About Hotel San Carlos
The Hotel San Carlos was built in 1927 on the former site of the first school in Phoenix Arizona. A very modern hotel for its time with air conditioning througout, the Hotel San Carlos was the hotel for tourists from the east, one of the few places to be “seen” for Phoenix socialites, and a refuge for movie stars from the golden age of Hollywood. The hotel was updated in 1955 when the swimming pool was added to the sun deck amung other improvements. It was added to the historic hotels of America during the 1990s, and the San Carlos Hollywood Walk of Fame was added to the streets outside.
Ghost Stories
Shortly after the hotel was opened, Leone Jensen commited suicide by jumping off of the roof of the seven story hotel. She had lost the affection of a bell boy at a nearby hotel. Since then a ghostly image has been reportedly seen throughout the hotel along with unexplained breezes.
My wife and I had some odd experiences during our stay that my wife felt were odd. After we checked in, the elevator stopped at every floor on our way to our room. She thought that that was odd, but could easily be explained away. On Friday the 13th while on the 7th floor, my wife felt the hallway move like there was some kind of mild earthquake, but I did not feel anything.
We also received some reports from other guests we encountered while wandering through the hallways. One couple mentioned an odd occurance that happened to them on a previous trip when they were staying in room 716. They were sleeping when the sound of objects falling off the table woke them up. When they looked towards the source of the noise, they witnessed their key-card slide off of the table and onto the floor. The large group that was staying in room 720, the room where most of the strange occurances happen, told us that there is something odd about the small rooms at the end of the hall on the second floor, beyond the room with the couches. They also reported that was a haunting in the area of the thrid floor pool, but we did not get any specifics. They were planning on holding a seance later in the evening, but we did not see them again to get their results.
One of the desk clerks, Carlene, told us that two maids had quit over experiences they had while working there. One saw a figure dressed in flowing white near the stairs on the second floor on two seperate occaisions, and the other just kept saying “red eyes” repeatedly in Spanish.
Our Review
It was very interesting being at the hotel on friday the 13th, especially due to the number of other “ghost hunters” that there were at the hotel for that occaision. Unfortunately a lot of them felt that it was appropriate to get drunk and hold then hold a seance. We got some good stories from the night security guard when he happened by us and another couple as we were exploring the halls late on the evening of the 13th. While he did not persoanally believe in ghosts, he told us a story about a time he was almost convinced. The story ended with the real world explanation for the events that had freaked him out, but it was a very entertaining yarn. The hotel’s amenities were unfortunately not worth the cost. The security guard even made mention of people complaining about the cost versus what you get. He explained that the price goes towards helping to keep the old hotel around, and while that is a good benefit, we’ve stayed in other old hotels that did not have the hot water and other ameneties issues we had here. Its location in downtown Phoenix was convinient, and our stay was on the whole pleasant.
Liberace museum that he opened in 1979, just 8 years before his death due to complications related to AIDS. The current restaurant maintains the decor designed by Liberace, and although Liberace was found of cooking and even wrote his own cookbooks, the menu is not filled with Liberace creations. We stopped by the parking lot to the restaurant during the Haunted Vegas Tour we took.
were still working. When one of the waitresses remembered that it was Liberace’s birthday and the employees sang happy birthday to him, the power was restored. The owners had an electrician come in the next day to check out the building, and he found nothing wrong with the electircal system. One night someone said something offensive to Liberace and a large tree in a planet near the bar fell over. It took five men to get the tree righted. (there were no trees in planters near the bar when we visited for dinner)
It seemed too normal for what I expected from a place Liberace would have helped design. However, after dinner, I explored and found that the Piano Lounge was really the place to see. With dangling lights and sparkles all over and a piano shaped bar (complete with the raised piano lid!) I particularly liked the stained glass window.
that they were brothers, and that the court records surrounding the case had been sealed. Regardless, strange things have happened in the park near the picnic tables and barbacue at the corner of Pecos Rd. and Milcroft Dr. There is even a photograph on the tour’s website of possbile paranormal activity. Our most compelling photograph was taken at the site as well. You can see that on the photos page or our 
story of another body of a 29 year old whose ghost haunts the park. The tour guide told us his body was discovered in the park, and that there was a tree and a plaque memorializing him in the park. We went back the following day and found a plaque dedicated to a man, Christopher D. Brown, who was 29 at the time of his death, but after investigating his death found that he was killed while trying to cross interstate 15, and not murdered. Here is a link to a 
the events surrounding the death of Christopher Brown of Henderson Nevada. We did not investigate further, so there could be another plaque in the park that would help confirm the story told on the tour.
the night. I didn’t even see the blurry figure in the photo in the camera screen when I clicked yet another picture of expected orbs. It is strange how he is blurred out and slightly see thru when other things infront of and behind him are in sharper focus… I feel like I missed out on something, not seeing it with my own eyes!.
so that he could lose to himself. He purchesed land in Las Vegas and hired George Vernon Russell to design him a hotel. The high cost of finding building materials during World War II quickly left Wilkerson in deep financial trouble. Wilkerson was soon “pursuaded” to take on partners in his venture by Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel the famed mobster of Murder, Inc. Bugsy had no experience in designing a hotel so costs continued to mount. The hotel finally opened the day after Christmas in 1946.
protective measures he had built into his Las Vegas apartment at the Flamingo. His assassins smartly took him out while he was visiting Las Angeles in a far less fortress-like atmosphere.
experience. Our tour guide, Jac Hayden, called it “the jungle.” Did notice an odd wildlife sign that labeled a water turtle with the scientific name aix sponsa, which is actually the scientific name for a wood duck. I wonder how long that has been there. (there is a sign for wood duck that has the proper name.) Why do we know the scientific name for wood duck you ask? Geocaching.
world. Its replacement, although smaller than the original, is still the world’s largest.
it has become a tradition for me to eat at Quark’s Bar every time I visit the city going back to when me and my friends (in our single days) would visit sin city once a year. The food is decent, the atmosphere is neat (as long as you stay in the bar area which used to be the smoking section), and the drinks are unusual. I had a warp core breach on my first visit with my friends and although I did not enjoy its taste, the shear size and the fact that it come bubbling and smoking because of the dry ice is a nice twist.
the Star Trek Experience two times now. The majority of the Hilton a normal casino, but in this specific area they have done a really good job to make it feel like you are in the Star Trek world.