A Haunted PAST
Bone Island
To understand Marrero's, it helps to understand Key West itself. Early navigation charts named the island Cayo de Huesos – "Bone Island" – after sailors found skulls and bones scattered along its shores. Unaware that the island sat atop shallow beds of calcified coral, early settlers buried their dead nearby, only to have storms and hurricanes wash the bodies back to the surface. The dead, it seemed, rarely stayed buried.
There's a theory among paranormal enthusiasts that the limestone bedrock beneath Key West acts as a kind of energetic record, storing impressions of powerful past events that can resurface, quite literally, as hauntings. Between the restless dead and the restless ground, Key West has earned its reputation as one of the most haunted places in America. As local guides like to joke, the island is home to more dead than living.
It's against this backdrop that the story of Marrero's Guest Mansion unfolds – a legend that has lived on for over a century, and which still gives the property its title as Key West's most haunted hotel.
Ghostly Footsteps
As ownership of the Marrero's property has passed down through the years, guests and staff have experienced paranormal activity, including ghostly pranks, the scent of lavender in the air, and visions of a ghostly woman walking the halls.
Enriquetta Marrero, the original owner of the home, once vowed to remain always with the house she loved. The general consensus is that Enriquetta's spirit still dwells within Marrero's. Guests have described an overwhelming feeling of being welcomed home the moment they step past the threshold. Enriquetta appears to still care about her home deeply, and she continues to be a gracious host – even in spirit.
Most paranormal activity is said to come from Enriquetta's bedroom, Suite 7. Guests have reported objects being relocated in the room, along with the scent of Enriquetta's signature lavender fragrance.
In an earlier design of the hotel, a hallway chandelier was said to sway back and forth, signaling that Enriquetta didn't approve of a particular guest staying in her home. (It's since been replaced, so you don't have to worry about that.) Occasional sightings of "shadow figures" in the halls have also been reported, though the activity here tends to stay fairly passive.
Any prankster-like activity is believed to come from Enriquetta's children. The door to what was once the Children's Playroom is known for locking and unlocking on its own – even after having been replaced multiple times. Most of the children's tricks carry a playful energy and tend to occur for staff during the late-night hours, so guests may not experience anything firsthand.
Objects have been known to move or go missing, and children's giggles have been heard echoing through the hallway and stairwell. Childish laughter or the sound of a crying baby might not seem out of place in a typical hotel – but remember, the Guest Mansion is a 21-and-up property where no children are permitted to stay. So if you hear giggling in the middle of the night, you may just be hearing our resident ghosties.