Hotel Dalen, located in the deep fjords of Norway, is one of those places said to be haunted by a guest who never actually checked out. Who was the English lady in room 17?
Of Norway's many haunted lodgings, few are as haunting as the gorgeous and secluded Hotel Dalen in Telemark. Thanks to its turrets and gloomy wood halls, it was nicknamed “Hotel Bajkowy,”, but behind the elegance there is a story steeped in sadness.
Guests whisper of a presence that still moves through the halls, most often felt near one room in particular: room 17, where the English Lady is said to be staying.
Haunted Hotel Dalen
The hotel was completed in 1894 and is an impressive building set amidst greenery in the style of the Norwegian Dragon, with towers and spiers inspired by stave churches and the Viking Age.
The hotel was, by the standards of the time, extremely luxurious. It even had running water and electric airy, which were not common in these parts. And from the very beginning it was a success and a tourist magnet, attracting princes and aristocrats from Norway and Europe.
During World War II, the hotel was taken over by the Germans, demolished its interior and left it in ruins. A canal boat loaded with furniture and other equipment is said to have surfaced. Most of them were not recovered. After many years of destruction, it was restored and reopened in 1992 with 49 rooms.
When the last guests check out in October due to the winter closure, one guest is said to be left in the rooms.
The woman who never checked out
The ghost that is said to haunt the Dalen Hotel is known as English lady and although its history is known to most people who work there and local residents, it is rather tough to find material evidence of it.
Legend has it that in the tardy 19th century, an Englishwoman, Miss Eliza Greenfield, arrived alone in Dalen, polite but withdrawn. The staff noticed her unusual habits and long, lonely walks, but no one suspected what secret she carried. For months she lived quietly behind the door of room 17. When she finally came out, she politely said goodbye and disappeared down the street without looking back.
Her passing should have been the end of her story. Instead, it was the beginning of a horror story. Shortly after cleaning her room, staff found a dead baby hidden inside. The story doesn't often specify whether the baby was stillborn or whether something more sinister killed it.
The discovery shocked the entire region. Miss Greenfield was found on a ship bound for England and arrested for the murder of her child. However, before the trial began, she took her own life. In some versions of the story, she was actually executed for her crimes.
The woman in gray in room 17
But how true is this story? Although Christin Normann, the hotel manager, claimed that the story was true in the hotel magazine, there is little or no trace of Miss Greenfield and her crimes.
Guests staying in room 17 continue to report strange occurrences. At night, when no one is there, you can hear silent footsteps on the floor. The sound of still crying rises and falls with no apparent source. There is still a cradle in this room and it is said that she returned to her child.
Some visitors claim that upon waking they saw a pale woman at the foot of the bed, her figure pale and her expression one of regret before she fades into the shadows.
One of the most frequently repeated stories concerns a man who once spent the night in this room and was unaware of its tragic history. Disturbed by unexplained noises, he left not only the room but also the hotel in the middle of the night.
Employees talk about icy pockets in the hallway outside their room or the sudden smell of old-fashioned perfume wafting nearby. Some reported hearing gentle knocking on the door, as if someone was still trying to soothe a restless child. Those who sense her presence say there is no malice in it, only unbearable sadness.
Table setting for a ghost at the Dalen Hotel
A single table in the hotel restaurant stayed in her memory forever. Candles were lit, plates were laid out, cutlery was polished. This is tacit confirmation that Miss Greenfield never actually left the Dalen Hotel and that the staff are taking notice. Its story can be heard in every creak of the floorboards and in every shadow that flits through the lamp-lit corridors.
Some swear they felt her pass by them at night. Others say they saw a woman dressed in Victorian clothes in elderly mirrors.
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The Haunting of Hotel Dalen and the English Lady from Room 17
Hotel Dalen, located in the deep fjords of Norway, is one of those places said to be haunted by a guest who never actually checked out. Who was the English lady in room 17?
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Hotel Dalen ghost story | Strawberry
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