Planning a vacation is a time-consuming and complicated process for just about anyone. Finding a hotel room is just a part of it. Lots of research go into picking just the right hotel in the perfect location. When you start contacting the hotel or using a travel website, you will get to select the type of room you want, but you may never know if the hotel has rooms that are completely unavailable to the public.

Whether it be from a terrible thing happening in them, or a haunting that just won't leave the room alone, there could be many reasons why a room might not be open. There are some cases where entire floors are blocked off or hidden from the public. Some rooms have had their doors sealed and their room numbers removed. You'll definitely have to do research to find these hidden rooms or to even find out they exist. Most hotels won't admit to them. You'll never know if you are staying near a room that had a truly sordid past. For the more intrepid, you can have some fun trying to find these hidden places, but please don't break any of the hotel's rules or policies.

19 Room 873 - Banff Springs Hotel, Banff, Alberta, Canada

The Fairmont Banff Springs hotel is a beautiful historic hotel in the Rockies of Alberta, Canada. It's located in the heart of Banff National Park and has been catering to its guests for more than 125 years.

But according to legends, some of those guests have never left. Although the hotel has maintained an amazing reputation for quality and care, it also has had its fair share of scandal.

One of the most well-known but least discussed is the incident that was supposed to have happened in room 873. Guests have reported hearing screams when they turned out the lights and finding hand prints on the mirror when they turned them back on. When maids tried to clean the mirror, the prints wouldn't come off. It became such a problem with keeping the room booked that the hotel finally had to seal the room. The door was sealed and papered over. The eighth floor has no room 873 despite the floors above and below having a room 73. Although evidence shows that a room used to exist in the location, the staff has been instructed to not even discuss it.

18 Mystery 12th Floor Room - Congress Plaza Hotel, Chicago, Illinois

The Congress Hotel has graced the Chicago skyline since 1893. With a 125-year history, the hotel has seen plenty of ups and downs. The gorgeous hotel still offers impeccable service and care to its guests. The hotel prides itself on being a landmark of the city. But this stunning building has seen some unpleasant moments as well. Some of them have been so bad that the rooms involved are no longer open to the public. One of the most mysterious rooms is the unnumbered room on the twelfth floor. Rumors are that it is so haunted and terrifying that it had to be sealed off. Research has not turned up the room number. Guests report that they can find the sealed off area and that it sounds like a room is behind the hollow area. The entire floor gives off a very creepy feeling. Staff members don't appear to be interested in discussing the room. People often make their way up to this floor to see if they can communicate with the ghosts that are supposed to inhabit it. There are so many conflicting rumors and stories, we may never know what happened with the sealed room that has frightened so many. Be aware that when you stay in the Congress, you may not be staying alone.

17 Sealed Off Wing - Hotel Alexandria, Los Angeles, California

This gorgeous historic building has a truly tumultuous past. It has changed owners repeatedly and gone through stages of boom and bust throughout the decades. When it was built in 1906, it was a beautiful eight-story building that became so popular that an additional twelve-story building was built behind it. When the owners died very close together, the widows sold the property in 1919. During all this, the hotel had a phantom wing that became a center of controversy. William Schick owned the land and built a seven-story wing that mirrored the main hotel. It shared the stairs and elevator with the main hotel. The conflict came about in 1938, when the new owners bricked up the hallways on all the floors. This made the wing completely unreachable.

This entire wing has become a true time capsule to the time period and allows a look back at a different decade. The still active part of the hotel also has its share of strange and unusual activity that helps add to the whole mystique of the place. An investor had purchased the annex with the idea of turning into apartments, but as of today, the wing is still empty and haunted by its own memories.

16 Room 345 - Leela Palace, New Delhi

This gorgeous hotel has been a jewel against the New Delhi skyline since 2011. It's an amazing modern palace which offers grace, elegance, and incredible customer care. It caters to its clients with an array of packages to leave you feeling like you're royalty. With the historic yet modern city of New Delhi surrounding it, the hotel is a great location to relax and pamper yourself during an incredible Indian vacation. With all the glitz and glamour that this hotel provides, you would never suspect that it has a room that holds a huge tragedy that is no longer available to the public. On January 17, 2014, Sunanda Pushkar, the wife of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, was found lifeless in room 345. The circumstances were highly suspicious. With the sensationalism that surrounded the case, the room had to be sealed.

