The Skirvin Hotel was built by William Skirvin, opening to the public in 1911. Skirvin had made a fortune through investments in oil and land, and was determined that his hotel would be a showcase for the city. He made sure the building was self-sufficient, with its own gas pipeline, three water wells and electric plant.

Originally planned as a six storey hotel, the Skirvin was expanded to ten stories while still under construction, to keep up with the growth of the city. By 1930 the structure of the hotel had grown to three towers of fourteen stories each, the entire building set in the shape of an E, with curved bays between the towers.

Live Shows at a Popular Night Spot

Features of the hotel included a ballroom that seated 500, a coffee shop with seating for 300, and a restaurant in the basement. The Venetian Room and Restaurant was a popular rooftop attraction on the fourteenth floor. It became a restaurant with a great view, and an adjoining club for dancing and live shows, where a local radio station would broadcast live for an hour late each night.

Bill Skirvin was justifiably proud of his investment; he and his family lived in a large suite on the ninth floor, with the pets of his three children being installed on the roof.

The hotelier also installed his mistress, a hotel maid that had become pregnant, on the tenth floor, locking her in a room for months to prevent a scandal. Whether she was desperate for freedom or suffered from post-natal depression is not clear, but the unfortunate young woman threw herself out of the tenth floor window, clutching her baby in her arms.

The Dead Still Show up at Night

The spirit of this tragic figure is said to reside in the hotel, and has been named ‘Effie’ by staff members, who tell of mysteriously rolling service carts and items being moved. Gentlemen staying at the hotel have reported seeing a naked woman in the bathroom, of being awoken by being touched, hearing a voice making lewd suggestions, and even of ghostly sexual assaults. Both women and men have said that a crying child has kept them awake, the sobbing continuing for hours.

Skirvin died in 1944, and in 1945 the hotel was sold. A succession of owners made improvements and kept the hotel running until 1988, when the hotel closed its doors, staying empty for fifteen years. Now a Hilton property, the Skirvin has been restored with great care, integrating the expectations of the modern guest with historically accurate cosmetic features. Modern guests still experience activity from the historic ghosts.

There are unconfirmed reports of feeling unwelcome in certain rooms, seeing either a male or female figure in rooms or hallways, and of doors suddenly slamming and locking. A New York Knicks basketball player, after spending the night in a tenth floor room, says he only slept for two hours, because he was so scared. The baby still cries inconsolably, keeping some guests awake while others sleep undisturbed.

Photo Credit Walter Smalling / National Park Service