Hotel Redland | Haunted Homestead Hotel

Posted: 05.13.2025 | Updated: 05.14.2025

The Hotel Redland is a living testament to Florida’s early days. Standing at the heart of Homestead, just south of Miami, this haunted hotel is full of dark history. Built in 1904, it is the city’s oldest building and has served as a hotel, mercantile store, post office, and even a library over its long history. Its historic charm draws visitors from across South Florida and beyond.

But for many, the real intrigue lies in the stories whispered through its halls-tales of unexplained events, tragic history, and lingering spirits. 

If you’re fascinated by haunted hotels and the mysteries that linger in Miami’s shadows, embark on a Miami ghost tour!

Is the Hotel Redland Haunted?

Many believe that the Hotel Redland is haunted. Its reputation is based upon more than a century of horrific stories and inexplicable events. The oldest legend is that of the fire in 1913 that ravaged the building and claimed the lives of many guests while they slept.

Since then, both guests and staff have reported hearing footsteps in empty hallways, lights that flicker on and off, and objects that shift on their own. Others have even captured strange faces in photographs, which also adds to the legend of the hotel. Room 202 is said to be the busiest of them all, with many steering clear of it entirely.

History of Hotel Redland

The Hotel Redland began its life as the Homestead Inn, built by W.D. Horne in 1904 to serve the fledgling farming community. It quickly became the town’s first commercial building, later functioning as a supply store, post office, and library. 

The original structure was severely damaged in the catastrophic fire of November 10, 1913, the largest in Homestead’s history. It destroyed much of the building and, according to local lore, took the lives of several sleeping guests. 

Just days later, plans were announced to rebuild on the same site, and the hotel rose again, changing hands and names over the decades until finally becoming the Hotel Redland.

Throughout the years, the hotel has survived hurricanes, economic downturns, and periods of closure. It was renovated and restored multiple times, most recently reopening with new ownership after the pandemic. 

Today, the Hotel Redland is a landmark, with modern facilities but retaining its original essence and rich history.

Hauntings of the Hotel Redland

Ghostly activity at the Hotel Redland is widespread and varied. Workers and guests have reported hearing footfalls in empty rooms, opening and closing doors by themselves, and items vanishing only to reappear in odd places. Lights have been found to flicker with no explanation, and sudden cold spots are regularly felt in certain areas of the hotel.

A couple of employees who worked night shifts reported that they were the only ones in the building when they heard voices or noises upstairs. These events are now part of the legend of the hotel, which has made the hotel one of South Florida’s most haunted destinations.

Fire Victims of 1913

The most enduring and saddest ghost stories at Hotel Redland began in the devastating fire that consumed the first Hotel Redland on November 10, 1913. The fire started in the attic and quickly moved up the entire structure, supposedly killing several guests in their beds.

Local lore holds that as many as 17 people perished that night, though exact numbers remain uncertain. Ever since, guests and staff have reported chilling encounters believed to be linked to these fire victims. Footsteps echo in empty corridors, doors open and close on their own, and mysterious cold spots linger in the upper floors where the tragedy occurred.

Some visitors have reported hearing muffled voices or cries, especially late at night, and others have seen fleeting shadowy figures moving through the halls. The sense of unease is particularly strong in the areas most affected by the fire, leading many to believe the spirits of those lost in 1913 have never left the hotel.

The Woman in Room 202

Room 202 is the epicenter of the hotel’s most notorious ghost story. According to persistent rumors, a young woman died here under violent circumstances in the 1930s. 

Some say she was thrown from the window by an abusive partner, while others claim she was pushed for “snitching” on a bootlegger during Prohibition. There are also alternate versions suggesting she tried to escape the 1913 fire and fell to her death.

Ghost investigators and mediums have focused their efforts on this room, often reporting a heavy, oppressive feeling and a sense of being watched. Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) sessions have captured unexplained voices, including those of a woman and even a child, responding to questions in the empty room.

Guests have fled Room 202 in the middle of the night. They are often too frightened to explain what they experienced. Staff members admit to avoiding the room whenever possible. Shadows, sudden chills, and unexplained noises are common, with some investigators claiming to have communicated directly with the spirits believed to linger here.

Mobsteers and Prohibition-Era Secrets

The Hotel Redland’s colorful past includes its rumored role as a speakeasy during the Prohibition era, attracting a rough crowd and even infamous mobsters like Al Capone. Local legends suggest that the Hotel Redland was a hub for bootleggers and illicit deals. It appears the violence and secrecy of those years left a lasting mark on the building’s atmosphere.

Some stories claim that the woman in Room 202 was murdered because she betrayed a bootlegger. Others believe that the spirits of mobsters themselves may still haunt the premises.

Guests and staff have reported hearing the sounds of men arguing, glasses clinking, and even the faint strains of jazz music drifting through the halls late at night-echoes of the hotel’s lawless past.

These tales add an extra layer of intrigue and danger to the hotel’s haunted reputation, suggesting that not all of its ghosts are victims-some may have been perpetrators as well.

Other Reported Phenomena at Hotel Redland

Beyond its headline hauntings, Hotel Redland is a hotspot for a wide range of unexplained activity. Staff working overnight shifts have described hearing footsteps and laughter when no one else is present. Doors that were locked are also sometimes found mysteriously open. 

Objects have been known to vanish and then reappear in strange places, and lights frequently flicker for no apparent reason. Ghost investigators have captured EVPs throughout the building, with voices of both adults and children answering questions in empty rooms.

Maybe the most convincing proof is a spine-tingling photograph taken by an investigator. They captured a ghostly face in the lobby when no one else was around. There is a lingering sense that unseen forces are always lurking at the Hotel Redland. This makes it a popular destination for ghost hunters and curious tourists alike.

Haunted Miami

Today, the Hotel Redland is both a welcoming inn and a source of enduring mystery. Visitors come for its old-world charm and handy location. However, many leave with stories of strange sounds, fleeting apparitions, or an inexplicable chill in the air.

The Hotel Redland offers a unique glimpse into Homestead’s past. Join a Miami ghost tour and experience the even more of the city’s most chilling stories firsthand.

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Sources:

1. https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/miami-ghosthunters-investigate-allegedly-haunted-hotel-redland-9552125
2. https://www.doyouseedeadpeople.org/152/Hotel-Redland-Homestead-FL.html
3. https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/paranormal-investigator-snaps-selfie-with-terrifying-ghost-face-37996555.html
4. https://www.aol.com/hotel-homestead-scene-tragic-fire-083000899.html
5. https://www.thehotelredland.com/#:~:text=Upon%20opening%20in%201904%2C%20this,access%20to%20a%20shared%20balcony.