It was originally closed to keep the evidence intact, but it was left closed due to the publicity. It was never reopened to the public and has become one of the longest-sealed room in hotel history.

All hotels have stories and incidents that could possibly tarnish the reputation of the business. Ultimately, they have to decide how to handle the rooms that were central to them. Room 345 was sealed in response to it.

15 Room 434 - Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills, California

The Beverly Hilton is not new to the concept of celebrity and high-profile guests. Located in a city that is as glamorous as Beverly Hills, it's not surprising that the hotel has learned to accommodate its guests with unbelievable amenities and impeccable care. With salons, boutiques, pools, and spas, the hotel offers world-class service. Since 1955, this stunning place has been a part of Beverly Hills. Guests such as Merv Griffin and Mel Gibson and many more have stayed in this hotel over the years. It has long been the home to many star-studded events which makes this hotel a destination by itself. People who stay here may have a chance to catch sight of celebrities during their stay. But on February 11, 2012, the hotel faced a tragedy of an epic scale. The legendary singer, Whitney Houston, was found lifeless in her room. With all the publicity that surrounds the death of a celebrity, the room had to be sealed. Even after the case had been closed, the amount of fan fascination around the room made it impossible to leave it as it was. The entire suite has been redone, the number changed and several others around it as well. The identity of the room has been wiped from existence to keep people from finding it.

14 8th floor room - Crown Metropol, Melbourne, Australia

This stunning luxury hotel has been providing visitors exemplary service while they're visiting Melbourne for the last twenty-one years. With a combination of elegance and stunning sophistication, guests are pampered and cared for at elite levels. With spas, nightclubs, and boutiques, guests will truly experience a great stay at the Crown Metropol. The hotel has worked hard to build a reputation for quality and sophistication that brings in customers from around the world. But, in July of 2015, that reputation was tarnished. Darren John Webb was found in an eighth floor room. With the severity of the act and the publicity behind it, the room was initially closed to preserve the scene but has been kept closed. The number of the room has been kept quiet to prevent thrill-seekers and curious news junkies from hunting down the room for notoriety. Like many rooms that have had these types of incidences occur, it's unknown if the hotel will ever open the room again. They may have to renovate, renumber, and redesign to prevent this room from becoming another macabre attraction that could hurt the ambiance of the hotel. Crown Metropol Melbourne wants to be known for luxury, not anymore.

13 Room 911 - Metropark Hotel Kowloon, Ho Man Tin, Hong Kong

The Metropark Hotel Kowloon is an elegant building that has been welcoming guests since 2009. It offers gorgeous rooms with fabulous amenities. Guests can come in and take advantage of the swimming pool and fitness center as well as enjoy the restaurant. Kowloon offers some amazing things to do, and the hotel is ideally situated. But it hasn't always been positive reviews for the Metropark. In 2003, a medical disaster got its start in room 911. A doctor was traveling to Hong Kong and had an overnight stay in the Metropark. Unbeknownst to the rest of the hotel, the doctor brought an unwanted traveler with him. Professor Liu Jianlun carried the SARS virus. From his one night stay, he infected several others which led to the spread of the disease in an outbreak that affected over 8000 people. The horrible shadow of this incident hung over the hotel for years.

After a name change, renovating the room and making a few changes to it, including the room number, the owners have done an amazing job removing the stigma of room 911 from the hotel.

After the changes, room 911 doesn't even exist anymore and can't even be found anymore. No one will be able to visit the site of the SARS outbreak.

12 Unnumbered Room - Congress Hotel, Chicago, Illinois

The Congress Hotel is featured more than once on this list and definitely earns those places.

The entire hotel is such a big hot spot for paranormal activity that people come from all over to see if they can get a look at the ghosts.

