es/en
The Shelbourne, Dublin, Ireland
The “Grand Dame of Dublin” has long been a royal and celebrity-favoured destination with the likes of Julia Roberts, Bill Clinton, Bono and Princess Grace of Monaco all staying there. However, by far the hotel’s most famous guest is Mary Masters, a girl aged 7 who died of cholera in 1791 and calls The Shelbourne her forever home.
According to the Irish Mirror: “At one stage over a six-month period, between two and three hotel guests a week were reporting apparent paranormal activity, including sink, bath taps and showers turning on by themselves.”
Even Hollywood isn’t immune to the ghostly goings-on. The Blind Side actress Lily Collins recalled of her sixth-floor stay on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: “I open my eyes and I hear a giggle. And I felt a rush of air across my body and I heard all these doors slamming.”
Fairmont Banff Springs hotel, Alberta, Canada
Given that this 764-room chateau in the Rockies dates back to 1888, it would be strange if it didn’t have one or two tales to tell. Located in Banff National Park, the hotel has a few guests who check-in and out when they like, usually leaving through the walls rather than the door.
The most famous has been dubbed The Bride and is the ghost of a young woman who slipped and fell on the marble staircase on her wedding day. Staff claim to have seen her on the stairs and in the ballroom waiting for the first dance she never had.
Another resident is that of Sam McCauley, the elderly Scottish bellman who worked at the hotel during the 1960s and '70s, and died in 1975. McCauley remains dedicated to his role, with a story told of two elderly women who called the bell desk for assistance when their key didn’t work. The hotel bellman arrived after 15 minutes only to be told an older bellman in a tartan waistcoat, matching McCauley’s description, had already helped them.
www.fairmont.com/banff-springs
The Langham, London, England
When it comes to unexplained happenings, The Langham in London, England leaves a lot of the country’s famously haunted castles standing. The 158-year-old hotel is said to be home to former resident, Emperor Louis Napoleon III as well as a German prince who jumped from his upper-level bedroom window, and who is often seen in the corridors and passing through walls.
With no fewer than five ghosts, back in 2014, members of England’s Test cricket team moved rooms or quit the hotel altogether thanks to unexplained occurrences.
“During the Sri Lanka Test, I had to move rooms,” fast bowler Stuart Broad told the Daily Mail. “It was so hot in the room, I just couldn’t sleep. All of a sudden, the taps in the bathroom came on for no reason. I turned the lights on and the taps turned themselves off. Then when I turned the lights off again, the taps came on. It was very weird.”
The stiff of upper lip should book into room 333, which is said to be the most haunted.
www.langhamhotels.com
Borgvattnet Vicarage, Jamtland, Sweden
It’s not often guests get a certificate to prove they lasted the night, but that’s what overnight visitors to the haunted Borgvattnet Vicarage receive.
Built in 1876, the vicarage has been converted into a bed and breakfast, with guests immersed in the natural beauty of the rural area where there’s plenty of fishing, snowmobiling in winter … and ghosts.
Local residents of Borgvattnet have long spoken of hearing women crying in the inn – the vicarage has its own room, Graterskornas rum (the room of the crying ladies) – while guests have reported a mysterious rocking chair, strange images in the mirror, singing radiators, footsteps and many more unexplainable goings-on.
www.borgvattnet.eu
Chateau de Marcay, Loire Valley, France
As far as urban legends go, the Chateau de Marcay lays claim to a terrifying tale to be told around the fire at night. Situated in France’s stunning Loire Valley, the 15th-century castle which was turned into a hotel in 1973, boasts its very own woman in white. Local legend has it that one of the ladies living at the Chateau de Marcay was a werewolf.
After transforming, she was shot one night by a farmer, and her body was found, shrouded in white. The farmer buried her in secret and she has haunted the corridors of the chateau ever since. Witnesses who have seen her say she is “beautiful” and aged around 20.
www.chateaudemarcy.com
Lord Milner Hotel, Matjiesfontein, South Africa
The resident apparition at the Lord Milner Hotel has a name, Lucy. Guests claim to have spotted her wearing a negligee and appearing along the corridors on the first floor and on the stairs.
The hotel, completed in 1899 and named after the governor of the Cape during the Anglo-Boer War, is located at the edge of the Great Karoo plateau in Matjiesfontein Village. The local town served as command headquarters during the South African War, resulting in a fair few unexplained occurrences reported over the years.
