The Omni William Penn Hotel
Posted: 03.03.2025 | Updated: 03.03.2025
An elegant hotel that stood like a beacon in Pittsburgh in the early 1900s became a place filled with horrors after several deaths and tragedies left a mark that will never fade away.
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Who Haunts the Omni William Penn Hotel?
Once known as the largest hotel in all of Pittsburgh, the Omni William Penn Hotel was a prestigious location catering to the elite class. But due to the many deaths that have occurred at the hotel over the years, the once luxurious tourist spot is now one of the most haunted hotels on the east coast.
The History of the Omni William Penn Hotel
When opening its doors on March 11th, 1916, the Omni William Penn Hotel was the largest hotel in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area at the time. It was designed by well-known architects Benno Janssen and Franklin Abbott. And it was the last building construction project for industrialist Henry Clay Frick.
Constructed at an astonishing price of $6 million, this elegant hotel had 1,000 guest rooms. It hosted a number of esteemed guests ranging from TV personality Lawrence Welk to Presidents Harry S. Truman and Ronald Reagan.
This regal hotel was hailed by local newspapers as the “Grandest Hotel in the Nation.” On the night it opened, the Omni William Penn Hotel hosted the annual Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce Gala, which was recorded as the largest gala in the city’s history at the time.
Who Was Henry Clay Frick?
Henry Clay Frick was one of the wealthiest professionals in Pittsburgh at the time. Frick was the founder of a manufacturing company known as H.C. Frick & Company. He played an important role in the progress of the American steel industry, which became a dominant force by the end of the 19th century.
Ownership of the Omni William Penn Hotel
The Omni William Penn hotel exchanged hands a few times following its construction. Frick sold the property to the Eppley Hotel Company in 1928, who upgraded the building, adding on several more rooms. Following the renovations, the Omni William Penn was the second tallest structure of its kind in the world.
During the Great Depression, the Eppley Company had to forgo ownership of the hotel and sold it to Statler Hotels in the 1940s, but only temporarily. Eppley regained ownership in the 1950s, then later sold it again in 1956 to Sheraton Hotels and Resorts.
The Haunting of the Omni William Penn Hotel
Older buildings that have been around since the early days of the U.S. tend to have a lot of energy connected to them; sometimes it’s good energy, but more often than not, it’s dark energy created by horrific deaths and tragedies that left an imprint on the building forever.
The Omni William Penn is home to several eerie legends, including a murder between friends, haunted floors that seem to not exist, and even a ghostly animal.
A Brutal End to Friendship
One of the most disturbing accounts from the history of the Omni William Penn hotel is the death of Samuel Bankhead. In 1976, Samuel worked as a dishwasher with another man, Nelson Cooper, at the hotel. The two were known to be great friends and got along well as they worked long hours together.
One night after work, while in the locker room on the 18th floor, the men got into an argument about which of them could take home the prettiest girl that night. The harmless spat between old friends took a violent turn when Cooper took out a gun. He shot and killed Bankhead. Nelson Cooper was 70 years old, and Samuel was 65.
The Ominous 22nd and 23rd Floors
There is something very mysterious about the 22nd and 23rd floors of the hotel. Many will say they don’t even exist. From the street outside, there are only 21 stories of the hotel visible. However, there are six more levels below the ground.
A few of the elevators in the hotel will only go up to the 16th floor; however, the doors will not open. There are others that will take you up to the 17th floor, but still, the doors remain closed, not allowing anyone to exit onto that floor.
Because of the six unused lower levels of the hotel, the 16th and 17th floors are technically the 22nd and 23rd, respectively. And many believe the reason why the elevators will not allow you to access those floors is because that is where the most haunted activity occurs.
The Sketchy Traveling Salesman
Back in 1922, a traveling salesman had stopped at the hotel for the night to rest his weary bones after a long day going door to door. However, not very long after he checked in, he soon checked out, ending his life. He was found dead inside his hotel room after committing suicide.
Investigation showed that the salesman had been involved in some dangerous activity, dealing whiskey during the prohibition. This reckless behavior caused him to have multiple threats on his life. He became so distraught because of those threats that he decided to take the matter into his own hands. He shot himself inside his room located on one of the hotel’s top floors.
Author Ruth Harkness
Ruth Harkness was an author and socialite during the 1940s. She wrote a book titled The Lady and the Panda, which tells the true story of how she brought a real panda into the United States after her visit to Shanghai.
Harkness died at the hotel in 1947, and there have been multiple accounts where staff members and guests have seen the apparition of a panda bear inside the hotel.
Ghostly Encounters at the Omni William Penn Hotel
Staff members and former guests have plenty to say about the Omni William Penn Hotel when it comes to ghost stories and haunting tales. One guest reported they woke up in the middle of the night to see the light on the nightstand turned on and moved so that it was shining in their direction.
One lady reported that she experienced “the coldest chill I’ve ever felt in my life” while staying on the 16th floor.
The brave guests who dare to access the 22nd and 23rd floors of the hotel often have peculiar stories to tell afterward. A couple of friends staying at the hotel decided to take the stairs to the 22nd floor.
They noticed the interior design was different from the rest of the building. It appeared to be untouched since the 1970s, with distinctive vintage carpeting and furnishings. They mentioned that everything on that floor looked beyond unsettling, as if it had been stuck in time.
Several guests have mentioned they experienced cold gusts of air while walking the halls of the hotel. Strange, disembodied noises have been heard, as well as the sound of footsteps. Many have said they have the uneased feeling that they are constantly being watched when no one is there.
Haunted Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh’s historic past makes it an excellent location for scary ghost stories and urban legends. Along with all the peculiar happenings at the Omni William Penn hotel, there are many other ghoulish stories popular with locals, including one about a Blue Lady in Woodland Hall and a deceased mental patient who roams the campus at nearby Chatham University.
If you are interested in finding out more about Pittsburgh’s rich history and scary stories, check out our blog for all the latest updates. And be sure to schedule your ghost tour with us at Pittsburgh Ghosts for a frightening good time.
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Sources:
- https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/pittsburgh-william-penn/property-details/history
- https://www.visitpittsburgh.com/directory/omni-william-penn-hotel/
- https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/omni-william-penn-hotel-pittsburgh/histor0beautiful%20historic%20hotel.
- https://www.valeriearchual.com/2022/06/10/the-omni-william-penn-hotel-pittsburgh-pennsylvania/
- https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/stays/pennsylvania/haunted-omni-hotel-pgh
- https://madeinpgh.com/pittsburgh-arts-culture/6-more-haunted-pittsburgh-places/#:~:text=The%20Omni%20William%20Penn%20Hotel&text=guests…,on%20any%20other%20floor%2C%20thankyouverymuch.
- https://www.reddit.com/r/pittsburgh/comments/13zy1nd/omni_william_penn_hotelhaunted/
- https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/six-of-pittsburghs-supernatural-spots-hidden-in-plain-site-downtown/
- https://www.tripadvisor.com/FAQ_Answers-g53449-d96791-t1976963-What_is_on_the_21st_floor.html
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