Room 16 at Arizona’s Hotel Vendome preserves a tragic ghost story

Abby Byr’s Abandonment and Starvation at Hotel Vendome

Abby Byr came to Prescott, Arizona in the late 1910s hoping the dry air would cure her tuberculosis. She and her husband soon bought Hotel Vendome but lost it to tax debt.

The new owners kept them on as managers and gave them Room 16 to live in. Then one day in early 1921, Mr. Byr left to get medicine for his sick wife and never came back. Heartbroken, Abby locked herself and her cat Noble in their room, where both starved to death.

Today, Room 16 stands as Arizona’s most famous haunted hotel room, where guests still report meeting Abby and Noble’s restless spirits.

Arizona Became a Last Hope for Thousands with Tuberculosis

By 1890, Arizona replaced Denver as the top spot for tuberculosis treatment in America. The dry desert air attracted thousands of “lungers” who moved west hoping to feel better.

These sick folks helped Arizona reach the 60,000 residents needed for statehood by 1912. Prescott and other Arizona towns built sanatoriums offering rest cures in the desert climate.

Doctors told patients that warm, dry air gave them their best shot at survival before antibiotics existed. Rich patients stayed in nice facilities, while poor ones lived in tent cities outside town.

Desperate for a Cure, Abby Joined the Migration West

Abby came to Prescott in the late 1910s to find relief from tuberculosis. Her doctor told her the Arizona climate might save her life.

The town welcomed sick people with its high altitude and growing number of medical facilities. Some patients arrived with plenty of money, but many others spent their last dollars just to reach Arizona.

Abby left everything behind, betting that the desert air would help her when other treatments failed.

Love Bloomed Despite Her Uncertain Future

While getting treatment in Prescott, Abby fell in love with Mr. Byr.

They started dating even though her illness made her future unclear. After they got married, Mr. Byr took care of his sick wife. Their marriage gave Abby emotional support during her fight against tuberculosis.

Having a husband by her side brought Abby company and hope as she fought the deadly disease in her new Arizona home.

The Couple Bought a Brick Hotel on Cortez Street

Abby and Mr. Byr pooled their money in 1921 to buy Hotel Vendome on South Cortez Street.

Texas rancher J. B. Jones built the red brick hotel just four years earlier to serve Prescott’s growing population. The 30-room hotel with 16 bathrooms was a big investment for the couple but seemed like a good business move.

They ran the place, which served miners, tourists, and travelers passing through town.

Running a Hotel While Fighting Tuberculosis

The Byrs handled the daily work at Hotel Vendome, greeting guests and keeping the property clean. Abby worked alongside her husband despite her illness, showing amazing strength and business sense.

Their hotel brought in steady money while letting Abby stay in Prescott’s healing climate. Mr. Byr supported his wife as they worked together running the hotel. Through their business, the couple made friends in their new community.

Tax Problems Cost Them Everything

The Byrs couldn’t keep up with their property taxes and lost Hotel Vendome. This crushing blow destroyed their investment and business dreams.

The tax problems forced them to give up ownership of their main source of income. Losing the hotel left them broke and without a way to pay for Abby’s ongoing medical care.

Their money troubles showed how hard it was for small business owners to survive in 1920s Arizona.

New Owners Showed Unusual Kindness

The people who bought Hotel Vendome did something nice: they let the Byrs stay for free. They gave the couple Room 16 on the second floor, which they could reach from the building’s porch.

The new owners even hired the Byrs to keep running the hotel operations. This arrangement gave the couple a place to live and jobs during their money troubles.

Thanks to this offer, Abby could stay in familiar surroundings while dealing with her illness.

Her Husband Vanished One Night on a Simple Errand

One evening in early 1921, Mr. Byr left Room 16 to get medicine for his sick wife.

He walked out the door and never came back, leaving Abby alone and confused.

People wondered if someone hurt him near Prescott’s rough Whiskey Row or if he simply left his sick wife. Nobody ever found out what happened to him.

His strange disappearance crushed Abby and took away her main source of support.

Heartbreak Proved More Deadly Than Disease

Crushed by her husband’s disappearance, Abby locked herself in Room 16 with her cat Noble. She stopped eating and drinking, choosing to starve rather than live without her husband.

Noble stayed trapped with her, unable to escape or find food. Abby’s broken heart turned out to be more fatal than her tuberculosis.

Woman and cat slowly starved to death together in their second-floor room, waiting for a return that never happened.

Hotel Staff Found Two Bodies in Room 16

Workers at the hotel finally checked Room 16 after days of silence and found Abby and Noble dead inside. The sad deaths shocked people in Prescott and marked the end of the Byrs’ short time as hotel owners.

Abby’s story became a local legend that represented the desperate hopes of tuberculosis patients. Her death came during the peak years when thousands flocked to Arizona seeking miracle cures.

From that point on, Room 16 became forever linked to the tragic love story that ended with starvation and abandonment.

Guests Started Seeing Abby’s Ghost After World War II

Hotel visitors began reporting strange encounters with Abby and Noble in Room 16 after World War II ended.

A group held a séance in 1984 that supposedly revealed details about how Abby and her cat starved to death together.

People who stay in the room report hearing footsteps, voices, and feeling a cat jump on their beds at night.

Hotel staff and ghost hunters keep track of ongoing spiritual activity they believe comes from Abby’s restless spirit.

The sad story turned Room 16 into Arizona’s most famous haunted hotel room, where many believe Abby still waits for her husband to come back.

Visiting Hotel Vendome, Arizona

Hotel Vendome at 230 S Cortez Street in Prescott preserves the tragic story of Abby Byr, who died from tuberculosis in Room 16 during early 1921 after her husband abandoned her while seeking medicine.

You can stay overnight in any of the twenty guest rooms, including historic Room 16.

Bar Vendome serves drinks daily, and the property offers free parking and WiFi with complimentary morning coffee in the lobby.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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