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“Alright, Rich. Here we are. The Dauphine Orleans Hotel.” Eddie said as he walked into the parking lot of an absolutely stunning hotel.
“This looks like a five-star hotel.” Richie gasped.
“I wouldn’t jump to conclusions. You don’t know what hides beneath the surface.” Eddie tried to be mysterious.
“Eddie, we’re entering through the valet parking door.” Mike pointed out from behind the camera.
“Shut up, Mike!”
Eddie and Richie walked through the hotel, which was mainly outdoors with smaller houses serving as the guest rooms.
“This is it.” Eddie stopped in front of the hotel room 101. He opened the door and walked inside.
The room itself was quite spacious but creepy looking in the dark.
“I don’t mean to, like, kill the vibe but.. couldn’t we just turn the lights on?” Eddie gave Richie a death stare. Richie stepped forward and stuck out his arm to switch on the light.
“No! You’re gonna scare the ghosts away.” Eddie said, completely serious.
“I don’t think that's how it works.” Richie laughed.
“Look at the size of this bed!” Richie walked into the bedroom where there was a very large king bed.
“You can definitely smell the age of this room.” Eddie said as he looked out the window.
“Holy shit! Eddie!” Richie screamed from the bathroom. Mike, carrying the camera, rushed into the bathroom to get the shot. “It’s a jacuzzi tub!”
Eddie burst out laughing. “Eddie this is the best place we’ve ever...cleared?” Richie trailed off, struggling to find a word that described what they do.
“Stayed?” Eddie suggested.
“Ghostbusted?” Mike called.
“We’ve never ghostbusted anything.”
This week on Losers Club Unsolved, we investigate The Dauphine Orleans Hotel, in New Orleans Louisiana as part of our ongoing investigation into the question: are ghosts real?
In this episode, it’s just me, Eddie, and my tall friend here, Richie, with our loyal cameraman Mike. Right now we’re sitting in a hotel ripe with history and a cast of characters unlike anything we’ve seen before.
“I hate to interrupt this thing you’ve got going, but you keep talking about this investigation as if we’ve done this thousands of times. This is our second episode.” Richie pointed out.
“Well, it helps create a spooky effect.”
Richie shook his head to the camera.
Located a block away from the bustling Bourbon Street, the site of The Dauphine Orleans Hotel may date back as far as 1775 with parts of the hotel that exist today that were built in the early 1800’s. Many of the buildings that today comprise The Dauphine Orleans Hotel used to be private residences, as well as a bordello. In facts, before 1898, brothels and gambling houses were said to spread across most of the city. A man by the name of Sidney Story created a legislation that confined the cities sinful hobbies to a 16 block region making gambling and other things legal within the confines of that area. Ironically, this 16-block precinct would be named after Sidney Story and was dubbed ‘Storyville’ a fact I’m sure he was far from pleased with.
“So this guy didn’t like drinking or-” Richie asked, before Eddie cut him off.
“He didn’t like sinful activities.”
“Well he can go to hell.”
“He wouldn’t have liked us on Bourbon Street the other night.”
Richie groaned. “I don’t even want to talk about the things we did that night.”
“Didn’t you two do each othe-” Mike started
“Moving on!”
The hotel as a whole seems to be active. Visitors and employees claim that doors lock themselves shut, footsteps can be heard, shadows follow you. During the Civil War, soldiers were said to stay on the premises often while recovering. There are multiple accounts of spirits of Civil War soldiers seen in different places in the hotel. However the most haunted area of the hotel is undoubtedly the hotel bar, May Baily’s Place, which was actually a well known bordello at the edge of the aforementioned Storyville.
Richie and Eddie entered the bar, followed by Mike.
“Just think of all the activity that went down here back in the day. This place was booming with music.”
“Booming with some other stuff too, if you know what I’m talking about.” Richie winked to the camera.
The madam of the bordello was May Baily, and the original city license was issued in 1857, and still remains on display today.
“Look at that. This document has been around since the 19th century, isn’t that insane? I mean-” Eddie was cut off by Richie pointing to the piece of paper hung on the wall.
“Is the mayor’s name Chad? Like the guy from High School Musical?” Eddie burst out laughing.
“No, Rich, his name isn’t- oh shit, it might actually be.” He leaned in to inspect it.
“Were there Chads back then?”
“Maybe.” Mike said.
Confederate soldiers are often seen near May Baily’s Place, perhaps due to the fact that it was a brothel they frequented in the past. Most of the ghosts in the bar are said to be May’s employee’s or lady’s of the night.
“Eddie is afraid of you.” Richie said, once he and Eddie had taken a seat at the bar. “I think you should show him that you demand respect.”
“I do respect them!”
“Shhh! You’ll blow our cover.”
“Dude, they can hear you.”
The pair sat quietly for a few moments, hoping to hear some ghosts. In an effort to scare Eddie, Richie jumped suddenly, causing Eddie to startle.
