Le Meridien Dallas | The Stoneleigh
Posted: 04.28.2025 | Updated: 04.28.2025
A luxury hotel dating back more than a century is one of the most historic locations in the city of Dallas. Although the location has endured countless renovations, one thing has remained the same: the forgotten souls of former guests and staff members continue to haunt the rooms and hallways of the old Stoneleigh Hotel, many years after their tragic deaths.
Dallas is home to many haunted places, and the Le Méridien Dallas, formerly the Stoneleigh Hotel, is just one example of how the most historic locations in Texas can also be the most haunted. If you love to learn about all things haunted and historical, you should book your next ghost tour with us here at Dallas Terrors.
Who Haunts the Le Meridien Dallas/Stoneleigh?
There are many stories about hauntings and ghostly apparitions seen by guests staying at the Le Meridien Dallas hotel. From the wealthy colonel who loved the hotel so much that he decided to buy it, to the mistress who took a tumble down the stairs, this hotel, formerly known as The Stoneleigh, is filled with stories about spirits who checked in and decided to stay for a permanent vacation.
The History of the Le Méridien Dallas/Stoneleigh Hotel
Built in the early 1920s, the Le Meridien Dallas, then known as The Stoneleigh, opened its doors on October 11th, 1923. At eleven stories tall, this beautiful, historic hotel was once the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. The building was designed by F.J. Woerner in a Beaux Arts style and set the bar for modern, luxurious, high-rise accommodations for those staying in the bustling city of Dallas.
Over the last century, the Stoneleigh has gone through many renovations. All 176 guest rooms have been fully refurbished. However, the penthouse on the 11th floor still contains some of the original wood that came from overseas.
The Stoneleigh was once the premier location to stay at in Dallas, catering to many celebrities and public figures over the years, including Audrey Hepburn, Elvis Presley, Oliver Stone, Tom Cruise, and Judy Garland. Most of the VIP guests stay in the penthouses on the 11th and 12th floors.
In 1934, while staying as a guest at the hotel, Colonel Harry E. Stewart fell in love with the Stoneleigh hotel so much that he purchased it and later added a twelfth floor, converting the 11th floor into his own penthouse.
Today, those two upper floors are where staff members and guests have seen the majority of the hotel’s ghostly activity.
Hauntings at the Le Meridien Dallas/Stoneleigh Hotel
The Le Meridien Dallas celebrated its 100th birthday in 2023, making it one of the oldest hotels in the city. With that much history attached to it, it is no surprise that many locals claim the building is haunted. Both residents and visitors of the area have claimed to see ghostly apparitions while staying at the hotel.
The Spirit of Mistress Margaret
Margaret is a ghost who was believed to be the mistress of the former manager of the hotel. Hidden away on the 11th floor, if you know where to look, you can find cracks in the walls that reveal a doorway. This doorway leads to a secret passageway housekeepers would use to go from one room to the next while cleaning.
According to the legend, Margaret would use the passageway to go from her room on the second floor up to the 11th floor to visit the manager. One night while leaving his room, she fell from the top of the stairs and tumbled all the way to the bottom to her death.
It is believed that the mistress Margaret can be heard singing on the top level, as well as other spirits. Visitors say the spirits will cause the lights to flicker. Footsteps of people running through the halls and pacing the floors have been heard by those who are staying in the penthouse underneath.
The Murder Victim from the Club
The penthouse on the 12th floor and the outside terrace can be viewed from the street. During the 1960s and 1970s, that penthouse was home to a secret club that required people to use a password to enter.
According to another story of death at the Stoneleigh, there was a small storage door located near the entrance of the penthouse. While looking inside one night, staff members discovered the corpse of a man who had been bludgeoned to death and cruelly stuffed inside.
The Ghosts of the 13th Floor
The hotel has a 13th floor, but like many other hotels, it is not used for guests. While there are no rooms on that floor, there are some spiritual guests who spend time on the top level. It’s been said that the ghosts who occupy this space will throw items at anyone who enters their space.
Spirits Taking a Spa Day
There have also been ghosts spotted in the hotel’s spa area. Guests have heard someone say “hey” when no one is around.
They have noticed doors opening and closing on their own, and in recent years, guests have heard the sound of a small child crying while on the 9th floor, as well as the whisper of a man’s voice. However, while peering down the hallway, there was no one to be found.
Night Shift Sightings
A staff member who works the night shift stated she heard voices coming from the top of the stairway on the second floor. At first, she thought it was a group of women who were making their way down the stairs, but as she waited, no one showed up. She also recounted that one time, the outside doors that lead to Wolf Street opened on their own
Encounters with Unfriendly Ghosts
When the hotel was going through renovations a few years ago. A new lobby, bar, and Terrace Ballroom were added.
It has been said that the spirits were not happy about these upgrades or the influx of people staying at the hotel after the renovations. Staff members have said there was an increase in ghostly encounters and activity for a short time after the renovations were completed.
Haunted Dallas
The City of Dallas is home to some of history’s most haunted places. From the infamous Grassy Knoll to the glamorous Adolphus Hotel, there are plenty of places to satisfy your curiosity about local urban legends.
If you would like to learn more about the haunted horrors within Dallas and the surrounding areas, be sure to check out our blog for information and updates. Then schedule a ghost tour with us at Dallas Terrors for a spine-tingling experience you will not soon forget.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram for more information on haunted places throughout the United States.
Sources:
- https://www.visitdallas.com/directory/le-meridien-dallas-by-the-galleria/
- https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/one-of-dallas-oldest-hotel-celebrates-100-years-by-sharing-haunted-tales-its-hard-not-to-believe-guests/
- https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2024/03/d-magazines-50-greatest-stories-heartbroken-at-the-stoneleigh/
- https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2023/october/the-stoneleigh-is-turning-100-just-with-a-different-name/
- https://www.wfaa.com/article/features/dallas-texas-haunted-hotel-la-meridien-the-stoneleigh/287-e04cd938-a6e6-4562-beca-aaed2bc1230b
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AehMQsW3Fv4
- https://imessedwithtexas.wordpress.com/2013/11/13/the-haunted-hotel/
- https://whitewall.art/lifestyle/the-stoneleigh-hospitality-history-and-design-in-dallas/
Book A Dallas Terrors Tour And See For Yourself
Dallas Terrors offers a remorseless experience into D-Town’s eerie hidden past and most haunted places. Join us on a ghost tour to uncover why and where Dallas residents witness the city’s captivating, and very real, hauntings.
Join Dallas Terrors for a ghost tour of Dallas that offers a truly remorseless look deep into the abyss of its nightmarish past. Discover why the “Big D” stands for death, and devastation, in the bloody melting pot of tortured souls in this haunted city of the South.
