Horton Grand Hotel – Is It Haunted

Season 2 Opener: The Secrets of Room 309 at the Horton Grand Hotel

For the Season 2 premiere of “Is it Haunted?”, Nena and Eric stepped into the Victorian elegance of the Gaslamp Quarter to investigate a titan of San Diego lore: The Horton Grand Hotel.

While the hotel is famous for its hand-carved oak and 19th-century charm, it is even more famous for a permanent resident who never checked out. Nena and Eric went in searching for rumors but walked away with what is arguably their most compelling evidence to date.

The Legend of Roger Whitaker

The heart of the Horton Grand’s haunting lies in Room 309. Legend tells of Roger Whitaker, a gambler who, in the mid-1800s, found himself on the wrong side of a debt. He reportedly hid in a wardrobe in his room, only to be shot and killed through the door by his creditors.

Ever since the hotel was dismantled and rebuilt at its current location in the 1980s, Roger seems to have moved with the bricks. Guests in Room 309 frequently report:

• The bed shaking violently in the middle of the night.
• The armoire doors swinging open on their own.
• The distinct smell of cigar smoke in a non-smoking facility.

In the Season 2, Episode 1 Opener, Nena and Eric didn’t just sit and wait—they engaged. As they reviewed the footage, the activity caught on camera left the team speechless. From unexplained light anomalies to physical shifts in the room’s atmosphere, the energy captured in this episode feels personal.

The Investigation: “Compelling” Doesn’t Cover It

The most shocking moment occurs when the team monitors the very furniture Roger is said to have died in. The evidence suggests that whatever is in Room 309 isn’t just a “residual” haunting (a playback of the past), but an intelligent entity capable of interacting with the living.

We Need Your Eyes: Did We Miss Something?

As Nena and Eric go through the playback, they are asking the “Is it Haunted?” community for help. Paranormal evidence is often found in the “liminal spaces”—the background noise, the corner of the frame, or the split-second before a camera pans away.

Check out the footage here: The Horton Grand Hotel Investigation

As you watch, keep an eye on:

• The shadows near the period-accurate armoire.
• The audio peaks during the EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) sessions.
• Any movement in the mirrors that doesn’t match Nena or Eric’s reflections.

Visit the Horton Grand

If you’re brave enough to book a night in Room 309, you can find the Horton Grand Hotel at 311 Island Avenue. Just remember: if the bed starts shaking, Roger is just looking for his deck of cards.

What do you see in the footage? Drop a comment on the YouTube channel and let us know if you spotted something Eric and Nena missed!