An Interview with Naples Hotel Owners Destiny & Tom Salviski, Who Share Some Spooky Stories about this Historically Haunted Finger Lakes Hotel.
But first, a quick history…
“Originally build as Lyon Tavern in 1818 just a mile south of the original pioneer settlement in Naples, the Naples Hotel is steeped in history. This historic hotel was featured on season 8 of the Syfy channel’s Ghost Hunters for the hotel’s numerous ghost sightings. Featuring 32 rooms— including guest rooms, a restaurant and a basement bar— the Naples Hotel is perfect for an incredible paranormal weekend.
The Naples Hotel building was built in 1895 and over the years it has accumulated sightings and a reputation for being haunted. One of the most well-known spirits that haunt the hotel belongs to a man who killed himself on the third floor and is often seen wandering the hotel. There are also reports of a female ghost named Alice and her two children who are all believed to have died in the hotel during the 1900s.
The Hotel is home to a number of spirits, including a ghost known as Topper. Whispers, unexplained movement in artwork, lights flickering, televisions turning on and off, or coat hangers inexplicably dangling from the bathroom ceiling light, all have occurred at this ghostly destination.
Past manager Domonick Gallo shared reports of apparitions he’s heard over the years— resident ghost Alice sitting in the front dining room while her two ghostly children have been seen peering out the upstairs window. Two men haunting one of the hotel rooms who regularly flicker flashlights. A woman in a room at the front of the hotel filling the space with her lilac scent, a Civil War soldier who was seen descending the basement steps.”
Hi Destiny and Tom, can you introduce yourselves and your history with the hotel?
We purchased the Naples Hotel in 2020 and have been working on it ever since. We love historic buildings and believe they have so much character within them. I have restored and renovated many historic homes within Upstate New York and was so excited to work on this one.
What paranormal experiences have you encountered as owners?
When we first moved in and were working on renovations, there was nobody in the hotel except for my wife and I, as well as another person helping us with renovations. Other than that, the building was totally empty. I was working in the basement and began noticing that many of the tools I was using were going missing when I was not there. I kept having to buy new tools, until one day I was able to unlock a small room in the basement that used to be a chilling cooler for the bar. Everything that went missing was in there without an explanation anyone could give.
Also, during the renovations there was the unmistakable scent of cherry pipe smoke on the second floor that would waft from nowhere in particular. Or the time I was in the bathroom of the Niagara suite and an extremely loud banging started coming from the door that would not stop until I got out of the shower. I opened the door to find nobody there and I checked the cameras to see if anyone was in the house, but nothing showed up.
Another time, one of our rooms shut and locked itself from the inside. This was also pre-opening, so we thought someone locked themselves in there. We didn’t have a key to the lock that was shut, so we had to break through the door to get it open. You guessed it, nobody was inside. Hearing people talking and walking around was also very common pre-opening when we did not have guests yet.
What do you think contributes to the Hotel’s paranormal activity?
We suspect that the age of the building is the main source. Prior to 1895, this was another little hotel/tavern which was built in the very early 1800's. The amount of history and lore here definitely contributes to the high level of energy haunting. It’s a historic building and historic buildings always have stories that go with it. Some stories that we’ve heard about the building include a suicide in the hotel room and it having an apparition of a girl named “Belle”. We have checked old newspapers to see if anything notable happened, but we haven’t found any references yet.
What are some experiences guests have had with paranormal activity in the hotel?
Many people have reported strange experiences when they stay here. Some people stay for the thrill of a possible paranormal experience, while others have no idea about the Hotel’s status as one of the most haunted locations in our region. We have had people leave in the middle of the night because of things they hear, like loud door knocking, or running in the halls of their suites.
It’s not just noise either, the paranormal activity here has been reported to us to sometimes be able to contact the physical world. Guest’s things have moved and disappeared, or they've woken in the middle of the night to feel an invisible hand holding theirs or felt their feet tugged. 3 a.m. is a popular time for this kind of activity to occur, waking many guests up in the middle of the night.
One time, a pregnant woman was staying here in the Niagara suite. She awoke around 3 am to hear invisible children running up and down the hallway.
Do guests know about the Hotel’s Haunted Status and stay here because of it?
Many guests hear about it when they’re here, but sometimes people book because they know it’s haunted. Probably 10% of our guests come here specially for a paranormal experience. We have had paranormal detection groups here during evening hours in the week when it is quiet. They come in with their equipment that can detect voices or energy, and they ask questions while recording.
Where in the Hotel does the most activity occur?
The hotel is very widespread in its hauntings, but the most active rooms would be the Riesling, Cabernet, and Niagara Suites. They are also original and historic rooms, so we suspect that plays a role in the levels of activity. The basement, where the hotel’s bar is located, is also known to have a lot of activity.
Has the opening of the restaurant and bar changed the activity level of haunting?
The restaurant employees say yes but we are not totally sure. Some of our current employees refuse to go down there because of strange experiences where they have witnessed wine glasses moving around the room or being thrown. With the bar open and restaurant, as well as recovering from COVID-19, there is much more activity and noise in the building from people currently staying with us or coming for dinner or brunch. The lack of quiet kind of takes away from the paranormal experience for some people staying with that intention.
The Naples Hotel is a stop on New York State’s Haunted History Trail. The Trail is a collection of over 90 creepy, spooky and downright haunted locations. You can experience ghost tours, historical tales, or even spend the night in a haunted mansion.
https://hauntedhistorytrail.com/
