Entry No. 5 — the Denver file — filed under: haunted
Oxford Hotel Room 320
“The front desk reportedly tries to avoid putting lone men in it”
The Oxford is the city's grand old 1891 hotel, but almost no one books knowing what 320 is. In 1898 a woman shot her lover and then herself in this exact room; ever since, solo male guests report sheets yanked off the bed at night and toiletries rearranged. There's no plaque, no warning, no upcharge. The front desk reportedly tries to avoid putting lone men in it, which is the most haunted thing about the whole arrangement.
The story
The Oxford Hotel has anchored the corner of 17th and Wazee since 1891, a red-brick monument built during Denver's silver boom. Most guests book a stay here for the proximity to Union Station or the restored Victorian woodwork in the lobby, completely unaware of what took place on the third floor. In 1898, a woman named Florence Montague checked into Room 320, shot her lover to death, and then turned the revolver on herself. The hotel never put up a historical marker, added a plaque to the doorframe, or tacked a novelty surcharge onto the night's bill.
What makes the room notorious is the strange specificity of its supernatural reputation. For well over a century, solo male guests staying in Room 320 have reported waking up in the middle of the night to unseen hands yanking the covers off the mattress, bathroom faucets turning on full blast, and toiletries swept off the counter onto the floor. Front desk staff reportedly avoid assigning lone men to Room 320 unless specifically requested—making the unspoken corporate policy the most telling proof that the story isn't just local folklore. The eerie atmosphere isn't isolated to the room either: downstairs at the Cruise Room, an Art Deco lounge that opened in 1933 right after Prohibition ended, bartenders still report a phantom 1930s postal worker who orders a beer that remains untouched and full on the counter after he vanishes.
What it's like
If you want to spend the night in Room 320, you cannot leave it to chance: you must explicitly request the room by number when booking and confirm it at the front desk upon arrival, or you will simply be handed keys to a standard historic guest room. The hotel sits one block from Union Station's Great Hall, making it an easy walk if you are taking the airport train. Inside Room 320, the atmosphere is quiet and heavy; solo travelers often note an immediate chill and suggest keeping toiletries zipped inside a bag so they aren't knocked off the vanity during the night. Start your evening with an Art Deco cocktail at the Cruise Room downstairs, then head up the stairwell and dare each other to sleep with the lights off.
The move: Book the room together for a deliberately spooky overnight, hit the Cruise Room (Denver's first post-Prohibition bar, downstairs) for art-deco cocktails, then dare each other to sleep with the covers on.
📍 Before you go The Oxford anchors the corner of 17th and Wazee in LoDo, an 1891 red-brick landmark one block from Union Station — aim for the station's restored Great Hall as your warm-up, then walk over. Valet parking sits at the front entrance, and the airport A Line runs straight from Union Station if you're training in. The real catch is the room itself: assignment is at the front desk's discretion, so request Room 320 by number when you book and again at check-in, or you'll just get a nice old hotel. Any season works; fall leans into the mood. Pair it with McCormick's Fish House on-site and LoDo's surrounding bars.
- 📍 LoDo
- 💸 $$$
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: The Oxford Hotel, Room 320, 1600 17th St, Denver, CO 80202 (LoDo, one block from Union Station)
Hours: Bookable year-round via the Oxford Hotel; specific room assignment is at the hotel's discretion, so request Room 320 directly when reserving. The Cruise Room bar downstairs is open nightly.
Pair it with
- Crawford Hotel Lost & Found Wall — Walk one block to Union Station's Great Hall to inspect a display of century-old personal items recovered from inside the original wooden station benches.
- Wynkoop Brewing Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout — Cross 19th Street to Colorado's oldest brewpub to sample a stout brewed with 25 pounds of roasted bull testicles per batch.
- Lincoln's — Duck into an unadvertised, signless speakeasy nearby for a hidden nightcap before testing your nerve back in Room 320.
Good to know
How do I make sure I get Room 320?
Room assignments are at the hotel's discretion, so you must specifically request Room 320 by number when making your reservation and reconfirm the room assignment with the clerk at check-in.
Is there a ghost tour fee or extra charge to stay in Room 320?
No. The Oxford Hotel rents Room 320 at standard room rates with no upcharge, warning, or paranormal surcharge.
Why do the reports specifically involve single male guests?
The hauntings stem from the 1898 murder-suicide involving Florence Montague and her lover. Ever since, reports of sheets being pulled off the bed, arms tugged, and toiletries rearranged have come almost exclusively from men sleeping alone in the room.
What else is worth checking out inside the hotel?
Head to the ground floor to visit the Cruise Room, Denver's longest-running post-Prohibition cocktail bar opened in 1933, or dine on-site at McCormick's Fish House.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: denver7.com · denverterrors.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-07