A haunted inn where guests reported hearing footsteps, voices and even seeing “orbs” and figures in their photographs has now reopened as a “ghost hunting hotel” – but there’s a catch if you're planning on staying the night.

Built in 1622, Ye Olde Kings Head in Chester was previously a townhouse, and even enjoyed a stint as a brothel, before being converted into an inn in 1714.

In 2012 the building was sold to paranormal enthusiast Harry Achilleos, but being a fully-working hotel, he was unable to run investigations 24/7 for fear it might disturb guests.

The hotel quickly garnered a reputation appearing on shows like Most Haunted, Sky’s Paranormal: Captured and Ghost Adventures.

Far from scaring off customers, TripAdvisor reviews where guests reported feeling cold spots, being woken by “footsteps” and seeing “orbs” on their photographs, only seemed to encourage more custom.

10 years later, the Ye Olde Kings Head has succumbed to its ghostly reputation and is now a designated ghost hunting mecca aptly named ‘My Haunted Hotel’ – and it even comes with it’s own team of paranormal investigators on site.

But don’t be fooled, those wanting to stay are expected to fully “participate”.

In order to stay the night, guests must agree to be filmed – down to the very last jump scare.

“I had my own paranormal group in 2011 and I knew of Ye Olde Kings Head in Chester. I introduced myself to the landlord and started booking the hotel for private events,” Harry told NeedToKnow.online.

“The place was so active that I asked the landlord if I could put cameras in the rooms to document any activity. He informed me that he was selling the building and I purchased it.”

After a refurb by designer and paranormal investigator Brett Jones, the already eerie hotel now looks more frightening than ever with Slender Man-like figures on one wall, satanic crosses, a ghostly nursery, mirror room and a pentagram clad floor.

When asked about the decor, Brett said: “We have really disturbed something in this building and every night has been an incredible experience for our guests.”

And he’s not wrong, as so far footage shows chairs moving by themselves, guests being screamed at by entities and “haunted” dolls flying at guests in the nursery.

Those wanting to take part can check in at 8:30pm, they are then fully briefed ahead of the investigation before being sent to their rooms.

Throughout the night they are contacted via radio from the My Haunted Hotel team who oversee the entire investigation from the control room.

There are 16 cameras that monitor the entire location from the 6 bedrooms, the old brothel section, top corridor and even the cellars.

Guests spend long periods in their bedrooms investigating and exploring their rooms as well as being challenged by the team to conduct “lone vigils and various experiments throughout the building”.

All guests sign a waiver upon arrival and understand that the night is filmed and will air as part of a weekly episode via the official My Haunted Hotel YouTube channel.

Check out the following day at 12:30pm, guests also have the option to have their room cameras turned off after 2am when the investigation ends.

Danny Moss, a paranormal investigator and part of The Haunted Hunts team who oversee investigations, said: “We have captured all sorts in the bedrooms from disembodied voices, footsteps and even poltergeist activity.

"Our most famous capture so far was in room 6 when the rocking chair was moving by itself at 3:28pm on a Wednesday afternoon.

"We have all experienced things in the building and this is why the rooms have been designed to invoke what we believe is there.

"There are believed to be up to 13 entities present in the building from children to civil war soldiers. For example, room five is designed as our nursery room and we have designed this for the spirit children to play in.

"Room one is designed in a 1980’s style, room four which has just opened is designed to be based around the sword that was found in the room. Room three is a mirror room designed for mirror scrying

"One of the biggest mysteries of the building is when it served as a brothel during the 17th century.

"We believe that one of the ladies who worked there actually fell pregnant which of course, was forbidden. We believe the man who owned the brothel may have murdered her and her child and buried them in a part of the building.

"Recently we have heard a woman crying in the old brothel section and tapping on one of the walls which has an empty space behind it in room five.

“This is also where a lot of the activity occurs, people consider this to be the most haunted room in the building and the doll on the shelf moves by itself, we’ve captured it many times.

"There’s pictures online of a fully armoured civil war soldier in the function room and what looks like a cloaked figure. They were captured by Paul Rowland years ago."

Stays start from £140 per room, (two people per room, three on special request).

ENDS

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