Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

The Mount Washington Resort is a luxury hotel and resort lying just West of its namesake: Mount Washington. The hotel has maintained an elegant vintage look without sacrificing the little comforts the modern day guest has become accustomed to, such as high-speed internet and a full-service spa.

The hotel was built by a wealthy coal broker by the name of Joseph Stickney. Stickney poured $1.7 million into the project, which took two years to complete. Stickney hired 250 Italian artisans to carve and sculpt the intricate details that give the hotel its charm. The Grand Opening of the hotel was held on July 28, 1902. It is said that Stickney stood in front of his guests at the celebration and announced “Look at me gentlemen, for I am the poor fool that built all this!”. Unfortunately, he did not get to enjoy his masterpiece for long. Joseph Stickney passed away on December 21, 1903.

The Princess

The hotel was left in the care of Joseph’s wife, Carolyn Stickney. Carolyn spent her summers at the hotel and loved it as much as Joseph did. With Carolyn at the helm, the fourth floor of the hotel was expanded, the Sun Dining Room was added, and a chapel was built to honor her late husband. In 1913, Carolyn remarried. Her new husband, Jean Baptiste Aymon de Faucigny-Lucinge, was a well-to-do French aristocrat. It was from this union that Carolyn gained the title of ‘Princess’. Aymon de Faucigny-Lucinge passed away in 1922, and Carolyn once again found herself a widow.

Throughout the Decades

Carolyn Aymon de Faucigny-Lucinge passed away on November 2, 1936. The Mount Washington Hotel was then passed to her nephew, Foster Reynolds. The hotel was facing a decline in business at the time; primarily due to the reintroduction of Income Tax, Prohibition, the Great Depression, and eventually, World War II. However, it received an uptick in visitors when it hosted the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944, an assembly of over 700 delegates from the allied nations that gave birth to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

Today, the hotel is operated year-round by Omni Hotels & Resorts. The property boasts 2 golf courses, a ski resort, a full-service spa, four restaurants and a cocktail lounge, a zip line, indoor and outdoor pools, a 30,000 square-foot conference center, and a broad assortment of paranormal activity. The most famous of the hotel’s spirits is the Princess, herself. A portrait of the Princess stands in the balcony overlooking the lobby, just as she did in her living years. However, many guests have witnessed a figure resembling Carolyn standing at that same balcony. She has also believed to haunt her old bedroom, Room 314. Carolyn has been seen brushing her hair while perched on the very bed she traveled with and slept in while she was alive.

Guests report the sounds of a baby crying in the vicinity of their room, but the sound cannot be traced to any certain location. Phantom footsteps, voices, the scent of perfume, and lights turning on and off on their own are reported all throughout the building.

Sources

Mount Washington Resort. “Self-Guided Historic Tour the Mount Washington Hotel.”
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45059309/carolyn_salome-stickney: accessed March 5, 2024), memorial page for Carolyn Salome Foster Stickney (17 Jul 1867–2 Nov 1936), Find a Grave Memorial ID 45059309, citing Old North Cemetery, Concord, Merrimack County, New Hampshire, USA; Maintained by Macbro (contributor 47145132).