We talked about the twelfth floor that is supposed to be completely off limits to the public. But people do try and find their way up there. When they do, they find one of the mysterious sealed rooms of the hotel. Nobody talks about what really happened in it, but staff says it's just "too horrible." The room itself is hidden behind a door that is sealed shut and unnumbered. The entire floor gives off a spooky vibe, but the room itself is supposed to be one of the worst of the whole hotel. No details are available, but it's so bad that the room is bolted from the outside. Staff stays away from it. Despite intensive research, the story itself seems to be hidden behind the bolted door and wallpaper. The Congress Hotel is apparently going to keep the secret of the hidden room for all time. You can still enjoy the hotel and see the rest of the spirits that reside there, but you'll never get in the mystery room.

11 Room B340 - Queen Mary Hotel, Long Beach, California

The Queen Mary started her life as a British ocean liner that sailed the North Atlantic from 1936-1967. The graceful and elegant ship was the flagship of Cunard-White Star Line from May of 1936 to October of 1946. It even spent some time as a troop ship. She continued as a cruise ship after the second World War until her retirement in 1967. She was then permanently moored and converted into a tourist attraction which includes a hotel. During her lifetime, numerous things occurred on board. There are rumors that some of the souls that passed there never left. One of the most active sites is room B340.

Paranormal activity became so common that no one wanted to stay in the room. Management finally decided to convert the room to a payroll office, but the activity continued to such a massive extent that the employees didn't want to go near it.

After continual issues caused the room to be avoided, the decision was made to seal it and never rent it out again. It has no become an attraction that no one wants to enter.

10 Room 18 - St. James Hotel, Cimmaron, New Mexico

One thing people like when they travel is a chance to see something different than their day-to-day views. Many people like to stay in historic hotels to give them a chance to connect with the past of their destinations. This is part of the charm of the St. James Hotel in Cimarron, New Mexico. This hotel has been charming visitors to this beautiful building for over 140 years. Located on the historic Santa Fe Trail, the St. James has seen its fair share of frontier history take place inside its walls. What started out as Lambert's Saloon and Billiard hall and later expanded to the St. James Hotel played host to the likes of Jesse James, Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley, and Zane Gray to name a few. With its beginnings coinciding with frontier times, it's not surprising that deaths occurred there and that some of these spirits wouldn't rest easy. There are stories of a gambler, having won the hotel in a poker game, being taken down as he made his way to room 18 where he passed.

The room is said to be so paranormally active that the room had to be closed off to the pubic. A padlock still prevents entry into this room to this day.

9 Room 1408 - Emily Morgan Hotel, San Antonio, Texas

The Emily Morgan Hotel is a spectacular building that graces the San Antonio skyline. Since 1924, the building has been a mainstay of the city, but not always as a hotel. The building started as a medical center and functioned as one until 1976 when it was converted to an office building. In 1984, it was converted to the gorgeous hotel it is today. Overlooking the Alamo and the Riverwalk, the hotel provides visitors luxurious service with a Texas flair. The staff and management of the hotel pride themselves on welcoming all their visitors with the friendliness that the Lone Star state is known for. Premium rooms, excellent quality meals with a Southwestern flair, and plenty of activities located very close to the hotel all provide a visit to be remembered. But the hotel also has a very interesting past. With the decades as a medical building, the Emily Morgan saw its share of death. Some of the spirits have stuck around.

Paranormal activity can be seen on multiple floors, especially the 7th and the 12th.

The 14th floor is also known for having a sinister feel. One room is rumored to have been so bad that it no longer exists. Room 1408 isn't anywhere to be found. You can find 1407 and 1409. There is a plaque with the room number, but no other evidence of the room ever existing.

