It is not the only hotel known for its chequered history. The four-star Bangkok Palace Hotel in the Thai capital is also said to be haunted, and if you Google “Grand Hyatt Taipei” and the first suggested search offered is “Grand Hyatt Taipei haunted”.
Opened in 1990, the five-star hotel in Taiwan has welcomed celebrity guests such as US rock band Guns N’ Roses, Australian actor Hugh Jackman, South Korean idol Lee Min-ho, and “Japanese Madonna” Namie Amuro.
That, however, is not its only claim to fame. Disembodied children’s voices are said to be heard in the hotel’s corridors, faceless heads are seen in rooms and human-shaped shadows lurk outside the windows at night.
Here are five unwritten rules that travellers wanting to stay out of spooky trouble may wish to pay heed to.
1. Avoid rooms at the end of a corridor
In feng shui, there are two opposing forces – the cool, feminine yin and the hot, masculine yang. Yin is said to be found in closed, quiet rooms and, as there is usually less footfall at the end of a corridor, there can be an excess of yin energy here. This can be attractive to ghosts, who are said to live in a spiritual realm that contains lots of yin.
Also, since spirits move only in straight lines according to Chinese belief, inevitably they end up at either end of a corridor. On a practical note, those rooms are also the furthest from the lifts, which solo travellers might feel makes them less safe to stay in than rooms closer to the lifts.
2. Knock before entering
Before opening your hotel room door, knock. Southeast Asian legend says this announces your arrival to any spirits that may be inside. Then, when you open the door, you should stand aside – like you would before boarding a subway train so that passengers on board can leave – in order that any ghostly interlopers can vacate the room first.
The reason for this is to be polite – just because spirits are not alive does not mean they do not care for manners. Throw in a quiet “thank you” or “sorry to bother you” for good measure.
3. Make it loud and bright
Upon entering a room, turn on all the lights, flush the toilet and throw open all the curtains to make your presence known and to expel any dark energy. If there is a television in the room, turn it on and crank up the sound.
These steps are also practical: in the unlucky event that you have been assigned a room with a faulty light or a broken television, it is better to find out about it sooner rather than later, when you have already unpacked.
4. Mess up your slippers and shoes
According to Asian superstition, lining up your slippers or shoes so they point in the same direction can make it easier for spirits to try them on. If they do that, they could grow curious about their wearer and they might want to get closer to that person as they lie asleep.
Making sure your shoes are pointing in different directions may seem odd – but better that than waking up to a cosy encounter with a ghost.
5. Mirrors and a holy book
According to folklore in various parts of the world, mirrors can act as portals to other dimensions. In feng shui, mirrors are also reflectors of energy, which is why having one directly opposite a bed is said to interrupt sleep and invoke bad dreams.
If a mirror is too easily seen from where you are in bed, you can cover it up to discourage nightmares or new, unfriendly visitors that might appear on the reflected bed.
Another thing to look out for is a Bible or any other religious book. An Asian superstition says that leaving one open to any page may suppress any unfriendly spirits that may have previously caused trouble in the room.
