A 1903 office building turned downtown hotel where two deaths — a murdered accountant and a woman thrown from a balcony — left behind guests that check in and never check out.
111 W Washington St, Greensboro, NC 27401
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Standard hotel rates; varies by season. See website.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Historic downtown hotel; elevator access available
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1903 · Built 1903 by the Cone Brothers, founders of Cone Mills textile empire · Downtown Greensboro commercial anchor for over a century · Documented deaths on premises in 1932 (Philip, accountant) and an unspecified earlier period (Lydia)
The building at 111 W Washington Street was constructed in 1903 for the Cone Brothers, whose textile empire — Cone Mills — made them among the most powerful business families in North Carolina at the turn of the century. The structure served initially as a commercial office building before converting to hotel use, eventually becoming the Biltmore Greensboro Hotel in its current form.
Two deaths tied to the building are documented in local news coverage and have become central to its haunted reputation. The first involves Philip, an accountant employed in the building who died on June 11, 1932, reportedly killed with piano wire after discovering an embezzlement scheme within the organization. The specific claim that he was murdered by piano wire appears in WFMY News 2 reporting on the hotel's ghost history; the underlying 1932 incident has not been independently confirmed in contemporary newspaper archives accessed for this build, which lowers certainty on the specific details.
The second death involves a woman identified in hotel legend as Lydia, said to have been a worker in a brothel operation that ran out of the building at some point in its history. According to accounts reported by MyFox8 and hauntedrooms.com, Lydia was thrown from a balcony and killed. No independent primary source confirming her death was located.
The building was included on a US Ghost Adventures Greensboro ghost tour as one of the anchor stops on the downtown circuit, which has amplified its paranormal profile in recent years. The hotel operated through much of the twentieth century as a mid-tier commercial property and was later repositioned as a boutique downtown hotel.
Sources
The Biltmore Greensboro Hotel's paranormal lore centers on two distinct figures tied to violent deaths in the building. Philip is said to haunt Room 332 and the area around it. According to hotel legend and local news coverage, Philip was an accountant who discovered an embezzlement operation inside the building and was killed on June 11, 1932 — allegedly strangled with piano wire to silence him. Guest reports from Room 332 include unexplained flickering lights, cold spots, and the sensation of being watched.
Room 223 is associated with Lydia, a woman said to have worked in a brothel that operated out of the building at some point in its history. Local accounts state she was thrown from a balcony and killed. Guests in Room 223 report a female apparition, footsteps, and unexplained sounds after hours. Lydia's specific identity and the date of her death have not been independently documented beyond the oral tradition preserved in regional media.
The hotel's ghost stories have been featured on regional TV news stations and incorporated into the US Ghost Adventures walking tour of downtown Greensboro, where the Biltmore serves as a major stop. Staff report ongoing guest encounters that correlate with the two specific rooms. Because the identities of Philip and Lydia cannot be fully verified from primary sources, the paranormal claims here are presented as hotel tradition and regional oral history.
Notable Entities
Stay in the heart of downtown Greensboro in a building with a documented history of violent deaths. Rooms 332 and 223 have the longest guest-reported encounter histories, drawing visitors specifically requesting those floors.
The hotel lobby and common areas preserve much of the original 1903 architectural character. Hotel staff are familiar with the building's haunted reputation and can point out the locations of reported activity.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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