Ghost Hunting at the Royal Maritime Hotel | Portsmouth

On Friday, I had the chance to join Spirit Chasers Paranormal UK for a paranormal investigation at the Royal Maritime Hotel in Portsmouth, England.

Spirit Chasers Paranormal, is a non-profit that runs events across the South of England to support charities and do private ghost investigations.

I found the group while looking for a local ghost tour. They needed volunteers, so I joined in, curious to see what would happen.

We got to the Royal Maritime Hotel around 8 PM on Friday, January 10th, and the investigation ended at 2 AM. Time seemed to slip away as the eerie night unfolded.

The Royal Maritime Hotel

The Royal Maritime Hotel is one of Portsmouth’s oldest, opening in 1852.

It was built to give sailors a place to stay between ships after long sea voyages. It offered them some comfort after the tough life at sea, which I think is really nice.

Prince Albert visited in 1855, giving the hotel Royal patronage.

Strangely, our ghost hunt happened on the anniversary of the hotel’s bombing during WWII on January 10th, 1941. Half of it was destroyed, and the rest was lost two months later on March 10th, 1941.

Creepy, right?

The hotel reopened in March 1952, 11 years later.

The Investigation

I’ve watched many ghost shows and been on one investigation before, so I was kind of familiar with the equipment. But it was cool to see a different approach that wasn’t all about the gadgets.

This was the hotel’s first ghost investigation. Reviews on Trip Advisor mentioned possible hauntings, which could have been why we were there.

We used EMF meters, spirit boxes, and REM pods. The team also told us to trust our feelings and work together to create energy, making it more personal.

We split into groups and started exploring..

The Hallway

Before starting, we were shown the areas to explore. Two spots felt weird to me and another team member: the hallway and the skittles alley.

We began in the hallway.

Some guests had KIIs (EMF Meters), and two near each other started blinking and spiking. We separated them, but the activity didn’t stop.

A cat ball lit up in one of the open rooms.

When I took photos of two rooms that felt “off,” a faint white shadow showed up in the pictures. It could be nothing, or maybe something more.

I also thought I saw a dark figure behind one of the investigators, standing in the room as he leaned on the doorpost.

The Library

We moved to other areas, where the equipment kept reacting.

The library was freezing. A small ghost-hunting robot that detects movement was super active on the balcony overlooking the hall.

Then, we went to the Billiard Room.

The Billiard Room

We spent a lot of time in the billiard room after hearing a whistle from a dark corner. We placed a music box there, and it went off repeatedly.

We tried to stir things up by singing, whistling, and chatting, hoping to get a reaction.

We set up some billiard balls on the table, and they moved slightly. The robot on the table kept backing up, like it was trying to get off. We tried a different side of the table, and the same thing happened.

At one point, I asked, “Can anyone here whistle?” I meant someone in our group, but the lights on the billiard table flicked on.

Was that a ghostly “yes”?

The Skittles Alley

The creepiest part was the Skittles Alley.

The air felt heavy, especially at the far end. I had a weird feeling about it earlier, and it turned out to be right.

I tried to take a photo but it was too dark, so I used my phone’s flash. As it went off, I saw a white mist quickly move from right to left. The camera didn’t catch it.

I tried again, and the mist appeared once more. This time, another guest saw it too.

I tried again, and the mist reappeared. This time, a fellow guest witnessed it alongside me.

Eventually, the camera captured something. Yet, down there, no other equipment seemed to go off.

I also observed dust particles moving erratically, like in a table tennis match.

can’t wait to do this again….

The Spirit Chasers team knew their stuff and made everyone feel welcome, whether they were new or experienced. It was a great chance to explore the paranormal and support a good cause.

I can’t wait to join more events with Spirit Chasers Paranormal UK and keep exploring the unknown.

If you’re interested, check out Spirit Chasers Paranormal’s Facebook page for upcoming events.

Thank you for reading & stay curious.

Sam 🖤👻🖤