Casablanca Hotel St. Augustine, Florida

History in Brief

• The hotel was built in 1914, originally called the Matanzas Hotel, then later renamed the Bayfront Boarding House before becoming the Casablanca Inn.  
• During the Prohibition era (1920s–1930s), it was involved in rum-running / smuggling alcohol, often helping smugglers bring in goods from the bay.  

Ghosts, Legends, and Paranormal Phenomena

These are the main stories people tell about what’s allegedly haunted at the hotel:

1. The Lady with the Lantern
2. 
   
   • A widow who owned the hotel is said to have helped rumrunners. When government agents were nearby, she would climb to the roof and wave a lantern to warn the smugglers offshore.  
   • Many report seeing a strange, swinging light or lantern atop the roof in the dark—as if someone is still signaling.  
3. Sounds and Presences
4. 
   
   • Guests and staff report hearing footsteps, whispers, voices in empty hallways.  
   • Unexplained cold spots (sudden drops in temperature) in certain rooms.  
   • The feeling of being watched or touched (shoulder touches, etc.), even when no one is there.  
5. Children’s Activity
6. 
   
   • People claim to hear children playing or laughing when no child is present.  
7. Visual/Ethereal Manifestations
8. 
   
   • Wispy fog-like apparitions seen in hallways or rooms.  
   • Occasional sightings of a female figure (presumed to be the widow/innkeeper) inside, or sometimes in photos.  
9. Room 11 (specific room)
10. 
    
    • Reports say that Room 11 is one of the more active rooms, where people have felt fear or fled. Some accounts attribute strange events in that room to “Mr. Butler,” a spirit who tries to reassure people, but whose presence unsettles many.  
11. Scent of Oranges
12. 
    
    • Some guests smell oranges unexpectedly. It’s said this is linked to “Mrs. Bradshaw,” possibly another spirit or alias for the widow, though details are vague.