8 Hidden 5th Floor - Yanggakdo Hotel, Yanggakdo Island, Pyongyang, North Korea

North Korea is a land that most of us don't ever think of going to. It's a land of mystery that is closed to many people, but stories have come out about this particular hotel from a wide variety of visitors. The staff of the hotel does everything they can to make sure that their guests are comfortable and cared for. Although the hotel is not as luxurious as some of its counterparts in other countries, the hotel is maintained with a cleanliness and friendliness that is designed to keep the visitors happy. The hotel offers a casino, a swimming pool, bowling alley, karaoke, and a sauna, which are all designed to help keep the guests happy. You can also stock up on books and movies in the bookshop. For the best views of the city, check out the revolving restaurant on the 47th floor.

But no matter what you want to do in the hotel, the fifth floor will be off limits. The floor itself is hidden and not accessible from the elevators. Guests are not encouraged to even investigate. The whole floor is a literal time capsule to a time when tensions between North Korea and the rest of the world was even higher.

Linoleum floors and old light fixtures fill the hallways that are covered in propaganda posters from an era that still feels like it wasn't that far away.

7 Room 100 - Hotel Chelsea, New York, New York

New York is a city of stories and history, scandals, and news. People of every walk of life make their way to the Big Apple. Artists, musicians, poets, and other creatives find the energy of the city mesmerizing. The architecture of the city also has its own stories and trials. The Hotel Chelsea is no exception to this. This landmark hotel has been a part of New York's celebrity status for the last 130 years. Since its opening, the impressive red brick building has hosted many famous guests such as Mark Twain, Leonard Cohen, Janis Jopin, Bette Midler, and many others. With such a star-studded and impressive array of guests, it's not surprising that the hotel has had a number of tragedies. One of the most well-known was the murder of Nancy Spurgeon, girlfriend of the legendary Sid Vicious. On October 13, 1978, Nancy was found lifeless in room 100. Sid was found wandering the hotel, muttering to himself. As soon as the press found out about the incident, the hotel was besieged by reporters. Residents of the hotel were harassed and cornered. With rumors flying and multiple stories about what happened, the hotel was under the media eye. The room is no longer available. It was completely renovated and made part of a larger suite.

6 Apartment 5A Holiday Villa - Praia Da Luz

This gorgeous holiday villa looks like a destination that would draw just about anybody. For years, people have flocked to this gorgeous resort village on Western Algarve. Each beautifully-decorated and furnished apartment is privately owned and impeccably managed. People from all over the world enjoy the privacy and luxury that they find. But the peace and tranquility of this gorgeous place was rocked on May 3, 2007, when three-year-old Madeleine McCann disappeared from apartment 5A while her parents were eating at a nearby restaurant. While no trace of the toddler was ever found, the press surrounding the disappearance hounded the small community. The town has done everything it can to recover from the smear on its reputation that occurred from this tragedy.

The apartment itself stayed closed for quite some time before it was opened back up as a vacation option, but very few are willing to rent it. In 2017, the apartment was closed to tourists and taken off the tourist lists.

A British lady has purchased it and closed it to tourists. It will never again welcome visitors. And with the sad history of the place as well as all the conspiracy theories that still surround it, it's probably good that the apartment can be hidden from the public and allowed to fade into history.

5 Room 225 - Best Western, Boone, North Carolina

Best Western hotels are known over the world for impeccable service at a good price. For more than 70 years, the hotel chain has built a solid reputation for being able to provide hotels for a wide range of guests, no matter what they need. From business and upscale travel to family-friendly vacations, this hotel chain has something to offer. The reputation has been solidly built and maintained over time, but for every glowing review, hotels face problems from time to time. The Best Western in Boone, North Carolina was no exception. In 2013, the hotel dealt with not one, but three, cases caused by carbon monoxide poisoning in the same room. Room 225 became known as a trap when three people lost their lives within a six-week period. It was discovered that the swimming pool heating system was faulty and leaked the gas into the room above it. The third incident, involving eleven-year-old Jeffrey Williams, could have been easily prevented if the medical examiner had read an email confirming that the first two incidents were caused by carbon monoxide.

The room itself was closed during the investigation, and when a plea bargain was accepted by the company, the corporation was dissolved and the entire hotel was closed permanently.

