The Lady in Red Awaits: The Haunted Charm of Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

Built in 1939, the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver has long been a symbol of elegance and old-world charm. Its walls have witnessed events from royal visits to Hollywood glamour. Amongst the hotel’s famous visitors no one is quite as infamous as the Lady in Red.

The Lady in Red isn’t your typical ghost story. No one really knows her full background, but the most popular theory is that she is the ghost of Jennie Pearl Cox, a stylish Vancouver socialite who was a longtime guest in the 1940s.

Jennie was killed in a car accidents in 1944 near the hotel and it is said she loved the hotel so much, she simply never left. She’s not a frightening symbol. She’s a vision of grace who is often described as a beautiful woman in a flowing red gown, gliding elegantly through the hotel’s corridors.

Most sightings occur on the 14th floor, where she’s been known to appear in mirrors, elevators, and even walking down the hallway before vanishing into thin air.

** Thank you Fairmont Hotel Vancouver for collaborating on this post. As always, opinions are my own. **

👻My spooky Stay

October always brings out my love for all things mysterious. While I am the biggest chicken there is something about the ghost stories that make old hotels come alive. So this month, I decided to embrace the spirit (quite literally) of the season and spend a night inspired by the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver’s most glamorous resident: the Lady in Red.

If I were her what would my stay look like? What would I wear, eat, and experience within these storied walls?

☕ The Gold Floor Morning

Every lady, living or otherwise, begins her day with a perfect cup of coffee or tea. My morning started in the Gold Floor Lounge, a sanctuary of calm and quiet luxury. The soft hum of conversation, pages of a good book, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee set the tone for a serene start to the day.

🍰 Afternoon Tea… with a Spooky Twist

By midday, I descended into the hotel’s Haunted Cellar Afternoon Tea. Set in an eerily lit, gorgeously decorated space behind Notch8 restaurant the experience is pure theatrical fun.

Think dark décor, mysterious ambiance, and creative treats like bloodberry scones (scones oozing with apple strawberry jam), halloweenie sausage rolls, midnight burial gravestone chocolate mouse and eerie cocktails that smoke and shimmer. It is hard to pick favourites from the menu.

It’s the perfect balance of spooky and sophisticated — and yes, I may have taken way too many photos before actually eating anything. I love the themed afternoon teas curated by the Notch8 team but this may be my favourite. It is hard to make something spooky like ravens and skulls match the elegant beauty of afternoon tea but they found the perfect balance.

The Lady in Red would approve, a little indulgence never goes out of style.

🍸 Secret Spirits at JINX Speakeasy

As night fell, I slipped into something fittingly red and went into the hotel’s lower lobby.

Behind a discreet door and draped curtains lies JINX. Part cocktail bar, part secret haunt, it feels like stepping straight into another world — one filled with mystery, mischief, and a touch of magic.

Inspired by the curious craft of old-world apothecaries, JINX is a moody, candlelit hideaway that mixes gothic glamour and herbal alchemy.

I always love how the hotel’s pop up bar is divided into multiple small rooms each with their own decor and feel. My favourite space in the bar is the room covered in branches and ravens. The room feels intimate and eerie.

Speaking of eerie while taking photos a black cloud in the corner of a photo moved with each photo to eventually cover my face. Hayley has been taking photos for years and we couldn’t account for this by a camera error. Thoughts??

The cocktails at JINX have been taken to another level. Not only are the bartenders conjuring up cocktails infused with botanicals and smoky aromatics but they are all beautifully presented.

If you like fruity drinks you need to try the Grave Garden. With flavours of passion fruit and pineapple this vibrantly colored cocktail is not just easy to drink it is also fun to sip on from its pipe shaped glass.

The Widow’s Walk is a lychee martini with a fun “eyeball” garnish.

A personal favourite is the Last Wish which comes with a ruby port syringe that is “injected” tableside.

If you want a shareable group cocktail the Ozian Forest comes in a tower that feels like you are titrating out a potion when serves.

As always the food at the Fairmont is delicious. The themed coffin shaped charcuterie board is a fun on theme snacking plate to keep you in the Halloween spirit.

If you attend JINX on a Wednesday they even have a Tarot card reader!

Beauty Sleep

The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is more than just a place to stay, it’s a place to feel. Whether you believe in ghosts or simply love a good story, the hotel’s timeless beauty and rich history make it unforgettable.

Although I do not believe in ghosts that evening as I got in the elevator and pressed 14 I felt a little unease. I have stayed on the 14th floor many time before. In fact my favourite room in the hotel is on the 14th floor. Recently I have found the quiet of the 14th floor a little too eerie for me especially if I am staying alone. Through writing this post and doing research on the Lady in Red that feeling of apprehension has eased by learning her history and how she is a friendly figure in the hotel.