Cosmopolitan Hotel

Built between 1827 and 1829, the Cosmopolitan Hotel was originally the grand adobe residence of Don Juan Bandini, a wealthy cattle rancher and prominent political activist who led multiple uprisings against Mexican governors. He lived there with his wife and three daughters - Ysidora, Josefa, and Arcadia - considered among the most beautiful women in California. In 1869, Albert Seeley purchased the building and transformed it into a Greek Revival hotel and stagecoach stop.

The Cosmopolitan Hotel has stood on the corner of Old Town San Diego's plaza since 1827, making it one of the most historic—and most haunted—buildings in the city. Originally built as Casa de Bandini by Juan Lorenzo Bandini, the one-story adobe required over 10,000 handmade bricks, each weighing up to sixty pounds. In 1869, stagecoach operator Albert Seeley transformed it into the Cosmopolitan Hotel, adding a grand second story with a full wrap-around balcony.

The most famous ghost is Ysidora Bandini, who passed away in 1897 but has never truly left the hotel her family built. Known as the "Lady in Red," she is frequently seen in rooms four, five, and especially room eleven—the most active paranormal hotspot. Room 11 experiences lights flickering on their own, doors opening and closing without cause, and objects mysteriously moving. Curtains open by themselves, mirrors shift positions, and some guests have even heard the sound of an invisible cat purring.

Ysidora seems to respond when addressed in Spanish, her native language. Staff and guests have felt her presence most strongly when speaking to her directly. Her gentle spirit appears to still be watching over the home she knew in life.

Other phantoms walk these grounds as well. Security guards and gardeners have witnessed a woman in a long grey dress wandering the property, her form misty and translucent before she vanishes. An invisible growling dog has been heard in the central courtyard. Unexplained footsteps echo above empty rooms, and doors slowly close without any breeze.

The hotel keeps notebooks in each room where guests can document their paranormal experiences. These journals are filled with accounts of encounters with the unseen residents. The Cosmopolitan's haunting was featured on Ghost Adventures in 2011.

Located just blocks from the Whaley House and El Campo Santo Cemetery, the Cosmopolitan sits at the heart of Old Town's haunted neighborhood. Many ghost tours begin or end at its doors, where the living can briefly enter the world of the dead—and perhaps have their shoulder tapped by a spirit still tending to guests.