The Haunted Hotel (Louisville, KY)
“Enjoy Your Stay In Hell”
By Noah Wullkotte: Jollypumpkin@aol.com
The Haunted Hotel is the oldest haunt in Louisville, Kentucky. For over 20 years, this 5 star attraction has been haunting the bluegrass state. We arrived at 8:10 pm, a few minutes after they opened. The crowd was small, but customers were excited. A red neon sign reads “No Vacancy” and the old Haunted Hotel sign slowly flickered.
We were told the rules and then allowed to enter the 2013 Haunted Hotel. This will be the second year it’s under new ownership and the changes are nothing short of spectacular. The first scene has you meeting the hotel’s concierge. His name is Dennis Kaine and in the after life he’s known as Decay. He wants to know where his key is and he will intimidate you in many ways. I was shoved up against the wall and yelled at for a couple minutes. Where’s the f*cking key, he asked?
The Haunted Hotel is a very physical haunt where the actors want to make their presence known. But don’t worry because it’s a very safe attraction with an intensity level rarely seen. An iconic room at The Haunted Hotel is the legendary Hellevator. Many haunts have their own version, but The Haunted Hotel does it right
You’re stuck in an elevator with a homicidal maniac who will poke and prod you. The elevator has malfunctioned and your destination is the 13th floor which takes you straight to hell. You’ll hear the elevator plummet down many floors and the breaker box makes a loud pop. This is an incredible scene that’s hard to beat.
The Haunted Hotel doesn’t follow a specific theme, but it doesn’t have to since it’s a haunted hotel. The sky is the limit for the scenes you can have. The Haunted Hotel has removed everything clown related. The outdoor portion is now a restricted area with zombies, a mad doctor and more. It has a better theme and it features some impressive props that have been used for years. This includes the popular vortex tunnel, the runaway car and a prisoner who wants to be set free.
One of my favorite parts of The Haunted Hotel is being able to walk through an old ambulance. A doctor has conducted experiments on people and one of his patients wants to infect you. The Haunted Hotel has some pretty unique scenes. Something that has made it famous over the years is the classic shower scene. A nude woman is seen taking a shower. Take a peak and you might get an unexpected surprise.
The Haunted Hotel’s infamous Chainsaw maze is back and it’s as crazy as ever. You will be running for your life as crazed psychopaths chase you out of The Haunted Hotel. Some scenes have been removed from The Haunted Hotel like the Jesus Crucifixion. It was very controversial and it might have been a little too extreme for some people. But The Haunted Hotel doesn’t shy away from controversy. Where else can you see a Nazi and a werewolf in the same room?
The Haunted Hotel has plenty of eye candy like man eating plants, 2 CGI animatronics and plenty of props that lunge at customers. The tour time has been extended and you’ll be inside The Haunted Hotel for 20 minutes or longer. Tickets are $18 a person. On busy nights, you might want to buy a VIP Express ticket so you can skip the regular line. It’s $27 a person. Experience The Haunted Hotel with the lights off on November 2nd and 3rd. Tickets are $10 a person. On the back of your ticket is a coupon good for $2 off Industrial Terrorplex in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
The Haunted Hotel is one of our all time favorite haunts and it’s never been better.
Length-9 Design-9 Props/Animatronics-9 Acting-9 Scare Effect-10
Final Stab: 9.2
www.hauntedhotelky.com