Want to know what it’s like to spend the night in a reportedly haunted hotel?

Want to know what it’s like to spend the night in a reportedly haunted hotel?

Let me share my experience at the Tirau Pub, also known as the Oxford Royal Hotel.
This historical landmark was once a bustling stopover along State Highway 1, situated between Hamilton and Rotorua. It was a popular destination for enjoying a cold pint, playing a game of pool, having a hearty meal, or staying the night if one had indulged in a few too many brews. The presence of countless visitors to this iconic building was palpable.
Unfortunately, due to high rent and rates, the pub has since been converted into a boarding house, and its condition has declined under this management. As a result, the fate of this once-vibrant establishment remains uncertain. Paranormal New Zealand and The Spectral Tourist had the privilege of investigating the numerous stories shared by staff, locals, and visitors who have experienced strange occurrences that remain unexplained to this day.
We packed our supplies and headed to the location, knowing that the property management had recently informed us there would be no running water or electricity. We prepared by bringing battery packs, extra water, and planning to use a public toilet within the township.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by Mel, a local medium eager to join us and provide background on the many stories that had emerged in anticipation of our visit.
Our team consisted of three members of Paranormal NZ, four enthusiastic newcomers, and one veteran, Clint, from The Spectral Tourist. We met in the afternoon light, selected our rooms, set up our sleeping arrangements, and established optimal camera spots to begin our documentation while there was still daylight. After enjoying a dinner together, we commenced our investigation downstairs as the sun began to set.
The building downstairs consists of a café, a restaurant, a pub, and adjoining bathrooms and kitchen spaces. While in the café, we engaged in our usual inquiries and introduced ourselves to the building with the utmost respect. We received a few responses from the barometric monitor, the AeroFlux, a device designed to detect and monitor air pressure fluctuations. However, the responses were delayed, and nothing conclusive could be confirmed.
Then we heard a slight bang from the kitchen. Clint, Hamish, and I went to investigate. As Clint was asking if anyone was upstairs, I had to interrupt him when we heard footsteps above us, directly on the roof where we were standing. All the members were accounted for downstairs. We had only been investigating for about 15 to 20 minutes before this incident occurred.
The three of us ventured upstairs to follow the sound and check the rooms above the kitchen. These rooms had wooden floors, but, as you can imagine, we found nothing. While Hamish, Mitch, and I were upstairs, we thoroughly explored the entire area and decided to remain there to ensure there were no vermin visitors, which is quite likely in such a derelict site.
As we disclosed our observations, we all shared a distinct feeling: it was as if something was beckoning us to come upstairs, as though calling to us. The upstairs consisted of a function room, eight additional rooms, a manager’s room with an adjoining kitchen, and bathrooms at either end of the hallways. Two staircases met at each end of the hallway.
As nothing came of our initial investigations, the group decided to explore the restaurant area. It was very quiet, except for the noises and clicks coming from upstairs, which suggested the upper levels were where the action was. This aligned with stories shared about an old manager who had an office in the corner and would smoke cigars, a smell reported by many cleaners who once worked in the hotel. There was also a rumour about a man who leapt from the top balcony and met his fate on the concrete below. Locals reported that rooms 4 and 7 had a strange, unsettling feeling.
With this in mind, everyone in attendance set up in a doorway of their choice, ready with cameras, various EMF meters, data loggers, and the Aeroflux stationed in the hallway. I led the questioning, asking if anyone was in a particular room, hoping to isolate an area of interest. As soon as the question was posed, the group fell silent, startled by a series of thumps followed by running sounds along the catwalk that runs adjacent to the bedrooms. Everyone heard it, and it gave us quite a fright. Exclamations and some genuine swearing were captured on our camera footage, and Sam and Clint went outside to investigate. They heard rustling in the bushes outside, below the stairs leading to the catwalk, which seemed to resemble wildlife. The likely verdict was that a possum was the source of the thumps; given its size, it could easily explain the noise we heard. A bushy-tailed possum was soon spotted, and we all agreed it was more than likely the culprit.
A note on how much of a maze the building felt: Mark was trying to locate his room, and, as I expected the boys to get lost, he lost his way even though he was sitting right next to his door.
We continued our investigation by grabbing the to ols of choice and isolating ourselves in different areas upstairs. An interesting event occurred when we entered the room where I had previously heard footsteps at night. I asked the barometric monitor if this was the room from which the footsteps had come, and it activated within seconds. It gave me chills, as this was the first time I truly felt such an empathetic connection during an investigation.
During the rest of the night, the barometric monitor created a narrative that we followed and found some joy in. Perhaps it was merely a story born from a member of the group reacting strongly to a sense of something that seemed to be following him. While there was no solid backstory to go on, it might have been related to a historic romantic rendezvous between lovers.
Two of the team members left feeling satisfied with an exciting night, while the rest of us settled in for the night around 2 AM. I cannot speak for everyone, but I had a tough time sleeping. The creaks and shadows bothered me throughout the night. Just as I started to zone out, I was abruptly awakened by three loud bangs, as if something had fallen or a door had been forcefully opened. My heart raced as I sat up in the darkness. I disturbed my roommate, Clint, who was snoring, and he awoke to my concerns. We rushed downstairs to ensure everything was still, and we found that nothing was amiss; nothing was on the floor, and all the doors were shut and locked.
Returning to our sleeping spots, we tried to settle down again, with the birds signalling the approaching sunrise. I checked my phone for the time—it was 4:47 AM. I stayed awake, trying to determine whether the sounds were merely wildlife. Between 5 and 6 am, we heard five or six big bangs that shook the structure. Clint confidently confirmed he heard them, too. Thankfully, I wasn’t sleepwalking! We got up again to check the perimeter of the building. Ready to call the local police if necessary, I jumped at the echo of a creak in the room I was guarding. The ambience was adding to the tension of the situation. Clint returned with nothing to report, aside from noticing a cat sitting at the corner of the curb. Feeling defeated, we settled in once more, but the bangs continued to repeat—sometimes four, sometimes fewer than two—between 5 AM and 6 AM. There was no chance of returning to sleep.
What made the situation even scarier was the thought that it was likely a prankster who had decided to mess with us. We had thought we were the only ones hearing the noises since the others stayed put during our search. However, Mark stirred and entered the room to confirm that he also heard the bangs and had seen our torchlight as we wandered the hallways looking for answers. too tired to do anything, he lay there half asleep, but aware of the sounds. He had monitored and documented the unusual noises as well. I was grateful for this additional witness to the morning’s events.
The whole experience piqued everyone’s curiosity, much as I hope this account has done for you. Do you think this location needs more exploration? All the events were certainly eventful and made us ponder the residual energy that these homestays could hold. We were grateful for the hospitality we received and for the opportunity to investigate.