DALLAS — Surrounded by a sea of new construction Dallas’ second oldest hotel stands tall.
Built in 1923, Le Méridien Dallas, The Stoneleigh is on the National Register of Historic Places, but it’s the historic people that bring many guests here.
“There’s a lot of stories about the paranormal here in this hotel,” said Stacy Martin, the hotel’s general manager.
Martin says the most prominent story comes from the 1930s, soon after the hotel was sold to a man known as Colonel Harry Stewart.
A frequent guest of the hotel, Stewart was so enamored by it that he purchased the property and turned the 11th floor into his penthouse suite, the first penthouse suite in Dallas. He later added a 12th floor, which became his residence.
Stewart’s penthouse is pretty much the same today as it was back then, but much of the hotel has changed throughout the years. Most notably, secret tunnels and stairways that were once used by service staff have been covered and made impassable.
A century ago, however, that those tunnels were used by a woman known as Margaret, who was rumored to be the mistress of either Stewart or the hotel’s first manager.
“She had an unfortunate ending,” Martin said.
Reportedly, in the late 30s, Margaret was pushed or fell either down the stairs or from the hotel’s top floor all the way to her death.
In the decades since, guests have reported many eerie encounters.
“You can always tell when they’ve had an experience,” said front desk manager Julie Garrett. “They kind of look around, see if anybody’s listening and then they come and they tell their story.”
Garrett said one memorable story came from a guy who woke up and claimed his nightstand was filled with water. He was unable to locate a leak and hadn’t brought any water into his room.
When he came back on a later visit, it happened again in a different room.
“I just casually said, ‘Maybe it’s a message for you,’” said Garrett. “And you could see in his face that something registered with him and he said that he would never come back.”
Was Margaret behind it? Who knows?
Although, another guest is certain Margaret isn’t alone.
“She said, ‘I slept with the lights on for two nights. There was a man in my room. He was wearing a black suit,’” Garrett remembered.
Garrett then pulled out an old photo of Colonel Stewart in a black suit.
“She screamed in the lobby and said, ‘That’s him,’” Garrett said.
Employees aren’t immune from these encounters either. They regularly experience lights flickering, doors opening and dogs barking when no dogs are present.
It’s enough to convince almost anyone that something is haunting the Stoneleigh. Almost anyone.
“I think my employees believe that they see and hear what they see and hear,” Martin laughed.
“I believe it,” Garrett said. “Wholeheartedly, I believe it.”
Even if one of America’s most spectacular hotels turns out to be one of the spookiest, there’s no reason to hide from it. That’s why The Stoneleigh is having a party on Thursday, Oct. 26, to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
“Why not have a little fun with your history,” Martin asked. “Why not make the hotel different from others that don’t have this rich history like this hotel does?”
Besides, it’s easy to embrace a past that’s still very present.
To purchase tickets to the 100th anniversary gala, click here.
Other spooky local stories: