Chateau Tongariro built in 1929, is a pre-Depression era style New Zealand hotel located close to the Whakapapa ski field on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu.
The Hotel’s spooky tales date back to its use as a women’s asylum in the early 1940s, following the temporary closure of the Porirua Lunatic Asylum due to the 1942 Wairarapa earthquake.
The staff tells stories of a nurse named Charlotte, who was said to have died in one of the rooms. It is believed that Charlotte continues to make her presence felt in the hotel, particularly in one of the rooms which was said to be her favorite.
Staff and guests also report mysterious instances of fires stuttering in their fireplaces, and curtains moving as if blown by a strong breeze, despite no breeze being felt. Many also remark on the hotel’s resemblance to the Overlook Hotel from Stephen King’s The Shining, which was based on the notoriously haunted Stanley Hotel in Colorado.
Some of the activity reported to me via our website comments were focused mainly on Rooms 112, 305, 308, 312, 314, 315, and the top floor.
Some of the stories I received from ex-staff and patrons of the hotel, were intriguing, to say the least!
“Me and my older brother were in one of the long hallways with the rooms stretched out between the walls. There was absolutely no one else in the hall, but there was a cleaning cart left outside a room, with some dirty plates in it and had a little pedal pushed down to prevent it from moving. We then started to hear whispering. It was really creepy. I said out loud, “This place must be haunted or something.” It was exactly then the cleaning cart started rolling down the hall at a very fast speed, crashing into the wall. All the plates flew out and shattered everywhere. We stood there nervously laughing because we thought that was weird. Suddenly, this very old cleaning lady came out of the lift looked at the cart, and just started cackling with laughter. We were so freaked out we ran away.”
“My pregnant wife and I were in Room 312 last week at the end of the hall on the top floor. It was a very windy night. As soon as we stepped from the hallway to the room, we felt cold. We asked if we could have a second heater, as the hallway was warmer. We had the heater going for a few hours while we enjoyed the hotel foyer. When we went to bed we still didn’t feel the room was warm enough so we left it going. I woke up a couple of times to my wife saying she couldn’t sleep. Finally, at about 2:30 am, I woke up and I was hot but my wife was freezing and she was uneasy and wanted to move rooms. I went down to reception and asked to move. We got shifted to a room in the new wing and we went straight to sleep. It may have been the weather that night that made her cold and uneasy but after reading and hearing about other experiences on that floor I thought it worth mentioning ours in case someone else had a similar experience.”
“Hi, I was a cleaner there in 1996 for about 9/10 months. I had an experience in Room 308 that still crosses my mind to this day. I went in to service the room, however, I didn’t usually work on the 3rd floor but I was needed on the 3rd this day. The bathroom door was closed when I went to open the door it was locked, I knocked even though I knew the customer had already left, and I knocked and tried again. I started to worry that maybe the customer was still in there and something was wrong. I asked one of the porters to try and he too couldn’t open the door, so I rang my manager to come up, which she did and promptly opened the door first try. I continued as normal but this event still crosses my mind at times. We always tried to be in pairs when we had to go to the basement which was daily. Other than that room, most I found fine. Room 305 had a presence, so in the evenings when I did ‘turn down’, I would always leave extra chocolate.”
“I went to stay at the Chateau in April 2014, for a surprise long weekend get-away with my partner. We were staying in Room 312 which, at the time we had no idea of any apparent hauntings in the rooms nearby. We had an amazing time and a good night’s sleep the whole weekend, but the morning when we woke up to get ready to leave, I got up and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and my girlfriend was still lying in bed. She was chatting to me through the doorway while I was brushing my teeth. Suddenly, one of our room swipe cards just slipped off the table and onto the floor in the bedroom. (my girlfriend was still in bed, and I was in the bathroom) We both stopped and looked at each other and tried to figure out what just happened. As I leaned through the doorway to look at the table, the second swipe card slid off the table onto the ground as well. Needless to say, we both jumped up and got ready and checked out as fast as we could. It was very creepy and I can’t explain how it happened. I have been back and stayed since but I request to stay in the new wing.”
Is it possible the presence of former staff, patients, and soldiers still lingers in the halls of this remote landmark?
My wife Sarah and I, along with the mother-in-law, decided to spend a few days road-tripping around the Manawatu region. Spending a couple of nights with their relatives living in Marton, then ending up here at the Chateau, a location both Sarah and I have had on our personal bucket lists since childhood.
Looking out the white lattice dormer windows of this iconic piece of hilltop real estate, with its peppered and fascinating history; I see the mountain mist rolling in, like smoke drifting by. It’s a very foggy, overcast, and grey day today. Visibility extends to only about two hundred meters beyond. There are swallows, nest in the guttering below our window. Mum was busy flitting to and fro with a beak full of worms. It’s a peaceful setting. The sweeping thick mists, and the eerie mournful howl of the wind, accompanied by the creaking of floorboards from any subtle body movement, add to a rather appealing and suitable horror setting for these paying tenants.
I’m in the McLaren suite, apparently the ”Second most expensive room in the hotel”. We managed to get a very generous upgrade after we discovered the spa bath wasn’t working properly. No functioning jets and the temperatures were awry; Cold from the hot tap and hot from the cold. With no service person handy, they chose to upgrade us instead. Lucky for us and very much appreciated!
Our new abode for the night was very impressive; (and credit where due, the service so far in this hotel has been top notch. Eager to please and quick to respond) separate lounge room, a huge bathroom with a large spa bath, bedroom areas with a stunning view to wake up to. Fog cover is pending, of course.
On a side note: We later found that our toilet didn’t shut off properly after flushing. So, the night was filled with dribbles and brief gushes and splashes. At one point, I could swear there was someone in the toilet urinating. The audible resemblance was uncanny, and a bit unnerving at times. Ah well, here’s hoping for a good night ahead.
The helpful concierge tells us the room is named after one Peggy McLaren.
Peggy was a regular patron at the Chateau for many, many years. She passed away in her 80s, so in kind dedication to such a loyal and devoted customer named the suite in her honor. On hearing that she’d passed away, my first question to blurt out, purely on habit and instinct, was “Did she die here?”
I had told the guy I was a paranormal researcher staying the night earlier in the day, so he knew what I was gearing towards. I could tell I’d put him on the spot with this question. He paused for a moment; then with an almost guilty look on his face, like he knew he was about to tell me a ‘little white lie’ and was really hoping I wouldn’t notice, replied, “No.”
Righto, time for dinner. Headed down to the apparently five-star, Ruapehu Restaurant on the Ground Floor. Now, I’m a little confused as to how those five stars relate to the ‘comedy of errors’ our meal ended up being. It wasn’t just us either. All around us, people were turning their noses up on the first bite, whispering in disgust to each other, bringing errors to the Waiter’s attention, and shaking their heads in displeasure. I have to say; I’m certainly no food aficionado and I fully admit I’m well below par in the kitchen; but this would’ve been the worst meal experience the three of us have ever had to endure.
Every part of our dining experience was wrong. From the drinks and food order taking, table set up, obvious ingredients missing from all our orders, meals received either cold or undercooked. One main didn’t arrive at all! It was like we were trapped in a warped Fawlty Towers-esque episode, right to the end. If you stay at the Chateau, aim low so as not to be disappointed.
As for the place being haunted. The years of great anecdotal stories of activity coming from that place are impressive.
But taking a walk around this building and hearing all the various odd sounds it makes at every floor and corner, I’m less impressed. Almost doubtful.
