The Chateau Frontenac
Hello, Friends!
How are we doing? It's been a couple of weeks, and for that, I apologize. I caught a cold I just couldn't shake and then escaped to Las Vegas for a much-needed mini vacation.
But never fear, i hope it's a ghost is back this week with one of my favorite haunted locations to date, the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City.
Chateau Frontenac - A Brief History
The Chateau Frontenac is one of several hotels the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) developed in the late 1800s. The idea behind building such luxurious hotels came from Cornelious Van Horne, General Manager of the CPR, who famously said, “If you can’t export the scenery, we’ll import the tourists.”
The Chateau Frontenac certainly delivers on this promise.
Designed by architect Bruce Price and built in 1893, the Chateau Frontenac looks like a castle on one of the city's highest points overlooking the St Lawrence River.
Its imposing size makes it impossible to miss. So it's easy to believe that the Chateau Frontenac is widely considered the most photographed building in the world.
Many dignitaries have set foot inside the Chateau Frontenac over the years, including Charles Lindbergh, Alfred Hitchcock, Charles de Gaulle, and members of the Royal Family.
Several significant historical events also occurred at the Chateau Frontenac, such as the two Quebec Conferences to discuss WWII strategies. Canada's Prime Minister Mackenzie King also met with Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt at the hotel to discuss Italy's surrender and then again in 1944 to discuss the war's end.
Today, the Chateau Frontenac is a designated UNESCO site and a National Historical Site of Canada.
It's also (as you might have already guessed) haunted.
The Hauntings at Chateau Frontenac
According to most, the Chateau Frontenac is home to two ghosts.
I’m convinced there are likely quite a few more, and if you know of any, I’m really keen to hear your story. So let me know in the comments!
While we wait on that discussion, let’s talk about the hotel’s most famous ghost residents, Louis de Buade de Frontenac and The Woman in White.
Louis de Buade de Frontenac
If there's something that sounds familiar about Louis, it's because the hotel is named after this 17th-century governor of New France.
As the story goes, Louis died while his fiance traveled overseas. However, he haunts the hotel's hallways these days, searching for her and longing for their lost love.
Here's the thing about this ghost story.
Some of the stories I read differ regarding where Louis died. Some say he died in the Chateau Frontenac, but this just can't be true. Louis died in 1698 before the construction of the hotel began. Others say he died on Chateau Frontenac land, which is why his ghost haunts the hallways of the building.
Either way, the hotel has received many reports of seeing a man wandering the hallways wearing 17th-century clothing. He bears an uncanny resemblance to Louis, but it looks like we'll have to wait to find out for sure.
This ghost will pass through walls or disappear when anyone tries to talk to him.
The Woman in White
We've touched on many a woman in white here on i hope it's a ghost. The Chateau Frontenac is home to another, but as for this spirit's back story, no one seems to have any answers about who she is or who or what she longs for.
This woman in white doesn't prefer wandering the hallways of the Chateau Frontenac.
No.
Instead, she'll randomly pick a room and wait until the occupants go to sleep before appearing.
In the wee hours of the morning, after dusk but before dawn, the room's occupants will wake to find her standing at their bedside.
Watching.
Waiting.
All who've seen the woman say she's sad. It's a heavy feeling that's evident the moment they wake. Most people claim the woman disappears shortly after, but some describe how the woman in white tried to climb into bed with them.
A shout or terrified scream is the most common response, and either seems to send this ghost on her way.
My Hotel Experience
I've visited Quebec City several times in my life. I love it there and have always dreamed of staying at the Chateau Frontenac.
Thanks to a glorious pre-Christmas sale, I finally made it happen. This past November, I stayed in one of the rooms at the Chateau Frontenac.
My room, situated at what seemed like the farthest point from the elevators, gave me plenty of opportunities to see if Louis would appear.
I also spent plenty of time at the pool, which also required a 15-minute walk through the hotel after leaving the elevators.
Alas, Louis never appeared, but the hallways (deserted most of the time) made me believe that a chance meeting was certainly possible.
Honestly, walking down those hallways had me constantly on edge. It often felt like someone watched me, but as far as I knew, I was utterly alone.
As for the woman in white, I can't say I saw her either. While I occasionally woke in the wee hours of the morning, it was to roll over and fall back asleep. I didn't see anyone standing over the bed . . .
. . . But I kinda wish I had.
What do you think? Have you experienced a hotel haunting? If so, let me know what happened in the comments!
As always, thanks for reading. ✌️🖤👻