The Haunted Commonwealth

The Cavalier Hotel was built back in 1927 and has a rich history of luxury, prominent guests, and tragedy.  One of the biggest questions that ghost hunters seek to answer is what causes the "ghost" or the memories of some people to stay behind when others pass and are never heard from again.  Its one that has many different arguments as well as little to no evidence to back up any of those theories.

However, it seems like a place with large amounts of tragedy always seems to be labeled as haunted.  The Cavalier Hotel has seen its share of deaths and it too, like many other places in this world, has been labeled as haunted.

The hotel has a glorious history as it opened in 1927 and was designed to be the most luxurious hotel in the state of Virginia.  Located along the beach, the Cavalier brought thousands of tourists to the Virginia Beach area until the US Navy took over the building during World War II.  In 1973, the Cavalier opened it's brand new extension, which is located on the beach line.  Today, the Cavalier Hotel is only in operation for a few months out of the year.  The rest of the time it is spent locked in time, home to only it's memories and ghosts that are said to inhabit the place. 

The hotel has seen seven former U.S. presidents stay in one of their suites within the walls of the Old Cavalier Hotel.  The History section of this hotels history page states "Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon all enjoyed the luxury, the tradition, and the view that only the Cavalier can provide." Mickey Rourke, star of Iron Man 2 and The Wrestler, has also stayed here before a trip to Europe.

So what caused this lovable Inn to become haunted.  Well most of the stories seem to have avoided or been lost since the opening of the hotel.  However, some claims have been made by guests who have stayed in this hotel on numerous occasions.  First, there is a bellhop or what appears to be an African American hotel worker who stands on the steps before the sixth floor telling visitors to not go up to the sixth floor because "there are ghosts up there."  This is by far the most serious claim since not only do you have a voice but this man is showing up as an apparition.

Next, you have the story of Adolph Coors (the owner of the Coors Brewery) who plunged to his death from the sixth floor of this hotel building.  Many people who stay on the sixth floor of this hotel say they experience cold spots, voices, and even the sound of flesh slapping the pavement below.  Nobody knows whether Coors committed suicide or was killed.  He died in 1929, which was during the middle of Prohibition.

The hotel has also seen numerous guests call the front desk complaining about a cat wondering the halls late at night.  No cat as ever been seen or found for the past half-century.  There is a local rumor about a girl who brought her pet cat with her when she stayed here.  However, one day the cat got loose and wound up falling into the outdoor swimming pool causing the little girl to jump in after it.  Both the girl and the cat drowned.  Although an apparition of a little girl is not something that has been reported at the hotel, the sound of the cat is something that is reported on a regular basis.

Guests have also seen a white lady in the lobby, dragging a suitcase behind her.  They've also stated that their towels have the tendency to change colors on occasion, their toilet will flush randomly, and the elevator will run when nobody is around them.

Address

4201 Atlantic Avenue
Virginia Beach, VA 23451

Links

Official Site and History: http://www.cavalierhotel.com/history/index.cfm 
Real Haunts Article on the Hauntings: http://www.realhaunts.com/united-states/cavalier-hotel/
Message Board discussing the Hotel: http://www.ghostvillage.com/ghostcommunity/index.php?showtopic=7050
Blog Entry on the Cavaliers Hauntings: http://www.haunted-places-to-go.com/haunted-places-in-virginia.html
Hampton Roads Article from 2010: http://hamptonroads.com/2010/03/historic-cavalier-make-paranormal-experts-feel-home