Who Is the Woman in Room 408 at Seattle’s Hotel Sorrento? | Paranormal Deep Dive

Real Ghost Stories Online

Tony Brueski

Religion & Spirituality, Natural Sciences, Science, Spirituality

4.2 • 3.6K Ratings

🗓️ 28 May 2025

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On this episode, Tony Brueski digs into one of Seattle’s most chilling legends—the haunted Hotel Sorrento. Built in 1909 with elegance and ambition, this historic landmark has stood as a symbol of luxury for over a century. But behind the charm and ivy-covered walls lies something far more unsettling: tales of unexplained footsteps, chilling apparitions, and one infamous room that guests and staff alike have grown to fear.

Tony follows the historical trail from the hotel’s origins through decades of paranormal reports, guest accounts, and even possible connections to the spirit of writer Alice B. Toklas. We explore whether the activity in Room 408 is rooted in residual hauntings or something more intelligent and deliberate. Is it all in our heads, or is the Hotel Sorrento truly one of the most haunted places in the Pacific Northwest?

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the paranormal deep dive from real ghost stories online and the grave talks.
0:07.1	They say elegance never dies, but at the Hotel Sorrento in Seattle, it might be doing more than just lingering.
0:14.4	Perched on first hill since 1909, this ivy-draped hotel was once the pinnacle of sophistication in the Emerald City,
0:22.3	but beneath the surface of fine dining and polished wood-paneling lie something off.
0:30.4	Guests come for the charm, the views, and the history.
0:34.1	But some leave with stories they can't explain.
0:36.6	Cold spots in locked rooms, whispered voices where no one's standing, and a shadowy presence that prefers room 408 above all else. And then there's the name that keeps getting whispered, Alice B. Tocles. A literary figure with a long, allegedly returning to the city of her birth in the most unsettling way.
0:59.4	By haunting a hotel she never even stayed in. Or did she? Skeptics blame faulty wiring, loose floorboards, or a little too much late-night wine.
1:09.9	But when guests start waking to find their belongings moved,
1:13.0	their blankets tugged, and a presence breathing beside them. Explanations start to fade,
1:20.1	especially when the staff, off the record, start to share what they've seen after midnight.
1:25.4	This isn't about jump scares, it's about persistence, patterns, and something
1:30.6	that refuses to leave. I'm Tony Bruske. Let's dig in. The story of the Hotel Sorrento begins at
1:35.8	the turn of the 20th century, in a Seattle eager to define itself. After the Klondike gold rush,
1:41.2	the city had exploded with new money, rising industries, and a thirst for
1:45.8	refinement. On the edge of the city's first hill, then known as Snob Hill, for its opulent
1:52.1	mansions and elite residents, developers saw an opportunity. In 1909, the Hotel Sorrento
1:58.2	opened its doors to coincide with the Alaska-Ucon Pacific exposition.
2:02.8	The building, designed by Harlan Thomas and Frank C. Spalding, stood apart from its wooden contemporaries with a unique blend of Italian Renaissance and Mission Revival styles.
2:13.5	Its brick facade, elegant arched windows, and manicured gardens made it one of Seattle's premier destinations.
2:20.4	The hotel quickly became a favorite among traveling business elites, West Coast socialites, and artists in search of inspiration.
2:28.0	Its clientele expected luxury, and got it.
	...

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