“Jesus man!”
“I never knew it was that easy to scare you.” Richie laughed.
“Fucking dick.” Eddie mumbled under his breath.
“Describing your dinner there, Eddie?” Mike joked.
“Shut up, Mike!”
The boys got up from the bar and went into the bathroom, where it had been reported that the door sometimes closed and locked on it’s own.
“Okay, this is an EMF detector. I’m gonna put it on the sink.” Eddie set the detector down on the side of the sink and turned to address possible spirits in the room.
“If there’s anybody in here, now is the time to let us know.”
There was a loud shuffling noise next to Eddie that sent him into a panic. He screamed and clung to Richie.
“Eddie, calm down. You set the thingy on the sink and it moved, it’s okay.” Richie awkwardly pat Eddie’s head in an effort to calm him down.
“Oh.” Eddie calmed down and stepped slightly away from Richie. However he jumped back to Richie again and screamed as the EMF detector fell into the sink.
“That’s all that’s happening, it’s okay.” Eddie tried to catch his breath as Richie could not stop laughing.
Once Eddie calmed down he moved the detector to the top of the toilet, where it couldn’t fall.
“You gotta fucking calm down, man.”
“Shut up, Richie. That was scary.”
“No, not really.” Richie shook his head.
Another active area of May Baily’s is a little library section where a ghost is said to knock books off shelves.
“Ghost 101. Lesson number one, knock books off shelves. Lesson two, hold a candlestick in the middle of the hallway. Lesson three, sheets. Lots of sheets.” Richie said.
“You’re just going through-”
“Lesson four, is..uh-”
“This is literally the Haunted Mansion at Disney.”
‘No it isn’t.”
“Anyways. Back to the spooky library, please.”
“There’s nothing happening, can we get going? I’m itching to use that jacuzzi tub.”
“Fine. But, if any ghosts follow me-”
“Oh ghosts, please follow Eddie home. He would love your company.”
“Shut up, Richie.”
“He’s so lonely and would love to hang out with you. Follow him all the way home to Maine.”
“Stop telling ghosts to follow me home.”
“If you need his address, come to-”
“Shhh!” Eddie screamed as creaking noises could be heard above the library. “Was that footsteps?”
“That’s impossible, no one’s up above.”
“Ghouls, Rich.”
“Nope. Ghosts aren’t real.”
“The bordello is right above us. You have to admit that’s a little bit spooky.”
“Nope. Coincidence.”
“Well, let’s go up there and we’ll see who’s right.”
The two made their way upstairs to the bordello suite.
Arguably the most horrifying part of the hotel is the bordello suite, which is upstairs in May Baily’s, a place where the girls would take patrons to perform services, if you know what I mean.
“Richie!” The door is fucking open!” Eddie whined.
“Was it open before?”
“Nope. Fuck.” Eddie opened the door of the suite.
The suite was about the same size as their hotel room, but there was no jacuzzi tub, as Richie pointed out.
“I don’t like this room at all. It’s creeping me out.”
Many report feelings of unrest in here and an employee that has worked at the hotel for over 30 years, refuses to go in there to this day.
“It’s just another bathroom. Eddie shined his light around the room.
“Woah, I just got super lightheaded. I’m getting out of here.”
“Wait, wait. Stay in there.” Richie blocked Eddie’s path to leave.
“Wait, what!”
“Stay right there.” Richie grabbed the door knob and began to close the door.
“Wait, wait a second. Richie! What are you doing?”
“You’ll be fine.” Richie shut the door.
“Richie!”
Richie turned to look at the camera. “He’ll be fine.”
“Turn out your light.” Mike called.
From inside the bathroom, Eddie switched off his light and sat in total darkness.
“Is there anybody in here with me?” Eddie’s voice shook.
Eddie stayed in the room for about two minutes until Richie let him out and then walked into the bathroom by himself.
“And now, Eddie is outside. He’s probably freaking out. Even though he’s not in the bathroom anymore, he’s still alone and he hates that.”
“Richie’s in the bathroom, now.” Eddie was holding a camera, as Mike was with Richie.
Eddie’s flashlight went out and he was plunged into darkness. “Oh God! My light just fucking died. Goddamnit!”
From inside the bathroom, Richie could hear Eddie pleading for his light to come back on. “I told ya. He’s terrified.”
“Richie! Can you come back out!”
“Just two more minutes. You’ll be fine!”
“Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck! Richie come back!”
“I can’t.” Richie was laughing. “I’ve got two more minutes!”
“This is the best day of my life.” Richie said to the camera.
Once the two minutes were up, Richie came out and Eddie basically jumped onto him.
“Please turn your light on.” Richie clicked it on and filled the room with light, which calmed Eddie down.
“I freaked out ‘cause I thought something flew in front of me, but it was probably just a reflection.”
