October Availablity at the Amelia Payson House

This just in! October availability at the Amelia Payson House, one of the historic B&Bs in downtown Salem. 

Sept. 29th, 30th, Oct. 1st
Three night minimum: $175 per night.October 3rd, & 5th. $175 per night. No minimum stay required.

October 10th, 11th, & 12th
$175 per night. No minimum stay required.

October 16th, 17th, and 18th
$175 per night. No minimum stay required.

October 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd
Four(4) night minimum. $195 per night. One room left.

October 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th
$175 per night. No minimum stay required.

See website for deposit and cancellation terms. www.ameliapaysonhouse.com

Finding a place to stay

I've just updated the accommodations listings on HauntedHappenings.org.  There are still a few rooms to be had for October weekends in Salem.  Mid-week is also a great time to come to Salem in October, especially if you're coming for the ambiance and the foliage, but would prefer smaller crowds.

There are several accommodations in the region listed, as well.  Here's a cheat-sheet for neighboring communities...

• Beverly is north of Salem.  The Wylie Inn is about a 15 minute drive. 
• Danvers is northwest of Salem, those hotels are a 15-20 minute drive.
• Peabody is west of Salem, and most Peabody hotels are also a 15-20 minute drive.
• Rockport is 30 minutes northeast of Salem.  While it's a bit farther away, it is on the MBTA Commuter Rail (think "Last Stop!"), which makes car-free travel very easy between Rockport and Salem, especially on Halloween weekend.
• Wakefield is on Route 128 west of Salem, and a 20-25 minute drive. 

All drive times are estimates, and traffic could throw my estimates out the window.  That said, the regional accommodations are not far away, and once you're in Salem you can park your car and walk between nearly all of the attractions (or buy a Salem Trolley ticket, which is good all day for a shuttle between sights as well as their narrated tour of the city). 

Also worth noting... we've been updating the calendar of events on HauntedHappenings.org constantly.  If you haven't checked it out lately, it's time!  Remember to check the list of October Programs, too.

October Availability Update

It's not too late to plan to come to Salem this October!

Here's a quick list of who has what (tickets, rooms, shuttle service) to get you hear for the great celebration that we call Haunted Happenings!

The Hawthorne Hotel has rooms available on October 3-7, October 17-21, and October 24-28 (Autumn is lovely in Salem whether it's a Wednesday or a Saturday, and it's much easier to get a table in our delicious restaurants mid-week!) Tickets for the Bedlam Behind Bars Halloween Ball are still available. $90 each. Call 978-744-4080 or buy tickets online at TicketWeb.com.

The Holiday Inn & Suites (Boston/North Shore on Route 1 in Peabody) has rooms available throughout the month, including Halloween weekend! (Note that they are sold out on the 2nd, 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, and 30th.) They do not have a minimum length of stay, and these rooms will sell out! Ask about their complimentary shuttle service between the hotel and Salem during October. For more information call (978) 535-4600.

A short drive north in Beverly, the Wylie Inn & Conference Center has availability throughout the month. They have a 2-night minimum on the 9th, 30th, and 31st, and the Wylie Inn is sold out on the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 13th, and 18th.

A bit further north in Rockport, The Pleasant Street Inn also has vacancies throughout October. Rates at the Pleasant Street Inn range from $110 to $150 +tax (per night, double occupancy) and include breakfast. There are no minimum stay requirements.

Also in Rockport, the Emerson Inn by the Sea has a two night minimum for Saturday night stays, and they have availability throughout October (some nights only have one or two rooms left, though). The Emerson Inn has a hotel package that includes tickets and transportation to the Bedlam Behind Bars Ball at the Hawthorne Hotel on October 30!

Rockport is an easy connection to Salem via the MBTA Commuter Rail. The 30 minute ride will drop you at the Salem Depot, a 5 minute walk from the visitor center, and you will avoid traffic and parking!

Have you booked your room for Haunted Happenings yet?

If you haven't, you really need to because there isn't much availability left!! (Especially not on the weekends.) Salem is THE place to be in October, and an awful lot of people made their reservations for this year as they were checking out last year.

That is not to say all hope is lost, however! There are a few rooms to be had, especially in the Greater Salem region. Visit HauntedHappenings.org/hotels for hotel information for Salem and beyond.

As I am made aware of availability, I will share it with you here. We'll start with the Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites...

