Consistent reports of paranormal activity have come from visitors to the Claremont Resort Hotel in Berkeley.  It is often referred to as the gorgeous 'castle on the hill', where you are guaranteed to have a memorable stay.

Ghost hunters regularly head to this hotel to experience hauntings. This is especially true on Halloween weekend.

"As someone who is an employee of the hotel for only a few years, I can truly say there is something that roams the halls of the Claremont. Occasionally, I will hear something strange in the halls when I am alone and see some strange things happen with the lighting around the hotel, twitches of sorts out of no where ... daily I am asked about the hauntings here as guests love the excitement of possibly being in a haunted place," says a witness posting on the realhaunts.com Web site.

Another witness says, "I used to work there and can tell you it is haunted. I had only a few minor experiences, but enough for proof. The spirits don't just stay in one room they roam around ... the elevators are sort've haunted too. If you click 5 you will be on 4 if you click 2 you will be on 3."

Past guests have claimed that the fourth floor seems to be where concentrated activity occurs -- strange problems with flickering lights, televisions turning on randomly, and unexplained loud noises in the middle of the night during times of no active construction.

According to the Bay Area Ghost Hunters, "one man who stayed in a room appeared at the front desk the following morning and asked for another place to go. He complained he saw a bunch of people enter his room through a wall."

The Claremont's Fiery History

Many people have checked into "non-smoking" rooms only to find a lingering smell of smoke. In the late 1800s prospector Bill Thornburg "struck it rich" with gold and built his wife's dream home -- a modern castle. After his wife passed away, he sold the castle to the Ballard family. While the Ballards were away, on a dry summer day in 1901, the castle burned to the ground. A hotel was later built in 1915 by Frank Havens. "People have speculated that the 1901 fire is the real reason some guests smell smoke in otherwise smoke-free rooms," states Real Haunts' Shannon Reinbold-Gee.

The Little Girl in Room 422

Room 422 seems to be the heart of it all and is said to be haunted by the spirit of a little girl who, according to the Bay Area Ghost Hunters, died after she crawled into a fire chute and trapped herself in it.  People occasionally claim to catch a glimpse of her. Though her favorite room seems to be 422, witnesses claim that they've felt her presence in nearby rooms as well.

One bellman who gave me a tour of the hotel, passing by Room 422, said that one photographer couple purposefully checked into this particular room to attempt to capture the ghostly spirit on film. Supposedly, weird areas of smeared light in the photos show potential proof of the ghost.

All accounts detail a fun, mischievous presence, rather than a dangerous one. The Daily Californian published an article discussing the story and interviewed Claremont bellman Earl Van Dyke. "It's not a bad spirit, not a fearful spirit," he says. "I feel it's something gentle."

"People have reported hearing her call out "mommy" from time to time," says one individual on a tripadvisor.com blog posting.

A couple also posting on the tripadvisor.com blog stayed in Room 422 and said "sorry to say it was a great night's sleep ... although I couldn't turn off our tv. Perhaps the ghost liked the movie we were watching!!"

It's also interesting to note that Stephen King purportedly stayed in this room in 1981 during The World Fantasy Convention, at which King was the guest of honor. The Bay Area Ghost Hunters state that "when [King] and Peter Straub, who was also attending, learned the Claremont had a haunted room, they fought over it. Straub has since confirmed the story and that Stephen King won that argument. (There were no reports that he witnessed anything.)"

Mrs. Thornburg's Gardens

The Claremont is also listed in Jeff Dwyer's "Ghost Hunter's Guide to the San Francisco Bay Area" (Pelican Publishing Company).  "Keep an eye out for the ghost of Mrs. Thornburg, attired in Victorian Garb and wandering the verandas and gardens."  Dwyer says, "she lived in the English-style castle that occupied the hotel site until 1901 and approves of the luxury hotel she now haunts."

The Older Woman in the Tower

Another tripadvisor post states that the hotel is rumored to also be haunted "by an older woman who was trapped in the room during a fire. Guests have complained about having issues opening the door to leave the room. Maids have also complained about the set of dresser drawers being opened while they were cleaning the bathroom." The specific room is said to be a tower room with a huge dresser/shelf system in the middle of the room. The person posting said that she didn't experience anything, but asked not to be put in the room after hearing of the rumors.

Old-World Charm and Glamour

After learning about the legend of the Claremont Resort Hotel, my husband and I decided to stay there, along with all our guests, for our wedding this past summer.  The whole party was on the look-out for ghosts.

Though the long, wide halls are said to look like a scene out of The Shining, the only things we were haunted by were -- the most amazing 360-degree views of the Bay Area, incredible service, sumptuous newly renovated rooms with lush carpeting and antique-styled armoires, Suite 504's huge canopy bed, a world-class spa and outdoor pool, a refreshing "chillantro" cocktail at the Paragon terrace bar, and a hedonistic all-you-can eat Sunday brunch at Jordan's restaurant showcasing anything from oysters to caviar to applewood smoked bacon.

For sure, as you walk the halls, you can't help but feel hauntingly glamorous.  As you hear the sound of the grand piano playing in the lobby and pass by black-and-white photos of past presidents and Hollywood celebrities who were amongst the Claremont's vaulted guests, you are hoisted back to an era of old-world charm.

This Halloween

Although in the past, the Claremont offered a Spirits, Spooks and Sweethearts package with a ghostly historic tour, there are no such Halloween packages planned for this year.  However, the Claremont just released news of their Annual Halloween Event at the Kids' Club, set for Wednesday October 28th from 4:30pm to 6pm with games, prizes, cookie decorating, pumpkin patch, and a tour of the Haunted House.

But one thing to note is that, as of the time of this article's posting, Room 422 (a Large King Studio Room) is still available for reservations this Halloween weekend.  Do you have the guts to stay the night?

Though a stay at the Claremont isn't cheap, with the Great Recession still looming, prices can be found for as low as $120 per night (try hotwire.com or priceline.com).  Now that's spooky, scary.