Savage in Bend (or Redmond)

Readers get a two for one, because this week is the Redmond issue AND Halloween! So why not answer a question about a haunting?

Lynn J. asks, “Is the SCP Redmond Hotel really haunted?”

This tale begins way back in 1906, when William and Fannie Wilson built the original Redmond Hotel, a wooden two-story structure in what was then a tiny, dusty town in the High Desert. For two decades, it was the place to stay until June 1927, when a fire swept through downtown and burned the hotel and several other surrounding businesses to the ground.

Rather than give up, a determined Fannie Wilson decided to rebuild, and within a year, a brand new building, The New Redmond Hotel rose from the ashes. This brick structure, built in Georgian style, was designed to withstand future fire hazards. The doors opened in 1928. More than a hotel, Wilson’s establishment hosted parties, civic gatherings and out of town visitors who didn’t mind paying a little extra for hot running water.

Why the haunted reputation? That’s where fact and folklore get tangled up like every time I try to use my extension cords. There’s no documented record of anyone perishing in the 1927 blaze, nor at any other time for that matter, but a building that survives tragedy tends to pick up a few ghost tales, whether it deserves them or not. Add in decades of guests, staff and the unusual proprietor (Fannie was famous for keeping a monkey in the basement), and you’ve got the recipe for a paranormal legend.

When my detective skills led me to scour paranormal websites, such as Oregon Haunted Houses and Fright Find, I found the majority of members on the forums agree that the hotel is haunted. For example, several people claim to have seen the apparition of the ‘Lady in the Lobby’ drifting through the lobby or down the hallways. Is it Fannie? Perhaps someone who missed checkout by ninety years?

Guests have also described hearing footsteps when no one is around, sometimes even the sound of children running overhead. Visitors swear that strange glowing orbs have popped up in photos. Lights flicking on and off, items moving mysteriously and even an occasional overwhelming ‘presence’ in certain rooms have been reported. Depending on your outlook, this is either proof of the afterlife or just faulty wiring in an almost 100-year-old building.

In 2019, after decades of wear and tear, the New Redmond Hotel got a modern makeover. Rebranded as part of the SCP (Soul, Community, Planet) Hotels group, the building now combines historic charm with modern sustainability. There’s a bar called The Rooftop, where you can sip cocktails while looking out over the Cascade Mountains.

And yes, the ghosts apparently came along for the renovation ride. According to the dates listed on forums, reports of footsteps, flickering lights, and mysterious paranormal activity didn’t vanish with the new carpets. If anything, the activity might have gotten livelier, because if you’d been stuck behind drywall for decades, you’d probably have a few things to say too!

I spoke with Tobias Colvin, the general manager who has been there since the renovation of the hotel. Though a bit skeptical, he admitted that both guests and employees have told him about abnormal sights and sounds.

“If there is a ghost here,” he adds, “it’s a friendly one, because it’s never bothered us.”

Haunted or Hype? Totally up to my savvy readers to decide, and there’s no solid historical evidence tying the SCP Redmond Hotel to any specific ghost. No tragic housekeeper locked in the cellar, no guest who never checked out. What lingers is a century of stories, some uncanny experiences and a whole lot of hearsay.

But let’s face it, if I’m going to stay in Redmond, isn’t it a little more fun to book the hotel that comes with a bit of ghost lore? Worst case, I sleep soundly after dinner and drinks on the rooftop. Best case, I meet the Lady of the Lobby and have a story to take home that will impress my daughters. It’s not just me either, because as I found out, the hotel attracts its share of ghost hunters and paranormal investigators.

The SCP Redmond Hotel is one of the city’s historic treasures with a fascinating history, one that survived fire, decline and disrepair to become a centerpiece of downtown once again. The hauntings? Think of them as icing on the cake. If you’re like me and want to find out for yourself, stay the night. And if the lights flicker or you hear footsteps in the hallway, don’t panic. It’s just the hotel reminding you that history never really leaves, it just lingers in the lobby.

Have a question for Savage? Send it to ultimatescavenger@yahoo.com

This article appears in the Source October 30, 2025.