They still have availability on most weekdays in October, with weekday rates starting at $189. Weekends are almost sold out, but the following dates have very limited availability. All weekends in October have a 2-night minimum, with arrival on a Friday required.

October 1-2 (Rooms starting at $269 per night)
October 8 - One night only - October 9 is sold out (Rooms starting at $279 per night)
October 15-16 (Rooms starting at $279)
October 29-31 - A 3-night minimum (Rooms start at $339 per night)

Don't wait if you want to stay at the Salem Waterfront Hotel - these rooms won't last very long! Book online at SalemWaterfrontHotel.com.

Availability in Salem this October

If you have tried to make hotel reservations for October recently, you have undoubtedly been impressed by how popular Salem is in October! Indeed, rooms during our annual Haunted Happenings festival go fast.

Here are a few tips regarding October:

1. Come mid-week. There are plenty of rooms in Salem during the midweek, so if you are looking for foliage and a Halloween feel without having to be here for Halloween night, try to come up during the week. All of the haunted tours, attractions, and museums are open throughout the week, and you will encounter fewer crowds midweek.
2. Look at regional properties. There are a lot of great hotels in neighboring towns, and they have rooms available for October weekends.
3. Plan for 2011! Check with different accommodations for their reservation policies, and get ready to be first in line for next year. (And still come this year! Haunted Happenings is a blast whether you are staying downtown or in Danvers.)

Here is hotel availability as we know it for the week ending May 20. All rates quoted are per night, do not include tax, and are subject to change.


Salem

Amelia Payson House
16 Winter Street, Salem
978.744.8304 | AmeliaPaysonHouse.com
The Details: Availability October 1-6, 10-27. Multiple night minimums on the weekend.

Clipper Ship Inn
40 Bridge Street, Salem
978.745.8022 | ClipperShipInn.com
The Details: Halloween weekend is sold out, but there is availability earlier in the month. There is a two-night minimum for weekends, and a three-night minimum for Columbus Day weekend. Rates are between $145 - $250 per night.

Hawthorne Hotel
18 Washington Square West, Salem
978.744.4080 | HawthorneHotel.com
The Details: The Hawthorne has availability on October 1, 3 - 7, 11 - 21, 24 - 28. Rates are $149 - $209 per night.

Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites
225 Derby Street, Salem 01970
888.337.2536 | SalemWaterfrontHotel.com
The Details: The hotel has availability throughout October, but weekends are booking up quickly. Weeknight rates start at $199 and weekend rates start at $269.

Stepping Stone Inn
19 Washington Square North, Salem
978.741.8900 | TheSteppingStoneInn.com
The Details: Columbus Day Weekend (October 9-11) and Halloween Weekend are sold out. Other weekends and all mid-week days are available.

Winter Island Maritime Park - Campground
50 Winter Island Road, Salem
978.745.9430
The Details: There is availability throughout the month, but Columbus Day and Halloween weekends are filling up. Rates range from $32 - $47 per night, depending on if you need a tent site, RV site, or waterfront RV site.


Beverly

Beverly Garden Suites
5 Lakeview Avenue, Beverly
978.922.7535 | BeverlyGardenSuites.com
The Details: Availability throughout October. Rates are $109 - $139.


Danvers

Comfort Inn North Shore
50 Dayton Street, Danvers
978.777.1700 | ComfortInnDanvers.com
The Details: Availability throughout the month. Rates from $119 - $159 per night.


Gloucester

Cape Ann's Marina Resort
75 Essex Avenue, Gloucester
978.283.2116 | CapeAnnMarina.com
The Details: Availability throughout October. Rates from $105 - $149 per night.


Marblehead

Harbor Light Inn
58 Washington Street, Marblehead
781.631.2186 | HarborLightInn.com
The Details: 3 night minimum for Halloween weekend, 2 night minimum for other October weekends. Rates are $195-$365 per night.


Rockport

Seven South Street Inn
7 South Street, Rockport
888.284.2730 | SevenSouthStreetInn.com
The Details: Availability throughout October.

The Tuck Inn B&B
17 High Street, Rockport
800.789.7260 | TuckInn.com
The Details: Availability throughout October. Rates are $96 - $146 per night.

Budget-Friendly Rates at the Clipper Ship Inn

For budget friendly rates, contact the Clipper Ship Inn in Salem for reservations during Haunted Happenings. Call early for best rates and availability - 978 745 8022. Enjoy the festivities without spending a pirate's fortune!