“If you don’t want us to be here, send us a sign.” Richie called to any ghosts.
“I’m sorry we’re here.”
Again, Richie’s light switched off.
“Did your fucking light just turn off? You better not be fucking with me Richie. Oh shit! I just got chills.”
Richie tried to turn on his light but thing worked. “Oh god, I feel like I’m about to cry.”
“Calm down. The batteries probably died.”
“Was that you telling us to leave?”
Richie’s light came on.
“I’m gonna take that as a yes. Later ghouls!” Eddie ran out of the room, followed by Richie and Mike.
Another famous ghost at the hotel is said to be the younger sister of May Baily, Millie. The story goes that Millie’s fiance was shot the morning before their wedding in a gambling dispute.
“The morning before their wedding, he’s like ‘you know what I’ll do, I’ll get real drunk and go play some cards with some shady fellas.’”
“I’m itching for the tables.” Eddie continued.
Richie made a groaning noise. “That was him getting shot.”
“Tell my wife I love her. Well, she’s not really my wife yet.”
Eddie laughed.
It’s said that Millie’s grief consumed her as she continued to wear her wedding dress after the incident. Millie is reportedly seen in her dress by hotel guests to this day, earning her the name ‘The Lost Bride of The Dauphine Orleans Hotel’.
Now it’s time to move to the final phase of the investigation, spending the night in the hotel. As I mentioned before, some of the site’s original structures still stand today, and the carriage rooms are the oldest part of the existing building, but more importantly, according to the hotel the carriage rooms used to be an extended rear wing of May Baily’s, and chillingly was the part where May and her sister Millie actually lived.
“May and Millie.” Richie called. “We’re gonna turn off the light now. Really, it’s your time to run amuck.”
“Oh shit.” Eddie said, when the lights turned off. “Fuck.”
“Did you just take a shit? Cause that’s what that sounded like.”
“What? No. I didn’t just take a shit. I’ve just realized what I’ve gotten myself into, again.”
“You know, a ghost has probably whispered, point blank, in your ear. But you probably never heard it because you were busy going ‘Oh god what have I gotten myself into?’” Richie mocked Eddie’s voice.
Eddie deepened his voice in an attempt to make fun of Richie. “Oh, come rip my head off, demon. Pull my bones out and melt them.”
“Are we gonna keep talking to the air or can I use the jacuzzi?”
“Are you serious, Richie?”
“Are we gonna spend the night here and not use it?”
Moments later, Eddie and Richie had both undressed down to their underwear and were sitting in the jacuzzi tub.
“So uh, the jets don’t work. We’re just sitting in a tub.”
Richie started laughing.
“We’re just two guys, sitting in a tub, in a kind of haunted hotel.”
“Two bros, chilling in a hot tub, no feet apart cause they’re really gay.”
“Shut up, Mike!”
“So, how do you feel about sleeping here?” Eddie asked, when he and Richie had finished in the jacuzzi tub.
“I’m delighted because this is the first place we’ve ever slept in that has a modicum of luxury.”
“This is luxury?”
“Yeah. They had a jacuzzi tub!”
“The jets didn’t even work!”
“So?”
The pair, along with Mike, got ready for bed. Richie scrolled through his instagram, humming Say Amen by P!AtD.
At 4 in the morning, Eddie was awoken by footsteps in the room above them.
“Holy shit.”
“It’s footsteps, Eddie.” Richie slurred. “Go back to sleep.”
“That’s the balcony outside?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“I’m gonna go out there. I wanna see if someone’s actually out there.”
Richie groaned in response. Eddie got out of bed and grabbed a camera. He unlocked the door and went outside to look at the balcony above them. He looked up and saw that no one was there.
“Oh fuck. There’s nobody out here. Maybe it’s someone in those rooms?” Eddie spoke to the camera.
While listening for footsteps, our audio recorder picked up a strange voice speaking something unknown. Is this the voice of May or Millie? Or perhaps one of the Civil War soldiers who frequented the bordello?
“It sounds like someone swallowing.” Richie said, weeks after they had stayed at the hotel. They were back in Maine in a sound booth, listening to the audio.
“It sounds not even close to my voice. It’s a different octave. It sounds like a machine almost. It’s very electronic. There’s so many different things and properties about that voice that would prove it’s not me.” Eddie protested.
“You make it sound like you’re listening to a recording of Skrillex or some shit. It’s not a ghost.”
“It’s a voice. I don’t know what it’s saying.”
“Is it Daft Punk?!”
“Yeah, Rich. It’s Daft Punk. The DJs Daft Punk came into our hotel suite at night.”
“Mike! You gotta get in here! Daft Punk was in our hotel room.”
Given the rich history of this hotel, It’s no wonder many feel the numerous presences that once frequented these halls. And after spending a sleepless night there, I won’t argue that something is off at the Dauphine Orleans Hotel, but whether or not it’s definitively haunted will remain unsolved.