4 Sealed hotel - Hotel Evershine Keys, Mahabaleshwar

This gorgeous jewel of a hotel offers luxurious accommodation in a lush, scenic environment. This hotel caters to both business and pleasure travelers with elite five-star rooms, food, and amenities. But, the hotel didn't win over everyone and managed to create an uproar for itself. In December of 2017, a DJ playing music at a party going on at the resort apparently upset Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray with the volume. Thackeray was rumored to have filed a complaint with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. Whether the complaint was for noise or not, the MPCB investigated the hotel and discovered illegal construction for 20 rooms that hadn't been approved on the building permits and ordered the entire hotel sealed. Many people feel that the noise complaint was a bit unwarranted because Thackeray is accused of noise violations himself. The minister of MPCB has denied that the actions taken against the hotel had nothing to do with the complaint from Thackeray but came from other complaints. The initial inspection into the hotel for the noise led to the discovery of many violations such as building more rooms than permitted and cutting down more trees than approved. The decision to seal the hotel is still very controversial and is still opposed by others.

3 Oak Room - Plaza Hotel, New York, New York

New York is home to a lot of great hotels and one of the most well-known is the Plaza. When it opened its doors in October of 1907, it was quickly seen as one of the most luxurious hotels in the world with one of the most fashionable addresses. From the very beginning, the Plaza has played host to some of the biggest and best-known names in the world. From its early days, people such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Liza Minelli, Marlene Dietrich, as well as a long list of others, have called this building their homes at one time or another. One of the most well-known features of the hotel was the gorgeous Oak Room and Oak Bar. The original bar was opened in 1907, closed as a bar temporarily during Prohibition, became a lounge, and has been open since. It was run as a "men's only" lunch location until 1969. It closed in 2005 during renovations to the hotel and reopened in 2008. Now, due to legal discussions over the rent for the restaurant and bar as well as disagreements over the parties that are held on weekend afternoons. After the discussions broke down, the operator of the restaurant gave notice and the room has been closed to the public.

2 Whole Motel Demolished - Victory Inn, Detroit, Michigan

This motel has been a problem for the city for more than eight years.

The raid on this motel found that out of the 42 rooms that the building had, only two were being used by legitimate customers.

In 2017, 246 trafficking cases were reported in Michigan. Twenty agencies were involved in a three-month investigation to set up the raid. The motel proved to be a challenge which is why six teams with more than 200 personnel had to be set up for the raid. After the raid was completed, Detroit's Law Department filed a lawsuit to demolish the motel. During the lawsuit, it was discovered that the owner's company, Jay Shiyaram Inc., had been dissolved in 2011. The judge approved the demolition of the entire motel, and it was demolished. Detroit citizens are more than happy to see the end of a motel that had been nothing but a crime-ridden eyesore to the entire city for years.

1 Room 303 - Omni Parker House, Boston, Massachusetts

For more than 160 years, the Omni Parker House has stood at the foot of Beacon Hill and welcomed guests with its historic charm. The hotel offers world-class service with its incredible combination of historic charm and modern amenities. As America's longest continually-operating hotel, the Omni Parker House has a list of legendary visitors that reads like the who's who of America itself. Over the decades, writers such as Emerson and Thoreau, politicians such as JFK and FDR as well as many, many others have been seen in the elegant rooms, restaurants, bars, and lounges. Of course, with all the guests that have filtered in and out of the hotel, tragedies will occur. The hotel is said to be a hot spot of hauntings. One of the most well-known is the ghost of room 303. Although it's not known for certain, the story says that a guest lost his life in the room.

The hotel staff have stories of guests complaining of loud laughter, strange shadows, and the bathtub filling by itself. After numerous complaints, the hotel converted the room to a utility closet which is not open to guests.

Although it hasn't been confirmed that the haunting is the reason for the conversion, it is interesting to note that the room is no longer available.

There are many reasons that hotel rooms are closed. Some are renumbered, some are remodeled, and some are just sealed. But no matter how these rooms are closed, hotels around the world have missing rooms and floors that will continue to fascinate guests and attract tourists that want to try and find them.