LOCATION: USA – NORTH CAROLINA – ASHEVILLE
LOCATION TYPE: HOTEL/INN
PHENOMENA: APPARITION

Against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains stands the majestic Grove Park Inn, a testament to early 20th-century grandeur and, as many would attest, home to one of North Carolina’s most endearing spectral residents. Built in 1913 under the vision of Edwin Wiley Grove, the hotel arose from the pharmaceutical magnate’s determination to create a mountain retreat that would rival the finest hotels in America.

Grove, who had made his fortune selling Grove’s Tasteless Chill Tonic—a quinine-based malaria preventative—came to Asheville on his doctor’s advice, seeking relief from chronic bronchitis. The mountain air proved so therapeutic that Grove decided not just to stay but to build what would become his lasting legacy. The construction itself was a marvel of human determination: over 400 men worked 10-hour shifts six days a week, using mules, wagons, and ropes to haul granite boulders weighing up to 10,000 pounds from Sunset Mountain.

But it’s not the hotel’s impressive construction or its list of illustrious guests—from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Harry Houdini to multiple U.S. Presidents—that has captured the public’s imagination for nearly a century. Instead, it’s the mysterious presence known as the Pink Lady, whose story has become inextricably woven into the fabric of the inn’s history.

The Fatal Fall

The tale begins in the 1920s with a young woman in a pink ballgown who met a tragic end at the hotel. According to various accounts, she fell—or was pushed—from a fifth-floor balcony onto the Palm Court Atrium below. The circumstances of her death remain shrouded in mystery. Some say she was a debutante who accidentally slipped; others suggest she was the mistress of a married man who took her own life when he ended their affair. Adding to the enigma, the woman was reportedly a guest of a guest, leaving no official record of her identity in the hotel’s registry.

A Century of Sightings

Unlike many spectral tales that fade with time, the Pink Lady’s presence has been consistently reported for decades, with numerous documented encounters by guests and staff. She manifests in various forms—sometimes as a pink mist, other times as a full apparition of a young woman in a flowing pink ballgown. Most notably, she seems to have a particular affinity for children and those in distress.

Room 545, believed to be where she stayed on that fateful night, has become the epicenter of paranormal activity. Guests report inexplicable cold spots, electronic devices turning on and off by themselves, and objects being mysteriously rearranged. One particularly compelling account comes from a painter employed by the hotel from the 1950s through the 1980s, who experienced such intense “cold chills” near Room 545 that he never returned to that section of the building throughout his decades-long employment.

A Benevolent Presence

Unlike many haunted locations where spirits are reported as malevolent or disturbing, the Pink Lady is consistently described as gentle and nurturing. One of the most noteworthy accounts comes from a doctor who left a note thanking the “lady in the pink ballgown” for playing with his children during their stay. Multiple witnesses have reported her sitting by the bedsides of sick children, offering comfort through her ethereal presence.

The hotel’s nightclub, Elaine’s, has also become known as a hotspot for paranormal activity. Staff members have reported hearing mysterious music playing when the venue is empty, particularly during quiet moments after busy evenings. These occurrences have become such an accepted part of the hotel’s character that many longtime employees consider them simply another feature of working at the historic inn.

Modern Encounters

In 1998, during a particularly memorable encounter documented by paranormal researcher Kala Ambrose, a mother and her ill son experienced a compassionate visit from the Pink Lady in the Palm Court area. The spirit appeared concerned for the child’s well-being, attempting to offer comfort in a maternal gesture—an interaction that perfectly encapsulates the nurturing nature consistently attributed to this spectral resident.

Perhaps what makes the Pink Lady’s story so compelling is not just the consistency of the sightings but the warmth that characterizes her presence. In an era when ghost stories often trend toward the macabre, the Pink Lady of Grove Park Inn stands apart as a gentle guardian, seemingly determined to continue offering the same comfort and hospitality that Edwin Grove envisioned when he first conceived of his mountain retreat over a century ago.

Whether viewed through the lens of skepticism or belief, the Pink Lady’s story has become an inseparable part of Grove Park Inn’s identity, adding an intriguing layer of mystery to this already remarkable landmark of Southern hospitality.

Works Cited

Ambrose, K. (2011). Ghosthunting North Carolina (1st ed.). Clerisy Press.

Erickson, A. (2024, August 22). This is the most haunted place in North Carolina. WKML. https://wkml.com/2024/08/22/most-haunted-place-north-carolina/

Foster, G. W., II. (2024). True Ghost Stories of North Carolina. Reedsy.

Franklin, D. (2021, August 24). The haunting at Grove Park Inn: A survivor’s story. On3. https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-wildcats/news/the-haunting-at-grove-park-inn-a-survivors-story/

Hanrahan, K. (2022, November 9). Night with a ghost: Staying in the Pink Lady’s room at Grove Park Inn. WRAL. https://www.wral.com/story/night-with-a-ghost-staying-in-the-pink-lady-s-room-at-grove-park-inn/20565918/

North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. (2016, July 12). Grove Park Inn and its host of prominent guests. https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2016/07/12/grove-park-inn-and-its-host-prominent-guests

The Omni Grove Park Inn. (2024). History. https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/property-details/history

WRAL. (2019, October 24). Out and About has ghostly experience at Asheville’s Grove Park Inn. https://www.wral.com/story/out-and-about-has-ghostly