The Haunted Hotel (Louisville, KY)
“Dante’s Inferno”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
Louisville’s longest consecutive running haunted house returns for another year of extreme scares. I’m of course speaking of The Haunted Hotel. There’s not another haunt I’ve been to that’s quite like it. Dante, the hotel’s concierge welcomes you to this dirty and sinful establishment where only the most depraved hang out. The only way to survive the madness is to enter the “Hellevator” where an elevator operator named Gustav takes you straight to Hell. Get ready for the ride of your life as the elevator malfunctions and eventually comes to a screeching halt.
The Haunted Hotel is something truly special. The actors are hands on and aren’t afraid to test your limit when it comes to fear. You’ll be shoved, grabbed by the neck and verbally assaulted. There are sections of the haunt where you’ll need to interact with some of the hotel guests and employees in order to escape. I had to sit down and play a card game with a crazed psychopath and the new Diner from Hell has some disgusting delicacies they’re serving customers. A lot of changes have been made this season. If you haven’t been to The Haunted Hotel in years then this is the perfect time to return. One of my favorite new scenes is the church and the hotel has even added a fitness center for guests who want to burn some calories. This was a very bizarre scene to say the least.
The Haunted Hotel is full of eye candy and you’ll definitely notice some of the new props that have been added. There’s a massive insect called Pestilence. The name stands for a deadly disease that spreads quickly and kills many people. A great example of this is the bubonic plague. Pestilence is also the name used for one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. This killer cockroach isn’t playing around and you better not get too close or you might lose a limb. There’s even a mutant rat that makes an appearance. The Haunted Hotel has a variety of scenes that are sure to raise your blood pressure as you run for your life. The church has a cool surprise and the junkyard features killer plants that must be fed. There’s a lot of attention to detail at The Haunted Hotel from the flooded basement to the realistic sewer.
This isn’t a haunt that pulls any punches. It’s in your face with only a few moments where you can catch your breath. I wouldn’t call The Haunted Hotel an extremely gory haunt, but it definitely has it’s gross out moments. The shower is covered with blood and there’s a backwoods inbred hillbilly that enjoys an intimate moment with a chicken. Yeah, you read that correctly. I would best describe him as a chicken fucker. This isn’t your grandma’s haunt. Even the nun in the queue line who took our hands was a little frisky that night. The Haunted Hotel is an extreme haunt, but I always trusted the actors and I never felt like I was in danger. This is a very professional haunt.
If you love chainsaws then The Haunted Hotel has the best chainsaw maniacs of any haunt you’ll visit. There’s nothing quite like their gas powered finale. Total tour time is 15 minutes, but this depends on how long the actors interact with you. General admission is $25, a Fast Pass to skip the regular line is $40 and to go straight to the head of the line is $60 per person. Military gets $5 off tickets. T-Shirts are $20 and Hoodies are $30.
Black Out – Zombie Outbreak takes place on November 8th and 9th from 8 PM – 11 PM on both nights. There’s a smaller group size, an interactive survival storyline and more. Get a free beanie with fast pass admission. Krampus – Christmas Nightmare is on Friday, December 13th and Saturday, December 14th from 8 PM – 11 PM. It’s a demented holiday experience. Please visit www.hauntedhotelky.com for all the details on these special events. This includes pricing, dates, hours and more. This year the haunt has new signage which makes the exterior more eye catching.
The Haunted Hotel is a haunt with legendary status in the Louisville area and beyond. You’ll check in, but won’t check out.
Length-8 Design-9 Props/Animatronics-9 Acting-9 Scare Effect-10
Final Stab: 9.0
www.hauntedhotelky.com