Villisca Axe Murder House Joins the World's Most Haunted Hotels

The Villesca Axe Murder House in Iowa has opened its doors to the public as a hotel, for those who dare spend a night there.

In 1912, the Villesca house was home to the Moore family, Josiah and Sarah and their children Herman, Katherine, Boyd and Paul. On the night of 9 June, the family returned from Children's Day services at the local church, accompanied by two of the girls' friends: Ina Stillinger, aged eight, and her sister Lena, aged 12.

Between midnight and 5am, an unknown assailant entered the house and murdered everyone inside with an axe. Over a century later, the case remains unsolved. The main suspect, minister Reverend George Kelly, had taught at the church on 9 June and left town early the next day. He was tried twice but never convicted.

Now, the Villisca Axe Murder House, has been restored to its original 1912 state for public tours by its owners Darwin and Martha Linn, who bought the property in 1994. House rental is $428 (£254.59) per night for up to six people.

IBTimes UK looks at some of the world's most haunted hotels:

Langham Hotel, London, UK

The Langham Hotel opened in 1865 and has been visited by Mark Twain, Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde. The most common ghost sighting is of a man in Victorian evening wear in Room 333, who allegedly appears only during October. Other guests have claimed to see a military figure standing by a fourth floor window. It is said to be the ghost of a German Prince who jumped out of a window before the start of the First World War.

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, California, US

Marilyn Monroe was a resident at this landmark Los Angeles hotel. Guests and staff have reported seeing a blonde woman in the long mirror found in Monroe's former suite. The ghost of actor Montgomery Clift has also been reportedly heard playing his trombone from Room 928, where he once stayed.

Hotel Chelsea, New York, US

Bob Dylan, Virgil Thomson, Brigid Berlin, Charles Bukowski, Janis Joplin, Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Gaby Hoffmann and Larry Rivers have all stayed at this landmark New York hotel. It is believed to be haunted by the spirit of the Welsh writer and poet Dylan Thomas, who died at the hotel apparently after a night of excessive drinking, as well as the American novelist Thomas Wolfe. The Sex Pistols member Sid Vicious, who was suspected of stabbing his girlfriend in Room 100, is said to linger at the east elevator of the hotel.

Grand Hyatt Hotel, Taipei, Taiwan

The hotel was built over a former wartime political prison and is said to be haunted by the ghosts of several inmates who were executed, according to local residents. The hotel has placed a Chinese sutra and other sacred scrolls throughout the lobby in an attempt to rid the place of the restless spirits.

Skirrid Mountain Inn, Wales

The Skirrid Mountain Inn is one of the oldest public houses in Wales with a history dating back over 900 years. The first floor of the inn was reputedly used as a Courtroom where capital punishment was imposed for certain offences. According to local legend, as many as 180 convicted criminals were hung from an oak beam over the well of the staircase. Markings, possibly from rope marks, can still be seen on the wood of the staircase.