[Bookish Feature] Room 303 in the Omni Parker Hotel

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Did you know that the room that Stephen King based his short story, 1408, is rumored to be based on a room in a Boston hotel?

While on a work trip, I was spookily surprised to learn that fact while I was staying in that very hotel!

Let’s dive in!

Room 303 in the Omni Parker Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts

When researching, I learned that The Omni Parker House Hotel is considered to be one of the most haunted hotels. There are stories of strange shadows and sounds throughout the hotel, including seeing a man that is rumored to be the founder, Harvey Parker, trying to make sure his guests are having a nice stay, and the voices and laughter of children in the halls. There is also record of elevators stopping on the third floor without any buttons having been pushed.

In the image below, I just had to share what the lobby of the hotel looked like. As you can see, I visited in December so it was decked out to prepare for the holidays. This lobby is so beautiful! From the ornate details on the wood, the intricate lighting fixtures, the design of the carpet, and all the small details like the lights above the elevators and the golden elevator doors, everything looks so wonderful!

I have to admit, I thought that my team was just pulling my leg when they told me that Stephen King supposedly based a story on one of the rooms. I should have known better, this team is far too kind to joke about something like that!

So what did I do that evening when I was reading through articles about that fact? I immediately downloaded an audiobook of Blood and Smoke by Stephen King so I could jump right to 1408 and start listening. I tweeted: I am downloading the audio book to visit the story again. I’m either in for a treat, or about to royally scare myself! We shall see!

I didn’t get the chance to listen to the full story in my downtime at the hotel, but I got about halfway! The spookiness of listening to Stephen King read his own story while under the roof where the inspiration came from was a wild experience!

The next day, I had to go pop by the room.

Of course, room 303 is not open to the public. I’ve read online that the space has been set aside as a storage area as the activity in the room got to be too much. There are stories of noises, shadows, and even a bathtub where the water turns on randomly!

The room is set at the end of a little hallway. That made the whole history of it that much more spooky to me. If it has been a room in the middle of one of the long hallways, I could chalk up some of the noises and such to echoes throughout the halls. But that wasn’t the case at all.

Whether or not the rumors are true, this was a wicked cool experience!

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Thanks for reading!
If you know more about whether or not this rumor is true, feel free to comment below! I would also love to hear any stories you may have if you’ve stayed at this hotel!

Click here to visit the Ghosts and Gravestones website to learn more about the Omni Parker Hotel!