St. Louis Cathedral at night
Ghostly Hotels

Haunted hotels in New Orleans

Hotel Villa Convento: the ghosts of New Orleans

Hotel Villa Convento is a 25-room guest house in a Creole townhouse of about 1833 on Ursulines Avenue, rumored to have been a brothel and the House of the Rising Sun. Guests report a madam in black who appears to men, knocks on doors when 'time is up', and activity in Room 209. Closed for renovation in 2026.

Haunt file 6 sources
Ghosts2 named
Room to requestRoom 209
Built1833
Hotel tells itNot stated
See prices for your datesGoogle 4.5 · 687 reviews · 6 min walk to Jackson Square

Who haunts the Hotel Villa Convento

Reported as stories, with where each one comes from. Most reported: The Madame.

A former madam from the building's rumored brothel days

The Madame

Guests report knocks on the door, said to be her signal that time was up, and men describe a woman in black standing by the bed whom their partners cannot see.

A boarder said to have taken his own life in the tub during the rooming-house years

The man in Room 209

Guests in Room 209 report voices, moved belongings and a phantom white flag on the balcony.

"The hotel is rumored to have almost too many ghosts to list, including the ghost of a former madame and a man who died in (and still lives in) room 209."Matador Network

The building

1833Creole townhouse built for Jean Baptiste Poeyfarre
1902Pasquale Taromina buys the property; family lives there until 1946
1981Campo family acquires the hotel

Before you book

Room to requestRoom 209 (Called the most haunted room; linked to a man said to have died there), Room 302 (A regular guest reported seeing an apparition form)
Does the hotel tell the stories?Not stated on its website
Built1833, as townhouse (rumored brothel, later rooming house)
Historic listingNone found
Historic Hotels of AmericaNo
Google rating4.5 from 687 reviews
Address616 Ursulines Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116
Jackson Square0.2 mi (0.4 km), 6 min walk

Sources

6 independent sources, quotes checked

Photo: St. Louis Cathedral at night, OrleansPhotoArt, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. This is the area, not the hotel.

Around the Hotel Villa Convento

Straight-line distances from the front door; walking times allow for streets. Places from OpenStreetMap.

Eat and drink

  • Croissant D'Or Patisserie1 min walk
  • Flanagan's Pub1 min walk
  • CC's Community Coffee House2 min walk
  • One More Pie2 min walk
  • Molly's at the Market3 min walk
  • Coop's Place3 min walk

See nearby

  • BK Historic House and Gardens1 min walk
  • Old Ursuline Convent Museum1 min walk
  • Lalaurie Mansion2 min walk
  • Deurty Boys Gallery3 min walk
  • Joan of Arc3 min walk
  • Disco on Decatur3 min walk

Other haunted hotels

Cemeteries

  • Saint Louis Cemetery Number One0.6 mi (1.0 km)
  • Saint Louis Cemetery Number 20.8 mi (1.3 km)
  • Saint Vincent de Paul Cemetery1.4 mi (2.2 km)

Questions

Is Hotel Villa Convento haunted?

Ghost tour companies say so. The best-known story is a madam from its rumored brothel days who knocks on doors and appears to male guests, and Room 209 is linked to a boarder said to have died there.

Is the Villa Convento the House of the Rising Sun?

The hotel says it is rumored to be, but there is no firm evidence; even the brothel history is described as a rumor.

Is Hotel Villa Convento open?

Its website says it is closed for a full renovation and expected to welcome guests again in October 2026, so check before booking.

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Hotel Villa Convento
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