The American desert comes with all kinds of oddities. Whether because of the amount of space between the cities in Arizona or for some other--maybe supernatural--reason, many people in Arizona find pleasure in "weirdness." That extends to area businesses, and (arguably) hotels take the reins in weird businesses. From southeastern Bisbee to Flagstaff, a traveler can find any amount of strange hotel adventures in the state of Arizona.
Perhaps the most noticeable site in Old Bisbee, Arizona is the Copper Queen Hotel. The Copper Queen, located 90 miles southeast of Tucson, stands proudly in the center of town, with four floors of rooms, a bar and restaurant on premises. Beyond all of the normal hotel amenities, the Copper Queen houses something more interesting: according to the hotel's website, three ghosts reside in the hotel. A ghoulish top-hat wearing spirit with long hair and a beard allegedly wanders the hallways, trailing the scent of quality cigar smoke behind him. Another ghost, Julia Lowell, supposedly haunts the west side of the building, where she used to entertain gentlemen as a "woman of the night." The final ghost, a young boy, reportedly drowned in the nearby San Pedro River. He supposedly moves objects around rooms, demonically laughing in a childish and gurgling manner.
Copper Queen Hotel
11 Howell Ave.
Bisbee, AZ 85603
520-432-2216
copperqueen.com
The Hotel Congress sits at the edge of downtown Tucson, a trendy nightspot for local Tucsoners, with a café, dancefloor and several bars. The Hotel Congress' history, however, remains far less playful and light than the nightly events. As the story from the Hotel Congress website goes, in January of 1934, a fire broke out in the bottom of the hotel. As the fire spread upwards, it caught many of the rooms on fire. In some of the rooms, guests climbed from the windows onto the street below. When one man demanded that the firemen go into his room and procure a bag of his, the firemen recognized him as famous outlaw John Dillinger. As the Hotel Congress website announces, Dillinger was caught in Tucson without a single gunshot fired.
Hotel Congress
311 East Congress St.
Tucson, AZ 85701 USA
520-622-8848
hotelcongress.com
With campground bars, the Copper Queen hotel and bed and breakfasts of all different types, Bisbee remains a hotbed of odd energy. The Shady Dell Trailer Park (actually a hotel of sorts) shines brightly as one of the more interesting places outside Old Bisbee. The reflected metal of the 11 Airstreams and antique trailers stand out against the blue sky and the green trees of the mountain town. Not your typical trailer park, visitors rent the pristinely decorated trailers as kitschy hotel rooms, complete with breakfast at Dot's Diner, a '50s-era throwback with two-toned tile and burgers.
Shady Dell Trailer Park
1 Douglas Rd.
Bisbee, AZ 85603
520-432-3567
theshadydell.com
