Entry No. 30 — the Monterey file — filed under: hotel
La Playa Carmel
Built around 1905 as a stone mansion by painter Christian Jorgensen for his bride Angela (of the Ghirardelli family) before becoming a hotel, La Playa's original wing — the 200s and 300s rooms above the front desk — is what staff point to when guests report bathroom lights flipping on at night and running-water or rattling-pill-bottle sounds from an empty room. Whether the resident woman is a relative who drowned in the bay or one of the original mistresses is still argued over.
The story
In 1905, artist Christian Jorgensen laid the stones for a private coastal mansion as a grand romantic gift for his bride, Angela Ghirardelli—heiress to the San Francisco chocolate fortune. Over the century that followed, the estate swallowed up surrounding land, expanded into a 75-room hotel, and underwent a $20 million overhaul in 2023. But despite the polished wood and manicured garden terraces, the original skeleton of the building hasn't lost its memory.
If you want the real history, skip the luxury brochure and focus on the 200s and 300s rooms sitting directly above the front desk. This was Jorgensen’s original stone house. Desk clerks won't volunteer the lore while handing over your keycard, but guests in these corridors regularly check out with the exact same hyper-specific reports: bathroom lights flipping on in the dead of night, faucets turning themselves on in locked bathrooms, and the unmistakable dry rattle of pill bottles being shaken inside empty rooms.
Local rumor remains split over who is actually walking those upper floors. The dominant story blames a Ghirardelli family member who drowned in the cold undertow of Monterey Bay just down the slope. The alternative theory—shared quietly over patio drinks—points to one of Jorgensen's undocumented mistresses. Either way, twenty million dollars in upgrades wasn't enough to evict her.
What it's like
Arriving at Camino Real and 8th Avenue feels like pulling up to an exclusive coastal estate, full of brick pathways and manicured ocean-facing gardens. Order a drink on the garden terrace to settle in, but if you're sleeping over, make sure you're booked into the original wing above the lobby. Lean over the desk at check-in and ask the staff which room numbers have logged the most midnight reports lately, then keep an eye on your bathroom light switch after dark.
The move: Book a room in the original 1904 wing (or just a drink on the garden terrace) fresh off the hotel's $20M 2023 renovation, and ask the front desk which room numbers get reported most before heading up for the night.
- 📍 Carmel-by-the-Sea
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Camino Real at 8th Ave, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Barmel — Stroll three blocks north to this hidden courtyard cocktail bar to keep the evening going with lore borrowed from San Francisco's most famous madam.
- Tor House & Hawk Tower — Head under a mile south down the coast to compare Jorgensen's estate with Robinson Jeffers' hand-built granite tower from the same era.
- Stokes Adobe Restaurant & Bar (formerly Restaurant 1833) — Drive 3.5 miles into Monterey for drinks inside another historic property with its own deep inventory of local ghost stories.
Good to know
Which part of La Playa Carmel is haunted?
The activity is concentrated in the hotel's original 1905 wing, specifically the 200s and 300s rooms located directly above the front desk.
What specific ghost activity do guests report?
Guests frequently report bathroom lights turning on by themselves, water running from faucets in empty en-suite bathrooms, and the distinct sound of rattling pill bottles.
Who originally built La Playa?
Painter Christian Jorgensen built the original stone mansion around 1905 for his wife, Angela Ghirardelli, before it was later converted into a hotel.
Where is La Playa Carmel located?
It sits at Camino Real and 8th Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, about five miles from Monterey.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · hauntedplaces.org · seemonterey.com · Tripadvisor
last checked: 2026-07-20