Lucy the spectre has been blamed for voices coming from empty rooms, as well as loud arguments that punctuate the still evening air. Guests have also reported the sound of hundreds of glasses shattering, despite no damage being found.
www.matjiesfontein.com
Hotel Kurrajong Canberra, Australia
When it comes to ghostly pedigree, Hotel Kurrajong Canberra boasts quite an impressive spectre. Throwing open its doors in 1926, and once enjoying a visit from Queen Elizabeth II, the country’s former prime minister Ben Chifley suffered a heart attack and died on the evening of June 13, 1951, in room 214.
Chifley’s grey-suited ghost has been spotted in the room, looking towards nearby Parliament House.
www.hotelkurrajong.com.au
El Hotel Meson de Jobito, Mexico
If you stay at Mexico’s El Hotel Meson de Jobito, expect to get an alarm call around 4am, as that is the time guests tend to experience the supernatural goings-on which have made the hotel famous.
Once a private residence, the hotel dates back to 1700, and served as a market and a stable for horses before throwing open its doors to paying guests in 1993.
Hotels guests have reported seeing old-fashioned miners looking for work prospecting for the gold the area was once famous for, as well as horses’ hooves clip-clopping in the hallways. There have also been reports of children running and jumping, but when checked, no children were found. The most haunted room is said to be 107, which used to belong to the caretaker.
www.mesondejobito.com
PAKISTAN SQUAD
Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
T20 SQUADS
Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Hussain Talat, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shinwari, Hassan Ali, Imad Wasim, Waqas Maqsood, Faheem Ashraf.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
RESULTS
Main card
Bantamweight 56.4kg: Mehdi Eljamari (MAR) beat Abrorbek Madiminbekov (UZB), Split points decision
Super heavyweight 94 kg: Adnan Mohammad (IRN) beat Mohammed Ajaraam (MAR), Split points decision
Lightweight 60kg: Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Faridoon Alik Zai (AFG), RSC round 3
Light heavyweight 81.4kg: Taha Marrouni (MAR) beat Mahmood Amin (EGY), Unanimous points decision
Light welterweight 64.5kg: Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) beat Nouredine Samir (UAE), Unanimous points decision
Light heavyweight 81.4kg: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Haroun Baka (ALG), KO second round
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
WHAT%20IS%20THE%20LICENSING%20PROCESS%20FOR%20VARA%3F
%3Cp%3EVara%20will%20cater%20to%20three%20categories%20of%20companies%20in%20Dubai%20(except%20the%20DIFC)%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECategory%20A%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Minimum%20viable%20product%20(MVP)%20applicants%20that%20are%20currently%20in%20the%20process%20of%20securing%20an%20MVP%20licence%3A%20This%20is%20a%20three-stage%20process%20starting%20with%20%5B1%5D%20a%20provisional%20permit%2C%20graduating%20to%20%5B2%5D%20preparatory%20licence%20and%20concluding%20with%20%5B3%5D%20operational%20licence.%20Applicants%20that%20are%20already%20in%20the%20MVP%20process%20will%20be%20advised%20by%20Vara%20to%20either%20continue%20within%20the%20MVP%20framework%20or%20be%20transitioned%20to%20the%20full%20market%20product%20licensing%20process.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECategory%20B%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Existing%20legacy%20virtual%20asset%20service%20providers%20prior%20to%20February%207%2C%202023%2C%20which%20are%20required%20to%20come%20under%20Vara%20supervision.%20All%20operating%20service%20proviers%20in%20Dubai%20(excluding%20the%20DIFC)%20fall%20under%20Vara%E2%80%99s%20supervision.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECategory%20C%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20New%20applicants%20seeking%20a%20Vara%20licence%20or%20existing%20applicants%20adding%20new%20activities.%20All%20applicants%20that%20do%20not%20fall%20under%20Category%20A%20or%20B%20can%20begin%20the%20application%20process%20through%20their%20current%20or%20prospective%20commercial%20licensor%20%E2%80%94%20the%20DET%20or%20Free%20Zone%20Authority%20%E2%80%94%20or%20directly%20through%20Vara%20in%20the%20instance%20that%20they%20have%20yet%20to%20determine%20the%20commercial%20operating%20zone%20in%20Dubai.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
The%20specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E261hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400Nm%20at%201%2C750-4%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.5L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C999%20(VX%20Luxury)%3B%20from%20Dh149%2C999%20(VX%20Black%20Gold)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
Three stars
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
The five pillars of Islam
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
