Room 242 at this Arizona hotel is called the “suicide room” – here’s the story behind the nickname

Hotel Congress’s Deadly Poker Game and Room Suicides

Hotel Congress in Tucson hides dark tales behind its brick walls.

In 1931, a poker game turned deadly when a well-dressed man was shot and killed, his body stuffed under a bed while cards kept being dealt.

Years later, Room 242 got its grim nickname “suicide room” after a troubled woman shot herself during a police standoff. The bullet hole still marks the closet wall today.

Other deaths soon followed, with a man ending his life in Room 214 the same way.

These tragic events have made Hotel Congress one of America’s most haunted spots where guests still report strange happenings in its historic hallways.

Cards Kept Playing While a Body Cooled Under the Bed

A middle-aged man in a gray suit with a flashy gold watch chain showed up for a poker game at Hotel Congress in April 1931. During the game, someone shot and killed him.

The other players simply hid his body under a bed and kept playing cards. Blood pooled under the floorboards while poker chips moved around the table above.

Police never caught who did it, and the murder remains a mystery today.

Room 242 Became the Scene of a Midnight Police Standoff

A young woman working as a barmaid at Hotel Congress checked into Room 242 after having a mental breakdown. She was upset about a messy relationship with a married local big shot.

Hotel workers called police when they heard scary noises and threats from her room. Around midnight, police surrounded the hotel, with SWAT team members lining the hallway.

The woman first wanted police to shoot her but changed her mind about getting others involved in her death.

The Bullet Hole in the Closet Tells a Grim Story

The troubled woman in Room 242 locked herself in the bathroom during the police standoff. She shot herself in the head with a single bullet that went through the bathroom wall and stuck in the bedroom closet.

Officials ruled her death a suicide. Hotel staff started calling Room 242 the “suicide room.”

You can still see the bullet hole in the closet wall today, a lasting reminder of what happened there.

One Guest Rigged a Shotgun in Room 214

A few years after the Room 242 event, a man checked into Room 214 with dark plans. He set up a makeshift shotgun trap in his room.

The man shot himself in the mouth using this rigged weapon.

Cleanup crews took away most signs of the violent death, but some shotgun pellets stayed stuck in the walls.

People later noticed something odd about the door to Room 214, it looks crooked from certain angles, though it measures perfectly straight.

Vince Called the Hotel Home for Nearly Four Decades

A man named Vince moved into Hotel Congress in the 1960s and lived there for 37 years. He worked as the unofficial fix-it man around the place, solving small problems and helping staff.

Vince became known for stealing butter knives from the kitchen to use as screwdrivers. His collection grew over the years as he grabbed knives from both the hotel kitchen and around town.

Guests and staff saw him as part of the building itself, like the front desk.

A Bobcat Attack Ended the Hotel’s Longest Residency

Vince’s time at Hotel Congress ended strangely in 2001 during a full moon. He walked into the back alley behind the hotel when a desert bobcat attacked him.

The wild animal hurt him badly, and Vince died from his wounds. Wildlife experts said this was very unusual since bobcats rarely attack people in city areas.

His death marked the end of an era for the hotel, which lost its longest-staying guest in such an odd way.

Heart Attacks Claimed Several Long-Term Guests

Besides the violent deaths, Hotel Congress saw many natural deaths in its 100+ years. Heart attacks took several guests, mostly elderly long-term residents who called the hotel home.

Some had lived at the hotel for years before staff found their bodies.

The hotel’s spot near the railroad made it a temporary home for many travelers, some who died during their stay. These natural deaths added to the building’s reputation as a place where many lives ended.

The Hotel Changed Hands Fifteen Times in a Century

Hotel Congress had at least 15 different owners during the 1900s, hinting at money troubles. The building served many purposes over time, including cheap housing before the state took over.

The pattern of suicides and violent deaths created a cursed reputation that scared away buyers. These sad events happened across different decades, creating an ongoing pattern rather than one-off cases.

The downtown location near the railroad drew troubled people from all walks of life.

Physical Traces of Tragedy Remain Throughout the Building

Visitors to Hotel Congress can still see signs of its dark past. The bullet hole from the 1993 suicide remains visible in Room 242’s closet.

Tiny shotgun pellets stay stuck in Room 214’s walls despite many fix-up attempts. Hotel staff keep this evidence as part of the building’s history instead of covering it up.

These physical marks serve as permanent reminders of the tragic events that happened within these walls.

Night Shift Workers Refuse to Work Alone

Hotel employees often refuse to work alone, especially during overnight shifts. Staff report butter knives mysteriously appearing on the second floor years after Vince’s death.

Guests frequently complain about phantom sounds, strange dreams, and the feeling of being watched in their rooms. The supernatural claims extend beyond just the suicide rooms to many areas of the hotel.

Rather than denying these experiences, staff embrace the hotel’s haunted reputation and freely share stories with interested guests.

Ghost Hunters Book Rooms for Overnight Investigations

Hotel Congress now ranks as one of Arizona’s most documented haunted locations.

Professional ghost hunting teams regularly rent rooms for overnight investigations, particularly focusing on Rooms 242 and 214.

Local teenagers dare each other to approach the building at night, hoping to glimpse something supernatural through the windows. Hotel staff host special Halloween events that capitalize on the spooky reputation.

The tragic deaths became central to the hotel’s identity, transforming from shameful history into a tourist attraction that draws visitors from across the country.

Visiting Hotel Congress, Arizona

Hotel Congress at 311 East Congress Street in Tucson offers ghost tours from September 3rd through October 29th on Wednesdays at 6pm and Sundays at 2pm and 3pm.

The 30-minute tours cost $15 for adults and $10 for children, ending in the séance room after climbing one flight of stairs.

You can book haunted rooms like 242, 214, and 220 for overnight stays with rates from $129-$229 per night.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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